FAQs

Comfortable play clothes and closed toe shoes. Your child may get wet, muddy and covered in art materials on any given day.

Please pack the following items in a labeled backpack each day:

• a clean set of extra clothes

• a full, labeled water bottle

• sunscreen (please apply before camp, we can help reapply at lunchtime if needed)

• OPTIONAL: apply insect repellent before camp

• DO NOT bring phones or other electronic devices.

Camp will provide the daily menu in our Welcome to Camp email (sent out 1 week before your camper’s start date). If your child has a dietary restriction or preference, you are always welcome to pack a lunch from home. NOTE: we are nut free!

If your camper attends before care, please bring them to the front door of building B, where our gymnasium is located, to check them in as early as 8 am. 

If your camper is not signed up for before care, drop off is at building A between 8:45am and 9:00am.  At this time you may: 

1. Park and walk your child to their animal room to check in. Tip: Know your child’s animal, this will be emailed to you the week before camp. 

2. Use our rolling drop off service: Pull up to the umbrella and check in your child curbside. A staff member will be available to direct your child to their animal room.

Parents and caregivers park and walk to their child’s animal room to check out. Staff will be available to direct you to your camper's room if needed. BRING ID. If your child’s pick up person is not on your “approved pick up list” or does not have ID to match, we will call home and get verbal authorization with a description of the pick up person before we release your child from camp. 

Playful Pollinators get dropped off and picked up at the sandpit entrance of building A.

Not a problem! Just let our camp director (Regina) or your child’s camp counselor know ahead of time. One of our staff members will have your child packed up and will be waiting at the desired pick up time near the front entrance of camp. 

Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate requests or group changes after May 15th. We do our very best to accommodate all friend requests submitted on the registration form or via email before May 15th.

Rearranging groupings throughout the summer is very challenging due to interconnected friend requests and full camper groups. Thank you for your understanding.

Parents are responsible for communicating all allergies with camp staff as well as adhering to the following guidelines: 

If your child requires: 

1. Antihistamines, we ask that you administer that medication before coming to camp. 

2. An epi pen, complete this FARE Form. Place medication in the original container, along with the completed fare form, in a ziplock bag.  Hand the bag to your child's counselor on their first day of camp.

3. An inhaler, complete and follow instructions on the parent permission form.  Place medication in the original container, along with parent permission form and health care order, in a ziploc bag.  Hand the bag to your child’s counselor on the first day of camp. 

Our camp staff are trained to administer emergency medications in the event of an emergency (ie. inhaler, epipen).

The Discovery School Day Camp is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to children with special needs that would allow them to better access our programming.  This includes permitting adults providing specialized services on the premises as specified in a child’s IEP, IFSP or written behavioral plan.  If you think your child may need an accommodation, please contact our camp director, Regina (regina@discoveryschoolpgh.com)

Rest assured, all of our camp staff are certified in adult and pediatric CPR and first aid. Camp counselors are trained to administer basic first aid, such as band aids, bee stings and the occasional bump or bruise. Our director is on call to step in for anything that may be “beyond the band aid”. If your child becomes sick or injured, our camp director will notify you via phone and provide the necessary care.

Our camp staff are trained to administer emergency medications in the event of an emergency (ie. inhaler, epipen).

We ask that parents administer any routine medications before/after camp.

For our youngest campers (ages 3 - 5), we are proud to offer groups of only 12 campers. This provides a camper:counselor ratio of 6:1.

For our school-age campers (ages 6 - 12), we offer groups of 16 campers. This provides a camper:counselor ratio of 8:1.

Please note: We have mixed aged groupings. We try our best to keep animal rooms within a 2-3 year age spread.

Often we play in the rain! Be sure to pack rain gear on those rainy days.

When we decide to take a break from the rain, we head indoors to our air conditioned school building to enjoy active group games in the gym, projects in our maker space, and small group games in our classroom spaces.

We post weekly on our Discovery School Facebook and Instagram pages.

Our Playful Pollinators Program is designed especially for children ages 3–5, supporting their unique developmental needs and natural curiosity. While our summer camp day is a bit longer (8:45 am–4 pm), it follows a familiar rhythm similar to our school-year programs. Each day includes a morning meeting, exploratory center play, snack time, outdoor nature adventures, lunch and rest time, and more - giving children a balance of structure and playful exploration.

Unlike our school-year programs, Playful Pollinators is licensed through the Department of Human Services as a child care program. This means our summer staff aren’t required to hold early childhood teaching certification, but they do meet the state qualifications for group supervisors and assistant group supervisors as outlined in Pennsylvania child care regulations. Our team members are experienced, caring, and well-trained, bringing warmth, enthusiasm, and strong supervisory skills to every day at camp.

Program Highlights:

• Licensed child care program through the Department of Human Services

• Small camper groups (12 children per group)

• Camper-to-staff ratio of 6:1

• Full day of activities: 8:45 am–4 pm

• Provided snacks and lunch

• Midday rest time (30 minutes) after lunch

• Scheduled bathroom breaks, with bathrooms always accessible as needed

• Indoor and outdoor play across our 7-acre nature campus

To help ensure a safe and positive experience for all, we ask that campers are consistently able to meet the following readiness expectations with minimal support: 

• Follow 2-step directions 

• Transition between activities with a single reminder (ex."In two minutes we will clean up and travel to our next location.")

• Use the bathroom and change independently

• Consistently travel and stay with the camper group

• Adhere to safety guidelines (ex. stay within the designated play area)

• Maintain self/body control (ex. use gentle hands, use words to communicate wants/needs, use appropriate language)

If a camper exhibits repeated behaviors or needs that require one-on-one supervision, families may be asked to provide a support person at camp to help the child participate fully in daily routines and activities.   To maintain safety of the whole group, it is important that our counselors are able to balance their time supervising all campers in their group, rather than providing consistent one-on-one care.  

We’re committed to making sure every child can fully enjoy and participate in camp. We welcome children with diverse abilities and are happy to provide reasonable accommodations to support them. This can include allowing specialists or service providers on-site, as outlined in a child’s IEP, IFSP, or behavioral plan. If you think your child might benefit from any accommodations, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our camp director (regina@discoveryschoolpgh.com).  We’re here to support our campers and families!