Important Info for Camp Families

We have temporarily suspended all programming at the Leslie Science & Nature Center. Our programming has been suspended out of an abundance of caution due to an environmental concern discovered during the pre-construction phase of our proposed playscape. You can read more about this on the City of Ann Arbor website.

We have worked with the City of Ann Arbor to move our camp program to Buhr Park for the foreseeable future, and at this point we intend for Buhr Park to be our summer camp home throughout the summer. Buhr Park is located at 2751 Packard Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.

We worked to choose a location that would be as close as possible to the experience campers would have on-site at LSNC.  Our staff have excitedly set up up at Buhr Park and are ready for a wonderful summer outside. The park has an incredible open space, with easy access to County Farm Park and Mary Beth Doyle Park, including two wet meadows. It is next to public transportation and has great parking for pick up and drop off.  We will also be able to continue having our wonderful environmental and outdoor programs, including live wildlife presentations featuring LSNC's education animals.

• Lunch
• Water Bottle
• Weather-appropriate clothes
• Hat
• Sunscreen/Bug Spray
• Change of clothes
• Sturdy shoes (sandals, sneakers, boots)
• A bag or backpack to hold it all
• No flip flops
• No tank tops (protect your shoulders from the sun!)
• No electronics
• It is a camper’s responsibility to keep track of all of their belongings while at camp. To support campers’ success in this area, we encourage families to label all belongings with a camper’s first and last name and send all items in a bag or backpack

• Camp begins at 8:30am and ends at 3:30pm. Our extended day program, Camp Cool Down, is available at the Leslie Science and Nature Center location with additional registration and runs 3:30-5:30pm every day of camp.
• Optional bus transportation to and from Yankee Air Museum will be available through registration.

• Anyone picking up a camper, even parents, must show a valid photo ID (Driver’s license, Washtenaw ID, School ID, Passport). We can only accept IDs that are in English.

• All campers must be picked up and signed out by someone listed on the release list in their Electronic Health Record.

• We must charge a fee of $1/minute (after a 10-minute grace period) when campers are picked up late. If you know you will be arriving late to pick up a camper, please call the camp site where your camper is attending camp.

• Electronic Health Records must be completed after registration on CampDoc.com. This record includes release information and activity waivers for your camper. Electronic Health Records are locked at midnight the night before your camp session. Campers may not be left at camp until we have a completed form on file.

• Campers are not permitted to carry their own medication at camp.
• All medications required by a camper at camp must be given to a camper’s Camp Educators at sign in on their first day of camp. Emergency rescue medication (such as inhalers, Benadryl, EpiPen®, etc.) will be carried by camp staff and remain near your camper.
• All prescription medication must be in the original prescription bottle with the camper’s name on the label.
• Families are required to complete a medication authorization in their CampDoc Electronic Health Record for all campers requiring medication while at camp (including emergency rescue medication).
• Please be sure that medication you are providing does not expire before a camper’s last day at camp.
• All remaining medication will be picked up by the camper’s family at sign out on their last day of camp.

• Field Trips: All 2/3 and 4/5 camp groups based at Leslie Science & Nature Center go off site on trips on Wednesdays.
• Visiting Yankee Air Museum: All camps based at Yankee Air Museum will participate in a docent-led gallery tour or activity in the museum exhibit hall.
• Nature Rocks! Camp Music Program: With support from the Michigan Humanities Council and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, local musicians lead weekly music sessions with campers based at Leslie Science & Nature Center as part of the Nature Rocks! Camp Music Program.
• Friday Finale: Each Friday at 2:45pm, families are invited to join our camp for songs, silly skits, and popsicles at “Friday Finale,” an informal talent show. There will be a special seating area for camp families as campers will sit with their groups.
• Guest Instructors: Many of our camps have visiting instructors or guest teachers. Please read your reminder email for more information about these opportunities for your camper.

Each camp day follows the same basic schedule, though daily activities vary depending on age group and camp theme. Our STEM2035 middle school camps will follow a different daily schedule. 

8:30     Camper Sign In and Morning Stations
Parents and guardians sign campers in at their assigned camp building each day. While we are waiting for everyone to arrive, campers will choose from several different activities like art making, exploring specimens, or playing with blocks, Legos, and other manipulative toys.

9:00     House Meeting
To start off our day, campers will gather to hear the day's schedule, play some name games, sing songs, and do cheers. On Mondays, all camp groups review the camp rules and talk about camper’s hopes and expectations for the week.

9:15-11:30     Morning Activities
We'll go outdoors to hike, explore, play games, and enjoy the sunshine. Campers will visit the Critter House at least once during their camp week. Morning snack will be provided. On Mondays, Morning Activities end early for All Camp when all camp groups come together for games and songs. During this activity block, campers in our Tykes camps for 4 and 5 year olds will enjoy more open-ended activities and stations for age-appropriate exploration and play rather than the structured activities and games typical of our older camp groups.

11:30-12:30    Lunch and Free Time
Lunch is held with all camps together, eating picnic style outside. To make sure they have enough energy for the day, campers, staff, and volunteers stay seated and focused on eating and drinking water for 20 minutes. Campers are encouraged to recycle and compost. After lunch, we head down to the big field for free play.

12:30-1:30     Chillaxation
Chillaxation is held by each camp group individually. Campers are given a time to relax and reflect on the day's adventures. Stories, reading, drawing, resting, cloud watching, and other quiet activities are included. Campers in our Tykes camps for 4 and 5 year olds will have a quiet rest period and be encouraged to lay down on a blanket or towel, listen to music or a story, and take significant rest during Chillaxation.

1:30-1:45              All Camp
All Camp provides all camp groups with the opportunity to play games, do house cheers, and share with other camp groups about what they have learned at camp. On the last day of camp we have Friday Finale in lieu of regular All Camp, from 2:45-3:15pm. Campers, staff and volunteers perform skits, sing songs, and enjoy popsicles before the weekend.

1:45-2:45        Choice Time
During choice time, Camp Educators and volunteers offer 3 activities from which each camper is able to choose. Each day there is an active choice, and artsy choice, and an environmental education choice (though these categories sometimes overlap). Thursday is Choice Day, with 3 choice times spaced throughout the day, ending with Choice Carnival in the afternoon, where campers are able to go to each of several stations, including s’more making, silly games, and tie dye. On some four-day weeks, Choice Day may be held on Wednesday.

2:45-3:30      Afternoon Snack, Clean-up, and Circle Games
After choice time, campers return to their houses to tidy up for the day, usually taking their belongings outside for pick-up. After the building is tidy and everyone is ready to go, camp groups will eat a healthy snack and work together to brainstorm a list for their “Ask Me About” board which includes a list of topics or questions that are meant to spark conversations about camp experiences between campers and their families. Camp groups will play silly circle games, sing songs, or practice brain teasers until families arrive.

3:30      Camper Sign Out
Our camp day ends promptly at 3:30pm. All campers must be picked up and signed out by someone on their Emergency & Release Form. Campers who are registered for Camp Cool Down are signed into the Camp Cool Down session by a staff member and must be signed out by someone listed on their Emergency & Release Form by 5:30pm.

Like the daily schedule, our weekly camp schedule follows the same basic arc, though activities change based on age group and camp theme. On short weeks, this schedule is subject to change, but will always include Choice Day—we know that is a favorite part of camp!

*All Camp: When the whole camp gathers for singing, skits, and games. On Fridays at LSNC we have Friday Finale in lieu of regular All Camp, from 2:45-3:15pm. Campers, staff and volunteers perform skits, sing songs, and enjoy popsicles before the weekend.
**Choice Carnival: Campers can circulate to several different stations including s’more making and tie dye.

Whenever possible, Unity in Learning Camps strive to offer campers positive choices, to recognize their feelings, to develop language for talking about behavior, and to teach them through conflict. If a camper’s behavior is disruptive to the program or to the experience of others, the following actions will be taken: 

1. Staff observing the behavior will redirect camper’s behavior by offering a positive choice.
2. If a positive choice is not appropriate, or if the behavior persists, staff will identify the problem and discuss it with the camper, letting the camper know that the staff member is there to help. Staff will immediately stop any physical (hitting/kicking) or emotional (name calling or teasing) damage being done before moving to the next step.
3. Staff will help the camper identify possible solutions and help them choose a solution. Camp staff will make every effort to check back in with the camper to see if the solution is working.
4. If the issue still persists, or if a camper needs to decompress, staff will ask the camper to take a break from the group’s activities and then talk with them to process what happened.
5. Staff will notify the onsite Camp Director if any situation escalates to the “take a break” level, or if they need additional support. Camp staff will make every effort to check in with camper’s parents/guardians by phone or at pick-up, explain what happened and what action was taken by both camp staff and the camper, and discuss additional solutions and ways to support the camper further.

Unity in Learning Camps reserve the right to remove a camper from camp for any unsafe or inappropriate behavior including: bullying, violence, sexual harassment, endangering the safety of any camper or staff member, any type of discrimination, destruction of property, theft, verbal abuse, and possession of any type of weapon. No refunds for any camp fees paid will be issued in the event that a camper is asked to leave camp for unsafe or inappropriate behavior.

• Camp age groups are determined by grade completed in the previous school year. At LSNC, age groups are: Tykes (four- and five-year olds), K/1 (completed full day Young 5's, Kindergarten, or First Grade), 2/3 (completed Second or Third Grade), or 4/5 (completed Fourth or Fifth Grade). At YAM, age groups are: 2/3 (completed Second or Third Grade), or 4/5 (completed Fourth or Fifth Grade). Please note that 5-year-old campers who have completed a full day Young 5's program may choose between Tykes and K/1 camps depending on their needs. Tykes camps offer more play-based and open-ended activities and a lay-down rest time during Chillaxation.

• Most K/1 camp groups at LSNC have multiple sessions with the same theme and age group to accommodate high demand. When multiple sessions for the same age group are offered, families will be able to indicate on their registration form if their camper would like to be in camp with a specific friend or family member. We will do our best to accommodate these group requests, but cannot guarantee that campers will be placed together.

• Campers are allowed to register for up to three summer camp weeks at each site (LSNC and YAM), for a total of up to six weeks at Unity in Learning camps. There is no limit on the number of school year camps a camper can attend—so sign up for them all!

• July 4th week Day Off Outdoors camps do not count toward the session limit.

• Due to the high-volume of camp transactions, we are unable to fill waitlists by phone or email. When a camp session is full, you may register to be on the waitlist for the camp. In the event there is an opening in a camp, we will open online registration and email all individuals on the waitlist. Waitlisted individuals can then register online on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the spot is filled, the waitlist will continue until another opening becomes available. Questions regarding waitlist opportunities should be directed to the Leslie Science & Nature Center Main Office at 734-997-1553.

All summer camp registrations will require a non-refundable deposit paid upon registration. Any cancellation made up to 14 days prior to the start date of a camp program will receive a full refund minus the non-refundable deposit. Any cancellation made within 14 days of the start date of a camp program will not be eligable to for a refund.

All cancellation requests must be submitted through your CampDoc registration portal or in writing. Refunds will be issued through the CampDoc system and may take up to 4 weeks for processing.

If a participant fails to attend a registered session without notice, no refund will be issued.  In cases of homesickness, dismissal or voluntary withdrawal, there will be no refund of any fees.

We reserve the right to grant exceptions in situations as needed. 

If you choose to switch your registration to a different date, please note that this is only possible if openings exist. This must occur 15 days prior to the first day of your event. There will be a $10 processing fee charged for each switched registration.

Please note that this policy differs from the cancellation policy used for other programs. If you are cancelling a program that is not a summer camp please refer to our standard cancellation policy. 

Details regarding all camp policies and procedures can be found in our Camp Family Policy Handbook. Individuals who would like to review internal policies and procedures can direct requests to Zach Wood, Camp Programs Manager by email: zwood@lesliesnc.org.