Children in our Fives program are entering Kindergarten in the Fall, on track to go into First Grade the following year. As birth date cut-offs vary from school to school, children in the Fives may not necessarily have turned five by the time of camp. The camp day for Fives is 9:00am-4:00pm Monday through Friday. Registration is by two-week sessions.
Fives follow our Full Day program: Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm.
The camp program for children in the Fives includes organized activities and outdoor play in their Homegroups and Choice Classes which they select according to their interests.
The camp program for children in the Fives includes organized activities and outdoor play in their Homegroups, Choice Classes which they select according to their interests, and Exploration Days or Field Trips on Fridays.
Fives Program Description
Homegroup Time
When registering, parents choose a Homegroup for their child. A Homegroup is a consistent place, team of teachers, and group of children that meet over the course of camp. For example, we may have as many as five Homegroups of Fives: “Fives A,” “Fives B,” “Fives C,”…etc.
Homegroup room doors open at 9:00am. Activities are set up throughout the room in order to engage children in the beginning of the camp day.
Since children in Little Red Summer Camp come from many different schools, morning meeting is an important time for campers to get to know each other and to establish a safe sense of community in the Homegroup. The meeting may include a song or game, time to discuss what will be happening during the day, and time for campers to share their thoughts and ideas.
Activities on the schedule such as Arts and Crafts or Outdoor Play take place with the Homegroup. We use the Downing Street Park and our rubberized rooftop play area for outdoor activities. Groups may occasionally use the sprinklers, so we ask that campers keep a change of clothes and a swimming suit at camp.
Lunch for Fives is provided Monday-Thursday, and served in the Homegroup room. All ages have a snack of pretzels, cheese, fruit, water, and juice throughout the day. Campers bring a packed lunch for field trips on Fridays.
Rest and Story Time or Quiet Play is simply an opportunity for children to quiet their senses without the demands of a structured activity. Some children may rest, while others may look at books, draw, or play quietly.
The camp day is closed by Afternoon Meeting, during which campers have a chance to reflect on the day and talk about what to expect for the next day.
Choice Classes
During Choice Class time (indicated as “Choice A,” “Choice B,” and “Choice C”) Fives participate in specialized activities, which are chosen during online General Registration in advance of the camp season. All Fives, regardless of Homegroup placement, combine for these classes. Choice Classes meet consistently on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday for an hour each day for the course of a two-week session. The classes are taught by Specialists, Head, and Associate Counselors.
Different classes are offered each session.
Theme Wednesday Activities
Campers in all Fives Homegroups gather together on Wednesday morning for a community activity such as a song or game, and then participate in mixed-age activities of their choice. These may range from making a mural to playing tag games, bird watching or creating a disco party. This is a great opportunity for friends of different ages or in different home groups to spend time together.
The second Wednesday of each session is a theme day, such as “The Shrinking Machine,” “Little Red Rocket Ship” or “Beach Day.” Camp-wide activities on those days are based on the theme, and each camp group chooses how it will participate in the theme.
Field Trips
On Friday, all Fives groups attend camp from 9:00am to 4:00pm in order to participate in Exploration Days (the first Friday) and go on Field Trips (the second Friday). On Exploration Days, Fours and Fives have camp to themselves and engage in fun, in-depth camper-driven experiences on and around our campus including large scale artworks, obstacle course challenges, themed picnics, and rooftop water play. On the second Friday, Fives travel by chartered bus to locations such as the Green Meadows Farm and Central Park Zoo and Carousel. Our goal for Field Trips is to take the campers to “green,” natural spaces. Our counselor to camper ratio on field trips for Fives is 1 to 4.
