Summer Day Camp

Each day will be filled with enriching crafts, a diverse selection of literature, STEAM activities, Social Emotional Learning activities, and organized games all based on the theme of the week! Themes can be found on each summer camp page for Theme, Kinder, Explorer, and Camp Moody.

Campers attending YMCA Camp Moody will enjoy a variety of outdoor and survival activities such as crafts, team building, archery, fishing, kayaking, challenge course, hiking, swimming, and more.

Trained camp staff will help lead campers in character development activities and team building games. The EAC Y desires for each and every child to gain a sense of accomplishment, build relationships, and find their sense of belonging. 

Kinder Camps: 4 – 5 years

Theme Camps: 5 – 12 years

Explorer Camps: 10 – 13 years

YMCA Camp Moody: 8 – 13 years

If you have a child under the age of 4 who needs care, please see our Early Education webpage. 

A child must be the minimum age before or on the Monday of camp. Age limits are set by licensing, via the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.

Please contact Extend-A-Care YMCA with any questions about age restrictions. 

• All Kinder, Theme and Explorer locations (exceptions below): 7:15 am – 6:30 pm
• Hays Camps: 7:00 am – 6:30 pm
• Camp Moody: 7:30 am – 6:00 pm

Parents can drop off and pick up at any time between these hours.

Please refer to your welcome email and “How does sign in/out work?” for guidelines about dropping off and picking up. 

Please look for EAC YMCA Camp signs at the camp location to find the drop off/pick up location. At schools this is usually at the school cafeteria. A sign will be posted outside with the center phone number and a doorbell. You can either call the center or ring the doorbell and a staff member will answer the door to let you in. Please be prepared to present an ID. 

Anyone picking up (Primary and Secondary Guardians and authorized pick-ups) should bring a photo ID to present to staff every day, for the child(ren)’s security and safety. Staff may differ each day, so authorized pick-ups must be prepared to present ID any time they go to pick up.

Authorized pick-ups must be on the pick-up list in order to sign out and leave with the child(ren). If the Primary Parent/Guardian needs to add an authorized pick up, they should email Extend-A-Care YMCA prior to pick up with as much notice as possible. Please include the full name and contact information of any new authorized pick-ups/emergency contacts along with your child’s full name and their camp location.

For health and safety, specific information will be emailed to you via a welcome email after registration is complete regarding drop off and pick-ups. 

Only the primary parent/guardian (or secondary if authorized) is able to submit a request to Extend-A-Care YMCA to identify an adult who is authorized to pick up the child. Authorized pick up contacts are also added to your Emergency Contacts and must be 16 years old or older.

Please provide the full name and full contact information of the person you wish to add when submitting request along with your child’s name and camp location. Please also contact us with plenty of time before the person picks up to ensure we are able to notify the site staff and Program Director. If you have any questions, or have a last minute changes please call us directly (512-236-9622) during business hours.

Our  camp staff are enthusiastic and motivated to lead your child(ren) through fun themed activities, games, and songs! 

All staff are required to be at least 18-years-old and a high school graduate upon being hired. Extend-A-Care YMCA Site Leads are required to be least 21 years of age, graduates of high school, and must have at least one year of licensed childcare experience. The vast majority of staff hired has previous childcare experience.

At hiring, our staff is trained extensively through HHSC-mandated week-long Pre-Service training, First Aid/CPR training, new-hire orientation, child abuse sexual prevention training, and blood borne pathogens training. Staff must continue to participate in training and staff development seminars once employed. Staff accompanying children to swim trips are certified in Basic Water Safety as well.

EAC Y staff is trained on many procedures to ensure your child’s safe participation in camp and recognize that active supervision is important in all aspects of child care programs.

Camp staff will divide the kids into small manageable groups by age and assign Youth Development Leaders to each group. Your child will notice that we like to count and will be conducting head counts frequently — during the activity, before lunch, bathroom breaks, after lunch, etc.

Camp opens each morning at 7:15 AM (7:00 for Hays and 7:30 for Camp Moody). Children will place their belongings in their proper place (i.e.  personal tubs organized by age group). Between 7:15 and roughly 8:30 am, centers will be available for all campers. Centers may include board games, manipulatives, books, and table activities. 

Following centers is usually morning snack, and then the beginning of rotations. Campers are grouped by age and will do character development activities and games related to the weekly theme. While group 1 is playing an organized game in the gym or playing outside, group 2 will be doing an activity such as craft, a STEM activity, or team building. 

Lunch is usually between 11-1pm. It is required to send your child to camp with a healthy lunch and a refillable water bottle (labeled with your child’s name) each day. Following lunch is more engaging curriculum activities including: Einstein Time, SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Group Meeting, Tinker Time, team building, Creative Writing, physical activity, and more!   

The end of the day is usually winded down with  a daily reflection of the day and table activities. 

At the Y, safety is of the utmost importance, especially around the pool. Each child will be swim tested and monitored closely by certified lifeguards before and during swimming.

Any child who needs a lifejacket will be provided a Coast Guard approved lifejacket by us. Feel free to provide your own Coast Guard approved lifejacket on swim days.

Lifeguards will be watching the children with a ratio of 1/10, and camp staff will also be supervising in and out of the pool.

Camp counselors will have Basic Water Rescue certification, on top of the First Aid/CPR training that all counselors receive when hired. 

Theme, Explorer, and Camp Moody campers will have free swim trips weekly. Kinder Camp will not have free swim trips. 

Each child needs to bring/wear:

• comfortable play clothes and closed-toe shoes
• a swimsuit, towel, and sunscreen (Theme, Explorer, and Camp Moody)
• a change of clothes to keep at the center in case of accidents;
• a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated
• an insulated lunchbox with an ice pack for items that need to remain cold or sack lunch (no microwave meals);
• For Kinder Camp nap time, please bring a waterproof sleeping bag or mat, blanket, pillow, and something to contain these items
• sun protection (hat, sunscreen) for being outdoors
• a bag for their belongings

All items need to be labeled.

Summer Food Programs collaborate with the EAC Y to provide children with free lunch (at selected schools). Understand that Extend-A-Care YMCA staff members are not responsible for the nutritional value or for meeting the child’s daily food needs for the meal provided by this vendor. The summer food meals are optional to parents. These meals are either provided by the school district or Central Texas Food Bank at selected camps that qualify for the meal programs. 

Swim wear will be sent home to wash every Friday.

Children should wear casual clothing that is appropriate to do art projects and daily activities. Children need comfortable, secure tennis shoes for safety. Sandals, flip-flops and Heelys (shoes with wheels) are not allowed.

DO NOT send money, toys, or other personal belongings with your child. EAC Y does not allow children to carry any electronic devices, such as cell phones, Gameboys, Playstation Portable Devices, during operational hours.

EAC Y is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Your camper should have a labelled backpack/bag to keep all of his/her/their belongings inside. Please label all of your child’s belongings, and make sure to take everything belonging to your camper home with you weekly.

Our ratios are smaller than state licensing requirements. Extend-A-Care YMCA centers are group child care facilities and are not in the business of providing individual one-on-one child care. (Exceptions include: injuries, immediate disciplinary issues, and certain personal care needs customarily provided to all children).

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the EAC YMCA at EACY@AustinYMCA.org.

EAC Y Camp is open to ALL children, and the YMCA will work with children of all abilities. Parents have a duty to disclose significant medical, physical, or behavioral needs at the time of enrollment.

Extend-A-Care YMCA will make reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities unless taking such steps would fundamentally alter the nature of its services, programs, or activities, or would result in an undue burden or hardship on Extend-A-Care YMCA.

To better serve your child, please allow extra processing time for EAC Y staff to conduct an individual assessment. The purpose of an assessment is to determine if the program design and staff can meet the needs of the child.

Extend-A-Care YMCA centers are group child care facilities and are not in the business of providing individual one-on-one child care. This type of program may not be suitable for some children due to their need for individual care or attention, aversion to loud and/or busy settings.

Please make sure to check the boxes for special needs and/or allergies on the enrollment forms. There is a line on the form to include details about your child’s allergy or special condition. Please keep in mind that Y staff cannot be with a child one-on-one as camp operates in a large group format. If you have questions about this, then please email Extend-A-Care YMCA or the Program Director over the camp. 

Our licensing requires that children enrolled in our programs who have indicated food allergies have a Food Allergy Emergency Plan prepared by their health care professional before they can attend. 

This Food Allergy Emergency Plan must:

1)   List your child’s full name and date of birth

2)   List each food your child is allergic to, possible symptoms if exposed to the food on the list, and the steps to take if your child has an allergic reaction

3)  Be signed and dated by your health care professional

4)  Be signed and dated by you

If you are an Afterschool participant and we already have a copy of your allergy plan for this year, then you do not need to submit a new form for summer camps.

The allergy plan must be renewed every year. 

Most health care professionals have their own format for this information, which we can accept as long as it meets the above criteria. If you need a copy of the form, we are happy to provide you with one. Just call us at 512-236-9622 or email us. Please email the allergy form to Extend-A-Care YMCA. 

YMCA of Austin programs and activities are designed to benefit persons of all backgrounds, and fees are based on the cost of providing each program. While participants are expected to pay their fair share, when financial assistance dollars are available, the EAC Y will assist any individual or family that wants to participate but cannot afford the fee.

Financial Assistance is awarded on a first come, first served basis. Only completed applications will be accepted and reviewed. Funds are limited, and we recommend applying early.

We require a completed camp application form, 2 recent pay stubs, and enrollment with Workforce/CCS (to be placed on their waitlist). Camp Registration forms can be found on the camp webpage.

For any questions about Financial Assistance, contact EACYMCA@AustinYMCA.org.

Registration fees and camp deposit(s) are non-refundable, non-transferable when you submit a cancellation request. Cancellation and transfer requests must be submitted to the EAC Y Customer Service team at least 13 calendar days prior to the start of camp. Make sure to use our online cancellation form or transfer request form. These requests can take 3-5 days to complete. Transfers subject to availability.

Cancellation and transfer requests submitted less than 13 calendar days prior to the start of camp will incur a cancellation fee of $25 and/or a transfer fee of $10.

Cancellation or transfer requests will not be accepted on or after the Tuesday before the start of the camp session. No refunds will be given. You will be held responsible for the full amount of camp fees, regardless of whether or not your child attends camp.

Cancellation form links will become available closer to the start of camp. 

We do our best to ensure that we can provide childcare to as many families as possible, while also keeping the safety of the children in mind in accordance with site capacities set by the Department of Health. If a camp is at capacity, we will recommend another camp nearby that still has space. 

If you are not interested in attending an alternate camp location, you may be added to a waitlist. Spaces become available for a variety of reasons including cancellations. Spaces are offered to those on the waitlist on a first come, first served basis. Spaces are not guaranteed for those on the waitlist and registration will be pending available space for all programs.

The best guarantee of getting a spot at your preferred camp is registering early. 

Our Site Leads and Youth Development Leaders are passionate about their role in your child’s life while at the EAC Y, and we welcome communication with parents. Please feel free to share any questions, suggestions, allergy information, etc. for your child to any on-site camp staff.

Additionally, the phone number and email address of the Program Director for camp will be listed on your Summer Camp Welcome Packet and available online. The camp webpage will also have contact details for your EAC Y camp’s Program Director. 

Having our camps at schools grants us more space for activities with use of the cafeteria, playground, gym, and classrooms to enhance the curriculum and schedule we have planned for the kids’ enjoyment. The schools we use for camp are also used for some of our Afterschool sites, so we are familiar with them and their wonderful staff. 

Most of the Y branches don’t provide a lot of space for our camps, unfortunately. At schools we are also able to operate camp without interfering with members who want to work out and swim. 

The EAC Y contracts with local school districts and use their buses and drivers for transportation to transport the camps to their swim and field trip locations.