Sugar Valley Day Camp
Sugar Valley Camp encourages children ages 3 – 12 to learn about nature and enjoy the outdoors by exploring Bill Yeck Park, playing games and making new friends. Campers will be placed in groups of similarly aged children. They will be treated to guest speakers, special presentations and activities. Each day of camp is predominately spent outdoors. Campers will be in the woods and exploring the creeks. Campers should expect to wear clothing and shoes that can get wet and dirty.
Campers should bring a filled water bottle and a packed lunch that does not require refrigeration. All campers will receive a t-shirt during their first week.
Camp is held rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Preschool weeks are 9 a.m. to noon.
Before care is available from 8 to 9 a.m. After care is available from 4 to 5 p.m.
Resident camp registration begins online Monday, April 14 at 10 a.m. Nonresident camp registration begins online Monday, April 21 at 10 a.m. Phone registration will begin one day later.
Jump on the summer camp fast track! In an effort to improve your camp registration experience, we have created a way for you to fill out the required camp forms PRIOR to the first day of camp registration. This will make your camp registration go faster, and decrease the chance that your child will be placed on a camp waiting list.
2025 Camp Weeks:
Week 1: June 2 – 6, Adventure Explorers (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
Explore Bill Yeck Park in a whole new way. Up the trails, through the woods and down the creek we go! Complete scavenger hunts, play classic camp games and complete crafts to get a feel for the park and summer fun!
Week 2: June 9 – 13, Swim, Crawl, Fly (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
We are going wild for wildlife this week! Your camper will explore the park, play games and complete crafts all while learning about the wildlife that call Bill Yeck Park their home. Wildlife in different habitats move in different ways, and your camper will follow along as each day will focus on a different critter that crawls, hops, soars, swims or leaps!
Week 3: June 16 – 18 & 20, Water Week (No camp June 19) (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $128 residents, $148 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
This camp will be about all things water! Campers will play in the creek, learn about mud and fossils, play water games, and explore all the splashtacular things that water can do!
Week 4: June 23 – 27, Survivor (Field Trip Week) (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
It will be a competition all week long! Your camper will play their favorite camp games, tie-dye team bandanas, and join in friendly, outdoor competitive activities.
Week 4 campers will meet at Oak Grove Park one of their camp days to fish, take part in archery, and for their grand competition! Field trip fees are included in the cost of camp.
Week 5: June 30 – July 3, Camp Meadow Hikers (No camp July 4) (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $128 residents, $148 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
The meadows of Bill Yeck Park are stunning and important habitats, and we cannot wait to explore them together! This week, campers will learn about wildflowers, explore pollinators up close, go birdwatching and take hikes to see meadows they have not yet explored at camp.
Week 6: July 7 – 11, Where Wild Things Live (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
Habitats are animal homes, and Bill Yeck Park is full of them! On top of the usual classic camp games and crafts, each day will focus on a different habitat and the wildlife that rely on it. Hike through the forest, explore the seed nursery, learn about the bee hives, go creeking, and even learn about the Smith House and how it served as a home for people AND wildlife.
Week 7: July 14 – 18, Camp Mystery (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
Nature is full of mysteries, and your camper gets to be a detective this week! From guest speakers to experiments, your camper will learn about some of nature’s most fascinating mysteries! There will also be some great big mysterious things happening at camp, and we need your camper’s help to solve them all week long.
Week 8: July 21 – 25, Muddy Messes (Preschool Week) (Ages 3 – 5, half-day only)
Fee/half-day week: $80 residents, $90 nonresidents, $30 before care
Ages 6 – 12, full-day only
Fee/full-day week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
Mud, marvelous mud! This week, we will explore camp to its messiest. We will go creeking, make slime, play water games, finger paint and more! There is so much messy fun to be had, and we hope you will join us!
Week 9: July 28 – August 1, Colorful Creations (Preschool Week) (Ages 3 – 5, half-day only)
Fee/half-day week: $80 residents, $90 nonresidents, $30 before care
Ages 6 – 12, full-day only
Fee/full-day week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
All the different colors in nature are what make your parks so beautiful! We will spend each day looking for a featured color. At the end of the week, we will explore all the colors we learned about. Campers are encouraged to wear the featured color each day to camp!
Week 10: August 4 – August 8, Camp Cryptid (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
We all know about the classic cryptids — Bigfoot, moth man, and such. But, what about the ‘mystical’ creatures that live in our parks and are very much real? From the Unicorn Clubtail Dragonfly, the polka-dotted Northern Flicker, and Southern Flying Squirrel, your camper will learn about the cryptids of Bill Yeck Park — both real and imagined.
Additional Camp Information:
Staff
Many staff coordinators and counselors are college students pursuing a degree in parks and recreation or education, or they have previous experience in the field. Assistant counselors are at least 16 years of age and have experience working with children.
Inclement Weather
Camp is primarily an outdoor program and will be held rain or shine. The Smith House will serve as a meeting area and shelter for Sugar Valley Camp.
What to Wear
Dress your child in comfortable old clothes and closed-toe shoes. Sandals and flip-flops are prohibited due to poison ivy and other naturally occurring hazards. Please put your child’s name on all items brought to camp. Many pack an old pair of shoes to wear when visiting the creek.
What to Bring
Bring a water bottle to refill during the day. All-day campers should also bring a packed lunch that does not require refrigeration. Lunch should not include any peanuts or tree nuts.
Daily Sign-In & Sign-Out
We take strict precautions in accepting and releasing children from the program. Please inform counselors of any changes. Daily sign-in and sign-out is required.
Sunscreen & Insect Repellent
Counselors are not permitted to apply sunscreen or insect repellent. Campers can bring their own and reapply.
Medical Procedures & Emergencies
All counselors are trained in first aid and CPR and carry a first aid kit. Health history information is kept on-site. In the event of a medical emergency, parents and 911 will be called. The child will be escorted to the hospital or released to the parents. If parents cannot be located, the emergency contact will be called. In the event of minor injury/illness, the child will be treated, an incident report will be completed, and parents will be notified at pickup.
Medication
Staff is permitted to perform only basic first aid. They are also authorized to dispense some types of prescription or nonprescription medication. Rule 5101:2-18-15 (4) 2 of the Ohio Administrative Code states that a child day camp shall set its own policy regarding whether to administer prescription or nonprescription medications. If your child requires medication during camp hours, you must complete additional required forms. If your child carries an epi-pen, complete additional required forms.
Discipline
Review our summer camp discipline process.
Registration Deadline
The last day to make registration changes is noon the Monday prior to your camper’s start date.
Cancellation Policy
If you should need to cancel your camp registration for any reason, please let us know 7 or more days in advance of the camp starting and we will process a full credit or refund. If you need to cancel less than 7 days prior to camp, please reach out to our office about your refund options.
All participants must be independent in the six activities of daily living: using the restroom, eating, bathing, dressing, transferring (i.e. walking) and continence. If your child requires an accommodation to participate, please let us know when you register.