SUMMER CAMP FAQ'S

SUMMER CAMP FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

My child likes to move and be active. Are the children mostly sitting and creating artwork the whole time?

We love to move and be active too! We are fully aware of the need and benefits of movement, play, and breaks to compliment creative work time in the studio. Each FULL DAY CAMP day we take a snack and break outdoors and enjoy unstructured outdoor play time. This typically includes a supervised walk to the nearby YMCA, playing games, jump rope, hula hoop, sidewalk chalk or water painting. Within the studio, we frequently enjoy movement activities such as freeze dance, short yoga sessions, or other fun movement games and “brain breaks.” 

I want to sign my child up for both a morning and afternoon camp on the same week. Can they stay for the full day?

YES! Make ODGCAC camps a full day by registering for a morning and afternoon camp on the same week, and also registering for that week's LunchTime Artist Club. Your camper must be the correct age for both camps, and you must register for that week's Lunchtime Artists Club in order for your child to stay the full day. Campers staying for Lunchtime Artists Club must also pack a lunch (and TWO snacks — one for the morning camp and one for the afternoon camp). ODGCAC does not provide food. 

You know your child best -- while we're thrilled to offer this to our families, your child should be a motivated artist who will enjoy a full day of art camps. We fully understand this will not be the best fit for every child. Can my child take the same camp more than once in the same summer?

No. You'll notice that many camps run more than once throughout the summer. You should only register for ONE camp with the same title, as the curriculum is the same across each session of a camp topic in the same summer.

Can my child take the same camp more than once in different summers?

It depends on the camp. We have three camp tracks: ODGCAC Staples, Medium Based Camps, and Specialty Camps. 

ODGCAC Staples are some of our favorite camps that we run year-over-year. We incorporate new projects each year, and mix in some new twists on favorites as well. Campers are welcome to take these camps more than once, in different years. 

Medium Based Camps: We love offering camps in a wide variety of mediums. You'll always see wheel throwing, clay camps, drawing, painting, and sculpture camps, as well as other mediums cycled in. Many campers take these camps several times, across different summers.

Specialty Camps: New super fun themes are introduced each year, and typically run for 2 summers before we put them away, so be sure to snag your spot before they're gone! The projects in these camps stay the same, so it's best to take this camp just one year.

Can my child do a drop in day of camp?

Yes, with the knowledge that they may or may not completed their projects. There are a couple of specific reasons for this: community building and art projects. A large part of what we do at ODGCAC is support children to gain an enriched understanding of self and community. We build community with our campers each week through a variety of projects and activities. It is very important to us that each child feels supported as a unique part of the whole group, and spending the whole week together is imperative to this goal. Additionally, we often create in depth art projects that frequently carry over from one day to another. Thus dropping in for a day or two your child may or may not complete this project. We hope you’ll find a week (or more!) to join us! 

What should I pack for camp?

Campers should pack a nut-free snack and water bottle. Campers staying for Lunchtime Artists Club must also pack a lunch (and TWO snacks — one for the morning camp and one for the afternoon camp). ODGCAC does not provide food. 

What is the structure of a typical camp day like?

While each week varies in theme, projects, and activities, all camps will have a balance of structured art time--where students are learning how to use new tools, techniques, or mediums--and also creative exploration time, which we call open studio. During open studio art time at camps, children have the opportunity to explore materials at stations throughout the studio with complete creative control. At the end of each week your child will participate in an art showcase on the last day of camp at pickup time. This is when they will bring home their main art projects as well as their open studio folder. Stories and read alouds, music, and indoor movement activities are also found during most days at ODGCAC Camp. We also build in outdoor time each day. 

While our camps for older students and teens that are focused on a specific medium will not have open studio with stations, students at ODGCAC will always have plenty of open-ended artistic exploration.  

Why isn’t my child bringing artwork home every day after camp?

We hold all the week’s work until the Art Showcase on the last day of camp. After the Art Showcase, students will take everything home! Additionally, many projects carry over from one day to another as children engage in multi-step processes to create some stellar pieces of artwork!

What is the Art Showcase? When is it? And why do you have it?

At the end of each week of summer camp, we invite family and friends to join us for an Art Showcase with all of the students' work on display from the week. The Art Showcase happens directly after the last day of camp on the final day of the camp week. Art Showcases are a very fun opportunity for your child to share their processes and techniques with you. This is a time for students to feel proud and excited about their hard work throughout the week, and to showcase their artwork and new knowledge in a safe and supportive environment. 

Teen camps hold an Art Showcase, and parents are invited to attend if they wish. If parents are not present, teen students will still engage in an Art Showcase with their peers and teacher. 

Where are Art Showcases held?

Art Showcases will be held at the same studio as your student’s camp. 

My child turns three in June, can I sign them up for Make & Play ODGCAC Camp?

While we do offer camps for 3-5year-olds, your child must have turned 3 by January 1st, 2023, and be fully independent on the potty in order to attend. We appreciate your support of this policy as we strive to provide the very best experience to your child and the other children in the camp. We are not staffed appropriately for the individual attention we would like to provide children younger than 3.5 and we also build our curriculum for age-appropriate art projects to our 3.5-5 year old range. We hope you might consider bringing your child to ODGCAC’s Toddler Time: Mommy, Mozart and Monet*  where you have the opportunity to create art alongside your child. We greatly appreciate your understanding and adherence to this policy.

*ODGCAC Time: Mommy, Mozart and Monet! is only held during the school year.

What about camps that list 5 or 7 year old as the minimum age?

For camps that list an age, your child should have turned that age (5,6 or 7), for example, by January 1st, 2023. These camps are fantastic for the minimum age listed, but do require a little bit of extra attention or fine motor skill than we would expect from a child who has just turned 5 or 7 very recently. Our goal is to create a supportive and successful environment as we guide your child through age appropriate processes, and in some specific camp instances those extra few months are very helpful to do so! We do hold a firm line with our minimum ages listed, and we greatly appreciate your support in adhering to this policy. 

Does my child need to be the age listed on the camp, or is there some flexibility?

We strive to provide the best experience possible for all of our artists. We use age-appropriate materials, and put much thought into planning and teaching our projects for the specific ages of each camp. Therefore, we do ask that you adhere to the stated ages for each camp. We also want to be true to our advertising and the other children who sign up for the camp by meeting their expectations of the age-range of camp. 

What if we have to miss a day of camp due to vacation or changing plans?

While we hope that your child can join us for every day of their camp session, we understand this isn’t always possible. Please keep us in the loop when you are aware that an absence will occur, and we’ll always do our best to support your child with your specific needs (i.e. getting caught up when coming in late, getting them ready when leaving early, etc.). Unfortunately, due to our busy summer camp and classes schedule we are not able to offer any type of make up class, day, or time with teachers. We’re also not able to prorate or refund any camp tuition due to absence (planned or unplanned). We hope you’ll find a week of camp that works well with your schedule and doesn’t conflict with other summer plans. 

What if we have to unexpectedly miss camp due to COVID related reasons (i.e. illness, quarantine, awaiting test results, etc)?

We will issue a credit to your account, at any time, for any COVID related absences. We are not able to offer refunds, but are happy to issue you a credit to use at a future date. We’re committed to continuing to do our part to support our community during the pandemic. We are also a small business and have been heavily impacted financially since March of 2020. If you are in a position to support ODGCAC by not requesting a credit and allowing the tuition to remain with the business, we would greatly appreciate that support, but it is not expected. 

What if I need to switch from one camp into a different camp?

If the camp that you would like to switch into has space available, we are happy to accommodate you! There is a $25 transfer fee per camp to switch into a new camp. This helps to cover our administrative costs associated with making the registration change, notifying waitlist students of the camp you are switching out of and filling the previous camp space we had held for you. Please remember, however, that changes within 14 days of your camp start date are not available and credits are not issued within 14 days of the camp.

What if I registered for a camp and I now need to cancel completely?

When you register for a camp, we hold that space specifically for your child while others are not able to enroll. We also understand that sometimes plans change. Your camp registration includes a $100 non-refundable cancellation fee per camp. In the event you need to cancel, we'll issue a credit to your Sawyer account (minus the $100 cancellation fee) for any cancellations until May 1st, 2023. Credits on your Sawyer account never expire, and can be used towards any ODGCAC programming. After May 1st, 2023, only camp transfers are available and no credit will be issued for a cancellation. Please note, camps are non-transferrable within 14 days of the start of your camp. 

Why is there a $100 cancellation fee if I cancel?

The non-refundable cancellation fee is an important part of your camp registration, as it helps to support the agreement between you and ODGCAC that comes along with registering for a camp. Additionally, your cancellation fee helps offset our processing fees and costs associated with your cancellation such as: issuing the credit, updating the website and registration form or notifying students on the waitlist, registering a new student to fill the space, invoicing, and more. We greatly appreciate your support and understanding of this policy.    

WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO WORK WITH THE FLUID NATURE OF FAMILY'S CHANGING PLANS. AS A SMALL BUSINESS, WE NEED TO HAVE POLICIES IN PLACE TO SUPPORT OUR ABILITY TO BE HERE FOR YOU AND CONTINUE OFFERING PROGRAMMING. WE GRATEFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU RESPECT OUR CANCELLATION POLICIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Do you have some other questions that aren’t answered here? Please just ask! We always love hearing from you and talking to you. Feel free to email us at ODGCAC@ourdailygnome.com or give us a call at 757-819-7982. We look forward to speaking with you! There's much to see here. So, take your time, look around, and learn all there is to know about us. We hope you enjoy our site and take a moment to drop us a line.