Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Links:
- Program
Our People
Who are your staff and how do you hire them?
Our camps take place in beautiful places like Eldorado Canyon, The RMA National Wildlife Refuge, and the Arkansas River Valley. But it’s the staff that make camp genuinely beautiful. Each year we typically hire less than 10% of applicants. Those that do make the cut have shown us, through their experience and lengthy screening, that that they possess skills focused on understanding the developmental experiences of groups and individual children and how we can apply that to connecting with nature and each other. Through our training, they hone and shape that expertise to fit into the specific goals of the parents, the camp, and the campers. Want to talk more about staff? We'd love to! Call us at 720-249-2997.
What is the ratio of campers to staff?
This is a great question - when looking at child care programs, always ask how they calculate ratios - it can look like a lot more staff are around than there really are! Our camper-to-staff ratios are some of the best out there. Cabin groups for our Junior Programs have a 7:1 ratio; our Intermediate programs are closer to 8:1; our Sleep Away Camp cabins are 6:1. When you include our support staff (Directors, Inclusion Director, Drivers, etc.) who are fully engaged with campers away from the office, it brings our ratio to between 4 and 6 campers per staff member.
Choosing A Camp
How do I know if AO Camps is a good fit for my child?
AO is a great fit for campers who thrive while spending lots of energy learning in and exploring nature. Campers learn how to treat each other well and praised their peers. And if your child likes to get really dirty and laugh a lot, they'll love AO!
Why AO camps vs. all these other camps?
AO is fun in a different way than many of camps. We provide activities based on how fun they'll be AND how they help build connections and character. Campers tend to get really dirty and tired, too! Campers learn interpersonal skills through their outdoor pursuits. There is a greater focus on the group experience than there is on hard skill development (although this also happens along the way!) We meet each camper where they are developmentally and challenge them to grow from there.
Why should our family choose AO?
AO staff genuinely care about the development of your child and will work with them, their camp group, and you to help facilitate an amazing summer camp experience that connects your child to nature, friends, and caring adults. We are your partners in this and work hard to make sure your camper and you are happy!
Please call us at 720-249-2997 - we can help you choose a camp! Whether it's AO or not, we want to help!
Paying for Camp
Why does camp cost as much as it does?
We know camps and child care appear to be expensive! Compared to sitting inside in front of a tv at home, it can be. Each family compares camp programs differently based on what they want for their kids. On a $/hour basis, AO is often cheaper than many camps that may seem, at first glance, less expensive. Most importantly, we invest in great staff and great staff-to-camper ratios. Our staff are at least 21 years old and have a serious interest in youth development. We also offer transportation at no additional charge as a an added value to you.
Are there discounts?
Yes! Rarely do families pay full price for camp - check out our Rates, Dates, and Discounts PDF for details.
Are there scholarships?
Yes! We try to provide help from our Campership Fund for anyone that needs it - from $10/day to nearly all of your tuition. We also have opportunities to donate to our Campership Fund to help create more opportunities for kids who deserve to come to camp. Learn More
Are there additional fees?
For our day camps, almost everything is included - a t-shirt, water bottle, transportation, and more. Before- and After-camp (extended day hours) have additional charges. For our Sleep Away Camp almost everything is included. Some high-adventure activities may cost extra if your camper would like to do more than we offer initially. We can figure this out with you, for sure!
Transportation
Why the bus?
It’s hard to have an authentic connection with nature when ‘camp’ is in a schoolyard everyday - so we take campers to awesome parks and wildlife areas! When you get on our bus, driven by professionals (who are themselves truly invested in youth development,) camp starts! Not only do our drivers take us to beautiful natural spaces, but the buses are where counselors and campers connect, sing songs, and really get to know one another.
Is there transportation to Sleep Away Camp?
Yes! From Boulder and Denver we offer transportation. For campers flying in from out of state, we will coordinate DIA airport pick up.
Registration
Can we sign up for more than one session? What's a typical number of sessions to sign up for?
We encourage parents to sign up for at least two sessions and have adjusted our pricing into session bundles to make the cost of multiple sessions easier to understand. Because of the way campers choose their daily program in their cabin group, each week is different throughout the summer. Many families, once they learn about and experience AO, send their children for the whole summer! (And ask us to offer even more day camp that we do!) See details in our Rates, Dates, and Discounts PDF.
Is camp full?
As you start the registration process, our system will tell you if a session is close to full or on wait list. Some programs have started to fill very quickly: our second week of Sleep Away Camp for 2012 is full (the first week and two-week sessions still have room.) The Intro to Backpacking trips are pretty full but often clear their wait lists. We encourage you to sign up and we’ll put you on a wait list and stay in touch with you often as you move up. If you have any questions, please call.
Can I meet the directors ahead of time?
Yes! We’d love to meet you for coffee or come over to your house and let you and your camper-to-be ask as many questions as you want! For our Sleep Away Camp, we will try to visit you before camp starts. For out of town Sleep Away Camp families, we'll see what we can do!
Can I go to camp, too?
How does Family Camp sound? Sounds good to us, too. We are working on it for future years!
Program
Are there choices within the camp program? How much choice?
Yes! We believe that allowing campers to choose helps learn and grow more at camp. Much of the program is geared around allowing campers to choose, with their cabin group, from a menu of program options.
For Junior Campers, choices come often while shaping behaviors and helping campers to follow directions. They get to choose activities during Play each day as well as during pool time.
Explorers and Eldorado Canyon Campers have some portions of their session pre-planned (swimming and climbing), and choose a select number of activities each day in a consensus based decision making model. Choice does not mean that campers have a “free for all” or have complete choice in their camp schedule, it just means that they get work together to make choices! (We call that a "real life skill!")
What is your philosophy regarding competition?
We do tons of challenging activities with our Cabin Groups that encourage team work and positive interpersonal communication, but do not play traditionally competitive games. Because we are in natural areas, uneven surfaces make it hard to play traditional sports with balls. At AO, campers don’t earn badges, patches, beads, etc. We don’t believe in teaching kids "to do something to get something." Rather, we teach them about intrinsic rewards when they accomplish a challenging goal. It could be climbing a rock face, solving a high-energy teambuilding puzzle, being a part of a team in an all-camp ecology game, mastering a paddling technique in a raft (at our sleep away camp,) or making friends with someone you weren't crazy about two weeks before.
What if my camper doesn't know anyone?
Many campers come to our Day Camps and Sleep Away Camp not knowing anyone. AO is designed to help campers make friends, so this problem is solved quickly! For families that are still nervous about that, we can meet you before camp at your house, at a camp event, or wherever is convenient. Finally, you can refer friends (and save money!) and we can place you in the same cabin group. If your camper is shy, our experienced staff encourage returning campers to help make new campers feel included and comfortable. During Play, counselors check in with campers periodically and coach them about how to enter into new groups as needed. Campers get to know members of their Cabin Groups well during their session at camp.
What are the choices for session length?
Sessions are 1 or 2 weeks in length, depending on the age. Choose the program you are interested in from the navigation menus above or download our Rates, Dates, and Discounts PDF.
Do you have a "Color War?"
No. We primarily measure success, competitive or not, by the campers's and cabin group's experiences and how they grow throughout the session. Our philosophy is NOT “everyone gets a ribbon.” Other than a t-shirt, a water bottle, and tons of fun camp experience, what else do you need? The challenges that counselors give to cabin groups are often very difficult, and the de-brief experience of a failed effort often can provide valuable learning and a desire to try again and again. And that kind of camp experience is addictive fun in a whole different way!
Do you supply snack/lunch?
Campers are asked to bring their own lunches. If a camper forgets a lunch, we will try to contact their parents to figure something out. If campers forgot their lunch, we have healthy packable lunches from GoPicnic. The charge for the additional lunch is then added to the family’s account.
You provide snacks, but what about special dietary needs?
Our traditional snack each day is either GORP (trail mix) that each Cabin Group orders in a recipe, or fresh fruit or veggies. We'll ask you during registration about. We have nut-, dairy-, and gluten-free alternatives available for campers with special dietary needs. Please be accurate in listing your camper’s allergies and special food needs on our health and intake forms so we can accommodate as best as possible.
In rare cases, it is easier for a camper to supply their own snacks. We can store a session’s worth of alternative snacks for a camper to make things easier.
What about birthdays at camp?
Birthdays are special, and we love to celebrate them at camp with a song and a special crazy-creek birthday chair! If you are interested in providing a special birthday snack (totally optional!), please check in with the program director to see what birthday options they suggest based on the dietary needs of the group. Often, sending special fruit or fruit juice sweetened muffins is a great treat that everyone can eat. We thank you in advance for your consideration with food sharing at camp!
Can you do something with our school?
We love partnering with schools. We can bring Wally, our 26-foot portable rock climbing wall to your next field day, “staycation” style field trip, or community event. Our caring staff can also lead developmentally appropriate teambuilding activities with both students and staff. Lastly, we are great at helping connect kids with nature. Let us help plan a custom outdoor education retreat for your students.