#DayCampGreat2024
2024 Day Camp information is officially ready!
Registration will open at the end of October, 2023!
ORGANIC FRIENDSHIPS AND REAL LIFE FUN.
THIS IS DAY CAMP.
Why summer camp?
We all learned so much through the turmoil of the past couple of years. One of the most important things we came to realize (or re-discover) is the significance of in-person relationships.
Summer camps are a unique place. They provide time and space for organic (that is, real life, born-through-mutual-experiences-and-memories) friendships. They take kids outside to have off-screen, hands-on activities. Campers have opportunities to try new things, bond over outdoor adventures, share stories at group time, and overcome many of their insecurities.
Day Camp means new and renewed friendships, inside jokes, and five days (sometimes for several weeks) to build relationships that will last for many years to come. Men-O-Lan is a place where they can figure out who they are. Camp is a game-changer. And whether they know God or they’ve never even thought they’d ever care, they’ll leave with a better understanding of His love for them.
Why choose Men-O-Lan?
A young teen who didn’t even want to get out of the car on the first day of camp and now we can’t imagine Camp without them!
A young child who did not speak a single word for days due to previous trauma in their home life now loves their counselor and is happy to come to Camp every day!
A camper who was dismissed from multiple other programs became one of the core members of the teen team for years!
A child who needed just a bit of extra love due to ADHD has since grown up at Camp and is on the fast track to becoming a participant of our leadership program!
Men-O-Lan’s mission is Life Change through Christ. Every single member on our Team is here to provide the backdrop and facilitate positive change and personal growth in the life of campers and staff alike. Our Camp has been a safe haven for thousands of children and youth for 80 years who came from a diverse background, skill set, family situation, and socio-economic status. Whether a camper comes from a family that believes in Jesus or they don’t, they will feel equally loved and cherished at Men-O-Lan.
At Camp, kids from K to 8th grade can take a break from “online everything” and have real life adventure, enjoy organic friendships, and be who they were meant to be.
No pressure, just fun. This is Camp Men-O-Lan’s Day Camp. This is where kids belong.
Introducing 2024 Camp Dates and Themes
Day Camp: Monday to Friday
Week 1: June 24-28, Classic I
A week of traditional camping activities, including group games, nature hikes, s’mores, time at the lake and creek, and pool time.
Week 2: July 1-5, Arts
This week is all about creativity. One does not have to be 'artistic' to get lost in the process of creating something awesome, or, most importantly, to enjoy the creative process itself! Campers will have lots of opportunities to experiment with various forms of art. We will also carry on our years-old Day Camp tradition: the collaborative art project!
Week 3: July 8-12, Wet and Wild I
This week is all about water games and activities: on the fields, at the lake, and at the pool.
Week 4: July 15-19, Jurassic Week
With dinosaur enthusiasts in mind, we are introducing this new theme in 2024! Campers will learn about dinos, participate in archeologic digs, and participate in conversations that bring Bible and science together!
Week 5: July 22-26, Classic II
Another week of traditional camping activities, including group games, nature hikes, s’mores, time at the lake and creek, and pool time.
Week 6:July 29-August 2, Wet and Wild II
One more week that is all about water games and activities: on the fields, at the lake, and at the pool.
Week 7: August 5-9, Around the World
We invite you to join us on a new around-the-world-expedition, where we’ll explore new countries, learn about other cultures, and get a great picture of what life is like outside our own continent. You will not only learn, but will have a lot of fun! Get your best accent ready, and let’s go!
Week 8: August 12-16, Animal Kingdom
A fun week of learning cool things about animals, and marveling about the creativity and genius of God, the Creator. Our games and crafts will be animal themed. The highlight of the week is, without question, the Animal Show.
2024 Pricing
Those who register in October and November, we offer the 2023 tuition prices.
Tuition: $280/week
Optional additions (“add-ons”):
Hot Lunch: $40/week
Early Care: $35/week (7:00 am - 8:30 am, includes breakfast)
After Care: $40/week (4:45 pm - 6:00 pm, includes dinner)
Early and After Care Package: $65/week (includes breakfast, and dinner)
2024 Discounts
Sibling Discount: $10/child - When two or more children from the same household attend the same summer, they will receive our sibling discount ($10/child).
Multi-Week Discount: 25-50%
Many families who need weekly child care prefer to send their children to summer camp. We recognize that this can be a huge expense and we want to help! Families who sign up for 5 or 6 sessions will receive 25% off of their fifth and sixth sessions. Those who register for 7 or 8 weeks will receive 50% off of the seventh and eighth sessions.
Camperships
We offer scholarship to those who need additional financial help. More information is available here. Look for the form during the application process to apply.
Additional help
If you need more financial support, we encourage you to ask your church office if they support families to send their children to camp. Many churches in our area provide partial of full scholarship for one or more sessions.
Men-O-Lan works with several other non-profit organizations to help cover the cost of Camp. Here are some of the ones with whom we are partnering:
- Crossroads Community Center Philadelphia
- Liberty Ministries
- Angel Tree
For more details about our program and for frequently asked questions, check out the 2023 CMOL Playbook. An updated version of the Playbook is coming soon.
Age Groups (New age groups in 2024):
GRADE REFERS TO THE SCHOOL GRADE A CAMPER IS GOING INTO IN THE FALL OF 2024.
Little Sprouts
Our Little Sprouts are children entering into Kindergarten in the Fall. We have seen a growing number of 4-6 year old children in our programs. After juggling wait lists, we decided to open up a new group to be able to accommodate every little one. This program introduces summer camp to our youngest campers. Both Sprouts groups participate in many of the activities the older kids do, while they also have low key programs that are geared towards this young age group. Their Bible studies are fun, hands-on, and focus on awesome stories and basic truths from the Bible. They have caring and kind counselors who have experience working with little ones. The counselor-camper ratio in these groups is 1:6, or 2 counselors with up to 12 campers.
Big Sprouts
Our Big Sprouts are children entering into 1st grade in the Fall. We recently split the two-grade group into two single-grade groups to avoid wait lists and better serve our youngest campers. Both Sprouts groups participate in many of the activities the older kids do, while they also have low key programs that are geared towards this young age group. Their Bible studies are fun, hands-on, and focus on awesome stories and basic truths from the Bible. They have caring and kind counselors who have experience working with little ones. The counselor-camper ratio in these groups is 1:6, or 2 counselors with up to 12 campers.
Seekers
Our Seekers group is for campers entering 2nd grade. Seekers participate in all the fun theme related activities with the other age groups and have certain activities that are only offered to them. They can try new things the Sprouts are not yet able to do, such as our climbing wall or giant swing. Their Bible studies are hands-on and focus on developing great character. Their counselors are energetic and fun-loving and have experience working with children. We have 2 counselors with up to 15 Seekers.
Trackers
Our Seekers group is for campers entering 3rd grade. Trackers also participate in all the fun theme related activities with the other age groups and have certain activities that are only offered to them. Their Bible studies are exciting and focus on developing great character. Their counselors are energetic and fun-loving and have experience working with children. We have 2 counselors with up to 15 Trackers.
Explorers
The Explorers group is for children entering 4th or 5th grade in the Fall. On top of the exciting theme activities with the rest of Day Camp, Explorers are offered more choices that are appropriate for older kids, like archery or challenge course initiatives. Explorer Bible studies are interesting and go deeper than the previous ages, allowing more discussion on the topics. Their counselors are friendly, approachable, caring, and trained to work with kids who are transitioning from childhood to adolescent. We have 2 counselors with up to 20 Explorers.
Pathfinders
Our Pathfinders are our oldest campers entering 6th through 8th grade. Pathfinders participate in various activities with the other groups including archery and challenge course initiatives. Their Bible studies are interesting and thought provoking and focus on building a strong character to withstand the challenges of everyday life. Their counselors are approachable, caring, attentive, and fun-loving, who understand the complicated life of teenagers. Pathfinder boys and girls form separate groups. This allows even our shy campers to be more confident during small group times and bond with everyone in the group. We have 1 female counselor with up to 10 girls, and 1 male counselor with up to 10 boys. Although Bible times are separate, they do many of the activities during the day together.
A Day at Day Camp
If you are wondering what a day at Men-O-Lan’s Day Camp looks like, here is a sneak peek. (Please note our daily routine may change at any time as we refine it to better serve our campers. The schedule is slightly varied for different age groups.)
7:30am: Early Care Starts
8am: Breakfast for Early Care
8:30am-8:50am: Regular Check-In
9am: Worship and Bible time
10:25am: Morning Activity (campers choose from 3-4 options)
11:30am: Lunch
12:15pm: Free Time
12:50pm: Game Time/Pool Time
2pm: Pool Time/Game Time
3:10pm: Snack Time
3:20pm: Theme Time
4:20pm: Group Time
4:30pm: Regular Check-Out
4:45pm-6pm: After Care with dinner at 5:20pm
What about COVID-19?
Men-O-Lan has been working with the American Camp Association (ACA), the Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA), and the Association of Camp Nurses (ACN), three major organizations to learn about the best practices in lowering the risks and preventing the spread of communicable diseases including COVID-19. In the past three seasons (2020, 2021 and 2022) several camps including Camp Men-O-Lan ran with great success, and we have been learning a lot along the way. We continue to prepare for the summer with advanced planning and enhanced staff training. Our promise is that using the tools ACA, CCCA, ACN and the CDC provided we are going to do our very best to prevent illnesses, and if they occur, to efficiently mitigate the spread.
Camp Men-O-Lan’s 2024 Communicable Disease Plan (CDP) will be available to families upon request in June 2024 reflecting the most up to date requirements and recommendations.
If you have questions about Day Camp, please call us at 215-679-5144.
If you are unable to connect with someone when you call, see notes below for appropriate contact. Please leave a message with your name and number and we will get back to you within two business days.
If you have questions related to the camp program or summer staff, please call our Program Director, Szonja Saddel at extension 323.
If you have questions about camper registrations, please call our Registrar, Beth Friesen at extension 321.
If you have already registered and you have a financial question, please call our Bookkeeper, Diane Provost at 324.
If you have questions about our campership program (financial support), please email here.
If you need to reset your password to the online registration system, please follow the prompts on the registration page.
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