Summer Camp
Goshen Friends School's summer camp is popular among young families with preschoolers, pre-kindergartners and rising kindergartners. We offer seven weeks of outdoor activities on our beautiful 10-acre campus just outside of West Chester! The program is a fun, nurturing experience for first-time and younger campers.
Our daily routine includes playground, art, music, sensory activities, pools and water tables, and snack time. Special activities are customized to our weekly themes, described below. Several weeks include special guests who delight our campers with wild animals, service dogs, and even a bit of magic. Although we spend our days outdoors, in the event of bad weather we offer plenty of indoor activities in our spacious preschool classrooms.
Camp staff members are enthusiastic Goshen Friends teachers dedicated to making your child’s camp experience memorable. Working alongside our teachers are experienced college and high school students, with enough camp staff to ensure each child is adjusting well and happily engaged in activities. The program is guided by the same Quaker values that have been the cornerstone of a Goshen Friends education since 1959.
Ready to join us? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions:
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Campers must be between the ages of 2 1/2 to 5 years old (no older than a rising kindergartener)
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Camp is offered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week
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Choose between two schedules: 9am to Noon ($210/week), or 9am to 2pm ($340/week, please pack a lunch!)
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Families who enroll more than one child in the same week receive a 5% discount for each additional child
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Campers are organized in two groups, Sharks and Gators, with a mix of ages in each group
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Siblings are placed in the same group unless otherwise requested
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Families requesting a friend be placed in the same group should email [email protected] no later than April 1, 2025. Please note both families must submit the same friend request, and placement is not guaranteed.
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Campers should be potty trained. If they still have accidents occasionally, they should wear pull-ups (not diapers) and pack spare pull-ups and swim diapers each day.
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Scroll down for camp themes and descriptions by week
June 10-12
HELLO, SUMMER!
A carnival atmosphere will kick off the start of camp with fun and games, beach ball volleyball, and a mini roller coaster. Campers will color their own beach bag and use them on a scavenger hunt to gather the first of their many summer treasures!
June 17-19
LITTLE CRITTERS
We’ll embrace the evidence of wildlife around us, including a campus-wide trek to discover all the wild friends that live nearby. A guest educator will bring animals both scaly and fuzzy for the campers to learn about, and even touch or hold if they choose!
June 24-26
CAMPING OUT
What would summer be without camping? We’ll pitch our tents and sing campfire songs, hike around campus, go “fishing,” and share a special s’mores treat. Campers will make their own campfire lantern to remember their special week!
July 1-3
STARS OF THE STAGE
This is our week to shine! Campers will learn a simple song and dance routine, using our outdoor stage to put on a show. We’ll also unleash our inner musician as the campers participate in a drum circle and learn sing-alongs that let them shake their tambourines!
July 8-10
WILD ABOUT THE ZOO
Get ready for a visit from the Elmwood “Zoo on Wheels,” where we’ll learn about exotic animals and their environments around the world. Campers can have their faces painted like their favorite wild animal!
July 15-17
DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
Visits from both therapy dogs and seeing-eye dogs will teach our campers the many different ways man’s best friend can help us throughout our lives. Campers can also practice caring for animals by crafting a dog house to take home their very own toy puppy!
July 22-24
MARVELOUS MAGIC
We’ll relive all the magic of our time at camp by enjoying our most beloved summer activities. In an all-camp assembly, we’ll celebrate the end of camp with a delightful magic performance by the Amazing Spaghetti!