Day Camp

Brooklyn Day Camp – Campus Day Camp General Info

We are the top Summer Camp in Brooklyn! Summer camp 2023 begins on June 29th and runs straight through until August 11, with the exception of July 4th. Our camp is loaded with amazing trips, overnights and activities. Your son or daughter will visit some of the best theme parks, museums, water parks and other trips across the tri-state area. They will make friends that will last a lifetime!

Exciting trips, overnight stays, extended days as well as many other activities such as, swimming, dancing, yoga, computers, sports, karate, arts and crafts, ceramics, jewelry making, baking, academic enrichment and more… will fill your child’s summer.

We offer a variety of scheduling options for working parents including early morning drop off and late pick up, as well as door to door transportation.

Our goal is to make each and every child’s summer as enjoyable and memorable as possible. By ensuring a positive and enriching environment, friendships are built to last and children’s personalities and self-esteem thrive.

Our team is dedicated to ensuring the safety of each and every child on all trips. We keep a staff to child ratio of 1 to 5 on all trips. Lifeguards will accompany the children on all water based trips. Head counts are taken in the morning, before leaving trip location and many times in between.

All of our staff members are given a background check, finger printed, cleared by the state and trained to our high standards.

Our staff is certified in CPR and first aid, Infectious disease control training and are mandated reporters.

The majority of our staff works with us year round in our After School Program, doing homework with your children getting to know them on an academic and personal level. So by the time summer rolls around we are like one big happy family.

Divisions

Adventurers:

The adventurers are children entering kindergarten through second grade.
They attend two trips per week, usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays and go swimming once per week.
The two days that they spend in the building are loaded with fun and enriching activities.
Throughout the summer the adventurers attend two extended day trips.
All groups are separated by grade and gender and have 2-3 same gender counselors.

Discoverers:

The discoverers are children entering third through fifth grades.
They attend two-three trips per week and go swimming once per week.
The two days that they spend in the building are loaded with fun and enriching activities.
Throughout the summer the discoverers attend two-three extended day trips.
All groups are separated by grade and gender and have 2-3 same gender counselors.

Explorers:

The explorers are children entering sixth through tenth grade.
They attend three trips per week, usually on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and go swimming once per week.
The one day that they spend in the building are loaded with fun and enriching activities.
Throughout the summer the explorers attend two to three extended day trips and three overnights.
All groups are separated by grade and gender and have 2-3 same gender counselors.

Tuition

Additions

Trips / Activities

All groups in camp participate in the following activities

Dance -taught by professional dance teachers and choreographers, students will learn dance steps based on modern and contemporary music.

Physical Education -our physical education program is designed to give children a well-rounded and fun experience while challenging them physically. Taught by NYC DOE physical education teachers.

Outdoor Sports -we make frequent use of Marine Park and Seaview Park to do organized team sports such as Basketball, football and soccer etc.

Swimming -We rent an offsite swimming pool that our camp uses twice a week. We staff our own lifeguards and our groups are the only groups using the pool at the time. Whether or not your child knows how to swim, he or she will be able to participate. The swimming pool starts at a shallow 3 feet deep and children are restricted to water no more than chest deep. If your child is a swimmer he/she will be tested before being allowed to enter the deeper water. We take aquatics safety very seriously!!

Karate -Campers learn the fundamentals of self defense in a safe and non-competitive environment. Taught by black belt level instructors. Drama, baking, movies, computers and more!!

Some of our trips include:*
Club Getaway (overnight), Sesame Place, Dorney Park, Splish Plash Water Park, Keansburg Amusement Park, Camping (overnight), Great Wolf Lodge (overnight), Boomers, Adventureland, Hershey Park, Museums, Arcades, Bowling and much much more!!

*Please note that not all trips are scheduled every summer. Refer to camp calendar for specific information. Trips are subject to change.

Schedule and Hours

The full summer camp season runs from June 29, 2023-August 11, 2023.

The first session is June 29, 2022-July 21, 2023.

The second session is July 24, 2022-August 11, 2023.

Regular Summer Camp hours are from 9:00 a.m. -4:15p.m. (Except on extended day trips/overnights)

Early morning drop off is available as early as 7:30 a.m.

Late Pick up is available as late as 6:00p.m. or 7:00 p.m.

There is an additional fee for either early or late stay and there are no buses available at those times.

Transportation

Full size school buses and company vans will be used daily for pick up, drop off and trip transportation.
On most overnight and extended day trips air conditioned coach buses will be used.
We use full size school buses that are DOT inspected and approved by the Department of Education. Our company van is used only by the program pupil transportation and is professionally inspected and maintained.

Door to door transportation is available for most neighborhoods around Brooklyn College.
Transportation can be arranged for morning pick up, afternoon drop off, or both.

*Currently we serve the following areas
Canarsie
East New York
Starrett City
Flatbush
Flatlands
East Flatbush
Bergen Beach
Mill Basin
Midwood
Prospect Lefferts Gardens
Ditmas Park
Crown Heights

Transportation is reserved on a first come first serve basis. Please contact us for more information and to inquire about a specific address.

There is an additional fee for transportation and the bus schedule will coincide with our regular camp hours of 9:00a.m.-4:15p.m.

*Not all areas within these neighborhoods are available. Transportation outside these neighborhoods might be available. Contact office for specifics.

Meals

Your child will be served a nutritious and fulfilling lunch and snack daily.

All of our food is catered by licensed and inspected caterer.

On all days when your child’s group is in the building and on many trips a hot lunch will be served.

On trips where serving hot food is not possible, a cold lunch is served.

On all overnights, breakfast and dinner will be served as well. Weekly menus will be available.

If your child has any food allergies or special dietary requirements please let us know.

We have refrigerators on site and coolers on trip days to store food sent from home.

Please note that a microwave is not available to heat any food.

Daily Routine

Is it enough that your child comes home happy and tired everyday, or do you want to know what goes on? Camp starts promptly at 9:00am for all divisions, or earlier if you have arranged for early drop off.

All campers go to their group’s table and are met by their counselors. Everyone participates in morning exercises and attendance is taken. If your camper is scheduled to attend a trip that day then by 9:15am the children will start taking the seats on our buses. Trips leave promptly by 9:20am. Your child will spend the entire day away at the trip and will return to the building between 3:45-4:00pm. Campers on the trip will be served lunch between 11:30am-1:30pm.

On non-trip days you child will have a schedule consisting of seven-eight 45 minute periods. Each period is a different activity and you child group moves together to each period.

Snack and dismissal is done between 4:00-4:15pm. Children are dismissed to either their parents, the school bus, or if arrangements have been made, to the after camp staff for late stay

Our Staff

Our staff is made up of dedicated people that are all qualified to work with children. Staff members undergo days of training every year and must meet all the prerequisites before camp begins. Staff members are fingerprinted by the NYC OCFS, cleared for any criminal history and medically cleared before work begins.

All staff members with direct responsibility of a group are over the age of 18 and have at least 2 years camp experience. Our supervisors are all licensed NYC Public School teachers with years of experience.

Our lifeguards, aquatics director, supervisors and many counselors are trained and certified in Red Cross CPR and First Aid.

Mini Camp

Summer Camp is over but the fun continues!! Camp ends on August 11, leaving a couple of weeks to plan getaways and time for children to relax before school starts.
For parents needing childcare we offer mini camp that begins immediately after camp ends and runs until Labor Day weekend. (Mini Camp is tentative)

During this time your child will participate in a lot of the same in house activities that they enjoyed during the summer.
Their day will be filled with karate, arts and crafts, physed and much much more.
Hours for this program are from 9:00am through 4:15pm and lunch and snack are served daily.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does the camp travel?
A: We use full size school buses, company vans on a daily basis. For some overnights and extended day trips we use air conditioned buses with bathrooms.

Q: Which group will my child be in?
A: Your child will be in a group of children who are of the same gender and who are going into the same grade as your child.

Q: Can I pay for camp after the May 31 deadline.
A: No. Any child who has an outstanding balance will not be able to attend camp.

Q: My child’s medical appointment is scheduled for after the start of camp. Can he/she still attend camp before that time?
A: Yes. Your child may attend camp as long as we have a note from your child’s doctor stating that he/she is in good health and may attend camp, along with the appointment date.

Q: Can parents attend trips with their child?
A: It is our policy as well as the regulations of the NYC Health Dept. that all people in contact with campers have the necessary background check and be medically cleared. This would not be possible with parents. In addition, being a parent does not qualify or guarantee that the person is permitted to be around children.

Q: My child does not swim, will he/she be able to go to the pool?
A: Many children and adults of all ages cannot swim. At our camp all children in the Adventurers Division are restricted to water no more than 3ft deep. Children in the explorers Division may, if they choose take a deep water test. This will allow them to enter the deep end of the pool and also to do certain restricted rides on trips. All children will receive either a yellow or green swimmers bracelet in the beginning of camp that will designate them as a non-swimmer or swimmer, respectively.

Q: My child takes medication regularly, can your staff give it to him/her?
A: Due to NYC law we are not allowed to administer medication, apply creams etc. This applies to over the counter items as well. Staff will at no time administer anything to your child. We are able to store medication, either refrigerated or room temperature for your child to take on his/her own. If medication of any kind will be sent to camp parents must let the camp director know. Please note that in the event of an emergency we will administer epi-pen, asthma pump etc.

Q: I’m worried about water-based trips. How will I know my child is safe?
A: Your child will be under constant supervision by his/her counselors at all times. The Director or Assitant Director is always on hand on every single trip and we have our own life guards which accompany our camp to any and all water based trips. They are there to supervise our children only, in addition to the lifeguards on site at water parks, beaches, pools..etc.

Q: How many children and counselors are there per group?
A: All groups contain between 10-15 children. Each group will have 2-3 counselors. The ratio for all ages on trips is 1 counselor for every 5 children.

Q: My child is not potty trained. Can he/she attend camp?
A: Unfortunately, children who are not potty trained cannot attend camp because we are often out of the building on trips and we do not have the ability to properly attend to these matters outside of our facility.

Q: Is lunch served every day and do I need to send food with my child?
A: Lunch and snack are served daily at camp or on trips. Outside food is not permitted in the building. However, if you would like to send your child to camp with a snack such as a fruit and a water bottle please feel free to do so.

Q: Does my child receive breakfast at camp?
A: No. Please feed your child breakfast before coming to camp.

Q: Should I send my child to camp with money?
A: Some trips have concession stands where a lot of children want to go and buy their own food or souvenirs. We will send out a letter before each and every trip with details for that coming trip and suggested amounts of money to send in with your child. Please keep in mind that we do have a vending machine in our building and children are allowed to use it.

Q: My child is allergic to certain foods. Can I send him in with his own food?
A: This would depend on the type of allergy. Please discuss all allergies with the directors and your child’s counselors, and if needed your child will be allowed to bring in his own lunch every day, in extreme cases.

Q: Does my child really need to wear his/her camp shirt on trips?
A: YES! Camp shirts are a must on trips and on swim days as well. This allows us to better monitor our children and account for them at all times. On non-trip days, however, it is not mandatory to wear a camp shirt while in the building.

Q: Can my child wear flip-flops to camp?
A: NO. Children are always engaged in sports or some kind of physical activity, which requires them to wear sneakers. Flip flops may be brought in a bag when going swimming. But keep in mind that on most swim days your child will probably go to the park as well.

Q: Can my child’s counselor help my child apply sunscreen?
A: No. According to health department guidelines we are not allowed to touch your child in any way, therefore please apply sunblock at home.

Q: How many summer camps do you have in Brooklyn?

A: We have only one location.

Q: Can my child bring in his/her cell phone, ipod, ipad?
A: Electronic devices are not recommended to be brought into camp as they can and will get lost or damaged. Cell phones are not allowed to be used during camp hours to ensure that all children are participating in the daily events and are not distracted. However, if you feel that your child needs to bring in his/her cell phone for after camp hours use, then feel free to do so, as long as it is not in use during camp hours and as long as you understand that you do so at your own risk. We are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged electronic devices of any kind.

Q: My child does not want to go on todays trip. Can he/she stay in the building with another group from another division?
A: No. All groups have a specific child to counselor ratio. Therefore all children must remain in their respective assigned groups. If your child does not want to participate in any trip, please keep your child home for the day.

Q: Do I get a refund for the days that my child is either sick or missing from camp?
A: No. There is no refund for absenteeism, no matter what.

Q: My child has summer homework can he/she bring in his/her school work to do in camp?
A: Once a week, each child will participate in a summer study program, which will refresh their minds of the material they learned throughout the year. Your child may bring in their homework on this day to do during this period.

Q: Are camp staff trained in CPR and First Aid?
A: Yes. The Directors, Lifeguards and many counselors are certified in CPR and First Aid. A few are also certified in RTE (responding to emergencies.)

Q: What other requirements do you have for counselor employment?
A: Most of our staff work with us year round in our After School Program, and all must submit a resume, must have past experience working with children, must submit three letters of reference and in addition, all must sumbit to a finger printing process by the department of health for after school and must be cleared by the department of justice for camp to ensure that they are cleared to work with children and do not have a history of child abuse and maltreatment. In addition many are mandated reporters which makes them trained in identifying and reporting child abuse when they see it, and many are also trained in CPR and First Aid. In addition most of our staff are either public school teachers or are in college working towards their degree in child education or a similar field. The most important quality that we look for when hiring your child’s counselors is compassion and a true love for education and children.

In addition, all staff go through rigorous training by Baruchi, our director about all aspects of camp including, safety, bullying, activity leading training, how to deal with a difficult child training, daily trip procedure training, swimming procedure training…etc.