Day Camp

WELCOME TO DAY CAMP!

ABOUT DAY CAMP

At Camp Puh’Tok we offer a Day Camp program for children who are either too young or not yet ready for sleep away camp. Our Day Camp program gives 5-9 year old boys and girls the opportunity to explore the great outdoors while discovering Native American culture, learning about nature, developing new skills and having fun. Our ever expanding program offers new and exciting activities each year.

PROGRAMS

At Camp Puh’Tok we offer many different activities and programs for your child to experience. We offer archery, BB’s, archeology, hiking, homestead, horseback riding, Native American crafts, nature, camp fires, low ropes challenge courses, storytelling, field games, cookouts, arts and crafts and much more. Each day will be different and exciting. Although we would like to offer the same activities to every single child, each week’s activities vary due to the theme of the week. Themes include pirates, nature, wacky week, sports, etc.. and will determine other activities such as field games and arts and crafts. Every day will be packed full of fun!

SWIMMING

Each camper will have the opportunity to swim during the week, normally twice a day. Our day campers swimming time is separate from the residential camp. Day campers are usually much younger than our residential campers and most of them cannot swim as well. We start all of our day camp children in the shallow end the first time they enter the pool. If a child or parent requests, our lifeguards will test any child who wishes to swim in the middle or deep end of the pool. Children wear color coded bracelets at all times to indicate that they have been tested to swim in deeper water. Our pool will always have three lifeguards on duty as well as watchers standing around and in the pool observing the children as they play.

FIELD TRIPS

Weekly field trips and presentations will be determined by the theme. Some weeks will include a field trip off camp property. Some of our past outings have included a trip to Ladew Gardens, an Orioles game, a trip to Pirate Adventures in Annapolis, and the UTZ factory. Other weeks we will have on camp presentations such as a clown, the Zoo-Mobile, wildlife presenters, and medieval presentations. If the children do go off camp we create a smaller ratio depending on the place we go. When the children go to the baseball stadium for example, we  maintain a 3:1 camper-counselor ratio.

DAILY SCHEDULE

Our schedule will vary each week depending on the activities planned for that theme. Each day the children will arrive and proceed to their first activity with their counselor. They will then have free swim, then lunch, afternoon activities, snack, and afternoon free swim. They will end their day with story time, planned crafts or campfires until parents come to pick them up. Each week will be different and the director will have information on each day’s activities, meals and other programs.

General Schedule

DROP-OFF/PICK-UP

Each day we ask parents to arrive at 8:45 a.m for normal drop off and pick their children up at 5:00 p.m. at the side porch of the Thunderbird Lodge. For children in extended day care, morning care begins at 8:00 a.m., including breakfast, and evening care ends at 6:00 p.m., including dinner. We ask parents to please be on time for pickup and drop off. We understand traffic and other complications arise and would ask that our office and/or Day Camp Director is contacted if a child will arrive late. We will only allow a child to leave with the parent they arrived with unless we are told otherwise in person, in writing. If your child will be carpooling, picked up by a relative, or picked up by a friend or neighbor we must be told in person by that child’s guardian. If the parent of the child knows that there may be a case where a neighbor, family member of friend may be picking the child up, the Day Camp Director must be notified directly. Our first priority is the safety of our campers and your children.

WHAT DO I BRING?

We suggest that each child brings a backpack including a water bottle, sunscreen, a towel, a set of extra clothes, a bathing suit, bug spray, a hat, plastic bag for wet clothes and a raincoat or poncho. We do not suggest that children bring their own toys from home as they may become lost easily. Children may not bring any electronic games, cellphones, iPOD’s, knives, matches, lighters, fireworks or other contraband, listed in our policies or camp packets. We will try our best to assist in finding any lost items; however, Camp Puh’Tok cannot be held responsible if any personal items or camp purchases are lost, stolen or damaged at camp.

FRIDAY FUN FIRE AND TIPI WAKAN

Every Friday evening family and friends are invited to our Fun Fire or Tipi Wakan. The first week of every two week session will be the Fun Fire, the second week will be the Tipi Wakan. Both will include dances, a campfire, songs and lots of fun for everyone. The Fun Fire will take place at 6:30 p.m. and the Tipi Wakan will begin at 7:15 p.m.. Every Friday day campers are welcome to stay for dinner and will then line up with the rest of camp for Friday’s mail call before proceeding to the council ring. It is recommended that parents ask the Day Camp Director or counselors about the activities for that Friday if there is any confusion. The Day Camp Director will notify parents beforehand as well.

OUR STAFF

Our day camp maintains a 1:6 ratio. We maintain this ratio because we are dedicated to camper safety and know that our youngest campers require the most attention. Each staff member is trained in CPR and First Aid. Our staff meets with their director to talk about any issues that arise with the campers and will inform the parents as soon as they arrive. Our staff is trained to handle situations promptly and professionally.