(202) 258-5401
Camp Berry
Camp for Kids 2 - 6 in Washington D.C.
Camp Berry is READY for Summer 2022
Join Us!
A day camp where kids can be kids, make friends, discover artistic talents, and experience summer the way summer is meant to be. Ages 2 - 6.
All About Camp Berry
It’s all about having fun! We at Camp Berry apply our talents and enthusiasm toward ensuring every child enjoys their camp experience. All children want to have fun and usually find it easily. As best we can, we will offer an array of diversions that will interest them.
Typically, each day begins with some free play and glides into some type of art project or scheduled special activity. All children are introduced to the project and may participate if it interests them.
Naturally, games, sand and water play, painting, make believe, and free play with friends, are continual options. Whether playing inside or out, there are plenty of toys, puzzles, and hands-on items to engage both the timid and confident child. Children soon have favourite items and activities they enjoy most and request frequently. Ideally, camp should be a “wonderland of permissive delights”. We aim to please. Accordingly, a wonderland needs its delights. Children will be encouraged to try new things, learn new games, and participate in art activities. Some children will fly with their new skills, while others will hasten back to what they were doing beforehand.
Fun being relative, children will ultimately spend their day engaged in activities they find interesting. Planned-to-the-nines art project may seem completely useless to the 3 year old who adores kitchen make believe. Go figure. However, observing older children enjoying a particular project often sways the younger ones to give it a try. No matter the number of hours your child spends with us, each day will be full of creative outlets for play and learning. We take our cues from the children themselves...having FUN is what camp is all about!!!
So, all that being said, this year we need to have all the fun and be Covid safe and conscious. The summer weather allows us to "work together" outside which is a much healthier setting.
We will continue implementing all the winning strategies: mask wearing, hand washing, health screening, free weekly Covid testing for the children, daily disinfecting of the camp space as well as the toys and materials the children use, social distancing when it makes sense, open communication with parents, and attention to the CDC updates.
Our school year (The Children’s House of Washington) has been remarkably successful using these preventative measures and, with the ongoing cooperation of parents, we feel this summer will be just as fortunate.
What Every Parent Should Know
A well-prepared staff:
All staff members are fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19.
The entire staff has current Red Cross training in infant and child CPR and rescue breathing, as well as first aid. As teachers, we have all been fingerprinted and received FBI clearance. We can handle the usual grazes, minor cuts, splinters, and bug bites. Anything that looks bad or really is more serious will prompt us to telephone you. There are wasp traps in the tree to limit encounters with bees. We will do our best to combat mosquitoes with “green products”.
Allergies to bees or foods must be indicated on the application.
Please supply an EpiPen if you usually carry one. It must be in the original packaging, including a signed note from your doctor. If your child needs medication(also in original package with signed doctor’s note) during the camp day, indicate whether it requires refrigeration and make sure we know when and how much to administer.
No medication of any kind will be given to your child without your expressed permission and the signed doctor’s note. These are DC regs which we we must follow.
Please keep sick children home. Camp should be fun, not something to endure.
We are a NUT-FREE environment.
Due to the prevalence of nut allergies, we allow no nuts in any product on the premises. Please make sure all parts of the lunch are nut-free. Check those snack bars. Keep the pesto at home if it is made with pine nuts. (Depressing, isn’t it.)
If your child has serious allergies, please look over our snack choices and tell us which are safe for your child. You may send or request that we purchase brands of crackers that are safe for your child. We’ll work with you to ensure an allergy event free day.
We can provide a Kosher snack: If you would like your child to follow Kosher guidelines for snack and lunch, please give us instructions.
Your children are in safe hands:
We monitor the movement of the children throughout the day and count heads periodically. Each teacher is responsible for the several children with her. Children are always attended and do not have access to any exits other than the one leading to the secure playground. The gate to the playground has a clip lock on the outside beyond the view and reach of the children. Additionally, there are 2 or 3 other completely trustworthy adult women in the building during camp hours. The teenagers helping out at the camp are never left alone with the children. Additionally, we are very experienced with children new to a group situation and know how to comfort and reassure them. You can call or text us every 15 minutes if you’re worried, but please allow us the time to make them feel comfortable at camp. We will text you pictures or videos to reassure you. Text Jennifer 202/258-5401
Safety on a Larger Scale (because we’re in Washington DC)
We have on hand a 3 day supply of food and water. We have blankets, radios with batteries, and enough duct tape to lay a line from here to St. Louis! We were advised after 911 that all these things were standard for emergencies. In the event of a local emergency, we will remain at the camp until all children are collected by their parents, no matter how long that takes.
SPACE AVAILABLE IN EVERY WEEK
Weekly rates
Half Day 9 - 12 $300 weekly
Full Day 9 - 3 $400 weekly
All Day 9 - 6 $500 weekly
Early drop-off at 8am at no cost.
2022 Registration Is Open All Summer
UPDATED ON JUNE 21
June 6 - 10 FULL
June 13 - 17 FULL
June 21 - 24 Tues - Fri. FULL
June 27 - July 1 5 spaces available
July 5 - 8 Tues-Fri. 7 spaces open
July 11 - 15 7 spaces open
July 18 - 22 8 spaces open
July 25 - 29 8 spaces open
Aug 1 - 5 5 spaces open
Aug 8 - 12 4 spaces open
What Your Child Needs For Camp
signed registration form,
health form,
Copies of the child’s health records, including dental. These can be brought on the first day of camp.
extra clothes; one full set(undies, tops, shorts), including a pair of crocs or flip-flops, a sun hat, bathing suit for kids 3-6.
Campers will be issued a cubby and plastic box to keep their clothes and extra masks. The cubbies and boxes are cleaned often.
Very young campers should bring two full sets of clothes: undies, tops, shorts or pants, dresses
Please label all clothes.a lightweight sleeping bag(not down) for those children taking naps We will keep these during the week and return them on Friday for washing. We have cots and mats that are cleaned daily.
Please put your child’s name on the bag because there may be duplicates. These sleeping bags are easily found on Amazon or at Target.
Include a snuggly or pacifier if your child usually naps with one.5 extra face masks to be kept with their clothes
A filled water bottle. Please, please label the water bottle.
The camp provides only fresh cool spring water all day long.
Daily: apply sunscreen. We have a shady playground but let’s not take chances. We have a PABA-free 50 sunblock at the camp for reapplication.
If your child requires an Epi-Pen, it MUST be in the original packaging and also include a signed letter from your doctor. These are DC regulations and plain good sense. All members of the staff are trained in using Epi-Pens.
Lunch with an ice pack. Keep it simple and healthy and NUT-FREE.
We can warm up food. Please include utensils; we've got plenty of napkins.
What you need NOT bring:
towels We have many and they are laundered every day!
toys.........please keep them at home! We have a massive amount of toys!
diapers and wipes..........we have hundreds on hand as well as Desitin
and other rash ointments
Please try to keep the backpacks at home. We don’t have the space to store them.
At the very least, have the lunch in its own lunch box instead of loose in the backpack.
Camp Berry provides:
fun and games galore!
weekly Covid testing(very gentle)
morning and afternoon snack that are healthy and not loaded with sugar and preservatives
dance, yoga and/or music classes several days a week
daily story time for all ages BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS!
a variety of art, crafts, and science opportunities throughout the day
a variety of water play activities, even when inside due to rain
An open honest avenue of communication between parents and camp staff. Please come to us with any issue and we'll sort it out.
Go out, go out I beg of you
And taste the beauty of the wild.
Behold the miracle of the earth
With all the wonder of a child.
~ Unknown
