Information for Parents
Guía para PadresA typical day at camp:
| Ages 4-9 | Pre-Teens and Teens | |
| 8-9 a.m. | Early Drop-Off | |
| 8:45-9 a.m. | Arrive at the Banana Factory! | |
| 9 a.m. | Morning welcome and head to the classroom! | |
| 9:05-10:15 a.m. | Painting portraits with Ms. Emily | Intro to Wheel-throwing with Ms. Gabby |
| 10:15-10:45 a.m. | Outdoor recess for snack break and play. | |
| 10:45-12 p.m. | Recycled Sculptures with Mr. David | |
| 12-12:30 p.m. | Lunchtime! | |
| 12:30-1:45 p.m. | Mixed Media Landscapes with Ms. Nasia | Cartooning and Anime with Ms. Cotty |
| 1:45-2:15 p.m. | Outdoor recess for snack break and play. | |
| 2:15-3:30 p.m. | Modeling Clay Creatures with Ms. Jackie | |
| 3:30 p.m. | End of the camp day! | |
| 3:30-6 p.m. | Extended Hours | |
Lunch and Recess Breaks
Full-day campers will have a 30-minute break for lunch from 12:00-12:30. Campers enrolled in a full day of camp should bring a bagged lunch—please note that we cannot provide refrigeration or microwaves for lunches. Teenagers will no longer be permitted to leave campus for lunch, with or without parent permission.
Campers in the 4-6 and 7-9 age groups will take a 30-minute break that includes time for a snack. Pre-teens and teens generally take breaks at the discretion of their instructors. Students should pack a snack for each session they attend. We also recommend that campers bring their own refillable water bottles to stay hydrated throughout the day!
ATTENTION: We are a tree nut and peanut-free camp. Please do not bring peanut butter, nuts or food made with these products to the Banana Factory Arts Center as a precaution for those with allergies. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Friday “Field Trip”
Every Friday afternoon of camp, campers ages 4-9 get to explore the Banana Factory building and get a better idea of everything else that goes on here—activities will change from week to week, but over the course of the summer they’ll visit our galleries, meet some of our Resident Artists, and take a trip to our Hot Glass Studio!
Friday Art Party
Join us at 3:30 p.m. on the last day of the camp week for the Art Party! The Art Party is an exhibition of artwork that campers created throughout the week—admire your child’s artwork, have a snack, and get to meet some of your child’s instructors or the new friends they made this week. When you’re ready to go, you can take their artwork off the walls and take it home with you—don’t forget their backpacks and lunch boxes when you go!
Morning-only campers are welcome to return for the Art Party, but not required to—if you don’t plan on coming back, you can take all their artwork with you at pick-up on Friday!
Early Drop-Off and Extended Hours
Busy parents can extend the camp day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to better accommodate their work schedules. Early Drop-Off and Extended Hours is unstructured time supervised by camp staff—campers can play with our selection of toys and games or bring in activities from home to keep entertained. (These personal items should stay in backpacks during the rest of the camp day, including lunchtime.)
Early Drop-Off and Extended Hours take place in Banko Gallery unless otherwise noted. Early drop-off campers should enter via the lobby off of Crayola Gallery as usual, however during Extended Hours campers can get picked up directly from Banko Gallery.
Before registering for Extended Hours, please be aware that campers ages 13+ may sign themselves in and out of camp with parent permission.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures
Drop-off and pick-up will take place in the lobby outside of Crayola Gallery. This is easiest to access via the building entrance at the southern end of the Banana Factory parking lot. (The end closest to 3rd St.) On your first day of camp, we recommend that you arrive 15 minutes early. All children under the age of 13 must be signed in and out by a parent or guardian. Children aged 13+ may sign themselves in and out with parent/guardian permission, which you can do via the Emergency Contact Form.
ArtsQuest will not release your child to anyone not listed on the Authorized Pick-Up list on the Emergency Contact Form. Please be prepared to show your ID at pick-up every day of camp.
Please pick your child up promptly at the end of their camp session. If you are more than 15 minutes early dropping off or more than 15 minutes late picking up your child, you will be required to pay for a single day of Early Drop-Off/Extended Hours, which you can do at the front desk. Campers staying for Extended Hours should be picked up directly from Crayola Gallery.
If you have changes to your authorized pick-up list or need to pick up or drop off your camper early, please provide camp staff with a written and signed note at drop-off detailing the changes.
Attire
Our camps are fun and artsy, and while aprons are available, we encourage campers to come to camp dressed to make a mess. All campers receive a camp t-shirt on their first day of camp, though they are not required to wear it! The building is air conditioned, but temperatures may vary between classrooms, and campers may go outside during breaks (weather permitting.) As such, we recommend wearing or bringing layers to ensure your child stays comfortable! For safety reasons, sneakers or supportive footwear is required—no flip flops please.
For teens registered for Hot Glass Studio Intensives, please scroll for additional information on what to wear.
Materials
Materials are included in the price of all classes unless otherwise indicated.
Personal Items
ArtsQuest is not responsible for lost or stolen personal items. Students are not permitted to use personal items during camp class time. This includes toys, phones, tablets, and other electronic devices. If your teen or pre-teen is enrolled in a Studio Intensive that makes use of iPads, they may bring their personal iPad from home with parent/guardian approval. All materials are provided unless otherwise specified in a class description.
We encourage you to label your child’s water bottle, lunch box, backpack, and any other personal items they bring with them to camp. Forgotten items will be kept in a lost and found bin in Banko Gallery throughout the summer—please see a camp staff member for access throughout the week. Forgotten art and items left in the lost and found after the end of the final camp week will be held for 30 days, after which they will be discarded.
Hot Glass
Teens registered for a Hot Glass Studio Intensive must have a waiver signed by a parent/guardian before participating in the class. Please also ensure that your child drinks lots of water before, during, and after camp each day. Campers must follow the clothing requirements below to ensure everyone’s safety:
- No open-toe shoes, sandals, slippers or other inappropriate footwear. Students must wear closed-toe shoes with sturdy soles (sneakers, boots, etc.).
- Students should wear cotton clothing or other natural fibers (no synthetic fibers).
- Long pants are suggested; shorts are allowed but must be long enough to cover the knees.
- Eye protection is mandatory. You can bring your own safety glasses or the studio will provide a pair.
- Long hair must be tied back.
Clay Studio Intensives
If your pre-teen or teen is taking a ceramics or pottery studio intensive, please be aware that the process does not end on the last day of their camp week! After camp ends, their artwork still must do the following:
- Dry. Giving clay time to dry out makes it much less likely for work to get damaged or destroyed when it is fired.
- Bisque-Fire. The clay artworks will get fired (baked) in one of our kilns. When it comes out it will have hardened. Some students may want to end the process here, but please be aware that any ceramics that have only been bisque-fired will not be food-safe.
- Glaze. This step is when students get to “paint” their ceramics. Each studio intensive will have two different options to return to the Banana Factory to glaze. If your child is unable to attend, an instructor can glaze their work on the student’s behalf.
- Glaze Fire. After their work is glazed, it must get fired one final time. After this firing, their work is complete. You will be notified via email when it is ready for pick-up at the Banana Factory.
Frequently Asked Questions
My child is a very skilled artist! Can I sign them up for an older age group?
Summer Art Camp is a social experience as well as a creative one—campers are grouped by age rather than skill so they can connect with and form friendships with their peers. All classes are designed to provide age-appropriate projects, themes, and techniques. Please sign your child up for the correct age group.
My child is attending camp with a friend. Can they be in the same class?
- For campers in the 4-6 or 7-9 age groups, please note when completing the Emergency Contact Form that they would like to stay together during camp and camp staff will do their best to accommodate them if those age groups get divided.
- Pre-Teen and Teen Studio Intensives do not get split into smaller groups. If you sign them up for the same intensive, they will be in the same class.
My child has an aide, TSS, or one-to-one support person at school. Can they attend camp?
Yes! If your child needs one-to-one support to succeed at camp, they must attend with their support worker. Parents are not permitted to attend camp in place of support workers. Before the start of camp, please submit the support worker’s Child Abuse Clearances to Elena Ostock at eostock@artsquest.org.
Can my child sign themselves in and out of camp?
Campers ages 13 and up can sign themselves in and out of camp with parent permission. You will indicate if they are allowed to sign themselves in and out when you complete the Emergency Contact Form. Campers ages 12 and under must be signed out by an Authorized Pick-Up Person as listed on the Emergency Contact Form. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact Elena Ostock at eostock@artsquest.org.
Are there scholarship opportunities?
ArtsQuest welcomes everyone to participate in summer camp regardless of financial circumstances. Scholarship assistance is available for those who qualify based on financial need. Financial aid is awarded on a sliding scale based on need. Please submit scholarship applications no later than June 3, 2024 in order to use your scholarship towards Summer Art Camp. Apply here: artsquest.org/scholarships
Can I sign my child up for a single day of camp?
We do not offer the option to register for a partial week of camp. If you are interested in trying a shorter week of camp, we recommend registering for Week 4 or Week 8, as those weeks have already been shortened.
What kind of art will campers ages 4-9 make? Are there themes?
Our youngest campers can expect to do several different projects over the course of each week. They will explore both 2D and 3D mediums and learn new artistic processes that allow them to create art that is unique to them! Summer Art Camp does not follow specific themes and encourages process-oriented art making. As Teaching Artists confirm their lesson plans, topics, and mediums for each week of Summer Art Camp, the web listing for each camp will be updated accordingly.
My child is shy or gets overstimulated easily and I’m worried they’ll have a hard time at drop-off. What can I do?
- Drop-off and pick-up times are the busiest times at camp, so this may be the most stressful time for them. Some parents intentionally arrive 5 minutes late for camp so that their campers can come in to a calmer environment. A visit to our Sensory Space can also help overstimulated campers ease into the camp day.
- Join us on April 14th for the Summer Art Camp Open House so they can visit the building and meet some of our camp staff ahead of time! This may help them feel more comfortable when they arrive on the first day of camp. If you miss the Open House, you can still stop into the Banana Factory any time during the building’s open hours to explore.
I’m not getting the appropriate discount when I try to check out!
- If you should be receiving the ArtsQuest Member discount, please double check that you are logged into the account linked to your ArtsQuest Membership before you put a camp in your cart. If you are still having trouble, please contact us at 610-332-1300 and select option 4 to receive assistance.
- If you should be receiving a multi-camp discount, please double check that you are logged into an account that has previously made a camp purchase in 2024 before you put a camp into your cart. If you are still having trouble, please contact us at 610-332-1300, and select option 2 to receive assistance.
- If you are having trouble logging into your AudienceView account, you can email info@artsquest.org to reset your password.
My child has an inhaler, epi-pen, or other emergency medication. What do I do?
When you register for camp, your confirmation email will include a link to the Emergency Contact Form. When filling that form out, please let us know what medications they will bring with them to camp, what might trigger the need for that medication, and symptoms to watch for. This information will be shared with all camp staff so they will be prepared in case of emergency.
Please bring epi-pens, inhalers, or emergency medications to camp in a sealable plastic bag clearly labelled with your child’s name. You may choose to have your child carry their medication with them throughout the day, or to have store it in a safe location that is easily accessible in the event of an emergency.
If you have additional questions or would like clarification on our medication policies, please contact Elena Ostock at eostock@artsquest.org
