Packer Summer Camp

The prices for our Packer Summer Camp 2023 season will be:

• $700/week for campers ($575 for the weeks of  June 19 and July 3*)
• $550/week for Counselors-in-Training ($450 for the weeks of June 19 July 3*)
• $35/day for Packer After Camp (See “After Camp Care” section below)

*There will be no camp on Monday, June 19, or Tuesday, July 4, in observance of the Juneteenth and Independence Day holidays

Our online registration system opens at 7 pm on Tuesday, March 7. In order to enroll, you’ll need to create an account with CampBrain (just click the button below). We fill spots on a first-come, first-served basis and early registration is strongly recommended. 

If a session does fill up, please don’t hesitate to join the waitlist. We make an effort to accommodate everyone, even if you don’t get in on the first try.

During the enrollment process, campers in our 2nd-7th grade program will be asked to select a Specialty Track for each week they’ll be attending camp (see the “2nd to 7th grade: Elective Program” section below). Specialty Tracks are also filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

>> Register now on CampBrain

Registrations canceled before Sunday, May 14 will be eligible for a full refund minus a $200 cancellation fee. Refunds cannot be issued after May 14. 

Please note: if a camper has to miss two or more consecutive days of camp due to illness, a refund for those days may be requested. All refunds will be issued in the form of credits for the 2024 camp season. We will be unable to issue refunds for individual missed days, or for days missed for reasons not related to illness.

Packer Summer Camp will adhere to all of the health and safety guidelines that are in effect during the regular school year. Currently, this includes requiring all campers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Arrival
Morning arrival takes place in Packer's garden on a staggered schedule. As soon as campers arrive, they're met by a friendly member of our staff, or one of our Counselors-in-Training, who takes them to their bunk.

Bunks
A bunk is a close-knit group of 10-12 campers and 2 counselors who navigate the day as a unit. Bunks attend activities together, eat lunch picnic-style in the garden, convene as a team during camp-wide competitions, and more. No matter where the day’s excitement may take them, campers can always return to the familiar faces of their bunkmates.

Groupings

While younger campers (entering Pre-K to 1st grade) stay grouped with their bunk throughout the day, older campers (entering 2nd-7th grade) have opportunities to venture out into different configurations to attend specialized Enrichment Courses. Our most senior campers (entering 8th and 9th grade) are given the option to join a bunk as a Counselor-in-Training. Click on the tabs below to learn more about each of these programs.

Lunch
Campers are asked to bring a sack lunch from home that, weather permitting, they eat outside in the Packer Garden along with the rest of their bunk. 

Camp-Wide Events
Some of the most unforgettable camp experiences happen when counselors, campers, staff, and CITs all gather in one place. It’s in these moments that the spirit of Packer Summer Camp is most deeply felt, so we make sure to work in lots of opportunities to come together. From talent shows to bunk wars to special performances of all kinds, each day at Packer Summer Camp is full of excitement, tradition, and more than a few surprises!

Dismissal
At the end of the day, caretakers can pick up their campers right where they dropped them off, in Packer's garden. For those who don't want the fun to end, we also offer an extended day program until 6 pm. Click on the "After Camp Care" tab below to learn more.

For campers who will be entering Pre-K through 1st grade in the fall of 2023
We recognize that our Junior Campers have unique needs, so we design their schedules in a way that gently introduces them to the excitement of camp. For example, we pencil in plenty of time for rest and recuperation so that campers feel energized and fully able to enjoy the day’s activities. We also schedule frequent bathroom and hydration breaks.

When it comes time for Enrichment Courses, we plan a wide variety of beginner level sessions that spark curiosity and inspire the imagination. These bite-sized versions of the more intensive courses offered to our older campers (see the “2nd to 7th Grade: Elective Program” section below) allow Junior Campers to start developing skills but, more importantly, they help them get a sense of topics they want to pursue further.

With these varied enrichment activities seamlessly intertwined with our customary camp offerings, it’s possible that a camper could start any given day with some swashbuckling in fencing, do some post-scavenger-hunt catapult-building in Lego robotics, then perform the queen dance in chess before going off to take part in a tug-of-war. Then the next day, they’ll have a completely different slate of activities.

For campers who will be entering 2nd through 7th Grade in the fall of 2023

Our older campers are able to tailor their experience to their unique interests. When registering for camp, families are asked to select a Specialty Track that determines the focus of a camper’s Enrichment Courses from week to week. This not only allows kids to have agency in deciding what their day will look like, it ensures that each camper can fully engage with a topic they’re interested in.

The Specialty Tracks for our Summer 2023 camp season are:

• Sports League
• Performing Arts 
• Arts and Crafts
• Robotics and Coding
• Music Creation

Campers attend their specialized Enrichment Course sessions with a cohort made up of other campers who have chosen the same Specialty Track (separate from their bunk group). Because of this, each day feels like a camp within a camp: a specialty camp tucked neatly inside a classic day camp.
 

For campers who will be entering 8th and 9th grade in the fall of 2023

Our Counselor in Training (CIT) program provides the oldest Packer Summer Camp attendees with an opportunity to work with younger campers under the direct supervision of junior and senior counselors. 

Because we believe that the best way to learn is by doing, we assign each CIT to a bunk where they’re incorporated as a fully-functioning member of the team. In this capacity, they run activities, keep an eye on health and safety issues, and help each day run smoothly. It’s a great way for kids to gain childcare experience while working alongside the pros.

We provide substantial support for our CITs including regular check-ins and a continuous feedback loop; this ensures that they feel comfortable and capable as they refine the skills needed to navigate a wide range of situations involving young children. 

But even with all of this responsibility, we recognize that our CITs are still very much campers at heart. So we make sure they have plenty of opportunities to participate in all of the activities that make Packer Summer Camp great.

For caretakers who need a little extra time before picking up their campers, we offer an extended day option that runs until 6 pm. Our After Camp program involves a mixture of structured and semi-structured activities that take place in our game room and Garden. Families are welcome to sign up for After Camp during registration, or later on an as-needed basis.