Sugar Valley Day Camp
Sugar Valley Camp encourages children ages 3 – 12 to learn about nature and enjoy the outdoors by exploring Bill Yeck Park, playing games and making new friends. Campers will be grouped with children of similar ages. They will be treated to guest speakers, special presentations and activities. Each day of camp is predominantly spent outdoors. Campers will be in the woods and exploring the creeks. They should wear clothing and shoes that can get wet and dirty.
Campers should bring a filled water bottle and a packed lunch that does not require refrigeration. All campers will receive a t-shirt during their first week.
Camp is held rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Preschool weeks are 9 a.m. to noon.
Before care is available from 8 to 9 a.m. After care is available from 4 to 5 p.m.
Resident camp registration begins online Monday, March 2, at 10 a.m. Nonresident camp registration begins online Monday, March 9, at 10 a.m. Phone registration will begin one day later.
Jump on the summer camp fast track! In an effort to improve your camp registration experience, we have created a way for you to fill out the required camp forms PRIOR to the first day of camp registration. This will make your camp registration go faster and decrease the chance that your child will be placed on a camp waiting list.
2026 Camp Weeks:
Week 1: June 1 – 5, Creeks, Ponds and Puddles (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
Start summer off with a splash! Learn all about creeks, play water-filled games, and go on adventures to, and sometimes even through, the water habitats of Bill Yeck Park! Along the way, we will learn about the wildlife that call aquatic habitats their homes.
Week 2: June 8 – 12, Winged Wonders (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
Let’s learn about all things with wings! From bats to birds to bugs, your camper’s imagination will take flight as we explore winged wildlife together.
Week 3: June 15 – 18, Crafty Campers Week (No camp June 19) (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $128 residents, $148 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
All the fun of camp with a creative twist! Your camper will enjoy classic camp games while spending extra time creating nature-based crafts, both big and small. Let’s be inspired and make some masterpieces we can’t wait to bring home.
Week 4: June 22 – 26, Survivor (Field Trip Week) (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
It will be a competition all week long! Your camper will play their favorite camp games, tie-dye team bandanas, and join in friendly, outdoor competitive activities.
Week 4 campers will meet at Oak Grove Park on one of their camp days to fish, take part in archery, and participate in their grand competition!
Week 5: June 29 – July 2, Who Can Be an EcoHero? (No camp July 3) (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $128 residents, $148 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
What is conservation? Who can help the planet? If conservation saves the planet, then does that make some jobs heroic? This week, your camper will meet guest ‘heroes’, complete their own eco-projects, and learn that everyone has what it takes to be a hero — an ECOhero!
Week 6: July 6 – 10, Marvelous Migrations! (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
Your camper will be on the move this week as we learn about migration — the mass movement of animals from one place to another. We will play movement-based games, learn about animals that migrate, and see if we have what it takes to make it through mini migration challenges.
Week 7: July 13 – 17, Survival Series (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
If you lived in the wilderness, how would you survive? What would you do? And how do animals do this every day? We will hike in the park and pick up survival skills along the way! We will also learn how wildlife survives, and the unique traits called ‘adaptations’ that help them survive even the toughest challenges.
Week 8: July 20 – 24, Color Wonders (Preschool Week)
Ages 3 – 5, half-day only
Fee/half-day week: $80 residents, $90 nonresidents, $30 before care
Ages 6 – 12, full-day only
Fee/full-day week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
Nature is full of color, and we get to explore the creative ways it displays these colors. We will spend each day looking for a featured color. At the end of the week, we will explore all the colors we learned about. Campers are encouraged to wear the featured color each day of camp!
Week 9: July 27 – 31, Slip ‘n Slime (Preschool Week)
Ages 3 – 5, half-day only
Fee/half-day week: $80 residents, $90 nonresidents, $30 before care
Ages 6 – 12, full-day only
Fee/full-day week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
We’re going to get messy at this hands-on camp! We will mix slime, squish clay, make our own paint and even slide through a slip ‘n slide! Along the way, we will learn about animals that don’t mind getting messy, too.
Week 10: August 3 – August 7, Camp Cryptid (Ages 6 – 12)
Fee/week: $160 residents, $180 nonresidents, $30 before and/or after care
We all know about the classic cryptids — Bigfoot, Mothman and such. But what about the ‘mystical’ creatures that live in our parks and are very much real? From the Unicorn Clubtail Dragonfly, the polka-dotted Northern Flicker and Southern Flying Squirrel, your camper will learn about the cryptids of Bill Yeck Park — both real and imagined.
Additional Camp Information:
Staff
Many staff coordinators and counselors are college students pursuing a degree in parks and recreation or education, or they have previous experience in the field. Assistant counselors are at least 16 years of age and have experience working with children.
Inclement Weather
Camp is primarily an outdoor program and will be held rain or shine. The Smith House will serve as a meeting area and shelter for Sugar Valley Camp.
What to Wear
Dress your child in comfortable old clothes and closed-toe shoes. Sandals and flip-flops are prohibited due to poison ivy and other naturally occurring hazards. Please put your child’s name on all items brought to camp. Many pack an old pair of shoes to wear when visiting the creek.
What to Bring
Bring a water bottle to refill during the day. All-day campers should also bring a packed lunch that does not require refrigeration. Lunch should not include any peanuts or tree nuts.
Daily Sign-In & Sign-Out
We take strict precautions in accepting and releasing children from the program. Please inform counselors of any changes. Daily sign-in and sign-out is required. If you would like your child to walk home after camp, please contact us in advance to fill out the proper paperwork.
Sunscreen & Insect Repellent
Counselors are not permitted to apply sunscreen or insect repellent. Campers can bring their own and reapply.
Medical Procedures & Emergencies
All counselors are trained in first aid and CPR and carry a first aid kit. Health history information is kept on-site. In the event of a medical emergency, parents and 911 will be called. The child will be escorted to the hospital or released to the parents. If parents cannot be located, the emergency contact will be called. In the event of minor injury/illness, the child will be treated, an incident report will be completed, and parents will be notified at pickup.
Medication
Staff is permitted to perform only basic first aid. They are also authorized to dispense some types of prescription or nonprescription medication. Rule 5101:2-18-15 (4) 2 of the Ohio Administrative Code states that a child day camp shall set its own policy regarding whether to administer prescription or nonprescription medications. If your child requires medication during camp hours, you must complete additional required forms. If your child carries an epi-pen, complete the additional required forms.
Discipline
Review our summer camp discipline process.
Registration Deadline
The last day to make registration changes is noon the Monday prior to your camper’s start date.
Cancellation Policy
If a camp is canceled by the Park District, you will receive a full refund. If your child can no longer attend a camp, you may cancel seven days prior to the camp’s start date to receive a full refund as household credit or back to the original payment method. Cancellations made less than seven days prior to the camp’s start date will be offered a 50% household credit. Cancellations made during or after the camp are not eligible for a refund.
All participants must be independent in the six activities of daily living: using the restroom, eating, bathing, dressing, transferring (i.e. walking) and continence. If your child requires an accommodation to participate, please let us know when you register.