2025 SUMMER CAMP!​

​​​JOIN US FOR A SUMMER OF EXPLORATION, ADVENTURE & FUN!

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Camp will be held primarily outdoors on our beautiful 152 acre property. Our facilities include a picnic grove, recreation field, covered pavilion, fire circles, private hiking trails, raingarden, butterfly garden, vegetable & herb garden, bird feeding station and a clear mountain brook.

Our mission is to create a safe and supportive space for campers to express themselves, build confidence and social skills, grow friendships - and learn some cool science along the way. By engaging campers in outdoor learning, we strive to provide them with an unforgettable experience and a lifelong connection to the natural world around them.

Each day incorporates fun and immersive experiences and a variety of nature-based activities, and incorporates mindfulness and sensory awareness. Our explorations, adventures, hikes, arts & crafts projects, and field and forest games incorporate STEM concepts and focus on the local ecology, flora and fauna. Twice a week, campers will also cool off with a swim in the adjacent Highlands Natural Pool.

​Camp is rain or shine; in inclement weather we'll take cover in the pavilion or move the fun inside to our large main room or classrooms.​​

See below for details and pricing

​Weekly Themes

Week 1 (Jul 21-25): Wilderness Explorers
Calling all wilderness explorers! Whether you’re a survival enthusiast or a newbie, this week will help you to feel more comfortable in the outdoors as you learn skills in areas such as hiking, navigation, fire and shelter building, knot tying, first aid, swimming, and more. Grab your gear and join us on the trails! Campers will also have a blast with all their favorite Weis activities like hiking, campfires, swimming, and field games.

​Week 2 (Jul 28-Aug 1): Folklore in the Forest

Join us for a week of good-spirited storytelling! Folklore is a powerful tool that has been used to strengthen the connection between humanity and nature. Campers will discover a new appreciation for the outdoors and embrace their creative side through mindfulness and the arts. The forest has many stories to tell - and secrets to share with us! And of course it wouldn't be summer camp at Weis without favorite activities like hiking, nature crafts, a campfire, swimming, and field games.

Week 3 (Aug 4-8): Nature Lab
Campers will become a team of outdoor scientists for the week, as we engage in STEM experiments, and discover the wonders of the natural world. During the week, we will learn how to ask questions and draw conclusions about the using the scientific method. Crack open a geode, make a natural boat, track with GPS, use a dichotomous key, or make a new discovery. Campers will also have fun with Weis summer camp favorites such as hiking, a campfire, swimming, nature crafts and field games.

Week 4 (Aug 11-15): Time Travelers

Step into our outdoor time machine! We will search for clues that tell us about the history of the natural world around our Center. Rewind to the era when dinosaurs roamed the earth and freeze frame 20,000 years ago to the turning point of the last ice age. Throughout the week, we will explore topics such as evolution, adaptations, the geological time scale, and changes in weather and ecosystems. It will be a blast from the past!​ And of course we'll also enjoy traditional Weis summer favorites like hiking, a campfire, swimming, and playing some awesome field games.

Camp Classics - every week will include some of these favorite camp activities!

• Hike to viewpoints and old ruins
  
• Forage for berries, mint and other wild edibles
  
• Explore the babbling Blue Mine brook
  
• Learn how to 'Leave No Trace'
  
• Learn to ID local plants & animals
• Understanding lifecycles & metamorphosis
  
• Tend the vegetable, butterfly, and rain gardens
  
• Campfire and s'mores​
• Sit spots and nature journals
  
• Time spent in the secret "Hamlet"
  
• Swimming at the Highlands Natural Pool
  

Sample Daily Schedule (9:00am - 3:00pm)

9:00am - Camper drop off at the picnic grove and field games. Note: we cannot accommodate early drop-offs

9:30am - Daily welcome, review of the day ahead
10:00am - Weekly theme activity

12:00pm - Lunch; campers will eat at various outdoor locations around the property
12:30pm - Open rec time - field activities, arts & crafts, individual projects
1:00-2:30pm - M/W/F: 2nd daily theme activity; Tu/Th: swimming at the adjacent Highlands Natural Pool
2:30pm - Daily recap, sharing, nature journaling
3:00pm - Camper pickup; note: we cannot accommodate late pickups
Note: the schedule above may be rearranged or updated to accommodate the weather, site conditions and special guests​​

The New Weis Center for Education, Arts & Recreation  |  150 Snake Den Road, Ringwood, NJ 07456  |  973-835-2160

Owned and operated by the Highlands Nature Friends, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization

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​STAFF

• Camp Director & Health Director: Nicole Vaccaro; Counselors are trained adult Weis staff.
• Certified by the State to meet all NJ Department of Health Youth Camp standards. Certificate #27106.
  
• Lead Counselors are CPR/AED and Wilderness First Aid certified.
  
• Low Counselor to Camper ratio 1:10 ratio provides a safe and attentive environment for all campers.​

CODE OF CONDUCT

• Campers are entitled to a safe and supportive environment while participating in summer camp. All campers are expected to follow our main rule of RESPECT: respect each other, respect the natural world, respect the leader (Counselor), and respect themselves.
  
• Fighting, physical contact (pushing, shoving, kicking, etc.), name-calling, harassment and bullying are not permitted under any circumstances.
  
• Campers must be willing and able to follow the Counselors' directions, stay with the group, and participate safely in activities.
  
• Campers who don't comply with camp policy will receive a warning and the Camp Director will discuss the situation with the parent/guardian. Repeat incidents may result in the camper being removed from all or part of their remaining registered days.**
  

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2025 CAMP FEES & DATES (per week, per camper)

Full Week (5 days/wk; Mon-Fri)

​   $370 - Standard

   $350 - Siblings & Multi-week

   $325 - Members*​

Partial Week (4 days/wk; days must be chosen in advance during registration)

​   $330 - 4 days, Standard

   $310 - 4 days, Siblings & Multi-week

   $290 - 4 days, Members*

​*Membership at the "Supporter" ($75) level or above is required to take advantage of camp discounts. Membership is a tax-deductible donation with year-round benefits, and is non-refundable. Not sure if you're a member? Contact Us or Join/Renew NOW!

​CAMP T-SHIRT (optional)
Please choose the size on the registration form and include an additional $20  with your payment if you would like a t-shirt. Shirts are short-sleeve "Safety Green" with The New Weis Center's logo on the front and "Nature Camp" on the back in dark green lettering.

REGISTRATION & PAYMENT
Payment in full is required to confirm your registration!

• We will send an email at least 2 weeks prior to the start of camp with a parent/guardian handbook, including what your child should bring and wear, directions for drop off and pick up, camp rules, and other useful information.
  
• A universal health form (or equivalent) signed by the parent/guardian and physician and latest vaccination record are required.
  

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​CANCELLATION & REFUNDS

• A $35 processing fee applies to ALL refunds.
  
• We cannot offer partial refunds if you miss a day; refunds due to major illness or family emergency will be assessed on a case-by-case basis​
  
• Refunds are not available after the registration deadline shown above.

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** We reserve the right to remove any child from camp without refund due to unacceptable behavior, and to reschedule or change programs as needed.​

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​​For kids entering 2nd-5th grade

Monday-Friday,  9:00am-3:00pm

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Register for all 4 weeks, or choose individual weeks!

Week 1 (Jul 21-25): ​Wilderness Explorers
Week 2 (Jul 28-Aug 1): Folklore in the Forest
Week 3 (Aug 4-8): ​Nature Lab
Week 4 (Aug 11-15): Time Travelers

We offer discounts for New Weis Center Members and Siblings!​​​