Camp @ the Camp is a four-week, two-session day camp designed to deepen children’s relationship to their natural environment, nourish creativity, build community, and encourage outdoor play. Our grounds at the Settlement Camp Park in Beacon, New York, were once the site of a residential summer camp which the University Settlement founded in 1910 to provide NYC youth with an experience in nature and a place to grow a message of hope, tolerance, and community building. This historic and beautiful site provides a special home for our fun-filled summer program.
A Typical Day ~ Camp life is exciting and varied! While we stick to a general daily and weekly schedule, each session revolves around themes, and the activities change according to the theme. Special guests and unique impromptu events make every camp day completely different and exhilarating!
Our Goals:
- To help children feel comfortable in and understand their environment
- To develop a questioning attitude about their world
- To heighten children’s awareness, using all of their senses to experience some of the places where plants and animals live
- To have children experience certain ecological concepts and to motivate further respect for their surroundings
- To help prepare children for making choices, becoming self-directed, and responsible for their own learning
- To assure children of their inestimable worth
- To create an atmosphere of caring and respect
- To model and grow cooperative, tolerant attitudes
The camp day runs Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m- 3:00 p.m. Children will bring their snacks and lunches from home. Our group size is about eight children, with at least one grown-up per group so we can provide individual attention and opportunities for collaboration between campers. Campers will be placed in age-appropriate activity groups. These activities are woven into the special themes explored during each session.
- Play field games
- Hike all over the camp property
- Sing, write songs, perform
- Design, make art
- Explore nature
- Swim
- Tell stories and grow camp community spirit.
Our basic schedule is as follows:
8:30-8:55-Camper arrival, meet with group counselors – group activity
9:00- Morning Meeting (including looking for the famous purple rock)
9:30 – Full Camp Game
10:00- Snack Time
10:15- Activity 1
11:00- Activity 2 (Pool time for groups 1,2,3)
11:45- Lunch time
12:15-1:00-Activity 3 (Pool time for groups 4,5,6)
12:30 – 1:15- Activity 3 for groups 1,2,3
1:15- Full Camp Free Time meeting (to discuss the Free Time possibilities)
1:20 – Free Time
2:10- Closing Meeting
2:30- Tick Check/Pack Up
2:30- Camper dismissal
2:45-3:00-Camper dismissal/CIT chores & Debrief
3:15 – CIT dismissal
“There is always that one summer that changes you.”