Summer Camp is an exciting time for children. Junior Outpost is the perfect way to introduce your child to an exciting, safe, and memorable summer camp experience. At OSC, we are committed to each child in our program having a summer full of fun, friends, adventures and positive experiences. This website is designed to prepare both campers and parents for their upcoming summer in Junior Outpost.
Please read this information carefully. Your child is much more likely to have a successful and positive first day/days at camp if you have helped prepare them for what to expect. If you have any questions after reading this guide, please call us at (858) 842-4900 or email us at office@outpostsummercamps.com.
We look forward to seeing you this summer!
Table of Contents
- Talking to Your Child about Camp
- Open House
- What happens on the first day?
- Dropping Off and Picking up Your Camper
- Morning Campfire
- The Fort
- Lunch
- Afternoon Campfire
- Clothing
- Lost and Found
- Medical Information
- Parent Visits
- Other Important Information
- Communication with Our Directors
- Benefits of Outpost Summer Camps
Talking to Your Child About Camp
(Just in case someone’s a little nervous about going to camp!)
Summer Camp provides a unique opportunity for your child to make new friends and interact with nature in a safe and structured environment. Making friends is often the main area of nervousness for children before attending anything for the first time. Here are a few tips for preparing your camper for Junior Outpost:
- Ask how your child is feeling about making friends at camp. If they are nervous or anxious, acknowledge these feelings. “It is hard when you do not know anyone.” Remind them that they are not alone (most campers attend without a buddy). “I know a lot of the other kids are feeling the same way, too.”
- For nervousness about other kids, ask your child what they’ve done to successfully make friends at school or in other environments. For example, “How did you make friends with Timmy?” For example, maybe they asked Timmy what his name is, complimented his cool shoes, or asked him a question about something.
- Compliment your child on their friendship-making skills. If they talk about walking up to someone and introducing themselves, affirm their choice and bravery. “Introducing yourself to someone you don’t know is a friendly thing to do. They must have liked that.”
- Prepare your child by describing the activities simply and not “overselling” them. Our typical day is pretty simple to explain: We meet in the morning and sing silly songs. We go with our group to our fort (in the wilderness preserve) where we get to play and use our imaginations. We eat lunch, play games, have snack, and then we have afternoon campfire where each group gets to go up and tell the other groups about their day!
- Suggest some additional ideas. Small, kind gestures of friendship are often the first steps to a long, mutual friendship. “Tangible” ideas like asking a question about a favorite movie or food or letting the potential friend go first in a game help children learn “things to do” to make friends. At camp, we call these behaviors “friendship-making.”
- Be mindful of your child’s natural pace. Some children are naturally more outgoing than others. It may take other campers a couple days to feel totally comfortable, and that’s okay, too! Our directors will be there at the beginning and end of each camp day to address parent feedback or concerns.
Don’t hesitate to call us if you have any concerns or questions about how your child is doing at camp. We welcome these types of calls from parents.
Prior to the beginning of your child’s session, we will offer an Open House where you will be able to practice drop-off and pick-up and discuss questions with our leadership team. We’ll provide a bag with your child’s shirts, car placards, a photo of their counselor, and a handout with other reminders.
| Open House Info | Session Dates | Open House Date and Time |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | June 19 to 30 | Saturday, June 17 from 10 AM to 12 PM |
| Session 2 | July 3 to 14 | Saturday, July 1 from 10 AM to 12 PM |
| Session 3 | July 17 to 28 | Saturday, July 15 from 10 AM to 12 PM |
| Session 4 | July 31 to August 11 | Saturday, July 29 from 10 AM to 12 PM |
What Happens on the First Day?
On the first day of camp, your camper will meet their counselors and the other campers in the group. Although meeting new people and trying out new things can be fun, many campers are a little nervous on the first day of camp. We understand that being comfortable in those first few moments of camp is important to having a great summer, and our staff do everything they can to help alleviate “first day jitters.” We spend a lot of time with our campers on the first day/days simply “getting them used to camp” – walking them around, explaining, showing, telling, and watching to make sure each child is comfortable with their new surroundings. During the first few days of camp, each Senior Counselor takes extra time to familiarize their groups with the expectations and rules and to help each camper feel like they belong. We play lots of name games and get-to-know-you games throughout camp, and especially during the first few days.
Dropping Off and Picking Up Your Camper
You may drop off your camper each morning between 9:15 and 9:30 AM. Please do not plan to come any earlier than this as the camp day starts at 9:30 AM, and we’ll be ready to sign your camper in starting right at 9:15 AM. When you enter the parking lot from Black Mountain Road, you will go straight and turn right into the parking lot just past the playground. You will see our camp canopy and leadership team awaiting your child’s arrival. You will stay in your car, and a staff member will open your car door and help your child out of the car. Your child will be walked to our check in canopy, signed in, and walked to the logs for our morning assembly.
Pick up is between 1:15 and 1:30 PM everyday in the same place as drop-off. You will be given two placards with your child’s name. Please display the placard at drop-off and pick-up to expedite our processes. Our staff will walk your child to your car and sign them out. If someone other than you is picking up your child and they do not have a placard, they will be asked to show their ID and must be on your child’s “okay to pick up” list.
Blitz
When your camper arrives to camp on their first day, they will be walked over to their group’s special spot for the beginning and end of the day. After all campers in their group have arrived, the group will walk together over to our logs where Blitz (morning campfire) takes place. Blitz is our fun way to start the day with jokes, songs, trivia, and other silly ideas from the cards in our special Blitz can.
The Fort
Fort is a special “secret” space that Junior Outpost groups spend time in every day in the Los Penasquitos preserve bordering Canyonside Community Park. Each group will have their own Fort where they can use their imagination and play in nature!
Lunch
Campers bring their lunches every day to camp and keep them in their backpacks. Our staff work hard to make sure that campers eat the contents of their lunch, mostly by creating a group environment in which eating the contents of their lunch is FUN! Please mark your camper’s name clearly (first and last name) on their lunch container. Outpost is peanut free. If you have any concerns about allergies, please contact the Camp Director through e-mail at office@outpostsummercamps.com or by phone at 858-842-4900.
Afternoon Campfire
At the end of the day, groups meet at the logs again in their special group spot for Afternoon Campfire. Counselors bring their groups up at Campfire and tell of their special adventures. Afternoon Campfire is a loud and exciting show of group and camp pride and is a wonderful close to a fun-filled day.
After Campfire, campers gather with their counselors, who will stay with them until every camper is picked up. Please be patient during this time as we want to ensure each child receives a personal goodbye and that all our campers leave with the correct adult.
Clothing
At Outpost, children have hands-on experiences in the outdoors. Because of this, your camper may come home full of pride in how dirty they are! We recommend that you send your child in old clothes that are ready to be worn out, and don’t be surprised if shoes are soaked and muddy when your camper gets home!
Campers must wear closed-toe shoes that can get dirty or wet. Shorts are ideal for hot days, unless your child is highly susceptible to sunburn. Please do not send expensive sweaters, special dresses, or any unnecessary items that could easily become dirty or lost. PLEASE HAVE ALL BELONGINGS (from lunch box to camp t-shirt) CLEARLY MARKED. Do not send money with your child.
Two camp shirts will be handed out at Open House. The shirts given will be the size designated on your child’s enrollment form. If you need to exchange them for another size, please return them unworn and unwashed along with a note stating the camper’s name and size desired. We will send new shirts home with your camper the next day. Additional shirts can be purchased through the camp office.
Lost and Found
Campers will bring a backpack with a lunch, water bottle, and mask each day to camp. Everything brought to camp should be marked with the camper’s name.
Although our staff will try to prevent articles from getting lost and help children be responsible for their belongings, campers sometimes leave jackets, sweaters, or hats in mysterious places. At the end of each day, we try to have all lost and found items at the pickup zone. Every attempt is made to return labeled clothing to your children, but we cannot be held responsible for personal belongings brought from home. At the end of summer, we collect the labeled lost and found and contact you if we have found something belonging to your camper. Unclaimed items are given to a children’s charity.
Medical Information
The safety and well-being of your child is of utmost importance to us. Since your child will be in our care, it is extremely important that we are prepared to assist them at any time should a medical problem or emergency arise. You have supplied this information on your camper’s enrollment and health history form. If there is any condition or problem about which you feel the office or your child’s counselor needs to know – or a new medical issue that’s been diagnosed since registration – please call the office with that information.
All of our Senior Counselors are CPR and First Aid certified. Paramedics are two miles north of us, and we have two excellent hospitals within ten minutes of camp. In the event a child is hurt at camp and needs emergency treatment, the staff will contact the camper’s parents, the emergency contact, and/or the family doctor. Because we are in a day camp setting and, in most instances, you are within an hour’s drive from camp, you are the initial contact. It is important that, in the event of an illness or injury, you (or someone designated by you) are available to come to camp to pick-up your child.
In the event of a non-emergency medical or health concern, Outpost will contact the person listed as “Parent 1.” An Outpost Director will contact you if there is any kind of head injury (regardless of severity), a bee or wasp sting, or any injury that requires care above a small bandage. If your child has symptoms of being ill (that are not potentially COVID-19 related) that do not subside within 5-10 minutes, an Outpost Director will contact you. You may be contacted to inform you or to require that you pick up your child.
Parent Visits
Due to COVID-19, we cannot permit parent visits at this time. If you are interested in what your camper has done at camp or would like to hear more about their camp experience, please call our office at (858) 842-4900. We make every effort to take photos of every child at camp as often as feasible, so be sure to check our social media (Facebook and Instagram) and Outpost Summer Camps app for photos of your camper!
Other Important Information
- Please do not send any phones, electronics (including smart watches), equipment, toys, or anything valuable. Jewelry and non-durable watches should also be left at home. All knives, weapons, or other dangerous items are prohibited, including alcohol, drugs and personal sports equipment.
- Group pictures are taken once each session. If your camper is absent, they will not be in the picture. The camper will, however, receive a picture of their group with their counselors and friends.
- No make-up days can be given for any reason.
- Our camp policy prohibits staff from accepting monetary and expensive gifts from parents.
- Please remember that the campers do spend time in the sun every day. Our staff help campers put sunscreen on throughout the day, especially before and after lunch (midpoint of the day). We strongly recommend that you apply it at home in the morning and consider sending your camper with a hat if they have sensitive skin.
- The counselors give the campers frequent opportunities to drink water during the day and refill their water bottles for them as needed. When the group goes on walks, they carry water and there are refill stations at several locations on our site.
Communication with Our Directors
Outpost Summer Camps is a family-owned business, and as such we are dedicated to providing a program of the highest quality. We welcome your comments, suggestions, questions and feedback at all times. Please do not hesitate to contact us earlier rather than later if you have something you wish to discuss with us. You don’t need to wait for it to feel like a “big deal.” Often, we are able to address any issues more successfully if we are contacted immediately.
Benefits of Outpost Summer Camps
We’re proud of our program and what we do for kids. Here are some “key messages” that define our program:
Camp is a caring community! Our campers experience belonging and are part of a true community – getting along with others, accepting differences, and working together. The joys of acceptance and sharing prompt our campers to try out new positive behaviors like making new friends, expressing caring thoughts about others, and successfully resolving conflicts.
Camp is a safe and nurturing environment for children. Kids are at less risk when they have a sense of community, intergenerational relationships, and first-hand experiences. Our trained and caring staff help each of our campers feel loved, capable, and included.
Camp is a vital element in a child’s education! Children connect with the natural world directly at Outpost Summer Camps – not through the filters of television, computers, or other screens. Discovery, exploration, and active participation are the methods of learning at camp!
Call us with any questions at (858) 842-4900 or email us at office@outpostsummercamps.com