Ages 6-10 CampAbility Day Camp

NEW SESSION COMING IN 2025! Application opens on Wednesday, March 5!

CampAbility is a brand new Day Camp experience designed for elementary-aged students who need some extra help to attend a camp session successfully. Some form of school experience is required, and this session is designed for children who receive services through an IEP and are unable to attend camp independently as a day camper or overnight camper. Campers will experience many of the same activities they would encounter at a traditional camp session – worship, Bible experiences, boat rides, crafts, games, and lots of fun – but geared to serve each child’s specific needs.  Every camper will have a 1:1 buddy to partner with them for the full day and will experience a personal schedule designed just for them.  Please note that due to the special nature of this session, there will be no swimming at CampAbility.

Your CampAbility registration also includes participation in a Parent Respite Day designed to allow YOU to enjoy a variety of options for fun and refreshment apart from your camper. Options may include self-care, nature and recreational activities, quiet time, worship and prayer opportunities, and a special lunch just for you! This option provides your child with an independent camp experience while also offering you peace of mind as you are readily available should a need arise.

To apply for the program, click the registration link on this page. APPLICATION DOES NOT GUARANTEE A SPOT IN THE PROGRAM. After your application is reviewed, you will be contacted with further instructions and will be notified as to whether or not your camper has been accepted into the program.

Note: This is a Camp Side session, located at 114 SR 3, Lakeville, OH 44638

Buddies

Buddies are volunteers, and each buddy ages 18+ is required to pass a background check through the camp. Two options are available for selecting your child's buddy:

1) Bring a Buddy: If your camper has a pre-existing relationship with someone who would be interested in serving as their buddy for the day, please contact Cindy Herpolsheimer for more information and to receive the buddy registration link. All buddies are required to pre-register no later than two weeks prior to the program. In order to ensure an independent experience for the child and a time of respite for the parent, we highly discourage parents from attending as their child's buddy.

2) Assign a Buddy: A limited number of volunteers will be attending the session who do not have a pre-established relationship with a camper. These volunteer buddies will be assigned to campers who do not bring their own buddy.

Application

Submission of the application does NOT guarantee acceptance into the program. CampAbility operates with a volunteer staff. These are not professional caregivers but rather caring individuals with a heart for serving our campers. Volunteers have their limitations, and we want to ensure we can give each camper accepted into the program a great camp experience. Therefore, the deans and camp management reserve the right to deny any applicant when they believe the volunteers are unable to accommodate an applicant’s needs after reviewing the application packet. We will let applicants know whether or not they are accepted into the program.

Due to the high ratio of volunteers to campers, enrollment is limited to 40 campers. We anticipate this session will fill up early, so we recommend registering as early as possible to secure a spot. Once all spots are filled, any further applicants will be given the option of being placed on a waiting list.