All campers go swimming every day. You should send your camper with a swimsuit and towel daily. We suggest one-piece suits since they are easier to play in, and have less parts to lose! On their first day of camp, all campers will be given a swim safety test and be placed either in “lessons” for our non-swimmers, or given the OK for free swim.

All age 6 and under groups and any non-swimmers will be placed into our “lessons” program during their swim period. The content of these lessons are game based and depends on the age and abilities of the group of swimmers. They will focus on water safety skills such as breathing techniques, blowing bubbles, kicking and arm strokes, all in a fun and engaging way.

All lessons are supervised by certified lifeguards both in and out of the pool. Our Counselors and Jr. Leaders also participate in the water to ensure extra eyes and safety during swimming.

Non-Swimmers also have “play time” with their Counselors during their swim period which includes time to simply play and enjoy the pool in a supervised and safe environment without a specific lesson plan.

All campers who want to participate in free-swim must first pass a water safety swim test. This test will be given to your camper on their first day of camp.

Our swim skills test includes:

• Swimming two widths of the pool without resting or assistance.

• A back float.

• Treading water for twenty seconds.

• Holding breath, fully submerged for a count of five.

Kids who need help with basic skills split each session between “lessons” and free-swim.

Kids who choose not to swim must have a note from home making that request.

Yes! We like to keep the pool at a refreshing and comfortable temperature of 84 degrees which is the industry standard for most luxury resorts.

Our pool is a “teaching pool” which is shallow at both ends and deep in the middle. The deepest part of the pool is 6ft. Both ends of the pool are shallow at 3.5 ft, and we even have a platform for our littlest campers which makes the depth about 1.5 - 2ft.

Our changing rooms are gender split, and any camper who identifies as non-binary is welcome to use our All Gender Restroom to change in if they wish. No campers or staff are allowed to be alone in the changing room (or anywhere on campus) at any time, for any reason. We require all staff to always have at least one one other person with them at all times, and to never be alone with a camper.

We do have individual changing stalls available for those campers who feel the need for more privacy. We often try to teach our campers the “surfer-towel change method" (that’s an official term, right?) so that they can spend more time in the water and less time waiting their turn to change.

There are always Lifeguards in our 3 lookout towers as well as 2 lifeguards either in the water with the campers or on the deck. Additionally, group Counselors and Jr. Leaders join campers in the water to ensure extra eyes and safety in the pool.

We are so proud to have an extremely high return rate of staff from summer to summer. Our Assistant Staff are typically high school students who attended Cali Camp as campers and Jr. Leaders and are excited to give your camper the amazing experience that their counselors gave them. Our Senior Staff counselors and Specialists are usually college students who are interested in a career working with children or who also attended Cali Camp as campers. We screen all applicants with reference checks, group and individual interviews and background checks.

Yes, all of our staff are both live-scanned and screened for state and federal crimes including checking the National Sex Offenders Registry. Being live scanned means that the scan is on-going, and if any crime is committed even after the initial background check is processed, we will be alerted to the incident.

Property wide we have about a 4:1 ratio of campers to staff. Our 4 - 5 year old groups maintain a ratio of 6:1, while our groups ages 6 - 8 are 8:1. For campers over the age 9 the ratio is 10:1 or less.

All of our groups for campers under the age of 12 also have 1 or 2 Jr. Leaders, which are our 14 & 15 year old campers that are at camp in a Leadership Program and are assigned to groups as extra supervision. Although our Jr. Leaders are a great help in group management, we do not count them towards our ratio numbers.

All staff undergo a rigorous 4 day training on site which covers everything from camper management, positive discipline techniques, supervision protocols, health and safety systems, emergency action plans, games, self care, abuse prevention, conflict management, camp songs, sexual harassment, and so so much more! Specialty staff (ie: Ropes Course, Archery, Wranglers, Lifeguards, Etc) also attend additional training and/or certification courses as required for their specialty areas.

Our Camp Counselors are assigned to each group based on each individual's experience and desire to work with certain age groups. Our counselors have three main job responsibility categories:

• Physical Safety - This consists of ensuring that all campers understand the rules at camp, are staying with the group, playing in a safe way and have their individual basic needs met (Do they need to use the restroom? Are they drinking enough water? Are they wearing sunscreen? Do they have enough food at lunch? Etc).

• Emotional/Mental Safety - Are all campers feeling safe and seen? Are they making friends? Is the group working well together and everyone getting along? Are the campers free to be themselves without fear of others making fun of them or putting them down? Our staff are trained to look for changes in behavior that might be indicative of mental or emotional distress.

• Having Fun! - Of course our Counselors want to make sure that every camper is having a blast at camp. This means trying new things, participating at activities, singing songs, and generally enjoying their time at camp.

When kids are playing outdoors, challenging themselves and trying new things there are bound to be a few scraped knees and elbows. This is a good thing! That means that campers are pushing through their comfort zones and into an area of growth. We hire a full time First Aid Specialist who’s entire job is to tend to any and all bumps, scrapes and bruises that happen at camp. The vast majority of injuries get a quick clean, some antibacterial ointment, a band-aid, possibly an ice pack and the campers are back to their groups as quickly as possible. We typically do not inform parents/guardians of these minor injuries, and will allow your camper the privilege of telling you about their battle scars.

For any injuries occurring to the face/head, bites/stings or for any more intense injuries we will inform parents/guardians via a phone call. Rarely do campers need to be picked up from camp, but we ask that you remain available via phone while your camper is in our care in case of an emergency. All additional emergency contacts listed must be within 1 hour drive to camp.

For more serious injuries we have a wonderful relationship with the local fire station who can be at our property within 3 - 5 minutes. Additionally the majority of our staff are first aid / CPR certified for adults, children and infants. We also have an AED on site.

All campers are required to have a completed health history form on file prior to their first day of camp. This form must be completed every year.

Our First Aid Specialist is trained to administer both OTC medications (you will give permissions for such medications on your campers health history form) as well as prescription medications as needed.

All meds must be given to your bus counselor or office staff in their original container with the original medication label and dosing instructions on the medication.

We have had many campers at camp with inhalers, epipens, insulin pumps, and various medications. The First Aid Specialist reviews each health history form and will reach out to any family that they deem requires a phone meeting prior to your camper's first day of camp. You will decide together if your campers medication should be kept in the health office, or with the group at all times.