ZoomDance Summer Camp 2024
Dates: July 8 – August 30
Ages: 3-8 years (children need to be fully potty-trained)
Hours: program 9am-3pm, extra care 8:30am-5pm
Location: 756 S. 11th Street
We still have spots available each week:
Interested in working at summer camp? Know someone who works with kids? Learn more here:
Program
At ZoomDance Camp there’s plenty of opportunity for all kids to expend energy, express themselves and find something new they love.
Mornings are spent exploring a variety of different movement classes, group activities, art projects and dancing. Each day will feature ZoomDance curriculum and games centered around our favorite stories within the weekly theme. There will also be themed invitations for the kids to create and engage during freeplay times, including dress up, fort-building, tactile bins, calm zones, art projects and pretending.
Afternoons we have picnic-style lunch, quiet rest and reading time, playground or park trips, and weekly water play. We’ll finish the day with big group movement games, an obstacle course, or community circle time.
Our low teacher-to-child ratio means plenty of personalized attention and a great environment for young children and even for a first camp or drop-off experience. Parents receive photos and activity updates regularly.
Our location by 11th & Fitzwater gives great access to outdoor playgrounds and parks. Inside we have gross motor space and two big classrooms, giving us plenty of room to run and play and dance.
During many classes, kids are separated by age range for specialized instruction. Other times we have mixed age groups, allowing for expansive play and opportunity to connect and help one another.
Weekly Themes
July 8-12: Blast Off to Space
Build rocket ships, soar amongst the stars, and explore new planets in this action-packed week. We’ll learn some cool facts about outer space and talk about amazing astronauts like Mae Jemison.
July 15-19: Pop Star Week
This week is all about being yourself, following your heart, and dancing to your own beat. Dress up, singing, dancing, performing, and of course, sparkles! Taylor Swift will be featured, but we’ll introduce lots of artists and make our own music, too.
July 22-26: Dragon Science Academy
What’s more fun than pretending to be a fire-breathing dragon? Being a dragon who makes exploding volcanoes, clearly! This week will dial up curiosity and imagination as our dragons conduct playful experiments and show off their flying skills in dragon games.
July 29-August 2: Safari Expedition
Calling all animal lovers! Get ready for a rollicking jungle party and dancing like wild creatures. We’ll weave in themes on conservation and endangered species and we’ll make habitats for the camper's stuffies.
August 5-9: Olympic Champions
Physical feats, obstacle courses, and tons of teamwork. We’ll play games and invent our own. Campers will also learn about a few of this year’s Olympic athletes and their countries.
August 12-16: Mission Impossible
Secret spies, this is your moment! We’ll turn on our keen observation skills and practice rolls, dodges, sneaking, and building hidden forts. Are we clever enough to solve the mystery?
August 19-23: Winter Wonderland
Come join us as we dance our way through a magical ice castle, sculpt our friends into ice statues, have snowball fights, and make sparkly fluffy snow slime. We’ll learn about animal behaviors in the cold and talk about climate activist Greta Thunberg.
August 26-30: Construction Zone
We’ll build our own city this week! Inspired by cranes, excavators, and bulldozers, we’ll make dances and human machines, play in a giant ball pit, work together to build a human pyramid, and explore our local neighborhood.
The ZoomDance Team
At ZoomDance Camp, energetic, compassionate professionals are with your kids all day, every day. All our teachers are trained extensively and have worked in early childhood education for years. Our counselors are chosen carefully and trained thoroughly. From the entire team you can expect high-quality instruction, creativity and attuned energy.
We value a respectful, empathetic connection with the children so that everyone is included and important. We strive to create a space for people of all bodies, abilities, races, ethnicities and genders to feel welcome and loved and celebrated. Our staff embodies this, too.
Enrollment
- Programming is from 9am-3pm daily, with early drop off at 8:30am ($7/day) and after care until 5pm ($20/day).
- When you enroll, you’ll select which weeks of camp to attend.
- Early and late care can be booked at the time of registration or can be added later, up until a week prior to your camp. You’ll be able to select which days you need extra hours; you don’t have to choose the same schedule each day. Any care booked less than a week in advance is only space-permitting, and is $7/morning, $20/ afternoon.
- Registrations are for a full week at a time. We do not offer drop-ins.
- Exception: Younger siblings may enroll in half-day or partial-week camp if the older sibling has registered for the full week / full days.
- Half day: 9am-12pm (or extend to 1pm pickup for $10/day more).
- Partial week: You’ll select which days to attend.
In order for us to properly prepare for each week’s group, registration will close the Monday prior to the start of each new camp week. We do anticipate filling up many weeks this year.
Investment
Summer Camp
Weekly (9am-3pm) | $425 |
10% sibling discount for each additional kid.
Payments plans are available as an option during registration.
Extended Care
Morning (8:30am drop off) | $7/day |
Afternoon (3pm-5pm) | $20/day |
* This can be added later after registration, up until one week prior to your camp week, then it is only space-permitting and is $9/morning, $25/afternoon.
Scholarships
We never want cost to be the reason a child isn't dancing with us and have again budgeted to make scholarship funds available. Contact us to work out an arrangement for your family.
Payment Plans
At registration you'll have the option to pay just a deposit for each week. The balance will be charged automatically on May 1st. Reach out if you need to establish a different payment plan with us.
Commitment to Supporting Families
- We have a scholarship fund available to families whose budget doesn’t match the rate we need to ask this year. Please reach out to our director, Sarah Gladwin Camp. No application or financial information is requested.
- If you are in a position to help support our scholarship program, please also reach out!
- We send regular updates and photos of our camp activities so parents can see what we’re learning and playing.
- Our goal is clear, direct, accessible communication.
- If there are any specific things your child is working through right now, please tell us ahead of time so we know how to best support them. Everyone is always working on something, and that includes us!
Commitment to Supporting Teachers
Teachers are the heart of our program. To attract and retain the very best staff, we want to take great care of them so they take great care of your family!
- Competitive pay rates
- Stocking daily snacks and drinks just for staff
- Providing lunch on all training days
- Creating a safe and supportive work environment
- Paying (as always) for all time with ZoomDance, including training, set up, prep, cleaning, meetings, and any additional work outside camp hours. This will include extra training needed in order to make sure everyone understands and is able to comply with all health and safety policies.
Accessibility
- If your child has any disabilities relevant to our time with them, please let us know so we can prepare and make a plan in collaboration with you to best support them.
- Does your child plan to attend with a direct service provider full or part time?
- Our camp classrooms are on the second floor up a straight set of stairs. If your child uses a mobility device or for any reason cannot traverse stairs independently, let’s figure out a workaround. Our walk to the park or playground has curb cuts the whole way, though it is along Philadelphia sidewalk terrain.
- Does your family need our communications in a language other than English? Do you prefer verbal or written communication? If your child is not comfortable speaking or understanding information in English while at camp, please reach out and let's see what we can do.
Social Justice and Our Community
ZoomDance has always been committed to creating a space for people of all bodies, abilities, races, ethnicities and genders to feel they belong and are celebrated. Here's some of our current work:
- Decolonizing our bookshelf, providing an expansive vision of voice and representation
- Practicing listening, supporting and including all voices
- Recognizing, respecting and appreciating all genders, races, bodies and (dis)abilities
- Talking about community helpers (firefighters, social workers, nurses, scientists, climate advocates, etc.)
- Discussing gratefulness and how to show/share it
- Hiring staff who reflect the diversity of our community
- Putting in place a system of mutual accountability and growth around social justice and anti-racism for our team
- Building a robust scholarship program with easy access
COVID-19 Safety (and other infectious diseases)
ZoomDance will be adhering to or exceeding all CDC guidelines for working with young kids, as well as following any additional parameters in place in the city of Philadelphia. We will continue monitoring any changes to recommendations and adjusting as needed, always with clear communication here on our site and sent directly to enrolled families.
- Children will need to show proof of vaccinations to attend camp.
- Based on the most recent information about COVID-19 and other infection disease rates in Philadelphia, we have decided ZoomDance camp will be mask optional. We will fully support any family who chooses for their child to mask.
- We will engage in frequent hand washing for children and adults, especially on arrival, when using the bathroom, and before eating.
- We will be spending lots of time outdoors. We have chosen a location well-situated between local parks and playgrounds.
- We will be using HEPA air filters throughout the space.
- We have specialized cleaning products as recommended by the CDC to comply with cleaning and sanitizing guidelines. Cleaning and sanitizing will happen throughout the day on high-touch surfaces, shared materials, bathrooms, etc. Thorough cleaning of the space will take place every evening as well.
- We have clear policies, in compliance with CDC guidelines, on our response to COVID exposure, including isolating children or adults with symptoms, alerting all families, and shutting down for quarantine as necessary.
- We will institute extra staff training as needed in order to make sure all staff understand and are able to comply with all health and safety policies.
What to Bring
The cost of ZoomDance camp includes a daily snack and any supplies needed. Families should pack their own lunch each day.
Children should wear clothes for moving around comfortably in classes and playing in the park. We might get messy some days!
For all children we recommend a change of clothing, a water bottle, and a backpack to keep their things in.
Please send a blanket and yoga mat, rest mat, or similar for rest time.
**Anything they bring should be labeled with their name.**
Cancelation Policy
- Families may cancel before May 1st and receive a full refund, minus $50 admin fee per week.
- Cancellations up until 3 weeks prior to your camp week are eligible for a 75% refund.
Policies
- All children need to have proof of vaccinations, and be up to date on boosters.
- Children must be fully potty trained to attend ZoomDance Summer Camp. We do not have facilities or staff to handle diapering needs.
- Our camp fees reflect our values around hiring quality staff and paying them well. Scholarships will be available as we continue our commitment to giving access to any family whose child is excited to be part of our program! Please reach out directly, there is no formal application.
- Our staff is trained and particularly tuned in to kids’ social/emotional needs, and our curriculum and community building are intentional in talking about inclusivity and social justice.
- We follow or exceed all CDC and school guidelines for health, safety, and cleaning. Based on the most recent information about COVID-19 rates in Philadelphia, ZoomDance camp will be mask optional. We will fully support any family who chooses for their child to mask.
- For our full set of COVID-19 policies, and safety protocols please visit this page: COVID-19.
- Families may cancel their registration before May 1st and receive a full refund, minus $50 admin fee/week. Cancelations up until 3 weeks prior to your camp week are eligible for 75% refund.
Questions?
Email camp@zoomdance.org or call (215) 326-9613