FAQS
We encourage our familiies to write to their children as often as possible. We will expect your child to return your letters, and write home at least once a week. We make an effort to see that he/she does this.
*Pro-tip: It is a good idea to send a letter before camp starts. This way, there will be mail waiting for them when they arrive.
Bunk 1 is an email service that allows campers to send and receive email without the need for computer access. You may email your child at any time and your emails will be printed and distributed with our regular mail. To reply, campers write their letters on a “Bunk Reply” form and hand it into our office, where we process and email them back to you.
Information on this program is available from Bunk1.com.
Campers love receiving packages from home! However, no care packages sent to Forest or Indian Acres may include food. We feel that about four packages a summer is a good number. Anymore and we fear the campers will not be able to pack all of their belongings at the end of the summer. We ask that you please inform all family members and friends of this policy to coordinate appropriately.
In order to keep mice and ants out of the cabin, campers open their mail and packages at the camp office. Should your child receive food in a care package, it will be retained and donated to the local soup kitchen. The food at camp is varied and plentiful, and fresh fruit is available daily, mitigating the need for candy to be sent.To help the campers better acclimate to being away from home and assist in getting over any homesickness, campers are not permitted to call home during the first five days of camp. After this initial period, each camper is allowed to make one 15-minute phone call home per week. For campers who have two households, they are allowed two phone times to call both parents. In the Spring, parents are sent a link to our online telephone schedule system, where you can sign up for a weekly time slot for your child.
Cell phones are not permitted at any point during the summer. Cell phones will be collected on the first day of camp. They will be charged on the final evening of camp and returned for your child to travel home with.
Three times a week, the campers have the opportunity to go to the ‘Canteen’ to get a candy bar or sweet snack. The fee for Canteen is included in our all-inclusive tuition.
Occasionally, cash will be given to campers when we go on trips where campers may need $5-$10 in spending money. If you would like to send your child with additional money for them to use at their discretion, we will ask the camper, on their arrival to camp, to bring that money to the office where it will be held in the camp safe. This money can be used for the purchase of incidental items such as toothpaste, shampoo, etc. or for additional spending money when they leave camp on trips.
We love birthdays! If your child has a birthday while at camp, the entire camp sings “Happy Birthday” to them and they are given a birthday cake to share with their cabin. We ask that you not send food. An exception might be cookies or brownies from you or Grandma and should be no more than can be shared and consumed that day.
So no cabin is left out, special celebrations are consistent across all cabins. If no camper in your child’s cabin has a birthday over the summer, they will have the opportunity to celebrate in other ways. (EX: One pizza night)
If you feel that there is a problem, or any programming or bunk issue that is negatively affecting your child at camp, please call our offices and bring it to our attention. While we do our best to monitor any situations that may arise, only your child, their cabinmates and their counselors know what happens in the cabin. If your child brings up an issue, let us know right away so we can do our best to fix it while camp is still in session. We hope to work with you to ensure that your child has a fantastic camp experience.