Take a look at the top 5 questions we are getting this week from parents LIKE you about camp LIKE Tumbleweed!
Do you still have space at Tumbleweed for this summer for my camper? IS THERE REALLY A WAITLIST?!
The answer is maybe... We group our campers by the grade they are going into in the fall. We are only at about 50% of our normal, non-COVID capacity so space is VERY limited. That being said, some groups are already full. Yes. Really.
What does that mean for you signing up now? Two things: Do not be afraid of the waitlist! We sometimes have to close down a week of registration online to prevent overbooking a group. If you are registering your child and only see that you can add them to a waitlist, PUT THEM ON THE WAITLIST. There might actually be a spot for them, but we cannot help you if you do not do the waitlist. AND the waitlist does not cost you anything! The other thing to remember is that even if there is a waitlist, we are almost three months out from the start of camp - other campers' schedules are going to change, there will be openings. Being this far out from the summer also means that we might be able to open more groups, add more kids, and your child, because you sign into the waitlist, will be first in line for that group!
Moral of the story - SIGN UP EVEN IF IT SAYS WAITLIST!
What do kids do all day at camp?
So much! Everything that we do at Tumbleweed, from the moment campers arrive to when they go home is intentionally designed to create communities where they feel like they belong. We do A TON of different activities, but what makes Tumbleweed special, and "what they are doing all day", is all about making friends, exploring, trying new things, laughing, being in nature, and becoming happier people.
Campers arrive at camp from around 9 in the morning and stay until around 4pm in the afternoon. It is a long, fun filled day! Campers start their morning with their groups for some structured free play, then head over to one of our many assembly areas to get excited for the day. After assembly (it's called camp fire at Tumbleweed North and Round UP at Tumbleweed South), they head to their first of six activities. Our activity periods are about an hour long and change day to day. The only thing we do every day is swimming. To take a look at some of the activities we do, check out our activities page here. Each group goes to all the activities at least once if not two or three times throughout the week. Groups go to the activities together and often have a lot of choice within the various activities areas - for instance, at the game room, they can choose between different board games, card games, air hockey, camp crafts, basketball, or even just hanging out and reading. Lunch happens in the middle of the day (you provide lunch) and we wrap up the day with a camp provided snack (it's popsicles on Thursdays and Fridays) and afternoon assemble.
Do you offer transportation?
We will have some transportation this summer but we are not sure exactly where our buses will be going. We are fairly confident that we will have stops in the Mid-City / Hancock Park area and the Valley. As of right now, the number of people we can have on a bus is very limited, and so we are hoping that as we get closer to the summer, we will see restriction loosen and be able to have more kiddos on buses. For a look at where we might have stops this summer, check out our transportation page.
What age do you start at? Is my 5-year-old too young?
We start at 4 years old, so no, 5 and 6 year olds are just right for camp. You will know if your child is ready for camp if they are bathroom independent, are able to communicate their needs, ask lots of questions, and have experience in a group or class setting before. We know that many of our younger campers are still resting in the afternoons. We do not have a nap time or rest time at camp, so starting to work on that nap and bedtime routine now will help you in the summer. If you feel like you are unsure if your child is too young for camp, give us a call at 310-472-7474 or check out camp at a private tour and we can work directly with you!
How big is camp? How many other kids are in my child's group?
For this summer, camp is actually going to only be 50% of our normal, non-COVID size. We will have 12 groups total, 6 at North and 6 at South. Each group has up to 14 children in the group and two counselors. We like to keep our camper to staff ratio small. When groups go to high risk areas, like the pool or ropes course, we have additional specially trained staff in those areas. You camper will experience Tumbleweed through the small group view, so even when we usually have over 300 campers on site, your camper's little group will feel comfortable, familiar, and welcoming.
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