Summer FAQs
The ABC's of Camp Wildfolk
ALLERGIES
Our Leadership 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 contact our office in advance to discuss.
ABSENCES
As a small business, we are not able to offer credits or refunds for missed days. We staff based on our expected enrollment and have limited spaces on each Team. Your registration each session takes that space, regardless of how many days attended.
BACKPACKS
We encourage you to label ALL personal items.
Please do not bring toys, games, electronics, or anything the child would be upset about if it was lost, stolen, or broken at camp.
Items That Should Be Brought To Camp:
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Water bottle
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Snack (if not ordering Snack Bar)
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Lunch (if not order Lunch Service)
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Sunscreen
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Bathing suit / Towel (On water days)
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Extra clothes (if potty accidents are possible)
BUDDIES
During registration, there is a "Buddy Request" Form that can be used to share buddy requests.
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 is 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.
We also believe that part of a great summer camp experience is meeting new friends and forming new friendships. Our camp provides a variety of camp activities and a variety of camper groupings throughout the camp day in order to encourage new friendships. This helps bond our campers as a whole camp community.
CAMP APPROACH
We are a unique project-based day camp, focused on helping campers develop a growth mindset. You can read more about The Wildfolk Way here
CAMP SCHEDULE
Our camp days are a balanced blend of structure and freedom, active & passive play, and inside & outside time.
After Carline campers head inside with Guides and team for team time where team building games…., then led to “The Yurt/Yard” to sit with their groups for the Morning Ceremony.
After the Morning Ceremony, campers start their day with snack time and 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, 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 carline at 2:30pm to gear-up for dismissal.
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
DISCOUNTS
We do offer optional early registration discounts. We also offer a substantial Sibling Discount of 10% OFF- this applies automatically when eligible. Check current prices & discounts here
Financial Aid Discounts are limited and based on availability by session and age. They are prioritized for BIPOC and folks with demonstrated financial need, per the most recent tax return. Application is available March 1st.
DROP-OFF + PICK-UP
Regular Drop Off: 9:00am-9:30am
CarLine officially starts at 9:00am (please do not arrive early, unless you are registered for Wildbunch AM. you will be charged for early drop-off). Wildbunch AM is from 8:00am- 9:00am (extra fee)
If you arrive after 9:30am, please call the Camp Office (# is posted on the gate) and our staff will meet you at the parking gate to escort them to their Team.
Regular Pick Up: 2:30pm - 3:00pm
CarLine ends promptly at 3:00pm. Any campers not picked up are checked-into Wildbunch PM and a charge is applied.
Wildbunch PM is 3:00pm- 5:30pm. A cheaper "Happy Hour" option is available from 3:00pm- 4:00pm.
If a camper is signed up for Wildbunch PM*, please pick up before 4pm for Happy Hour, or before 5:30pm for regular.
Planning on picking up a camper early? Please email the Camp Office to let us know so we can plan to have A leadership team member will walk the camper out to your car.
*Please see the WILDBUNCH section for more information.
FOOD AT CAMP
Wildfolk Snack Bar service is optional: $20/week and includes up to 3 items each day: a hearty, a healthy, and a crunchy.
At Wildfolk WeHo, Organic Kids LA offers an optional lunch service (Summers only), with various size options, ordered directly through their website www.organickidsla.com In May, Caregivers can register on their website and select their custom lunch orders. Camp Wildfolk only organizes and distributes the lunches we receive.
If not ordering, please send your child a hearty sack lunch and snack each day. Packed lunches will be kept at room temperature. We do not provide refrigeration or microwaves.
At our Valley Campus an optional Kosher lunch service is available by Andres Kosher Catering. Valley campus is Kosher Vegetarian (meat is not allowed on campus unless ordering through us).
Both campuses do not allow peanuts. If packing other nuts, please include a note indicating the type of nut, so we can help protect other campers who may be allergic.
On Fridays, we give campers a special food treat. We always alert you in advance of what those are and have a non-dairy option available. If you'd like your child to skip the treat, you can always pack your own or just let our staff know not to offer them one.
You can read more about Food at Camp here
MEDICATIONS
ALL medications or epi-pens must be labeled. Please contact our office in advance of registering to discuss medicine administration. We are likely able to accommodate, but there are some instances in which our camp setup is not ideal to support campers that need a great deal of medical support throughout the camp day.
Medicines and epi-pens are safely stored in the Camp Office, unless otherwise discussed.
Camp families will meet with our Leadership Team on the first day of the session at our HQ table to hand-off medicine and walk-in on the last day to pick-up.
POTTY PROFICIENCY
Camp starts at age 4 and we require that all campers be potty proficient in order to attend camp. We do not have the staff nor facilities to personally assist campers with using the restroom.
Occasional accidents happen- of course. If continued accidents become an issue our staff will discuss if being at camp is the right fit at that time for your child.
RATIOS
We keep low ratios at camp so that our Guides and staff can be really present to our campers needs. The range below is our "typical" ratio - "max" ratio for that age group
Young Folks (TK + Kinder): 4:1- 7:1 1st-2nd: 7:1- 10:1 3rd+: 7:1- 12:1
REGISTRATION
Create an Account in our "Registration Family Portal" . From there, you'll select the sessions and apply payment. You can read step-by-step guidance on how to register here
SECURITY
Our Valley camp has a full security team provided by Adat Ari El. Families show the security guard our Wildfolk Security Slip on arrival.
Our West Hollywood camp is locked throughout the camp day. The entrance gate is only unlocked during monitored drop-off and pick-up, where Wildfolk Security Slips must be shown for entry.
When picking up, our staff will ask for the child's authorization code. This is a special code you create during registration.
Learn more about how to create/find your Authorization Code here
SESSION SWITCHING
Before June 1st (if space remains), you can email to request a schedule switch. We might be able to accomodate if space still remains. We cannot accommodate session switching as of June 1st.
Please read our full Registration Policies prior to registering here
SICKNESS
If your child has a fever, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea, please keep them home to recover for at least 24 hours. Please do not send kids to camp with a cough or runny nose. Campers must be fever-free for at least 24 hours (without use of medicine) before returning to camp. Notify us if your child tests Positive Covid-19.
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. Minor Injury Reports will be emailed from campus HQ throughout the camp day
If your child has lice, please take them to be treated (we love Hair Fairies in West Hollywood) before letting them return to camp.
SUNSCREEN
To help our camp staff protect your camper from sunburn while at camp, please do the following essential steps:
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Always apply sunscreen on your camper at home each morning
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Use a lotion that has at least 30-50% UVA/UVB protection.
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Campers will be advised to re-apply sunscreen before / after Water Activities and throughout the day. Please bring a labeled sunscreen to camp or in a ziploc bag, clearly labeled with the camper's name.
TEAMS/GROUPS
Campers are grouped in co-ed groups, by grade they are entering in the Fall. Sometimes we'll have multiple Teams for one grade level (buddy requests are helpful here if that is important to you.. see above for details).
Young Folks is for campers Pre-Kinder, TK, and Kinder (ages 4+) and operates on a slightly altered schedule (to give our young campers more developmentally appropriate activities).
Teams are a homebase 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.
Read more about Camp Programs offered for different groups here
WATER DAY!
We bring old school camp water play to a new level! On Wet n' Wildfolk Wednesdays we do an on-site water day with inflatable pools, slip n slides, sprinklers, hoses, water blasters, and even bring in a water slide or two!!
Campers can get wet on our giant water inflatables or stay dry while participating in a large variety of activities. Campers who choose to get wet, will need to bring a swimsuit, towel and change of clothes to camp that day.
We encourage campers to wear a bathing suit to camp each morning to save time on changing before water play.
WILDBUNCH EXTENDED OPTIONS
WildBunch AM: 8:00am- 9:00am
Drop-off at established interval times: 8:00am, 8:15am, 8:30am, or 8:45am.
One of our Leadership Team members or Guides will meet you at the gate and will walk your camper into camp.
WildBunch PM: 3:00pm- 5:30pm
Pick-up is anytime between 3:05 - 5:30PM. Please park and walk to the main entrance. Call the Camp Office for pick-up.
Campers picked up later than 5:30 will be charged $10 for every ten minutes, or fraction thereof.
You can read more about Wildbunch here
WILD RUMPUS CLUB
A special crew of campers that are attending the whole summer! These campers will get some special camp swag, a photo on our Wild Rumpus Banner (hung in the Yurt), and some little perks throughout camp like assisting with Morning Ceremony!