Camp Policies and FAQs

General Information:

Regular camp hours 9am – 3:00 pm

Drop off time is no earlier than 8:45 am for those campers not registered for extended care.

Pick up time is no later than 3:15 pm for those campers not registered for extended care.

Extended care hours 7:30 am – 8:45 am

3:15pm – 6 pm

Transportation hours 7:45 am – 8:30am

3:15pm – 4pm

These are the “windows of time in which our buses will be available for drop off / pick up. Actual pick up / drop off times will vary but once set, will be consistent. (example: Lake Temescal @7:45am, Orinda Safeway @ 8:00 etc.)

Field Trips

We will have regularly scheduled optional field trips to exciting places and activities. These trips are important, educational and a lot of fun and serve to get the kids out of the same environment. These field trips may or may not require a very minimal additional fee ($2-$10) as stated on our website. These fees will only be used to offset admissions to the selected locations. Planned trips include Black Diamond Mines, Water World, Tilden Lake, Lake del Valle, exploring Mount Diablo, Bowling, Water World and other fun and exciting locations. Bay Area Explorers Campers are not charged additional fees for admissions.

What to bring:

Campers should bring the following each day.

A bag lunch

Water bottle

A towel

Bathing suit

Sunscreen we will have available but camper should come already screened

Snacks fruit, crackers, juice box etc

Clothing appropriate and modest summer clothes with shoes for activity and sports. Flip flops are o.k to bring but appropriate active sports type shoes are necessary

Game Boys or personal electronic entertainment are not allowed. We hope to keep your camper busy and active enough so that these are not needed. We will also encourage the social interaction and friendships between campers and these items will detract from that purpose. Cell phones are allowed for emergency but may not be used at any time for other than emergency purposes.

Campers may have cell phones in their possession for emergency purposes but they must be turned off while at camp except in case of emergency. This applies to Teen Leadership Campers also.

Only those who are authorized to pick up your child will be able to do so. If someone other than you or the authorized individuals will be picking up your child you must provide authorization in writing. This is to protect your child, not to make life difficult. Please make sure you make arrangements to authorize any person who will be picking up your child.

Please check your camper upon pick up or as soon as possible afterwards. We do participate in nature hikes and explore local natural areas. Ticks are commonplace in our area and should be removed as soon as possible. To remove ticks, use tweezers (not your fingers) and grasp the tick as close to the camper’s skin as possible and pull gently, straight back until the tick releases. Apply antiseptic and watch the area over next few days. If redness appears consult your camper’s doctor immediately. The most common area for ticks on our campers is in the hair.

General Camp Policies

Regular Camps times are as follows:

Full Day Sessions: All Day and Sport Camps ages 4.5-13 9am - 3:00 pm,

1/2 Day Sessions: All Day and Sports Camps ages 4.5 - 13 9am -12:30 pm

Any times other than these with the exception of normal transportation will be charged as extended care.

Extended Care:

Day and Sport Camps 7:30am - 6pm

Transportation:

Pick up/Drop off in Downtown Walnut Creek, Oakland/Berkeley, Orinda, San Ramon, Martinez: $35 per week.

Transportation is at selected express locations and set times in these cities. (Orinda Safeway, Lake Temescal parking lot, Walnut Creek BART etc.)

Parents are required to sign in at beginning of camp day and to sign out at end of the camp day. Please DO NOT leave or pick up your camper without signing in or out. To not do so is dangerous and causes undue worry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are your camps located?

Our base camp is at Castle Rock Recreation area in Walnut Creek at the end of Castle Rock Road 1 mile past Northgate High School. Summer Fun is a stationary camp located there along with Tackle Football and Baseball Camp, Skate Camp and Bay Area Explorers meet there each morning and then leave for their days adventure and return to Castle Rock at 3pm.

Do you accept kids with ADHD? We welcome these children and do have an extra portion of patience and understanding for them. As long as we can offer them the best in summer fun and their behavior (see discipline policy below) fits within our standards we very much accept and appreciate them.

My child needs to take medication during the day, how do you handle this?

We have a head counselor who is responsible for all medication distribution. we keep all information on file with this staff member and they are specifically delegated to this duty.

How do you ensure the safety of my child on field trips and outings?

On field trips and outings, the camper to counselor ratio for ages up to age 8 is a maximum of 4:1 with younger children even set at 2:1 or 3:1 depending on the child's activity and attention level. 9-12 year olds are given a little more autonomy to enjoy their experience with a ratio of a maximum of 6:1. All outings include these camper to counselor ratios and an additional 1 - 4 camp directors or senior staff that remain unassigned to a group whose responsibility it is to "roam" and supervise, monitor exits etc. Additionally, all campers are issued a brightly and uniquely colored slip on "pinnie" jersey to wear during the outing with the camp name and contact phone number permanently affixed to the jersey.

Other camps include transportation and extended care in their price. Why don't you? We try our best to keep the base costs of our camps as affordable as possible. Transportation and extended care are added as a user fee so that only those campers utilizing those services pay for them.

Why do we need to pay extra for field trips at Summer Fun Day Camp? Field trips at Summer Fun are optional. (see question above for more info)

What is your policy on discipline?

We believe that all kids will have good days and bad days. Our counselors and support staff will balance these "good times, bad times" with the needs of the group as a whole and base their response accordingly. We believe in our campers and their inherent goodness, however in order to maintain a fun and enjoyable experience for the group we have a graduated discipline policy that is as follows:

1) Verbally remind camper of rules and standard of behavior.

2) Verbal reminder and "time out" time

3) Stronger verbal reminder and additional time out

4) Camper will call parent and notify parent of his/her behavior

5) Parent will be asked to pick up their camper

6) If camper finds it too difficult to modify their behavior after these steps camper will be sent home for two days.

7) Persistent negative behavior and unwillingess to improve will result in discharge of camper from the program.

We have found that for most issues with campers the graduation of discipline does not extend beyond #2 and sometimes #3. With the few that move beyond #3 most modify their behavior by #4. Rare is the case where a camper moves to #5, extremely rare is #6 and #7 has not yet been necessary.

We do have a zero tolerance policy for foul language or hitting or striking another camper or staff in any manner. For these offenses the camper usually goes directly to #3 and #4. If a recurring problem camper will go directly to #5.

Possesion of or use of weapons of any kind or use of or possesion of any illegal substance will result in immediate graduation to # 5 and depending on the severity of the offense could move directly to #7.

There is no refund as a result of disciplinary actions.

What is your plan for days of extreme heat ?

On the normal range of summer temperatures we plan our activities so that the morning is the more strenuous times and the afternoons are spent in cooler and wet fun. We have cold gatorade or lemonade available at all times for our campers. We encourage water consumption also but find that kids more readily stay hydrated with these formulas. Campers should come to camp with a generous lather of sunscreen already applied. We will have additonal sunscreen available for refreshment during the course of the day.

On days of triple digit and extreme triple digit temperatures, our regular activities are scaled back accordingly and campers spend much of their time in shaded areas, playing board and other non - strenuous games. Our camp plan will be modified to include indoor field trips like the Exploratorium, movies, bowling, trips to Black Diamond mines etc. We will not sacrifice the safety of your camper for the sake of the planned program.

What is your procedure for a medical emergency ?

For minor first aid issues, qualified first aid is administered.

For those very rare cases where professional medical help is required, a camper medical profile, insurance information and treatment authorization form accompanies a camper wherever he/she goes. Staff will take appropiate measure (call 911, take to nearest medical facility etc.) and make sure the camper is taken care of. At the earliest possible opportunity staff will contact the camper's parent or guardian.

What is your refund policy?

Due to fixed expenses incurred upon registration and projected future costs we do not offer refunds after June 1st except in the case of medical reasons ( camper's)or if the camper has moved out of the area. We may offer credit towards future programs. Schedules do change however and registered weeks can be moved before the week begins.