Time to Get Ready for Summer Camp!

It’s time to get ready for summer camp already – can you believe it?

This is always a very busy season at Upper Canada Child Care. With the start of summer camp just around the corner, and as a parent to a school age camper, I’m certainly thinking about how my family will get ready for summer camp.

In this blog, we’re sharing some tips to help families prepare for attending UCCC summer camp, whether your child is attending for one, several, or all nine weeks.  If your child is attending a different camp, we think you may also find this information helpful.

Leading Up to Camp:

Talk with your child about how they are feeling about going to summer camp.

This is especially important if they are attending for the first time. Be aware that your children will pick up how you are feeling about it, so try to be positive while letting them express their feelings. You might also choose to spark their interest by reading books or watching a video about going to camp, and/or involve your child in the process (e.g., prepping their lunch, packing their backpack etc.). Whether it’s a day or overnight camp, it’s always a good idea to communicate with your children about what to expect.

For more on this topic, read 5 Camp Strategies Parents Can Use to Help Kids Thrive (sandiegofamily.com)

Save the camp’s phone number in your phone.

Check in with camp staff to find out how they will communicate important information. For example, will they communicate by email, Storypark, verbally, and/or postings in centre?

It’s important to know where to look for updates or changes that you need to know.

Check the camp calendar.

It contains important details about dates, times, and locations. and communicate with your child about what is planned for the next day.

Also communicate with the camp staff to let them know if your child is looking forward to or has apprehensions about something that is planned on the calendar.

Label everything.

This is necessary as there will be many campers with similar things.

Prep as much as you can together the night before.

The next morning, instead of rushing around, you’ll thank yourself for taking that time the night before. Summer is a great opportunity to involve children in the process. For example, if you haven’t already, you could Teach Your Kids to Make Their Own School Lunches (selfsufficientkids.com)

In my experience, if a lunch box is coming home full, it may be a sign that a child needs more autonomy and choice about what they are eating (this is one domain they can control). I’ve written before about my parenting style here: How Working in Childcare has Influenced My Parenting Style – Upper Canada Child Care

But don’t just take my word for it – our Registered Dietician has written about 7 Tips for Fuss-free Mealtimes – Upper Canada Child Care and How Responsive Feeding Helps Children – Upper Canada Child Care and allowing children to trust their bodies.

When you take the time and demonstrate the patience to enable children to do more for themselves, in addition to reducing stress by taking the time to get ready for camp, you’ll be teaching your kids valuable life skills. These skills include executive functioning (planning, preparation), health and nutrition, and gross motor skills. You’re helping children help themselves and become more independent.  You’re giving them the message that you trust them.

To Get Ready for Camp Daily:

Try to apply sunscreen before arrival at camp.

Remember to send sunscreen with your child for reapplication as needed.

Send children in weather-appropriate, comfy, casual clothes that you don’t mind getting messy!

UCCC campers go outside every day, in ALL kinds of weather, and our trips happen rain or shine.

Send the following labeled items in your child’s backpack every day:

• Refillable water bottle
• Nut-free bagged lunch (except on Fridays when we provide a pizza lunch). Our camps also provide two healthy snacks daily.
• Hat
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Running shoes or sandals with heel strap
• Extra clothes

Additionally, on water play/beach trip days:

• Swimsuit, towel water shoes, and a life vest for swim/beach trips (for non-swimmers).

Additionally, on rainy days:

• Rubber boots, rain gear

But there are also things we ask that you DON’T send.

Please don’t send money or other valuables.

Our programming is outdoor-focused, with camp staff facilitating a combination of planned and child-directed activities. Please don’t send electronics (if there’s going to be a special day where kids can bring devices, camp staff will let you know in advance).

Be aware of the general flow of the day.

Most of our programs open at 7:00 AM and close at 6:00 PM, but camp-specific programming runs from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. At the beginning and end of the day, kids have free play time. Have you noticed that many other camps’ hours are often somewhere in the window of 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM and if you want care outside of those hours, you usually must pay for extended care? That’s another bonus of UCCC camps is that these extended hours are included in our fees!

Factor in the time required to sign your camper(s) in and out every day.

This is a safety requirement. Always let the camp know in advance if someone new will be picking up your child.  Giving yourselves more time (like with anything you do) will reduce stress, making everyone’s morning go more smoothly.

Speaking of time…

Please be on time for trip days.

Don’t miss the bus! The bus leaves at the scheduled time, and it won’t wait.

Also, because UCCC camps are licensed, age groups can’t be mixed so we can’t care for your older child in our preschool program (plus that wouldn’t be any fun for them).  That means that if your child arrives late and the bus has left, we won’t be able to provide care that day.

Finally, we encourage a ‘go with the flow’ attitude regarding camp activities.

While we do communicate any changes we know in advance, there are variables on a given day such as the weather or children’s interests or needing to provide more time to a particularly engaging activity that require a change to programs.  As a result, there may be substitutions of activities or date changes. Camp staff are prepared with alternate activities and work very hard to ensure that campers are happily occupied.  Make sure to check in with staff at pick-up to find out all the activities that were offered to campers.

So, now that you’ve thought about the things you need to get ready for summer camp, you can rest assured knowing that you’ve chosen a well-established organization with decades of experience in providing safe, licensed childcare, and that your child will have a summer filled with fun memories! For more on this, read: Summer is for Making Memories – Upper Canada Child Care

This year, UCCC Summer Camps run from July 2^nd to August 30^th. If you’re already registered, we look forward to seeing you at camp. If you know someone who might find this helpful, please share this page with them. Thanks for reading and, now go get ready for summer camp!

By Christine Tyrrell, Communications and Marketing Coordinator