2024 Day Camp Dates | Hazleton Area Campus
257 Middle Road, Drums, PA
- For campers who have completed Kindergarten through 9th grade
- Campers with special needs remain eligible for Best Week Ever as long as they are eligible for school services with 1:1 behavioral support or self-contained classroom that provides behavioral support (generally until age 21)
- 10 Weeks of summer day camp from June 10-August 16, 2024
- Monday-Friday, 9am – 4pm
- Extended hours, transportation and trips are available!
- Special Needs Grant will provide two weeks of camp for the first 50 eligible campers! Please complete the Hazleton Campus Grant Request Form.
- Scholarships available to assist campers with financial need! Please complete the Hazleton Campus Scholarship Request Form.
Day Camp will be closed on Thursday, July 4th and the price for Day Camp Week 4 will be adjusted accordingly.
We know you want the best for your child’s summer and we are thrilled to open a new Best Week Ever Day Camp in Drums, PA! We make it our goal to serve both campers and parents with an amazing program and convenient structure.
We offer flexible scheduling, excellent pricing and convenience options that will fit the needs of your family. And our staff will provide your kids with an exciting and engaging program, so they WANT to come back every day. Come spend your summer with us and experience your Best Week Ever!
For more information please contact office@
Weekly Pricing
Extended Care Available
- $30/week before care or $30/week after care. Package both for $45/week. Also available for $6/day.
Transportation
- Transportation is only $45/week.
Day Camp Details – Hazleton Campus
Best Week Ever Day Camp provides the perfect balance of freedom and structure! Campers are grouped according to the grade they are entering in the fall. Each individual grade level will be grouped as a cohort to achieve smaller group sizes and to ensure that campers are with their school friends. Campers will have the opportunity to customize their experience with daily elective choices! And they will also have the opportunity to see friends outside of their cohort group.
Eagles: Completed Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Tigers: 4th Grade and Up
8:30-9:00: Arrival/Carline
9:00-9:15: Announcements
9:15-10:00: 1st Elective
10:00-10:15: Morning Snack
10:15-11:00: 2nd Elective
11:00-12:00: Songs and Word Rally
12:00-1:00: LUNCH
1:00-2:00: Free Time Activity
2:00-2:15: Afternoon Snack
2:15-3:15: Free Time Activity
3:15-4:00: Table Games and Dismissal
Every Tuesday includes a trip to Freedom Park gymnasium and every Thursday includes a trip to Whispering Willows pool.
Our focus at Best Week Ever Day Camp is outdoor adventures! We know that kids benefit tremendously from time spent outside and off screens, so we work hard to fill each day with engaging activities that will grow your child’s friendships, their personal skills and their confidence. We also prioritize opportunities for your camper to make selections to fit their interests!
Each week on Tuesday we go to the Freedom Park Gym and every Thursday we take the campers to the Whispering Willows Pool. Additionally, we have a weekly special guest or field trip!
June 12 – Reptile Guy
June 19 – CHACKO’s Family Bowling Center
June 26 – Jurassic Raptor
July 3 – Whispering Willows Pool
July 10 – Inflatable Planatarium
July 12 – Hazleton Area Recreation Program
July 19 – Hazleton Area Recreation Program
July 24 – Petting Zoo
July 30 – Heisler’s Cloverleaf Dairy
August 7 – The Butterfly Guy
August 14 – Ice Cream Truck
Other Weekly Features: Archery, Maker Space, Gaga, Bikes/Boards/Blades, Water Tower and Slip N Slide
Other common electives: 4 Square, 9 Square, Bingo, Board Games, Bracelet Making, Camp Songs, Capture the Flag, Dodgeball, Drama, Extreme Hopscotch, Creek Time, Football, Fort Building, Ultimate Frisbee, Frogging, Golden Nugget, Hair Braiding, Kickball, Legos, Nail Art, Nature Hike, Nerf, Paper Airplanes, Relay Races, RPS Games, Sidewalk Chalk, Slackline, Soccer, Tag Games, Tetherball, Wiffleball plus many more!
Frequently Asked Questions
We invite you to take advantage of registration incentives available for all Camp Orchard Hill families! If you need additional assistance, please submit an online Scholarship Request Form with supporting documents between January 5, 2024 and March 1, 2024.
- Dallas Day and Overnight Scholarship Requests are closed for 2024.
- Hazleton Day Camp Scholarship Requests are Extended for 2024! – Complete your Hazleton Campus Scholarship Request Form
- Dallas Day Camp Grant Requests are closed for 2024
- Hazleton Day Camp Grant Requests are Extended for 2024! – Complete your Hazleton Campus Grant Request Form
Our Special Needs Grant covers 10 days of respite for eligible campers through our Best Week Ever Day Camp Program. (Guardians will be responsible for optional fees including transportation, extended care and trips). 1:1 agency support must be provided for the full time that campers are in our program.
- Log in to your Ultra Camp account or create an account for new families.
- Complete the Grant Request Form and submit.
- You will receive a Grant offer email to the primary address listed on your account. The email will include your grant offer and registration instructions. Please allow two weeks for this process and watch for the email!
- Upon approval, each family will complete their own registration for camp programs. Please plan to pay for optional fees including transportation, extended care and trips.
We recommend that your camper arrive to camp each day in play clothes, closed toed shoes and a first layer of sunscreen. They should pack a book bag with:
- Reusable Water bottle
- Bathing Suit and Towel
- Flip Flops or Water Shoes
- Sunscreen or Bug Spray according to parent preference
We recommend that you label all items with your campers first and last name.
Please ask your camper not to bring personal toys, trading cards or other important treasures to camp as they are easily lost and can cause controversy among campers.
Morning Snack and Lunch are included in the price of your Day Camp experience, so you’re off the hook for summer lunches! You may pack a lunch if you prefer, and we recommend items that will be stable in your camper’s bag until lunch time.
Part of the power of camp is the freedom to unplug from the constant noise and distraction of technology, in order to build skills, build meaningful relationships and enjoy the beauty of creation. For this reason, campers are not permitted to bring their cell phones to camp. If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact us in the office at (570) 333-4098. We will also post photos of camp activities regularly to help you share in the camp experience. Check out opportunities to communicate with your camper while they are at camp!
Campers will be grouped by the grade level they are entering in the fall for attendance, headcounts and counselor ratios. Individual grade groupings will create smaller group sizes and ensure that campers are with their school friends! Campers will have opportunity to make activity choices during the day and will have opportunity to interact with campers in similar grade levels.
Ratio requirements vary based on the age of campers and the camp setting.
- For Day Camp ages 4-5, the ratio is 1 counselor to every 6 campers.
- For Day Camp ages 6-9, the ratio is 1 counselor to every 8 campers.
- For Day Camp ages 10-15, the ratio is 1 counselor to every 10 campers.
We hire every seasonal staff member as if they were caring for our own children and provide intense training to prepare them for service. All Camp Orchard Hill Staff undergo a rigorous screening process including an application with references, an interview, plus state and national criminal background checks. Each team member completes a week-long training and orientation program that covers all aspects of camp life and ACA requirements for staff readiness. Staff will be trained in new health and safety protocols based on CDC and PA Department of Health guidelines regarding COVID-19.
At Camp Orchard Hill, we plan every activity with your child’s safety in mind. In the unlikely event that he or she requires medical attention while at camp, COH is prepared with a registered nurse on duty 24/7, certified lifeguards, and staff certified in CPR and First Aid.
If your child has an accident or illness, we will use the primary contact information that you have provided on their health form, as well as alternate contacts if you cannot be reached. This process is initiated by the Director and/or the lead health-care provider, but can be delegated to an appropriate staff member. Since we have no way of determining what each person considers an emergency, the general camp practice is to contact parents when there is concern about a camper’s health and/or when a situation is not progressing as expected. Because many people remotely access their voice mail, it is expected that camp personnel will leave a voice message that appropriately communicates the need for a given parent to call the camp.
If it is necessary to seek medical attention, every attempt will be made to contact parents prior to treatment and again at the conclusion of treatment to provide an update on the camper’s health.
As an accredited member of the American Camping Association, you can be assured that we comply with up to 300 health, safety and program quality standards. Being accredited by the ACA is solid proof of our accountability, credibility and commitment to you, the parents, and your campers.
A $50/week deposit is due at the time of registration and is non-refundable. Please pay the balance for each week of camp by 7 days prior to the start of the session. All convenience option fees (Transportation, Before/Aftercare and Snack shop) will be due at registration and are refundable.
- Missed days of camp cannot be refunded or transferred
- A $50 deposit will be non-refundable.
- Full session fee becomes non-refundable 7 days prior to the start of each session.
- Registration modifications close 7 days before the start of each session.
We use the primary email address that you provide during registration to communicate important details before camp and during the summer season. When you register, you will receive a confirmation to your primary email to indicate that you were successful. Please make sure you receive this email and contact us if you don’t! Then check your email regularly for updates. Entrance into camp facilities is limited during our summer weeks to approved staff and registered campers only. If you need to contact us with questions or concerns, please use our main email [email protected] or call us at (570) 333-4098 x100.
Special Needs Campers
Camp Orchard Hill serves children with special needs in an inclusive setting. Our program focuses on building skills and gaining self-esteem as part of the outdoor experience with opportunities to participate in all activities alongside their peers.
Campers must be able to navigate uneven terrain and be potty trained, or provide a caregiver to assist with the task. In addition, if a camper is eligible for 1:1 behavioral support at school, they must also have similar support for the full amount of time they are at camp. If a camper does not have 1:1 services, but participates in a self-contained classroom with behavioral support, please reach out to inform us so we can provide group support at our Hazleton location.
Campers with special needs remain eligible for Best Week Ever as long as they are eligible for school services with 1:1 behavioral support or self-contained classroom that provides behavioral support (generally until age 21).
Testimonials
“Thank you and your staff so much for providing [our daughter] with such a wonderful experience this summer. I cannot even tell you how much she loved Camp Orchard Hill, and how excited she was literally every day when she got home…Your camp kept her active and engaged all summer…please pass my thanks along to your counselors and professional staff at the camp. We were so thrilled with our experience and will tell everyone we know!”
“Thank you!!! [My son] got in the car and shouted ‘BEST DAY EVER!’ Lots of mom prayers and the extra mile from you and your staff helped SOOO much this week! He told me his counselor spent time talking with him and made him feel included! I’m big on relationships so please pass on how much of an impact that made! You guys are top notch!”