Children's Camp

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The Children Camp at Catoctin will be grouped by age.  Toddlers will have their own activities to do with their parents in attendance; parents should feel free to take their young ones for free play and naps as needed. Campfires are held each night. Sunday after lunch is an important time - the children give presentations of what they have learned, there is a slide show of this year's camp activities, and then all help clean-up.

Throughout the entire weekend, parents, or their designated responsible adult, are responsible for the care of their children, except when in formal classes; and parents are expected to sleep with their children at night (unless in the Junior Youth program).

Children and their parents may arrive at Catoctin anytime between Noon Friday until 6 PM Friday night or should wait to arrive until 7:30 am Saturday.  No arrivals are permitted between 6pm Friday - 7:30 am Saturday.

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2024 Children's Camp Schedule -- Coming Soon!

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Junior Youth Camp

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The junior youth participate in a separate program at Catoctin, where they live, eat, and sleep together, without their parents.  On Saturday, the junior youth do a field trip and a service project together.  Campfires are held with the Children's Camp, Friday and Saturday evenings.  Junior youth are grouped in like-minded same-gender friend groups, optionally with those they choose on the registration form, each group led by a youth counselor. These groups operate like "families" which stay together throughout the entire weekend, although usually together with the other JY groups as part of wider activities. The program is closely overseen by an adult male leader and an adult female leader.  Junior youth sleep in separate boys’ and girls’ screenhouses, with their youth counselors and a same-sex adult chaperone.  Activities include hikes, studying Bahá’í Writings on the environment, sports including swimming and canoeing, arts & crafts, learning about nature, service projects for the local environment, and learning how to help the environment at home.

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2024 Junior Youth Camp Schedule -- Coming Soon!

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What to Pack

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Please mark everything with your family's name - bedding, towels, bathing suits, clothes, shoes, flashlights (especially!), bathroom bags, etc.  Suggestion - use a permanent marker such as a Sharpie pen.  (Labeling prevents stressful losses for your child, as well as making after-camp clean-up a lot easier for the organizers.)

__re-useable water bottle, for hikes and during the night

__  bedroll - sleeping bag (or sheets & blankets), pillow, soft mat (beds have plywood surface only), maybe air mattress if sleeping in a tent (need warm sleeping bag or lots of blankets – mid-August mountain nights are often unpredictably cold, 40-some degrees Fahrenheit; pack so you’d be comfortable in a refrigerator all night . . . brrr!)

__  2 flashlights, with extra batteries (label with your name, flashlights get left on and misplaced easily)

__  well-fitting lifejacket if under age 9 (adult-size lifejackets are provided by the camp)

__  2 or 3 towels

__  toiletries - toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, washcloth, etc.

__  1 or 2 bathing suits

__  at least 2 pairs of shoes (they will get wet!), one pair of flip flops or water shoes for shower

__  T-shirts, shorts, jeans, sweatpants, socks, underwear, pajamas

__  a sweatshirt or two, a wool or other non-cotton sweater or fleece jacket (cotton is cold when wet)

__  hat, sunscreen, bug repellent

__  if needed, medications with dosing instructions (leave with camp doctor in kitchen)

__  a snack to share

Do not bring any electronic games or equipment, skateboards, etc..  Note:  cell phone use will be extremely limited, and if it becomes a distraction or misused, it will be taken completely away. There is a camp phone on site for use.  Please remember modesty when packing.  Rule of thumb:  You may not wear or do things that detract from the focus or purpose of the camp.

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In addition, junior youth need to bring:

__  a backpack for day hikes

__ one pair of shoes that is especially comfortable and sturdy for hiking

__ wool or hiking socks (again, cotton is cold when wet)

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Download Packing List 

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