Overnight Camp Preparation

Get prepared for the experience of a lifetime

We’re so excited that your camper will be joining us this summer. We want to make sure you and your child have everything you need to have a great experience. Our staff works all year long to prepare for the time your camper spends here. Now that you’ve signed up, here are the steps you can take to make sure you’re prepared.

Forms

Health Form & Confidential Form

Make sure you submit both a completed Health Form and Confidential Form at least 30 days prior to your camper’s arrival at Camp. The medical examination form must be signed by a physician and include the date of the camper’s last tetanus shot. A school physical done within 12 months of camp is acceptable, just attach it to our form and fill in additional information needed. In order to be in compliance with state regulations a completed health information form including your child’s health history and physical examination record, signed by a doctor, must be on file. Your child could be sent home due to failure to comply with this requirement and no refund will be given. Camp requests that forms are to be sent to camp at least 30 days before the scheduled camp session so they can be properly reviewed by camp health personnel.

Complete Forms

Food allergies

Please be sure to disclose any food allergies or dietary restrictions on your child’s health form. We will do our best to provide alternatives. We also ask that you contact our Food Service Director at least 30 days in advance of your child’s stay so you can discuss the best course of action.

Campers are allowed to bring a small amount of snacks, but only if they are stored in an airtight container, such as a Ziploc bag. Drinkables are not allowed, except for bottled water. Due to allergy sensitivities, we ask campers not to bring products with peanuts or tree nuts.

Special Health Needs

If your child has special health needs, please call us at least 90 days in advance of the camp date for an evaluation of the camper’s care needs. Camp Tecumseh counselors are encouraging and patient and can help facilitate successful camp experiences for children with differing mild and moderate abilities. Our programs are not designed for campers who need significant assistance or personal care, require constant one-on-one support, or have difficulty managing their behavior in group settings.

Health conditions requiring advance clearance include, but are not limited to: Insulin Dependent Diabetes, Cardiac Situations, Asthma, Seizure Disorders, Autism Spectrum, and Serious Food Allergies.

Trading Post

Set Up Your Child’s Trading Post Account

Your child will automatically be allotted $60 per week to spend in the trading post (unless indicated differently on your registration form). This amount is charged to your card at the time of registration. Any remaining balance at the end of your child’s stay is refunded to your credit card. If you would like to adjust the allotted amount your child can spend, please contact our office. Campers should not have any money in their possession while at Camp.

Common Trading Post Purchases

  • Village Picture – $6.75
  • Shirts & Sweatshirts – $15-35
  • Unit Shirts – $12
  • Pop Stop  – $.75-$1.25
  • Trail Ride – $10
  • World Service – $3*
  • Snack – $1.00-$1.50
  • Emails received – $0.50
  • Souvenirs – $0.25-$15.00

Prior to camp, parents and campers may wish to discuss the amount of money that is allotted in their trading post account. The enjoyment of camp is not dependent on the amount of money spent at the Trading Post. Please discuss with your youngster the things that might be most appropriate for them to buy. One can of pop or juice may be purchased each afternoon and one snack item may be purchased after supper. Our counselors encourage campers to wait until the end of the week for higher-priced items (shirts and sweatshirts).

*World Service is an important aspect of our mission. Camp Tecumseh offers campers the opportunity to make a maximum contribution of $3.00. This money is used to support Camp Tecumseh’s commitment to causes in both our local community and abroad. 

Trading Post

Cabinmate Requests

At Camp Tecumseh, we allow campers to request one friend to join them in their cabin. To ensure that campers will also have the opportunity to meet new friends, we allow each camper to list only one name as a “cabinmate request”. If the two campers are within one year of each other’s age they can be placed in the same cabin, although if their ages fall into different units, they may be placed together in the younger age unit. To ensure the best experience for all campers in the cabin group, we do our best to limit large groups of campers who already know each other from being placed in the same cabin. Therefore, we can only honor one mutual and exclusive cabinmate request – two campers who list only each other as the cabinmate request on their registration form. We encourage you to coordinate your cabinmate request with the other family in order to ensure a smooth placement, and make sure both campers are registered for the same week of Camp. While Camp tries to honor all mutual cabinmate requests, we do reserve the right to refuse a request if needed.

Camp cannot honor requests in cases where more than two campers have linked their names together. In cases where several campers have linked their names together with each choosing a different cabinmate, we will place the campers as Camp feels is in the best interest of all concerned. If you have a special situation for which you would like to request consideration, please call Camp at least one month in advance of your child’s Camp session. If you are requesting that your child not be placed with a certain child, it is your responsibility to inform the other family prior to arrival at Camp. Finally, please note that even if two campers are not in the same cabin, there are still many opportunities for them to spend time together at Camp, such as daily swim times, cabin actvities, and all-unit or all-village activities.

To learn more about our process for assigning cabinmates, read The Art of Cabin Placements.

Packing List

Pack your bags like a pro

Make sure you pack the right stuff for an exceptional week at Camp. Because learning personal responsibility is an important part of the Camp experience, please talk to your camper about keeping track of personal items. To help recover lost items, put your name on all belongings.

Printable Version

Clothing

  • T-Shirts
  • Shorts
  • Long Pants
  • Sandals/Flip Flops
  • Old “Mud Hike” clothes
  • Closed-toe shoes for mud hikes and float trips
  • Sneakers
  • Jacket
  • Pajamas
  • Sweatshirt
  • Bathing Suit
  • Underclothes
  • Socks
  • Theme Dinner Outfit

Bedding/Personal Hygiene

  • Pillow
  • Pillow Case
  • Twin-Size Sheets
  • Blankets
  • Sleeping Bag
    (All campers should pack a sleeping bag for sleepouts, even if they bring sheets/blanket)
  • Beach Towel
  • Bath Towels
  • Wash Cloth
  • Comb/Brush
  • Shampoo/Conditioner
  • Soap

Other Items

  • Reusable Water Bottle
  • Flashlight
  • Writing Material
  • Shower Shoes
  • Insect Repellent
  • Sun Block
  • Sunglasses
  • Fan
  • Camera
  • Snacks in a plastic box container with lid (All snacks must be nut free)
  • Medications (must be left with the nurses at check-in. This includes over-the-counter medications and vitamins)

Leave these things at home

  • Cell Phones
  • Laptops
  • Tablets
  • E-readers
  • Smart watches
  • Jewelry
  • Fireworks
  • Guns / Knives
  • Ammunition
  • Skateboards
  • Bicycles
  • In-line skates
  • Pets

Possession of drugs, drug paraphernalia, tobacco, or alcohol products is grounds for immediate dismissal from Camp. 

 

Clothing Guidelines

In striving to provide a safe and appropriate environment for our campers, we ask that you help us in the choices of clothing your child brings to Camp. Campers should have enough clothing to last the duration of their stay. Those staying more than one week will have the opportunity to use their Trading Post money to launder their clothes ($12 a load). Campers should bring clothing that can get wet, dirty, and muddy without concern. All clothing should be marked with the camper’s name.

Appropriate Clothing

Please ensure all clothes are acceptable for a youth camp. We request that phrases/graphics/logos be in good taste. Camp reserves the right to prohibit the wearing of clothing the Camp Director deems inappropriate for a Christian youth Camp.

Swimwear

We ask that all swim-wear be conservative in nature. For boys, please stick to board short-style swim trunks (no Speedos or Jammers). For girls, one-piece or athletic swimsuits are great, otherwise feel free to bring a (non-white) tank-top to wear on top. 

Horseback Riding

Please pack a pair of long pants and closed-toe, hard-soled shoes if your child wants to take a trail ride, is registered for horsemanship clinic, or is attending Equestrian Camp. Long pants include jeans, breeches, wind pants, sweat pants, and capris that extend past the knee while sitting. Please no yoga pants. Tennis shoes are acceptable for those riding in a western saddle. Equestrian campers riding English should bring a boot with a 1/2″ heel. Crocs are not acceptable.

Bringing Food to Camp

Camp provides healthy meals, so snacks are not needed. Camp will allow campers to bring a small amount of snacks, but only if they are stored in an air-tight container, such as a ziplock bag. Please do not bring a large container of candy or other sweets. Due to increased allergy sensitivities, please refrain from bringing products with peanuts or tree nuts. Camp Tecumseh will not provide storage containers nor be held responsible for lost or stolen food items. Counselors will regulate when campers can have their food. Drinkables are not allowed, except for bottled water. Care packages may also be mailed to your camper during their stay.

Check-In Day

Check-In Information

  • Check-In window will be from 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM.
  • We will be doing a drive-through check-in process starting through the equestrian entrance off of Springboro Road. Please follow the signs as you approach camp.
  • Bunks will be randomly assigned to campers to ensure fairness, no matter what time you are assigned. 
  • We understand that there are logistical challenges here. If you are unable to come during your assigned time we understand, but adhering to these windows will drastically help ensure a smooth check-in process. 

DIRECTIONS

Swim Checks

All of our campers, at the beginning of the week, will visit the pool for a swim check. In addition to gauging a camper’s swimming ability, it allows our counselors to monitor for injuries that may need special attention during the week.

Swimmers unable to swim two widths of the pool (40’x2), using a good front crawl and a secondary stroke will be automatically enrolled in swim lessons each morning. In addition, these campers will not be able to enroll in deep water swimming or boating clinics. If you do not wish for your child to have a daily swim lesson, please indicate that on the parent confidential form.

Parent Connection

Stay Connected to your child while they are at Camp.

While your camper is making new friends, learning new skills, and growing in important attributes, you can stay plugged in to what’s happening throughout the week through our parent connection page. 

Write Your Camper

Stay in touch with your child throughout the week via email. Make sure to include your child’s name and cabin name in the subject line. 50 cents will be charged to your child’s Trading Post account for each page. Campers can’t email outgoing messages, but they can write letters home. Please limit e-mails to text only.

Email Your Camper

Camp Photos

Our dedicated media staff does an outstanding job documenting the Tecumseh experience on a daily basis. Uploading new pictures multiple times per day, you can follow the action all week by visiting our photo galleries. From the galleries you can also save pictures, and order prints of your favorite photos. 

View Gallery

Camp Videos

In addition to photos, our media team also puts together short videos throughout the week highlighting various aspects of the Tecumseh experience. At the end of the week, don’t miss our cumulative weekly videos which recaps all the fun of the week. 

View Videos

Social Media

Stay up to date with us via social media. We regularly post updates regarding the week to our Facebook and Instagram pages. Follow along to hear stories from campers, get updates on the weather, see photos and videos, and more. 

Instagram | Facebook

Check-Out Day

Sadly, our campers can’t stay all year. Here’s the secret to a smooth check-out.

Whether it’s the last day of a weeklong camp or the end of the day for day camp, we’re all about safety when campers and their families leave Camp Tecumseh. Here’s what to expect during pick-up.

Check out happens in Lake Village inside Kampen Lodge. We start at 9:30am and end at 11:00am (All times Eastern Standard Time). If you need to pick your child up earlier than 9:30am, please fill out a special leave card so our counselors can be prepared for your early arrival as our campers and counselors do not return from chapel until 9:30am. If you are unable to check out your camper out before 11:00pm, your camper will be with the stayover campers and counselors when you arrive.

  1. Drive to your camper’s cabin. If you are unsure of which cabin your camper is in, we have staff stationed in the parking lots of Lake Village and River Village who can direct you.
  2. When you arrive at your camper’s cabin, speak with the counselors to see how the week went and meet your child’s new friends.
  3. Complete a thorough search of the cabin, including the back porch, clothesline, and under beds, to ensure you have all of your child’s possessions.
  4. Make sure your child received a cabin picture and gets contact information from their cabin mates so they can stay in touch all year long.
  5. After loading up the car, drive home safely!

Stay Over Campers

This summer we are pleased to bring back weekend stay over programming on a limited basis. We will be offering the option for campers attending multiple sessions to stay over on weekends where we are already operating other programming (June 18-19, July 2-3, July 16-17, July 30-31). No weekend stay overs on dates not listed here. Your camper must be registered for the stay over weekend.

If you have questions about staying over between sessions, please contact Meg Piechocki.

Frequently Asked Overnight Camp Questions


What happens if my child becomes ill while at Camp?

In the case of serious illness or other situations that require seeing a physician, the Camp Director or nurse will notify parents. Parents are invited to talk with the Camp Director, one of the three full-time nurses, or the counselors about individual camper needs when you arrive at camp. Remember all medications, prescriptions or over the counter medications must be turned in to the nurses at Check-in. They must be in the original containers.


How can I help reduce the likelihood that my child will experience homesickness?

Campers look forward to hearing from you. Please write them so they receive a letter on Monday or Tuesday (you can leave letters at the Trading Post on check-in day. We’ll make sure they get delivered with the regular mail). We suggest writing letters that are happy and newsy in a way that won’t make a camper homesick. We don’t want your kids to feel like you can’t get along without them. We don’t recommend discussing this before their week at camp as it often leads to homesickness. Temporary homesickness is totally normal, especially for new campers. Overcoming homesickness is an opportunity to grow and mature. Our staff is trained in handling homesickness in constructive and loving ways, and we look forward to helping your child grow.


How do I contact my camper if we have an emergency at home?

Unfortunately, emergencies happen. In the event of an emergency, please contact us at camp at 765-564-2898. The Camp directors will work with parents to determine the best way to notify the camper. If calling outside of office hours, please follow the voice prompts for accessing camp’s emergency phone. Making direct contact with a camper before speaking with Camp staff is strongly discouraged.


Can I send my camper emails, letters or packages?

Absolutely!  You can email your camper using our Camper Email form.  We will print these emails off each day and deliver them to your camper after lunch.  Each email your camper receives costs 50¢ which will be deducted from the camper’s trading post account.

If you’d prefer to send a letter or package, you can mail it to 12635 W Tecumseh Bend Rd, Brookston, IN 47923 with the camper’s name and cabin (if known) prominently shown on the item.


Can I come visit?

We are not currently allowing parents or families to visit during their camper’s session.

Visiting Campfire: Attending closing campfire on Friday evening is only open to former staff members and parents of staff members.


Can I pick my child up early? Can I take my child out of Camp temporarily and bring them back?

Between school, sports, and extracurricular activities, we understand that conflicts sometimes arise. If your camper needs to leave Camp, or needs to be picked up early, please fill out a special leave card from your child’s counselor on check-in day. We’ll make sure to have your child ready. Please note, we cannot release a child to anyone other than a child’s legal guardian without written permission from that child’s legal guardian.

Because we don’t want to interfere with closing campfire, we cannot facilitate early pick up between 7:30 PM and 10:00 PM on Friday night. Please make arrangements to pick your child up before or after closing campfire.

We also ask that you not pick your child up during our final chapel on Saturday between 8:00 AM and 9:30 AM.