School Break Day Camp

There are two camp groups and campers are separated by the grade that are in for the current school year:

• Children in Pre-K & K
• Children in 1^st-6^thgrade
• Jr. CIT's are in 7^th & 8^th grade

• Current family membership ($60) is required for all camp participants.
• Membership is considered a donation and is non-refundable.
• Membership only needs to be paid once each year. Become a member today

After registering your child, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. This e-mail contains the followup requirements necessary to complete your registration.

1. Please fill out the form on our online health system: PROCARE.
   
   This is where you will tell us about your camper, fill out health information, emergency contacts, other important safety data, and submit the following required files:
   • The Mandatory Health Packet: Universal Health Record from your child’s health care provider.
   • 1. Including an Immunization History:
        Please note, if your health care provider will not be including a complete immunization form the Health Department requires a written statement signed by the parent or guardian explaining how the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with the camper’s exercise of bona fide religious tenets or practices. General philosophical or moral objection to immunization shall not be sufficient for an exemption on religious grounds.
   • A copy of your insurance card.
   • A copy of any information regarding your child's activity restrictions/special needs (ex. IEP, ISFP).
2. Complete the form submission through PROCARE 7 days prior to the start of the camp session (New Jersey state law requires that campers submit a current health record each year).

The Tenafly Nature Center’s first priority is the safety of our campers. Here at Tenafly Nature Center we strive to make camp a healthy and safe community, one in which campers can have fun, connect with others and with the Earth. Therefore, we expect all campers will:

1. Stay with their group
2. Participate in camp activities
   
3. Interact with other campers and staff members in respectful ways
4. Be supportive of other campers’ needs and efforts
   
5. Always act in ways that are safe for themselves and others 
6. Treat other campers’ (and the camp’s) property and belongings with respect and consideration
   
7. Never threaten, imply a threat or “get in the face” of another camper
   
8. Not engage in put-downs of any type or make “fun” of another camper
   
9. Not purposefully and with ill intent exclude another camper
10. Never intentionally physically harm another camper or staff (No hitting, kicking, pushing, biting, etc.)
11. The Tenafly Nature Center embraces diversity and values the integrity of our community. Individual differences of religion, culture, socioeconomic status, national origin, race, ethnicity, biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical appearance, and ability are acknowledged and respected. Campers strive to behave in a sensitive, open, and respectful manner and will not deliberately exclude another individual for these reasons.

The consequences of not following the camp’s code of conduct are:

1. First time- meeting at camp with the camp staff and parent(s) to discuss the incident.
2. Second time- the camper will miss one day of camp in order to better understand that there are better behavior choices to be made relative to the incident.
3. Third time- a decision-making meeting with parents in order to look at the real possibility that perhaps Tenafly Nature Center Day Camp is not a good match for the camper and his/her needs.

Our goal is to help each camper have a successful and positive camp experience. Of course, each incident will be looked at individually and in terms of degree of seriousness.

Please go over the behavior policy and expectations with your camper(s), including the consequences for not following them. Clarity and consistency, at camp and at home, are the keys for making our camp a healthy, nurturing environment for children. The staff reserves the right to cancel registration without refund during camp week for unacceptable behavior.

Please read over our Covid & Camp webpage.

For additional questions please reach out to the Camp Director

If your child is going to be absent or arriving after 9:00 am for ANY reason, please contact the Nature Center office at (201) 568-6093. You may leave a message if your call is outside office hours — please try to call before 9:00 am each day your child will be absent. Refunds will not be given for absence.

Signs to note if a child is too ill to attend camp?

A few sniffles or a dry cough are okay, but if a child has a fever over 100°F, diarrhea, vomiting, a sore throat, a rash, red draining eyes, thick yellow or green nasal discharge, please keep them at home until 24 hours after these symptoms are resolved or a note from your doctor is sent to camp stating that the child can attend. If your child is diagnosed with an infection, it is very important to keep them out of camp for at least 24-48 hours after starting antibiotics to prevent the spread of infection.

Other health reasons a child may not attend camp

A camper who shows symptoms of any of the following communicable diseases will not be allowed at camp without a note from a doctor or specialist:

1. Chicken pox
2. German measles (rubella)
3. Measles (rubella)
4. Mumps
5. Streptococcal infections (including scarlet fever, sore throat, and erysipelas)
6. Whooping cough (pertussis)
7. Fifth disease (erythema infectiosum)
8. Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
9. Impetigo (staphylococcus infection)
   
10. Meningitis-meningococcal
11. Hepatitis infectious
12. Head lice (pediculosis)
    A camper who is found to have live head lice will not be permitted to attend camp until there are no active lice in the camper's hair, proof of treatment has been provided to the camp director, and until all live and/or dead head lice are removed from the camper's hair.
    
    The presence of nits (the eggs of lice) without active head lice will not prohibit a child from attending camp provided proof of treatment has been provided to the camp director and there is no evidence of active head lice in the camper's hair.

Membership is a tax-deductible donation with year-round benefits, and is non-refundable.

• Full tuition refunds will be given for cancellations with 2+ weeks notice.
• 50% of the tuition will be refunded with 8-14 business days* notice prior to the first day of the camp session. *Business days refer to Monday thru Friday. Weekends and holidays do not count as business days.
• No refunds or credits will be given with less than 7 business days* notice. In this instance, a tax receipt will be issued to you indicating that the program fee was converted to a charitable donation. *Business days refer to Monday thru Friday. Weekends and holidays do not count as business days.
• Switching camp days is allowed depending on availability and at the discretion of the Camp Director.
• In cases of cancellation due to major illness and/or family emergency, refunds will be assessed on case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Director.
• The staff reserves the right to cancel registration without refund for unacceptable behavior or children registered for the incorrect age group/grade level.
• TNC reserves the right to cancel, reschedule, or change programs as needed.
• In case of inclement weather and TNC calls for an early dismissal, registrants will be issued a partial credit. 
• Failure to submit all PROCARE forms to TNC 7 days before the first day of camp will result in forfeiture of your registration fee.
• This policy only covers School Break Nature Day Camps. It does NOT cover Summer Nature Day Camp, Scout programs, Schools or other TNC programs.

Tenafly Nature Center does not want to turn any child away from making a connection with nature and strives to give all children access to time spent in nature, regardless of their ethnic, social or economic backgrounds. Therefore scholarships are made possible each year for a select amount of campers through grants and the generous donations of individuals and organizations.

Read more about our camp scholarship option