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At Shibley Day Camp, we provide fun family programming all year long as we prepare for the next summer to arrive. Why?

• We want to stay connected to our camp families and staff 12 months a year.
• We provide multiple opportunities for new campers to make friends, meet staff and acclimate to our camp environment.
• New camp parents have the opportunity to speak with veteran camp parents who can ease their concerns and answer questions from the parents’ perspective.
• Often times parents/guardians will run into other adults that they know but didn’t realize were also connected to Shibley.
• The more times a child/family comes to visit before camp begins, the more successful the transition to camp is when opening day arrives in June.

Nothing is quite as awesome as actual camp…but at Shibley you don’t have to wait ten months to get back to camp each year. We host year-round activities for our families and prospective families nearly every month between each summer.

Off-season Events for 2024-2025:

December 15 – Shibley Bingo for Shibley Prizes

Zoom at 5:00pm

January 11 – Winter Wonderland Crafts & Games

75 minute sessions at camp in person

9:15am, 11:00am & 12:45pm

February 9 – Pre-Super Bowl Crafts & Games

75 minute sessions at camp in person

9:15am, 11:00am & 12:45pm

March 1 – Family Outing to New York Islanders Game

12:30pm game at UBS Arena

More info/how to purchase tix coming soon…

March 22 – March Madness Crafts & Games

60 minute sessions at camp in person

April 19 – Family Outing to New York Mets Game

4:05pm – Citi Field

Email info@shibleydaycamp.com if you wish to purchase tix for this game – $50 per ticket.

April 26 – Open Picnic/Open Play for Earth Day

Families are invited to bring a picnic and enjoy our beautiful grounds from 10am to 2pm.

May 17 – Spring Festival for 2025 Shibley Families

Enrolled families are invited to enjoy camp activities and additional entertainment from 1pm to 4pm,

Shibley Shibley! My name is Jess Marback and I am thrilled to announce my new role at camp this summer as Junior Camp Athletic Director. I have been a part of the Shibley family for 12 years. The past eight summers I have been a group leader in Junior Camp encouraging children to try new activities and give it their best! Seeing the success in a child’s eyes is the most rewarding experience anyone can ever hope for.

I have an extensive background in athletics.  During my childhood and high school career, I played a variety of sports. As I got older, I predominantly played basketball and softball. My athletic career continued in college where I was the starting catcher at Post University in Connecticut.  I come from a family of five children, so competition is second nature to me.

During the summer I will create a safe, positive, nurturing, and empathetic environment for our youngest and newest athletes to develop their skills. I look forward to new tournaments, games, and fun activities for all junior campers.  I will focus on making sure each physical activity is fun and engaging for campers of all skill levels. We will work on teamwork and building self-confidence.  I’m a fan of the Yankees, Jets, and Rangers, but I love watching all the sports and all the teams with my family on the weekends.

During the school year I work as an educator at Weber Middle School, and I have three children, Lola, Georgia and Briar, of which two are attending camp this summer.  It is truly incredible to be able to see the growth and happiness that my children and all campers have at camp.  Nothing makes me happier than seeing them come off the bus smiling, happy and dirty!  Summer can’t come soon enough and I’m looking forward to working with all the new and returning campers!

Hello camp families!! It’s been two years since I wrote about my family’s introduction to sleepaway camp (Wow! Time flies!) and how we knew it was the right time to send them. Last I wrote (scroll down for original blog), my two older children were preparing to go to Camp Walt Whitman in New Hampshire. One for four weeks and the other for seven weeks. They were of course nervous, but the camp hosted some off-season gatherings to get them excited, break the ice and to meet other camp families.

I am happy to report that their first summer away was a huge success and they of course wanted to return. They came home with tons of new camp friends, new experiences to share, and best of all- self-growth and much needed independence!!  They both wanted to go back for the full summer and they even convinced my youngest to give it a shot for 4 weeks.

My little one is a home body and enjoyed his previous summer without siblings. He had mom and dad all to himself…was he really going to give that up to sleep in a cabin with 9 strangers? Yes! He did!! Summer 2024 he did a four-week session and absolutely loved every minute of it. He cried his eyes out the day he had to leave and come back home. Thankfully, he came right back to his Shibley family that immediately embraced him for the second half of the summer.   

My three children have very different personalities. We chose a co-ed camp so they would all be in the same place but still expect and encourage them to have their own experiences. That’s exactly what happened and they can’t wait to get back to camp for summer 2025. It’s a win/win for the entire family. My husband and I know our kids are busy and active, learning new life skills, having fun, staying off screens and being safe. And the kids are having a blast without any worries or noise from the outside world. It’s just pure joy every day.  

We are well into the school year but there is not a day that goes by that there is no mention of camp. Whether it’s a text from a bunk chat, a picture that pops up on Instagram or the clothing that they are wearing (they have a large Walt Whitman wardrobe/and awesome camp jibbitz), camp is always on their minds and in their hearts!!  

If you are considering a sleepaway camp for your child but you are not sure where to start-give me a call at camp!

Read my original sleepaway camp post: https://www.shibleydaycamp.com/is-my-child-ready-for-sleepaway/

Read more about our camps:  https://www.shibleydaycamp.com/thinking-about-sleepaway-camp/

Sleepaway Savings Account Info: https://www.shibleydaycamp.com/summer-camp/sleepaway-camp-savings-account/

 

Featured Article in Forest Hills Living

Camp directors are out promoting SUMMER camp at camp fairs, school events, community events and other family friendly venues already…but why do we start so early?

Of course, it is to our advantage for planning and budgeting purposes, but it is also to YOUR advantage as a parent to think about your child’s summer plans early on.

Campers Acclimate to Camp Staff and the Camp Property

Camps tend to host events throughout the year for their campers and prospective campers to attend. Some camps host these events on the camp property, and others will take over bowling alleys, arcades, etc. to hold camp reunions and open houses.

Each time the camper steps on the campgrounds or interacts with a veteran staff member, they are taking one step closer to a smooth transition on day one. It is extremely valuable for the child to know and recognize what the camp looks like, where their bunk or meeting area is and who they can ask for help when they need it.

Parents/Guardians and Camp Leadership Build Relationships

It is important that parents/guardians have complete trust in the camp staff responsible for keeping their children safe. Off-season events are excellent opportunities to meet veteran camp staff and leadership in-person and observe how they interact with your children. These interactions will reinforce your choice of program.

Enrolling early also allows you to complete camper profiles and medical information as soon as they are released by the camp. This gives camp leadership and the health care team time to read forms thoroughly and reach out to gather more information, as necessary.

Get a Head Start on Swimming

Camps that offer swimming will open or have access to their pools a few weeks before camp begins for training and inspections. Some will also offer pre-camp lessons on weekends so children who are new to swimming or nervous or just eager to improve their swimming skills can swim with camp lifeguards before camp begins.

Early Bird & Sibling Discounts

It is common for camps and summer programs to offer early bird discounts. Depending on the program, time of enrollment and age of children, camps can offer savings of up to $1000 or more per child. It is also typical for camps to offer discounts if multiple siblings attend. A later sign-up may mean one age group is available, but a second or third child’s age group may already be sold out.

Space is Limited

Many top-quality camps and summer programs sell out immediately upon opening registration or shortly after new families are invited to enroll. The demand is high, and families will recommend their favorite programs to their close friends leaving little room for new families to grab a spot for their child. Do your research now so if enrollment is not already open, you know when it will begin, and you do not miss out on your program of choice.

The more time you and your child can spend within the camp environment and around the camp staff before summer, the more prepared they (and you) will be for opening day.

We are happy to tell you about some updates to our year-round team:

Hayley Burrows is now Assistant Director at Shibley Day Camp. Hayley started at Shibley as a group leader in 2019 and became Junior Camp Director in 2021. She joined us full-time after that summer and hasn’t looked back. Hayley will continue to direct all aspects of Junior Camp. In addition, Hayley coordinates our incredible staff training, speaks and meets with new families, plans dynamic programming for our youngest campers and so much more! We are lucky to have her in this role!

Melissa Slansky, who happened to spend her first summer working together closely with Hayley as group leaders in our 1^st grade division, is now our Full-Time Program Director. Melissa was invited to be Hayley’s assistant director in Junior Camp for Summer 2022. She excelled and was invaluable in a part-time administrative role throughout the off seasons that followed. In this new role Melissa will direct our daily camp program, special events, off-season events and Shibley “street team” as we spread Shibley cheer throughout the local communities.

We are thrilled to have Melissa and Hayley working with us in these roles, and we hope you’ll congratulate them! (hayley@shibleydaycamp.com & melissa@shibleydaycamp.com)

Sincerely,

Heath & Randi