Permit, ratios and routines

Who is with your camper, and what we do about the weather

How a day handles layers, rain, the lake and ticks, who is with each age group, and what the camp's permit says.

Permitted by Minnesota Department of Health

Youth camp · MN Permit # 000000

Ages 5 years to 13 years

Cool mornings
Mornings by the lake can be cold, so campers arrive in layers: a windbreaker or fleece, long pants and closed shoes. The first block keeps everyone moving, and layers go on and off at the hooks in the pavilion as the day warms.
Rain days and storms
Light rain doesn't cancel camp. Campers bring a rain jacket and boots, and blocks move under the pavilion roof or into the hall. When we hear thunder, everyone goes inside and waits until half an hour has passed since the last one. We text families before 7:00 a.m. when the plan changes.
The lake hour
Each age group has its own lake hour at the beach and dock. Every camper in or beside the water wears a life jacket, and counselors stay in the shallows with the group. When the water is too cold or the weather turns, the lake hour becomes shore craft in the pavilion.
Ticks and bugs
On trail days campers wear long pants and tuck them into socks, and we show them how to look for ticks. Families do a tick check at home each evening. Please send bug spray from home already on.
Who collects your camper
An adult on your list signs your camper in and out at the front steps. We ask for ID until we know you, and we ask you to tell us ahead of time when someone new is coming.
Allergies, medicine and sick days
Tell us about allergies and medicine when you register, and we ask what we need privately. A camper with a fever stays home, and if a camper feels ill at camp, we call you and a counselor stays with them until you arrive.

Sample details.

When the weather changes

A rainy or cold morning, in order

The same four steps every time, so you know what to expect before you leave the house.

01
Step 1: We decide by 6:30 a.m.
The director looks at the forecast and the radar before camp and decides whether the morning stays outside, moves under the pavilion or goes into the hall.
02
Step 2: We text families by 7:00 a.m.
Every family on the list gets a text with the plan. Light rain is usually a plan, not a cancellation.
03
Step 3: Campers arrive dressed for it
A rain jacket, boots and a dry change of clothes go in the pack on a wet day. Layers go on hooks in the pavilion.
04
Step 4: The day changes shape
Trail walks become pavilion blocks, and the lake hour becomes shore craft. Quiet hour, lunch and pickup stay where they are.

Call us and we will explain how a day works when the weather changes, or how the lake hour runs.