Pre-Camp

Warming Up for Summer!

Pre-Camp is the best way to transition from the school year and into the summer! With a variety of summer camp activities planned, campers can explore Hale programming at a slower pace.

South Beach

Pre-Camp is calling South Beach, basecamp this year! Whether your camper is a Sprout, Outdoor Explorer, Summer Send'er, or Trailbreaker, our day will start and end here!

Sprouts and Explorers will enjoy most of their activities around the South Beach site. Summer Send'ers will be able to ride over to our MTB Campsite, ABC XYZ, to enjoy features and Hale's MTB Skills Park! Trailbreakers will also have the chance to navigate their way through Hale and check out Three Rocks, where our Adventure Camp runs out of in the summer months.

South Beach is home to our Family & Community Program, which starts at the end of June so it may be new to some of our campers. This location has multiple swimming bins and a boating launch. Other activities will include arts and crafts, archery, fishing, field games, nature education, and much more!

Programs

Summer Sprouts

Summer Sprouts helps little kids get ready for summer by building sandcastles, playing games, splashing in shallow water, exploring trails, and making friends. Full days increase their comfort in the outdoors, and a 1:5 staff-to-child ratio ensures personal attention as they socialize and acclimate to Powissett Pond’s placid waterfront.

Outdoor Explorers

Outdoor Explorers kicks off summer in style! At South Beach, older kids swim at one of Hale’s liveliest waterfronts that includes access to playgrounds, a picnic area, and modern bathrooms. Staff facilitate games on the field, help campers navigate new trails, and encourage development of friendships that continue at camp.

Trail Breakers

Trailbreakers log miles. Campers start and end their days at South Beach, and learn about plants and wildlife as they hike throughout our acres of adventure. Every day includes opportunities to focus on building outdoor skills, as well as time to swim and enjoy Noanet Pond

Summer Senders

In Summer Senders, older kids who are ready to ride can shift gears on Hale’s trails. Mountain bikers access features and brush up on skills around our ABC XYZ site, and a nearby field doubles as an outdoor classroom. Coaches help riders build endurance—there’s no better way to reach South Beach for swimming than by bike!

Arrival & Departure

All campers will be arriving at, and departing from, Pre-Camp via a Hale chartered bus. Bus monitors will be on each bus with attendance lists, and pick-up passes for the first day. You can visit our transportation page under Every Camp, Every Day on this site to see our Bus Stop Policies and Procedures.

Summer Send'ers

Bringing your camper's bike is an important part of the program! Bikes will be stored together at South Beach in a locked facility. There are two options for getting the bike to camp and taking it home after the session.

Families can drop the bikes off BEFORE the session starts on Sunday, June 16, and lock their bikes to the bike rack. The gate to South Beach will be open from 9 AM-7 PM for bike drop-off on Sunday. When you get to the beach, please let the parking lot attendant know you're there for bike drop-off. The rack is located in the parking lot directly across from where the parking lot attendant sits, on the right-hand side. Be sure to lock the bike and send cnichols@hale.education an email saying it's there!
Families can drop off the bike and camper on the first day of the program (Monday, June 17), but then the camper must use the bus to and from camp for the remainder of the session.

Families can pick up bikes on the final afternoon (June 21)

Schedules at a Glance

Packing Lists

Prepping for Camp

All campers should wear durable, weather-appropriate clothing and sneakers since we will be active and outside all day. Campers engage in camp activities in all types of weather; high temps and even rain. Please be sure to dress your camper appropriately and pack extra clothes! If you need assistance preparing your camper's supplies for camp, please don't hesitate to contact us. We'd love to help.

What to Pack Daily for Camp

Backpacks are an essential tool to have at camp. Please do not pack anything that you wouldn’t want to get lost at camp. We suggest packing the following in the backpacks.

Sprouts, Outdoor Explorers, and Trailbreakers:

Reusable water bottle with camper's name on it (Name Bubbles are our choice!)
Hat/sunglasses
Extra clothing – camp can be messy!
Swimsuit and towel
Rain gear (Light jackets, rain pants, rain boots, etc.)
Lunch and snacks – we do not offer refrigeration and please avoid foods with nuts
Waterproof sunscreen (lotion sunscreen preferred)
Bug spray
Prescription medication (inhaler, epi-pen, insulin, etc. – Med Form Required)

Summer Send'ers Additional Gear:

Mountain bike with suspension fork, in good working order (we suggest taking your bike for a tune-up at a local bike shop before camp)
Bike helmet
Gloves
Hydration pack/hydration system (such as a water bottle holder) that can hold at least 20 ounces of water
Spare inner tube for bike wheel
Knee pads (if desired, not necessary)

Label Your Child's Belongings (even their sunscreen and bug spray)

Camp is so busy and so much fun that many campers tend to leave their personal items behind, even with the help of counselors. Ensure your child's belongings get back to you by labeling ALL personal items with your camper’s first and last name! We're big fans of, and recommend Name Bubbles.

When Labels Are Not Enough (AKA as lost items and where they can be found)

While we suggest that you label your camper's belongings and discourage them from bringing items that are expensive and irreplaceable, we also know that children are having so much fun that they unintentionally leave things behind. Our counselors work hard to ensure that your camper's belongings move from activity to activity, and items still end up "missing." We ensure that if the object has a label, we get it back to the child, and we also make sure every camper walks by the lost items table once a day. If you are keen to put some adult eyes on the lost items table, you can find it behind the day camp office, which can be accessed after 4 PM.

Please Leave These Items At Home (for every camper's enjoyment and safety)

If your camper will be upset if something gets lost or broken – leave it at home! Hale is not responsible for lost or stolen property at camp. That said, the following items are not permitted at camp and will be confiscated if campers bring them to Hale:

Technology (phones, smart watches, tablets, radios, gaming devices, etc.)
Personal Toys (stuffed animals, action figures, etc.)
Candy, gum, energy drinks, coffee
Money, valuables, jewelry, makeup
Any apparel that may be explicit, derogatory, or offensive
Firearms, pocket knives, matches, lighters, or anything that could be used as a weapon
Alcohol, tobacco, and non-prescription drugs
Household pets that are not certified service animals

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