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summer camp

Camp CBG Guidelines

General Guidelines

Age Limits
Please note the age groupings for each camp group:

• My First Camp Age 2 campers must be born on or before September 1, 2010.
• My First Camp Age 3 campers must be born on or before September 1, 2009.
• Green Sprouts must be entering Jr. Kindergarten or Kindergarten September 2012 (most campers are ages 4-5).
• Green Thumbs must be entering grades 1-2 September 2012 (most campers are ages 6-7).
• Explorers must be entering grades 3-4 September 2012 (most campers are ages 8-9).
• Adventurers must be entering grades 5-7 September 2012 (most campers are ages 10-12).

We regret that we cannot make any exceptions to this policy. Campers in the Green Sprouts group and above must be toilet trained.

Parent Information
A weekly Camp CBG syllabus for each camp will be available during orientation, and at the drop-off and pick-up location on the first day of camp. Each syllabus will list the day’s activities and include suggestions to help you and your camper share the camp experience. The order of events may change due to weather or other circumstances beyond our control.

Online Emergency Forms
Camp CBG does not require a medical examination to attend camp; however, we ask that you fill out our Online Emergency Form as soon as you complete your online registration. In order for your child to attend camp, we must have a completed health form on file by June 1, 2012. You can submit a form here.

Pick-up/Drop-off
New for Camp CBG 2012, we are offering an optional in car drop off/pick up for camp families/carpools. Details about camper drop-off and pick-up will be communicated via email in May 2012. Should you prefer to park & walk you child to his/her camp instructor daily, you may park in lot 6 & follow the crosswalk to the drop off area, located in the Children’s Learning Center Lawn. Camp groups will leave the drop-off area promptly at 9:30 a.m. for morning camps and 12:30 p.m. for afternoon camps. If a child misses the departure of his camp group, it is the responsibility of the caregiver who brings that child to check in, and then escort the camper to his/her camp location for that day.

Snacks
Please pack a peanut-free snack for your camper each day. We will take a snack break mid-morning and mid-afternoon daily. Some camps may be making their own additional snacks during Camp CBG. If your child has food allergies that may prevent him from consuming these snacks, please specify to what degree on the Online Emergency Form.

Lunch
Camp CBG offers a supervised lunch period for campers Green Sprouts, Green Thumbs, and Explorers who enroll in morning and afternoon camps $10/child/week. Pack a peanut free lunch for your child that does not require refrigeration, and we will supervise your child during the lunch break (12:00 – 12:30 p.m.) and escort your child to his afternoon camp.

Special Needs
The Garden is committed to providing accessible experiences for all children. If your child will require special accommodations, please call (847) 835-8361 to discuss your situation prior to registering.

Staffing
In order to provide the best possible experiences for your children, one-week camps are limited to 12 or 15 campers and two-week camps are limited to 20 campers. My First Camp is limited to 12 child/adult pairs per camp. Camps are led by Chicago Botanic Garden staff and qualified teachers, with assistance from interns and volunteers. Biographies of your campers’ instructors will be available online this spring.

Please Do Not Bring to Camp
The Garden is NOT responsible for any item lost or broken during camp. Please leave the following items at home: personal video game players, cell phones, MP3 players/iPods, and iPad type devices.

Camper Code of Conduct
You will be asked to review the CBG Camper Code of Conduct upon completion of the Online Emergency Form:

• Campers will treat their fellow campers, instructors, and volunteers with respect.
• Campers will follow directions and stay with their group.

Please read and discuss these expectations with your child. In the event that a camper does not follow the Code of Conduct, or his or her behavior endangers other campers or interferes with an instructor's ability to provide programming, the coordinator of Camp Programs or camp instructor will inform the parent at pick-up or through a phone call. If a second incident occurs, parents may be asked to withdraw their child from camp. Refunds will not be given for behavior-related withdrawals.