Looking for the best way to wrap up your summer? Look no further.
Family Camp at JCC Ranch Camp is a weekend of fun for the whole family. With family and youth programs throughout each day, it’s an unforgettable adventure no matter if you’re three or thirty years old. With activities throughout the weekend and adventures going into the night, it’s a great way to wind down summer and set in for the school year.
What does a weekend of camp look like for my family?
- Activities
- Housing
- Meals
- Day Only Option
Family Camp weekend is filled with activities and fun for everyone!
Families can expect to see and ride horses, play sports, go swimming, challenge themselves on the ropes course, meet our farm animals, do some art projects, and of course, sing some campfire songs and devour some s’mores.
Many activities are tiered out and planned for different ages of kids, so there will be age appropriate for each kid attending. If your family wants to stick together but has kids of vastly differing ages, you should plan on attending activities for your younger kid.
What does it look like for attendees?
Families should plan on arriving in the afternoon on Friday if they are staying for the whole weekend, or around 9 AM Saturday morning to get the most out of their weekend. On Friday night, we’ll have dinner followed by a short Shabbat service and dance session, and then an adult mixer in the evening with optional babysitting for kids ages three and up.
Saturday will consist of an early breakfast, morning alternative Shabbat services, our Family Camp Rodeo, adult trail rides, and a plethora of activities to float between. We’ll have some open activities in the afternoon, with dinner and a short Havdallah service at night, followed by a fun camp-led campfire. We’ll close the night again for parents/caregivers with an adult mixer and game night. Babysitting will be available again for kids three and up.
Sunday is a short day with breakfast, some open time for activities, and final riding times, and will wrap up around lunchtime. Lunch will be a grab-and-go bag lunch that can be eaten picnic-style at camp, or in the car on the way home.
Are there events for adults?
There are riding times specifically for adults that can be signed up for in the registration process. We’ve added a fee on to encourage parents/caregivers to show up for their riding time slot on time as well as to make sure they come appropriately dressed (pants, long socks, boots) and ready to ride. There is also the adult mixer each night and the open saloon on Saturday morning.
Cabins
Our camp cabins are perfect for large groups coming together for the weekend. There are about 10 beds in a cabin, with four of those beds being for ‘staff’ (a.k.a. parents/caregivers on this weekend) that have actual twin mattresses, and the remaining beds have normal, thin, waterproof, blue camp mattresses. We’re not able to provide mattress alternatives in cabins as the beds are pretty fixed in their positions for the summer, so if you are a taller individual or need a special mattress for your back, you may want to bring a mattress topper or consider alternate housing.
Cabins do not have in-unit bathrooms – there are shower houses nearby with private stall showers and bathroom amenities.
Cabins can be booked privately with larger groups or shared between multiple families.
Tiny Homes
A step up from our cabins goes into our 10’x20′ container homes. We’ve got 10 of these total and they’re super popular for the weekend. Each unit has a full/twin bunk bed setup and a built-in bathroom. This is perfect for a family of three or a family with two small kids who may be OK sharing a twin bed. A folding cot can be added to the room but does make the space very crowded! The community of homes surrounds a fire pit which makes for a great weekend of making friends with your neighbors.
Cottages
If you’re looking to take the camping out of ‘Family Camp’ cottages are our best option for you. Each cottage is a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment with a queen bed and cots for the kids. They are all a distance away from each other, providing a bit of privacy from the hustle and bustle of camp, and give a great space for getting away from it all for the weekend.
TASC Tents
Rewind! We’re going back to basics. If you’re looking for the authentic roughin’ it experience, the platform tents that make up our TASC village are the ‘creme de la creme’ of camping, but still provide a way to have a rustic weekend. With a private propane firepit, no electricity, and about a 100 yard walk to the bathrooms – this is the authentic way to experience the weekend.
All meals are included in the cost of the weekend and day fee! There are no extra charges for meals, snacks – anything basic need related!
We can handle a gamut of dietary needs which are noted at the end of our registration form. While we will do our best to accommodate specialized diets and specific dietary needs, such as gluten intolerance, vegetarian/vegan diets, or specific allergies, we cannot accommodate food preferences/desires or cook individualized meals for attendees who do not have dietary needs. If you or anyone in your food party has preferential diets, we encourage you to bring supplemental snacks that you can keep in your car or housing.
JCC Ranch Camp’s Dining Hall is a supervised Kosher facility. We request that attendees do not bring outside food into the dining hall to maintain kashrut within this space. All meals served will be prepared by staff familiar with Kosher regulation, and all food sourced for the weekend is certified Kosher.
If going away for the weekend is a little too crazy, we have a day only option available!
Registrants will get a taste of the weekend and the fun we’re having but it does not include the full experience. Adults cannot sign up for trail rides and there may be limited time for kids to experience all the programs camp has to offer.
Lunch and dinner are included for Saturday, and programs begin immediately at 9:00 AM and wrap up by 7:00 PM.
That’s awesome. What’s the registration process?
Registration Information
Registration is online and can be found in the link at the top of this page, as well as right here. Registration is through Jotform, and you’ll need an active phone number to confirm you’re a real person and complete the process. Registration should be painless and only be done for the party you are attending with – do not register two families together or you’ll break it!
Registration requires full payment for the weekend to secure your space.
Refunds, Cancellations and Transfers
There is a 48-hour window after registration where 100% of your payment is refundable. Accidents happen and we get it.
After that 48-hour window, your registration is held as follows:
March 1 – April 15: 50% of your payment is refundable. Family Camp fills incredibly quickly and requires a lot of administrative backend to manage the registration process. This payment reserve helps cover that cost.
April 15 – May 15: 25% of your payment is refundable. At this point we’ve reserved staff to stay on depending on your registration selections and the total number of registrations. Additionally, we’ve likely said no to other registrants at this point who may have made alternative plans if they were waitlisted.
After May 15: Registration is no longer refundable. At this point staff are hired and contracted through Family Camp, we’ve begun our summer season and have begun purchasing program supplies and food orders in to accommodate your family’s attendance.
Your registration and associated fees are nontransferable to other JCC or Ranch Camp programs.
Program Rules & Behavior Contract
JCC has the right to suspend and/or terminate a family’s ELS, camp, or program agreement due to disorderly, disruptive, or abusive conduct, illegal activities, or failure to abide by the individual program or Center’s policies, rules, and regulations.
This suspension or termination is extended to a student’s or camper’s behavior or parent/family member’s conduct leading to a breach of any provision of this Agreement, including failure to make any payment when due. Without limiting the foregoing, JCC shall have the right to suspend and/or terminate this Agreement if a student, camper, or parent/family member make disparaging statements (whether orally or in writing) about the business or operations of JCC or commences, threatens, organizes, or participates in (a) legal proceedings against JCC, its owner, or its operator, or (b) a picket, boycott, strike, or similar act against JCC. The JCC will provide a 30-day written notice to suspend and/or terminate a family’s school or camp contract unless conduct necessitates immediate termination of their contract.
Ranch Camp is my, and other children’s, home for the summer and I agree to make it a safe place. For the benefit of other campers, the staff, and myself, I agree to conduct my behavior in the following ways:
- I will respect myself and others.
- I will listen to others including staff and fellow JCC participants.
- I will control my own behavior and use appropriate language.
- I will not cause physical or emotional harm to other participants or staff.
- I will follow the program rules and schedule.
- I will respect the environment, program equipment, property, and other participants’ belongings.
- I will wear appropriate clothing and footwear for all program activities.
- I will not possess or bring weapons of any shape or size.
- I will not engage in or threaten abuse (physical, verbal, or emotional) of any kind.
COVID Policy & Attendance Requirements
Program attendance requires all attendees to be “up-to-date” on COVID vaccinations per CDC guidelines, or to have a medical exemption from a qualified individual. You can find the most current requirements on their website.
All attendees will take an antigen COVID test within 72 hours of their event and bring the results to arrival and check-in. Attendees who are displaying symptoms of illness or who test positive for COVID-19 will not be permitted to join in for the weekend. Unfortunately, due to the financial constraints of the weekend, we cannot provide a refund for attendees who cannot attend because of illness.