Is my child too young for camp?

We start at age 4 and campers must be potty proficient. Our Young Folks program is on a slightly different schedule then the rest of camp, allowing them plenty of opportunities to have access to the space, free of older campers, and more developmentally appropriate activities.

 

Is my child too old for camp?

Our regular camper program goes through 7th grade. However, 5th- 7th  grade campers are placed in a hybrid group, the Robots, which allows them to take part in some leadership, if they are interested. They can also stay strictly campers and do more advanced activity options.

 

Youth in 8th- 10th grade are in the Guides-in-Training (GITs) program. It’s a fantastic option to develop leadership skills, enhance their skillset for working with kids, make new friends, support awesome adult role models, and so much more! More info can be found here

 

More info on our programs can be found here
 

How do I sign up for camp?

Create an Account in our "Registration Family Portal" . From there, you'll select the sessions and apply payment. 

 

Do you offer any discounts?

We offer amazing early registration discounts! Check out our current season's page to see which discount is in effect. The earlier you register, the bigger the discount.

 

We also have a “Full Summer” discount of $100 OFF. This enters the child into The Wild Rumpus Club, which has many perks of its own (read on down below).

 

Sibling discount of $10 OFF/week for each child after the 1st

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Do you have transportation?

In an effort to keep our program affordable, we do not include transportation (except for field trips). We have many families that utilize the service, Hop Skip Drive.

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What if I need to change my schedule, after I’ve registered?

Before May 1st, just email us if you need to switch around your sessions. After May 1st, we will do our best to accommodate changes, but cannot guarantee it. We base our staffing and programming based on our expected enrollment.

 

We do not offer refunds or credits. We advise Caregivers to be sure of how many sessions you will need before registering.

 

What if my child has to miss a day at Camp?

As a small business, we are not able to offer credits or refunds for missed days.  We staff based on our expected enrollment and sometimes even one extra camper in a group will cause us to hire on an additional staff to keep our ratios small.

 

How are the campers grouped together?

Campers are grouped in co-ed groups, by grade they are entering in the Fall. Pre-Kinder campers are placed in the Young Folks program, which operates on a slightly altered schedule (to give our young campers more developmentally appropriate activities).

 

Groups are a home-base for our campers, but they will have opportunities to do mixed-age elective activities, too. This allows campers to meet other children with similar interests. Some advanced activities are only open to campers in certain grades.

 

What is your staff to camper ratio?

Our ratios vary slightly depending on camper age. Generally, our youngest groups have a 6:1 ratio, our middle groups have an 8:1 ratio, and our oldest groups have a 9:1 ratio. But often, we'll add additional support staff with groups, which bring those ratios down even more! 

 

Can I request for my child to be in a group with their friend?

A camper may request one friend (same grade) to group with.  Buddy requests are not guaranteed, but we will do our best to accommodate requests that are timely. The closer it gets to the start of summer, the more challenging it us for us to accommodate buddy requests, as some groups will fill-up.

 

Keep in mind, Caregivers of both friends must request each other at the time of registration.  

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Who are your Guides?

Our Guides are youth development professionals from varying backgrounds including education, sociology, psychology, and the arts. Many of our staff are teachers, teaching assistants, and afterschool staff during the school-year.

 

Guides go through a highly-selective screening process including multiple interviews, reference checks, and background checking with DOJ & FBI. Then the real fun begins as we spend 5 days in training staff The Wildfolk Way- from logistics to child development to progressive education paradigms and everything in between. Our Leadership Staff are all First Aid/CPR certified.

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All staff must pass livescan fingerprinting clearance (full background checks). 

 

Our staff are one of the top reasons we hear from parents that they are returning- the campers love them!

 

What does a typical day look like?

Our camp days are a balanced blend of structure and freedom, active & passive play, and inside & outside time.

 

Campers check-in between 8:50am and 9:00am with their Guide at the tables at the gate. They are then ushered to the hallway o’ cubbies, and then led to “The Yurt” to sit with their groups for Morning Ceremony.

 

After Morning Ceremony, campers start their day at their “Homebase” for Project Time. The rest of the day, campers attend their chosen electives within each of our 3 rotations: Teambuilding & Movement, Innovation & Exploration, and Creativity & Expression.

 

Snack & Lunch happen outside on the Yard, with supervised eating for the first 10 minutes and then lots of camper-directed play. The day closes with an all-camp game and Closing Campfire, a chance for group check-in and reflection. We then head to the benches at 2:50pm to gear-up for Carline.

 

We have lots of special themes and activities, too. You will be alerted to those days in The Wildfolk Weekly email you receive the weekend prior to each session.

 

You can read more about A Typical Day here

 

What’s the deal with Field Trips?

Beach Trip

Week 1 of a two-week session is Beach Day! Campers, kinder & older, hop on our school buses and head to Santa Monica Beach at Annenberg for a few hours of beachy fun. One of our Leadership staff arrives early to section off our area (right by the lifeguard tower) with cones.

 

Safety is always our top concern at the Beach and we take all the precautions to ensure this camper-favorite is as safe as it is fun.

• We have a permit with SM Beach that alerts them in advance to our dates, so there is extra lifeguard watch

• We have a shallow staff barrier that campers do not pass. We let the campers play in the water, but definitely hear gripes from some older campers that want to go out further (they can gripe away.. we play it safe on Wildfolk’s watch)

• We do frequent sunscreen reapplies

• Campers are always with Tribe Guides

• We set-up lots of sand activities, so the focus isn’t all on the water

• We bring a water jug to keep everyone hydrated!

 

*Our “Young Folks” campers (not quite in Kinder) stay on site and have a fun water day all their own (and get to enjoy having the whole camp site to themselves!)

 

Adventure Trip

Week 2 of each two-week session is a chance for our older campers (3rd grade & up) and GITs to bust- out and have a little special fun all their own.  The Field Trips for this summer are listed on the Summer- specific page. 

 

*The rest of camp stays on site for a mega-fun water day.

 

I’ve heard you have a unique approach from other camps. What’s that about?

We are a project-based day camp, focused on helping campers develop a growth mindset.

 

Project-Based education is becoming more popular in education as the research is showing how beneficial it is for children’s learning. At camp, this means we are child-centered (building our programs and activities around the kids, rather than coming in with a set agenda), we guide from the side (facilitate and help the kids explore and experience instead of frontal teaching), and keep everything hands-on!

 

Growth Mindset is based on the work of psychologist Carol Dweck, who found that people are motivated and happiest when they have a mindset focusing on effort and improvement (over a belief that we need to be amazing at something for it to be worthwhile, or that you have to be a natural at something to pursue it). In children, we see a fixed mindset when they don’t want to an activity they think they’ll be bad at, or need praise to feel good, or shutdown the second something isn’t perfect.

 

There’s a lot more to our approach and we feel very passionately about it. Read more here

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When will I receive information about my child’s group?

We email out The Wildfolk Weekly blast the weekend prior to each week of camp. This blast has group info, reminders about drop-off, and pick-up, and details about special days.

 

What if I need to pick my child up early from camp?

Please either let the Guide know in the morning or stop by the Camp Office to fill-out an early pick-up slip. Alert the person picking up to bring their ID.

 

What if I need to bring my camper in late?

We will have a staff member at the gate until 9:30am. If you arrive after 9:30am, please call the Camp Office (# is posted on the gate) and our HQ Coordinator will let you in and direct the camper to their room.

 

What should my child bring each day?

A labeled bag with water bottle and sunscreen. A lunch and snack (if not purchasing). If potty accidents are in the realm of possibility, extra clothing is encouraged. On water days, a change of clothing, swimsuit, and towel.

We encourage you to label ALL items.

Please do not bring toys, games, electronics, or anything the child would be upset if it was lost, stolen, or broken at camp.

 

What about lunch?

If not ordering, please send your child with a hearty sack lunch and snack each day. We do not provide refrigeration or microwaves.

 

Wildfolk Snack service is $15/week and includes 2 items each day: fruit, veggie, yogurt, cheese and a cracker option (organic bunnies, wheat thins, pretzels, etc). It can be added during the registration process.

 

Organic Kids LA offers an optional lunch service, with various size options, ordered directly through their website www.organickidsla.com   The food is delicious and our families love having this option. In May, Caregivers can register on their website and select their custom lunch orders. Camp Wildfolk only organizes and distributes the lunches we receive.

 

What should my child wear to camp?

Camp is not the place for your Sunday finest. We get messy at Camp! Please send your child in comfortable clothing that can get a little dirty (and they can really move in!) Closed-toed shoes are best (sandals are fine to bring for water day).

 

On dress-up days, we go all-in and hope your child will too.

 

Is there water-play at camp?

We bring old school camp water play to a new level! Tuesdays and Thursdays we do a water-themed All-Camp game (some campers bring a change of clothing, some just stay in their clothes and go home a little damp).

 

The first Wednesday of each two-week session, we head to the Beach for some natural water fun. The second Wednesday, we do an on-site water day with pools, sprinklers, hoses, water blasters, and a water slide!

 

My child has allergies/medical needs. How is this handled?

 

Our Leadeship staff are First Aid/CPR certified and trained in Epi-Pen administration. We are vigilant about checking for camper’s allergies and alerting Caregivers in advance if we will be providing any special treats at camp.

 

If your child has allergies, this will be noted on your application and we encourage you to touch base with your child’s Guide on the first day with a little information (what to look out for, etc). Our staff check-in with campers at Snack & Lunch to take little peaks at what the kids are eating and staying alert if anyone has a risky item.

 

If your child requires medicine to be administered during the camp day, please touch base with Guide or Camp Office in the morning.

 

What if my child is ill or becomes injured?

If your child has a fever, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea, please keep them home to recover for 24 hours. If your child becomes ill at camp or sustains an injury requiring more than basic first aid, we will notify you immediately. Minor injuries will be treated in our Camp Office.

 

If your child has lice, please take them to be treated (we love Hair Fairies in West Hollywood) before letting them return to camp.

 

What if my child doesn’t like camp?

Camp is a unique environment with a different structure than school. Our staff are specifically trained in helping campers make connections and ensuring that campers have a great experience. That being said, all campers are different when it comes to new environments.

Some campers take a bit longer to get comfortable or may require a little extra support.

 

The best thing to do is discuss it with their Guides right away, so we can better support your child and make a plan together (sometimes the camper doesn’t present like anything is wrong and then goes home and is upset). The next thing is to be patient and supportive.  We believe every child can be successful at camp, but it may take a little time. If they get pulled out at the first sign of distress, it’s not giving them or us a chance to adjust.

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What is the Camp-In Overnight?

The Camp-In is a beloved camper tradition that happens once-a-summer (Friday to Saturday morning). More info on our Camp-In can be found here

 

Can I visit camp?

Because our camp is hosted at a school, we are not there during non-camp months. We are available for tours during Spring Camp (early April). Please email us if you'd like to attend a site-tour. 

 

During camp, we discourage visiting during your child’s first few days of camp, especially for new and younger campers, as it can actually make it harder for the child to transition