Camp Corlears

Our Super Saplings program is split into 3s and 4s programs. Super Sapling 3s is intended for children who will turn 3 by October 1, and Super Sapling 4s for children turning 4 by October 1.

Children entering Budding Branches must be entering Kindergarten or First Grade for the following school year. 

Each camp program — Super Sapling 3s, Super Sapling 4s, and Budding Branches — will most likely contain multiple camp groups. Families may request one or two friends that they would like to be placed in their child’s camp group. Corlears will do their best to accommodate these requests, with the goal of at least one of those requests being granted. Please know that even if children are not in the same camp group, there will be plenty of group overlap and connection throughout the day, such as in the play yard, at special activities, and, for Budding Branches campers, at swim.

Families should notify camp@corlearsschool.org if they need to make any changes to their camp registration. Up until March 31, a 50% refund will be granted to families. After March 31, no refunds will be granted. 

A child’s inability to attend a camp week for any reason, including due to illness, will not result in a refund. If possible, Corlears will consider requests to switch a child’s registered camp week to a week later in the summer. These requests will be considered against camp group availability and programmatic needs, and may not always be granted. 

Corlears will also not grant credits towards future summers if children are not able to attend their registered sessions.

Super Sapling 3s and 4s groups will have a maximum of 10 campers, and a minimum of two counselors.

Each day at Super Saplings will bring a new set of adventures! After arriving, campers will begin each day with a morning meeting — a chance to greet one another and welcome everyone to the community. From there, there will be time for art projects, choice activities, music and movement time, and plenty of outdoor play in our natural playground. Super Saplings will also have soccer class each week in our school gym, led by the wonderful coaches at SocRoc!

There will be a mid-morning snack as well for all students. Half-day friends will dismiss at 12:00 p.m., when full-day friends begin their lunch.

The afternoon will bring a brief rest, more play in the yard, choice time, and a read-aloud and end-of-day meeting.

Each week will also have an engaging and developmentally appropriate theme that will guide classroom activities. You’ll hear more about those themes in the weeks leading up to camp!

Children should arrive at camp each day with a water bottle, nut-free snack, and, for full-day campers, a nut-free lunch that does not need to be heated up or refrigerated.

We also ask families to apply sunscreen before the day begins (to prepare for play in our sunny outdoor natural playground!), and also pack their child with sunscreen for later reapplication if necessary.

Counselors may also ask that children come dressed in a bathing suit and water shoes, and bring a labeled towel, so they can engage in some water play outside.

At the beginning of your time at camp, counselors will ask that you bring in a full change of clothes to be stored in the classroom. For full-day campers who will be resting during the day, counselors will ask that you bring in a twin-sized sheet and stuffed animal or lovey to help your child rest successfully.

Yes, we ask that all campers attending Super Saplings are potty trained. Each child will be asked to bring a change of clothes along for the occasional accident.

For families enrolled at Corlears School, please note that the level of potty training support that exists in the Seedlings Blue and Red classrooms during the school year is not a feature of Camp Corlears.

For children who are new to separation, our counselors will provide resources and guidance for how to make separation successful in the lead-up to camp. Counselors will greet children when they arrive at camp each morning, either in front of the school or in our natural playground, helping to ease their transition to camp.

Counselors will be in touch as the summer approaches with guidance on how to successfully separate each morning. For now, we have some resources that might help: Top Tips for Helping Toddlers with Separation Anxiety, written by one of Corlears School's early childhood head teachers, offers tips on separation. Be sure to take a look at the video at the bottom of the page!

Budding Branches groups will have a maximum of 12 campers, with a minimum of two counselors.

This will depend a bit on the breakdown of camper enrollment, but it is likely that Budding Branches groups will contain both rising Kindergarteners and rising First Graders. Our counselors will ensure that activities are developmentally appropriate, fun, and engaging for all campers!

Each day at Budding Branches will bring a new set of adventures! After arriving, campers will begin each day with a morning meeting, a chance to greet one another and welcome everyone to the community. From there, there will be time for art projects, cooking activities, music and movement, plus plenty of time for outdoor play in our Corlears yard. Budding Branches will also have soccer class each week in our school gym, led by the wonderful coaches at SocRoc!

There will also be a mid-morning snack at around 10:00 a.m., with lunch at 12:00 p.m. The afternoon will bring more play in the yard, as well as choice time, a read-aloud, and an end-of-day meeting.

Budding Branches campers will go to swim each week at the nearby McBurney YMCA, which is about a 10-minute walk from Corlears. Swimmers of all abilities are welcome, with lessons taught by the YMCA’s Red Cross-certified swim teachers. More details on frequency and timing of swim class will be shared as the summer approaches.

Children should arrive at camp each day with a water bottle, nut-free snack, and a nut-free lunch that does not need to be heated up or refrigerated. We also ask families to apply sunscreen before the day begins (to prepare for play in our sunny outdoor natural playground!), and also pack their child with sunscreen for later reapplication if necessary.

Counselors will also inform families of what days children should come dressed in a bathing suit and water shoes — plus a labeled towel — on days we have swim at the Y. At the beginning of your time at camp, counselors will also ask that you bring in a full change of clothes to be stored in the classroom. 

Yes! Budding Branches campers will travel to nearby parks for outdoor play and recreation, as well as utilize public transit for trips around the city. More information on specific trip destinations and days will be shared before the start of each camp week.