Day Camp

Day Camp at Camp Tecumseh provides kids ages 5-12 a chance to grow, learn, and explore in a safe, structured, faith-based environment. When your child attends Day Camp, they join a community that cares for them, prays for them, and builds them up. More than a place to have fun and make memories, Day Camp helps kids make friends, grow in confidence, learn how to take appropriate risks, and unleash their imagination in a creative and collaborative outdoor setting.

Health and safety at Camp Tecumseh

We need everyone’s help to protect the health and safety of Camp

Daily health screening

Each day at drop-off, campers will go through a temperature check and a short health screening. These tools will help keep our camp environment as healthy as possible.

Helping Kids Grow

A Faith-based environment that facilitates growth, encourages exploration, and unleashes imagination

Growing in Character

Rooted in the “I’m Third motto”, which states that God is first, the other person is second, and we are third, our Day Camp program strives to instill the values of honesty, caring, respect, and responsibility in all of our campers through morning chapels, carefully designed programs, and intentional interactions with staff. 

Exploring the Outdoors

Nestled on the banks of the Tippecanoe River, Camp Tecumseh offers campers over 600 acres of outdoor space to explore. From the 100 foot high trees of the pine forest, to the riverside trails that run alongside the Tippecanoe, to massive open fields perfect for large group games, our outdoor spaces provide the perfect environment for a week of laughing, playing, and learning. 

Unleashing Imagination

From baking a cake on somebody’s head, to building a sand fortress in a fictional land, Camp Tecumseh offers kids countless opportunities to unleash their imagination in a collaborative and cooperative environment. 

It Starts with Exceptional Staff

Loving counselors dedicated to your child’s growth

Great Day Camp experiences start with great counselors. Representing some of the best and brightest of their generation, our counselors are expertly trained, exceedingly friendly, and extraordinarily creative. They are masters of forging friendships, teaching new skills, leading adventures, and instilling kids with the confidence to take on the world. We put two of them in your child’s trail group so they have unparalleled access to great role models all week long who complement the lessons you’re already teaching at home.

Carefully Selected

Tecumseh counselors are the best of the best. Every year, eager young men and women from all over the United States apply to be Day Camp counselors. Our rigorous interview and selection process identifies those best suited to serve as role models to your children.

Expertly Trained

Whether they are teaching their campers how to swim, leading morning chapel, or helping campers explore nature, our counselors undergo extensive training prior to your camper’s arrival to ensure all of our campers stay safe while growing in core values.

Role Models

Our counselors aren’t just role models here at camp. They are role models back at home. As leaders of clubs and organizations, captains of sports teams, diligent students, and members of churches, they demonstrate Tecumseh values all year long.

Trail Groups & Ages

Your child’s home team while at Camp.

Day campers take on their Tecumseh experience in trail groups. Composed of 10-12 co-ed campers within one year of age and 2-3 counselors, trail groups help kids build relationships, develop trust, and practice communication. Throughout the week, your child’s trail group will act as their home team.

Ages

The Day Camp experience evolves as our campers get older. With four distinct age groups, each step complements the values being taught at home and enhances the camper’s social, emotional, and spiritual development.

Blazers

5-6 years old. Our youngest unit in Day Camp, the Blazer experience is optimized for making friends and learning about respect. Favorite activities like parachute games, cake head, and cops & robbers ensure lots of fun, while opportunities to play in the pool and take a short pony ride help build confidence.

Rangers

7-8 years old. Building on the Blazer experience, Rangers learn about faith, friendship, and more through many of the same activities as Blazers including snow hikes and the Nature Center.

Explorers

9-10 years old. New activities like archery and aquatics time at the Richard G. Marsh Lake are available to Explorers.

Voyagers

11-12 years old. The oldest campers at Day Camp, Voyagers take full advantage of everything Day Camp has to offer. Shooting BB guns at the BB gun range, and a full trail ride through the pine forest are only some of the activities Voyagers enjoy.

A note about ages: These ages listed above are a general parameter for the make-up of each unit. Based on the number of campers registered each week in a particular age range, it is possible that campers be placed into a different unit – typically one unit “up” from where they would otherwise be placed.

“I love listening to my children recap their experiences at camp over and over. My kids come home stronger in their faith, leadership, and self-confidence.” – Camper Parent

Activities

Action-packed days that help kids grow. 

Ride a horse through the pine forest. Shoot down the black hole slide. Hold a turtle at the Nature Center. Get your face painted. Every Day Camp day is packed with an exciting variety of activities that help our campers grow, discover the world around them, and unleash their imagination.

Note: Activities canceled due to inclement weather, including horseback riding, may not be rescheduled.

Trail Group Activities

Most activities throughout the week take place with a camper’s trail group! Day Camp activities vary by age level and may include:

  • Nature Center
  • Black Hole
  • Sand Castles
  • Finger painting
  • Archery
  • BB Guns
  • Mini Farm
  • Pool
  • Mt. Wood
  • Bubbles & Chalk
  • The playground at Fort Discovery
  • Optimist Challenge obstacle course
  • Arts & Crafts
  • Horseback Riding
  • Cakehead/Cheetohead
  • Parachute Games
  • Dodgeball
  • Lake time
  • Mudhikes
  • Fishing
  • Water Balloon Volleyball
  • Capture the Flag
  • 3 House Tree House
  • The Nature Center
  • Soccer

 

Daily Schedule

TimeActivityNotes
9:15- 9:50Drop OffIf you are running late, please call the office.
10:00Day Camp Chapel
10:20Activity Period 1Activities include arts and crafts, sports, games, nature hikes, team building activities, etc.
11:00Activity Period 2Thursday: Periods 1 and 2 are all-camp Gold Rush

Friday: Periods 1 and 2 are all-camp World Service Carnival
11:45Sack LunchCampers bring a sack lunch each day which is refrigerated upon arrival
12:30Activity Period 3/PoolCampers will swim each day, during either activity period 3 or 4
1:30Pool/Activity Period 4Campers will swim each day, during either activity period 3 or 4
2:30Group Games and Activities
2:45Daily Wrap-Up
3:00- 3:45Pick UpIf you are running late, please call the office.

 

So Much to See and Do

With over 600 acres, a lake, two pools, and so much more, there is always something new to do at Camp Tecumseh.

Explore Camp Tecumseh’s Program Areas & Facilities

Learn to Swim at Day Camp

With two full size pools carefully supervised by trained lifeguards, Camp Tecumseh is the perfect place to learn how to swim. Every day, the one hour pool time is divided between swim instruction and free swim. With lesson plans designed for every swimming ability, your camper will improve as a swimmer while growing in confidence and having fun. A swim check on Monday will determine your camper’s swim lesson plan for the week.

Starfish

For campers who demonstrate nervousness swimming on their own, the starfish lesson plan is designed to introduce kids to swimming in a fun and safe way. Simple exercises like sitting on the edge of the pool and kicking their legs, blowing bubbles, and floating on their back help kids acclimate to feeling independent in the water while teaching basic swimming techniques.

Minnows

For campers who love the water but don’t demonstrate knowledge or mastery of one competitive swimming stroke, the minnow lesson plan is designed to teach basic swimming techniques while keeping kids safe. With the help of pool noodles and kick boards, campers learn how to float, kick their legs, and go underwater.

Salmon and Trout

For campers who demonstrate knowledge and technique in the front-crawl stroke, the salmon and trout lesson plans are designed to continue developing proper swimming techniques. Campers learn and practice proper kicking technique for both the front-crawl and either the breast stroke or the back stroke, while learning breathing techniques and arm movements.

Bluegill

For campers who demonstrate knowledge and technique in the front-crawl and either the breast stroke or back stroke, but are still working to master them, the bluegill plan seeks to shore up techniques to improve swimming ability, endurance, and breathing. Kicking exercises, lots of practice, and fun games all help campers nail their swimming strokes.

Barracudas

For competent swimmers who can demonstrate mastery of the front-crawl, and a second competitive swimming stroke, the barracuda lesson plan provides lots of games and practice that help campers perfect their skills in treading water, diving deep, and building endurance. 

Horseback Riding

With over sixty horses, a world-class equestrian staff, and beautiful trails that lead through the pine forest, there is no better place to ride a horse than Camp Tecumseh. Every camper who attends Day Camp will have a scheduled trail ride time. Our equestrian staff and our counselors lead our campers on a trail ride through the pine forest that varies in length depending on camper age. Certified by the American Camp Association and the Certified Horsemanship Association, Camp Tecumseh’s equestrian programs are abundantly safe while helping kids grow in confidence.

Camp Registration & Preparation

Day Camp 2024 registration opened March 1 and the cost is $195.

$50 of the fee is due with registration. Already registered? Prepare for your camp experience now.

’24
Boys Overnight Summer Camps (ages 8-15)
Boys Overnight Camp Week 1 June 9-15 Waitlisted $850
Boys Overnight Camp Week 2 June 16-22 Waitlisted $850
Boys Overnight Camp Week 3 June 23-29 Waitlisted $850
Boys Overnight Camp Week 4 June 30-July 6 Waitlisted $850
Boys Overnight Camp Week 5 July 7-13 Waitlisted $850
Boys Overnight Camp Week 6 July 14-20 Waitlisted $850
Boys Overnight Camp Week 7 July 21-27 Waitlisted $850
Boys Overnight Camp Week 8 July 28-August 3 Waitlisted $850
Boys Overnight Camp Week 9 August 4-10 Waitlisted $850
’24
Girls Overnight Summer Camps (ages 8-15)
Girls Overnight Camp Week 1 June 9-15 Waitlisted $850
Girls Overnight Camp Week 2 June 16-22 Waitlisted $850
Girls Overnight Camp Week 3 June 23-29 Waitlisted $850
Girls Overnight Camp Week 4 June 30-July 6 Waitlisted $850
Girls Overnight Camp Week 5 July 7-13 Waitlisted $850
Girls Overnight Camp Week 6 July 14-20 Waitlisted $850
Girls Overnight Camp Week 7 July 21-27 Waitlisted $850
Girls Overnight Camp Week 8 July 28-August 3 Waitlisted $850
Girls Overnight Camp Week 9 August 4-10 Waitlisted $850
’24
Boys Equestrian Summer Camps (ages 11-15)
Boys Equestrian Camp Week 1 June 9-15 Available $950
Boys Equestrian Camp Week 2 June 16-22 Available $950
Boys Equestrian Camp Week 3 June 23-29 Available $950
Boys Equestrian Camp Week 4 June 30-July 6 Available $950
Boys Equestrian Camp Week 5 July 7-13 Waitlisted $950
Boys Equestrian Camp Week 6 July 14-20 Available $950
Boys Equestrian Camp Week 7 July 21-27 Waitlisted $950
Boys Equestrian Camp Week 8 July 28-August 3 Waitlisted $950
’24
Girls Equestrian Summer Camps (ages 11-15)
Girls Equestrian Camp Week 1 June 9-15 Waitlisted $950
Girls Equestrian Camp Week 2 June 16-22 Waitlisted $950
Girls Equestrian Camp Week 3 June 23-29 Waitlisted $950
Girls Equestrian Camp Week 4 June 30-July 6 Waitlisted $950
Girls Equestrian Camp Week 5 July 7-13 Waitlisted $950
Girls Equestrian Camp Week 6 July 14-20 Waitlisted $950
Girls Equestrian Camp Week 7 July 21-27 Waitlisted $950
Girls Equestrian Camp Week 8 July 28-August 3 Waitlisted $950
’24
Boys CILTs (Campers in Leadership Training) – ages 16-17
Boys CILT Session 1 June 9-22 Waitlisted $1,800
Boys CILT Session 2 June 23-July 6 Waitlisted $1,800
Boys CILT Session 3 July 7-20 Waitlisted $1,800
Boys CILT Session 4 July 21-Aug 3 Waitlisted $1,800
’24
Girls CILTs (Campers in Leadership Training) – ages 16-17
Girls CILT Session 1 June 9-22 Waitlisted $1,800
Girls CILT Session 2 June 23-July 6 Waitlisted $1,800
Girls CILT Session 3 July 7-20 Waitlisted $1,800
Girls CILT Session 4 July 21-Aug 3 Waitlisted $1,800
’24
Adventure Trips (ages 13-17)
Whitewater Rafting 1 June 16-20 Available $1,300
Whitewater Rafting 2 June 23-29 Available $1,300
Whitewater Rafting 3 July 28-August 3 Waitlisted $1,300
’24
Day Camp (ages 5-12)
Day Camp Week 1 June 17-21 Waitlisted $195
Day Camp Week 2 June 24-28 Waitlisted $195
Day Camp Week 3 July 1-5 Waitlisted $195
Day Camp Week 4 July 8-12 Waitlisted $195
Day Camp Week 5 July 15-19 Waitlisted $195
Day Camp Week 6 July 22-26 Waitlisted $195
Day Camp Week 7 July 29-August 2 Waitlisted $195

REGISTER

Day Camp Themes

2024 Themes

WeekDatesTheme
Week 1June 17 – June 21Wild Wild West
Week 2June 24 – June 28Cartoons
Week 3July 1 – July 5American Spirit
Week 4July 8 - July 12Pirates and Princesses
Week 5July 15 – July 19Tecumseh Saurus 
Week 6July 22 – July 26Superheroes
Week 7July 29 – August 2Sports Mania