Programs & Child Care

Children- a great gift and delight!  And they need our attention and concern.  The following are the times when we, as a community, try to provide specifically for them.  Any other time it is up to you and your spouse, or helper, to work out child care, particularly during adult group meeting times.  Your older children may have activities of their own, so you cannot count on them for baby-sitting.

Morning Program

The adult lectures run from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  During this time the children are in their own program (Yes Sir, That's My Baby!).  One of the adult groups is assigned to each day of the week (missing the adult lecture), and works with the children on that day.  The group will both plan and carry out the children's activities for their particular day.   We try to have someone acting as "morning program coordinator" who helps in the planning and handling of supplies and materials; but the basic responsibility belongs to the group.  We try to provide lots of materials (scissors, markers, paper, etc.).  There will be time on Sunday afternoon to begin your planning.  Your "classes" will be the children of age 4-10 or so.  When there are no infants and toddlers (age 0-3)  at camp, your classes will include the 11-12 year-olds.  When there are infants and toddlers, the (approximately) 11-12 year-olds are assigned as baby-sitters during the morning program.  Teens attend lectures, help in the morning program, or attend teen programs (when offered).

Evening Groups

We like to provide "groups" for the children in the evening from 7 to 8.  We can only do this if there are enough people willing to lead these groups.  In some weeks there have been "enough" young adults and older teens to do this.  When there are not, we need adult volunteers in order to offer these groups.  The older children are assigned to groups first, as they are best kept occupied during that time of the evening.  If you'd like to help out here, contact our staff coordinator).

Vespers Baby-sitting

The chore assignment for young teens is to provide baby-sitting during Vespers.  We try to match the teens with families needing baby-sitting as best we can; however, we are limited by the number of teens available. Vespers begins at 9:30 p.m.;  our expectation is that the baby-sitter will arrive at your cabin by 9:15 p.m. and will remain there until you return;  we expect you to return by 10:30.

"Borrowed" Children: 

Sometimes families bring children other than their own, and our experience with this is mostly good, but there have been difficulties. Please remember that we expect you to be fully involved in handling all responsibilities for everyone you bring!  This includes discipline, sick care, participation, attendance, curfew, etc.

Sleeping: 

All children and teens are under the supervision of the adults who brought them.  There are no separate cabins for teens.

"Outside camp" experiences: 

"Laurel" does not plan, provide, sponsor, supervise or otherwise undertake any out-of-camp experiences.  Any such trips are up to the parents.  We strongly discourage cars full of under-21s whose drivers are under age 25.