SUMMER CAMP

Of course we want everyone to have fun at camp, but we need to know everyone is healthy and safe first. We have several staff available at all times who are certified in First Aid and CPR and are able to administer medications. We also always have a health supervisor (a doctor and/or nurse) on call for consultation as needed. We are fortunate enough to also be within a short distance from emergency medical care as well. Our goal is to work in partnership with families to make sure we are prepared to address any health or safety concerns that come up while at camp. We always want everyone to feel comfortable enough to address any concerns with a staff member. We strive to create a safe environment through various means such as a camper never being alone with only one other person, low staff to camper ratios, pick up procedures, providing health care and communicating that care as necessary.

Health and safety are our number one priority for all our campers and staff and we strive to provide a positive experience for everyone. If your family has any concerns regarding special needs, including significant physical, mental, emotional, social, and/or behavioral concerns, please contact camp to discuss this further via phone at 301-852-0909 or emailing info@campripplingbrook.com. Our goal is to be as prepared as possible for each camper’s arrival and knowing about any potential challenges in advance will allow us to better support your family and specifically your camper. After some discussions, it may be decided by camp that a one-on-one support may be needed and camp may ask your family to contribute towards the additional cost.

While we always do our best to provide a safe and healthy environment, sometimes injuries and illnesses happen. We always take any of these circumstances seriously as camper and staff care is our top priority. In these situations campers may be taken to our health center and your family will receive a phone call from one of our staff. If your camper is not feeling well because of an illness we may be able to treat them in the health center. However, if your camper continues to not feel well after 30 minutes, we may ask that they get picked up early. If your camper is not feeling well before camp begins they should stay home. If your camper becomes injured while at camp our staff will treat within their scope of care. Any emergencies and injuries that need further attention may require outside care. In any of these cases, our staff will notify your family before or at pick up depending on the severity of the situation. If your camper requires outside care a doctor must provide a note stating the camper may return to camp and if there will be any restrictions.

Our camp consists of diverse needs and it is important we are made aware of any allergies before attending camp. Knowing the type of allergies, reactions and how to treat any symptoms should be completed on your camper’s forms. Staff are made aware of any allergies in advance and do their best to keep those with allergies away from any potential allergens. Please note we are NOT a nut free facility, we are an ALLERGY AWARE facility and will allow campers to bring nuts and nut products to camp. However, we will work with families on a case-by-case basis to determine if special accommodations are needed to ensure the safety of your child. If any emergency medications are required camp should be given those in advance or upon arrival to a leadership or health care staff, please remember that a doctor’s note will be required. These will be returned at the end of the week or as requested by the family.

All medication should be checked in with camp leadership or health care staff during drop off. Please do not pack your camper’s medications in their belongings. All prescription medication brought to camp must be in the original container, have written orders (Medication Administration Authorization form) signed by a medical professional, include the camper’s name, dosage, and time to be administered. All medication, including over-the-counter medications, must be checked in and dispensed by the appropriate staff. Medications may be picked up at the end of the week or as requested by the family. Any medication not claimed within a week is required to be disposed of properly by Maryland State law.

If a camper requires emergency medications, such as EpiPens or inhalers, our staff will keep that on them throughout the day. The medication will follow the camper around from one activity to the next. Self-administration must be indicated on the written orders (Medication Administration Authorization form).

Appropriate use of sunscreen and bug spray are important for your camper’s comfort and safety while at camp. Sunscreen and bug spray are NOT considered medication and do NOT require special permission to be used while at camp. Your camper should come to camp with sunscreen and bug spray on in the morning and bring some in their backpack to be reapplied throughout the day. Sprays are encouraged as staff will not assist with lotions. Staff will remind campers to reapply throughout the day as necessary and at regular intervals.

All campers must be fully potty trained to attend camp. Unfortunately, Camp Rippling Brook may have to dismiss any campers with consistent issues.

Camper health insurance information is required as part of the forms to attend camp. This information will be used if your camper requires medical attention outside of camp. In these events, your family will be notified immediately. Your family’s health insurance is responsible for covering any medical charges and/or prescriptions that are provided. Any health care provided through our health center or first aid are no additional cost.

Camp Rippling Brook is made up of people from every walk of life that come together to create an environment where everyone can belong. We are a community that works together to ensure that everyone, regardless of cultural background, ethnicity, faith, gender, gender identity, ideology, income, national origin, race, and/or sexual orientation, has a safe place to be treated with respect and dignity.

Going to camp can be really exciting and fun! It can also be a little scary and make campers feel little nervous. But don’t worry, our wonderful staff is there to walk campers through the new routines and activities, help make new friends, and make the time at camp awesome!

Connection makes a difference. We are not just “staff,” we are a part of the Rippling Brook family. This makes all the difference and we are all ready to invite your family to join our Rippling Brook family. All staff complete a criminal background check, receive at least 20 hours of training prior to camp beginning, and a majority of staff are at least 18 years old. Several staff are trained in first aid & CPR. But most importantly, our camper care and customer service is a top priority which makes our staff great role models.

Build a community Create memories Try new things Have fun!

Camp Rippling Brook uses a camper registration portal in which families will create an account. Each family will have household information that is shared then add individual children. Each child will have specific individualized information to be completed for their unique registration. Information will be saved and carry over to following years to save time in the future. A non-refundable $50 deposit/week is due upon registration. Families may select to pay in full at the time of registration or pay the deposit only with the remaining balance to be automatically paid in installments. Camp must be paid in full at least 2 weeks prior to the beginning of the camp session. Please contact us if additional payment options need to arranged.

We understand that camp costs can add up for a family so we offer several discounts for those who qualify. Sibling Discount - $25 off each week for each additional child after the first registration Multiweek Discount - $50 off total when registered for 4 or more weeks of camp Referral Discount - $25 off your total if you refer a first-time family that registers for camp

We will happily grant a request to transfer from one week to another at no cost if there is space available. If a cancellation is necessary and the request is made before June 1st, the non-refundable deposit will be retained and remaining fees refunded. Camp will retain all fees if the request is made after June 1st. All cancellations and/or adjustments to registrations must be made through email/writing. Cancellations due to medical reasons may be partially refunded if an appropriate doctor’s note is provided.

There is a lot of information we need from camp families to make sure we have the best and safest experience at camp. All forms must be completed at least 2 weeks prior to your family starting camp with us. Most forms can be completed electronically. If campers will be taking any medications, including over-the-counter medications, while at camp a doctor will need to give authorization.

All camp groups are gender inclusive and organized by age. Two Senior Counselors that are at least 18 years or older are assigned to a group. There will be approximately 8 campers to every one staff in a group; this may be less for younger campers and more for older campers. We allow campers to request one friend to be assigned to the same group. Requests should be within one year of age. These requests should be made at least one week prior to the week of camp since group assignments are done in advance. We will do our best to make all requests happen but we can’t guarantee every request. If we can’t make your request happen, remember we are building a community and making new friends at camp and campers will also have plenty of time to see old friends too.

We will be active throughout the day so campers should be able to carry everything in a backpack. This should include a water bottle, lunch & snacks (labeled with name), bathing suit, towel, water shoes (sandals, sneakers, water shoes - something with a heel strap for water activities), and sunscreen. Of course a hat, sunglasses, rain coat, bug spray, and/or a light jacket are always optional. Please label all items brought to camp.

Camp isn’t really made for electronics. We want to build a community and that means being present throughout the day without distractions. For the safety of everyone, we ask that electronics are left at home. We understand that phones may be needed before drop off or after pick up; if this is the case electronics may be stored in the camp office.

Campers may be dropped off between 8:30 am - 9:00 am. Staff will greet campers as they exit vehicles. We will gather in our morning meeting area and will split into groups from there. Please be aware that Monday drop off may take a little longer since we have new campers each week. All vehicles should follow a 10 mph speed limit.

Campers registered for Morning Camp may be dropped off between 7:30 am - 8:30 am or join the regular drop off from 8:30 am - 9:00 am. This extra time will be filled with extra fun with activities supervised by our Morning Camp staff. Drop off for Morning Camp is in the same location as regular drop off and staff will be available to greet campers. Please be courteous of our staff’s time and understand that staff will not be available before 7:30 am.

We understand families may have appointments, hit traffic, or just want to sleep in a little. If campers are dropped off after staff leave the drop off area, please check in at the Camp Office. A member of the staff will then take campers to the assigned group.

Our schedule is pretty much the same each week, the difference is what activities campers will be doing during each activity time. Some of these activities will be Central Activities while others are Core Activities, which campers can choose. Check out our sample schedules and activities for more information, please remember adjustments may be made. Throughout the week, campers will participate in our Central Activities which include our Morning Show, R&R, all group activities, a weekly themed activity and popsicles. The Closing Show takes place at the end of each week as families get to enjoy a glimpse into the Camp experience. Our Core Activities are all camper choice— campers make their own day. Camper choices will be offered through our core areas of land sports, arts, camp sports, creative arts, adventure, team building, environment & nature and more. With two options for each Core Activity, campers get new experiences all day long. Summer time means HOT weather. We will have Water Play available every day during Core Activities. Campers should pack a bathing suit to participate. Bathing suits may also be worn under clothing.

Campers should bring their own lunch and snacks, labeled with camper’s name, every day to camp. Refrigerators are available for storage before lunch but snacks should be non-perishable. Please understand that we will be NOT be able to reheat any food. We would like to limit the amount of waste we produce so a collapsible lunchbox is recommended for easier carrying after lunch. We are NOT a nut-free facility and will allow campers to bring nuts and nut products to camp. Staff are made aware of any allergies in advance and do their best to keep those with allergies away from any potential allergens.

Our Special Events days take place each week, with each day being a once in a summer event! Special Events take place on Friday afternoons before the Closing Show. Special Events and Spirit Days will be released before camp. Showing camp spirit is one of many ways for campers to help their group earn Camp Cup points throughout the week. Don’t have something for today’s spirit day? Don’t worry about it, there are plenty of other ways to show camp spirit!

The highlight of the week will be seeing if your camper’s group earned enough points to win the Camp Cup! Throughout the week our Camp Cup judges will be tracking and adding up points to update on the Camp Cup scoreboard during our Morning Show. Campers can earn points for their group by showing camp spirit, earning camper awards, and keeping camp beautiful. The winner will be announced during our Closing Show on Friday afternoon.

We love it when our campers show respect, compassion and empathy for others. Sometimes we have rough days though and need a little help along the way. If a pattern of bad behavior begins that becomes unsafe for other campers, staff and/or themself, we may ask that a camper gets picked up early. After repeated behaviors, we may dismiss the camper from our camp. We ask that our campers and staff help create a safe environment for all at Camp Rippling Brook. If the unfortunate time comes that we need to dismiss a camper, there will be no refund issued due to behavior.

Wouldn’t it be nice if every day was mid-80’s, sunny and low-humidity? Unfortunately, we can’t count on that. Inclement weather may cause our activities to pause, be rescheduled or cancelled. We do our best to keep going, but safety is always our priority. In the case that we cannot continue activities outside, we will move our day indoors with back up plans to keep the fun going. Refunds will not be issued due to weather. Please note, we will continue be outside in light rain so please dress and pack appropriately.

Homesickness isn’t just for overnight camp; homesickness is a normal feeling in any situation where someone is separated from home and loved ones. We train our staff to be compassionate and caring to any camper feeling anxiety. Some of the best ways to lessen anxiety is to prepare for the upcoming day by talking about it together, thinking of things that can help cope with homesick feelings beforehand, and making a connection right away. Our staff will help with all of these methods and more. Our goal is to create a community and family at Camp Rippling Brook that helps to ease those feelings. Attending an Open House, booking a home visit meet & greet, private tour, or attending our Camp Day will all help set expectations early.

Communication and knowledge are huge! We understand that families want to know what’s been going on (most adults would probably rather be at camp than work). But after a long day of fun in the sun, the last thing campers sometimes want to do is recap it all. Just keeping their eyes open as you leave camp and head home at the end of the day is a struggle! We get it. That’s why we’ll do the talking for your campers. Families at home should check email for pre-camp preparedness information and daily updates during camp, check out our social media, and try to find your camper in all our pictures through SmugMug. We always try out best to get at least one picture of all our campers but sometimes they’re too fast and having too much fun for us to get everyone.

Our normal pick up time is between 4:00 pm - 4:30 pm. Pick up will be clearly marked and staff will be available to direct families where to pick up. Any campers getting picked up at this time will be near the pick up area. Staff will assist campers into cars so adults will not need to exit cars. Any campers not registered for Afternoon Camp will be brought to normal pick up. Safety is our number one priority so we ask that all families complete an Authorized to Pick Up list before camp begins. The only people that are allowed to pick up are those on the list. We will check names with ID so please remember to bring ID every day. If there is a change to pick up, please let Camp know beforehand, camp will not release a camper to anyone without permission.

Campers registered for Afternoon Camp may be picked up between 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm. Afternoon Camp is an extension of the camp day with added fun. Staff will supervise both Afternoon Clubs and other activities. Activities during our Afternoon Camp may include backyard games, arts & crafts, Battle Royale Relay Races, Sundae Funday, Archery Clubs, Sports Clubs and more! Please pack an extra snack if your camper will be staying for Afternoon Camp. Please be courteous of our staff’s time and understand that campers should be picked up before 6:00 pm. If a camper needs to be picked up earlier, they will join the regular pick up from 4:00 pm - 4:30 pm. We ask that any changes to the normal routine be communicated beforehand.

Every Friday we will wrap up the week with our Closing Show. FAMILIES ARE WELCOME and encouraged to attend. The Closing Show will recognize campers that have earned awards throughout the week, give a glimpse into the Camp Rippling Brook spirit, recognize our Staff of the Week and award the Camp Cup. Campers may be picked up right after the Closing Show but an Authorized to Pick Up card must be presented to a counselor before leaving with your camper. Lost & Found, medication pick up, and the Camp Store will be open right after the Closing Show.

If a camper needs to be picked up early one day, we ask that you notify the camp office by calling 301-852-0909 or emailing info@campripplingbrook.com the day before or the morning of the early pick up. We will make sure campers are ready for pick up in the camp office at the requested time.

We truly value your time and want to respect our staff’s time as well. This means we ask that campers be picked up on time every day. If campers are NOT registered for Afternoon Camp they must be picked up by 4:30 pm. If campers are registered for Afternoon Camp they must be picked up by 6:00 pm. A late fee of $1 per minute will be charged. Please notify the office if you are running late. We understand some situations are out of our control and communication will be important.

It can be hard for campers to keep track of all their things throughout the busy camp day. Our staff will do our best to minimize the lost & found by scanning any areas before leaving. Any unclaimed items will go to our I Spy Lost & Found Station. This will be available for families to check throughout the week. We will be unable to keep any items after the last camp session and will donate any remaining items one week after camp ends. Please let us know as soon as you know something is missing by calling 301-852-0909 or emailing info@campripplingbrook.com. To help reduce lost items, please label everything brought to camp, as this will help us return any misplaced items.

We strive to always make good better and better our best. If it’s not the best then it can improve. We will send a camp survey at the end of each week to families. We will review this immediately and put any changes into action to make your family’s future experience the best. We’re all part of the Camp Rippling Brook family and are here to support each other. Support us in making your family’s summer last a lifetime by offering constructive criticism and/or showing your support through the survey. We also appreciate any feedback with us in person, email, phone, or even notes on napkins.