Camp Explorer: Extras
Camp Explorer: Extras allows your child to explore special interest topics during activity periods and gives the summer some variety. All activity periods focus on a specific topic, and campers take related field trips or welcome special guests to camp on Wednesdays.
Camp Explorer: Extras Sessions
There will be nine weeks of Camp Explorer: Extras at Apex Elementary School this summer. July 3 is a holiday, and camp will be closed.
Registration
All YMCA Day Camps require a $20 deposit per session. If you do not have a YMCA account, you can create one at the time of registration.
YMCA Day Camp Experience
From preparation to programming, these are the essentials that shape each camp day.
Counselors & Staff
YMCA Day Camp operates with a 10:1 camper-to-staff ratio. We hire high schoolers, college students and teachers to lead activities, drive buses and facilitate summer camp. Each staff member undergoes extensive training - from CPR and First Aid to leading assemblies. Many staff are former campers and return summer after summer.
Swimming at Day Camp
Almost all YMCA Day Camps offer free swim times or water play (for younger campers). Each camper is assessed for their swim ability on the first swim day of the session. Campers are issued swim bands that identify their swim levels. Swim bands also help lifeguards and counselors identify which areas of the pool are appropriate for each camper.
Weather Management
From outdoor games to water play, day camp is designed to keep kids moving, learning and connecting. But when the heat index rises, so does our responsibility to make smart, timely adjustments that protect campers and staff.
Huddles
Huddles are small groups of campers of similar age and grade who are grouped together at day camp. Typically, huddles move together throughout the day to difference activities. Each huddle is accompanied by two or more counselors.
Character Traits
Respect, Responsibility, Caring, Honesty, and Faith are the character traits the YMCA uses to reinforce positive behavior. Campers can earn beads by demonstrating these traits. Each camper (ages 5 and older) receives a necklace on the first day camp for their beads.
Camp Explorer: Extras FAQs
Rides In: 7 - 8:30 a.m.
Rides Out: 4:30 - 6 p.m.
Pick up and drop off your camper in the carpool loop off of Tingen Road. A staff member will be outside to greet you from 7 - 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 - 6 p.m. If you are dropping off or picking up outside of these times, please call 919-815-3342. A staff member will come to your vehicle to assist you. Parents must present a pick-up card (provided on your child’s first day of the program) or an I.D. as a safety precaution. Rides Out ends at 6 p.m.
Have questions about camp? We will talk through camp logistics and have a Q & A time for parents at our Parent Orientation.
Check your email for the link.
During Family Nights, you and your child are invited to attend camp together and experience what it is all about! Campers are invited to join us even if they are not registered for camp during the week of our Family Nights.
Specific dates and details will be announced in June.
Camp Explorer will swim twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, at the Kraft Family YMCA!
We ask that your child is dropped off no later than 9:25 a.m. to catch the bus.
Themes and Dress-Up Days: Each week camp has a fun theme with a corresponding dress-up day on Wednesday. Look for an email prior to each camp week with our weekly themes.
Campers are asked to bring a change of clothes, a swimsuit, a towel, lunch, two snacks, and a refillable water bottle. Most campers pack everything in a backpack.
Sunscreen/insect repellent (lotions and sprays) requires a Sunscreen/Insect Repellent Distribution Form to be completed if you wish for the Y to apply it to your child. This is part of the YMCA Medication Distribution & Sunscreen Application form.
We recommend that your child bring spray sunscreen and repellent for personal use if you prefer they self-apply. Please mark your child's first and last name on the bottles.
Other Day Camps
Offered by the Kraft Family YMCA
