Camp CBG Mission
We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life.

Our Goals for your Camper

• Make nature play a part of daily activities.
• Introduce activities that explore connections between nature and the following: art, science, math, literacy, movement, and cooking.
• Provide age-appropriate, hands-on activities.
• Incorporate experiential learning into camp curriculum.
• Offer opportunities for campers to take a piece of the Garden home. 

Camp CBG is an alcohol-, drug-, and weapon-free program.

Age Limits
Please note the age groupings for each camp group:

• My First Camp Age 2: campers must be born on or before September 1, 2022.
• My First Camp Age 3: campers must be born on or before September 1, 2021.
• Green Sprouts: campers must be born on or before September 1, 2020.
• Green Thumbs: campers must born on or before September 1, 2018.
• Explorers: campers must be born on or before September 1, 2016.
• Adventurers: campers must be born on or before September 1, 2014.

We regret that we cannot make any exceptions to this policy. Campers in the Green Sprouts group and above must be toilet trained.

Parent Information
A weekly Camp CBG syllabus for each camp will be emailed to you the week prior to your child’s camp. Each syllabus will list the day’s activities and include suggestions to help you and your camper share the camp experience. The order of events may change due to weather or other circumstances beyond our control.

Emergency/Health History Forms
Camp CBG does not require a medical examination to attend camp; however, we ask that you complete Emergency/Health History Form. In our continuing efforts to provide the best and most secure service to our campers and staff, Camp CBG is partnering with CampDoc.com.

CampDoc.com is an electronic health record system for camps, and will help us consolidate and integrate camper health information into a centralized and secure location. Their system will give our staff instant access to camper health information, a key component in providing quality programs. The security, confidentiality, and privacy of your camper’s personal health information will always be protected. Only Camp CBG’s administrative staff and instructors will have access to camper health information, and the CampDoc.com site is secure, encrypted, and password protected.

On May 1, you will receive a Welcome Email from CampDoc.com with information about how to complete your camper’s health information. Registrations occurring after May 1 will receive an invitation on the first day of the month following your purchase. 

Camper Illness/Injury
Should your child become ill or injured while attending Camp CBG, you will be notified by phone immediately by the Camp manager. Our teachers are trained in first aid, and our Chicago Botanic Garden security staff are CPR/first aid/defibrillator trained and respond to all emergencies. The security team will determine if Glencoe Public Safety should respond to an injury.

Pick-up/Drop-off
Details about camper drop-off and pick-up will be communicated via email. If a child misses the departure of his/her camp group, it is the responsibility of the caregiver who brings that child to check in and then escort the camper to his/her camp location for that day. If your child will be absent, please let us know by calling (847) 835-8361. If you must pick your child up early from camp, you must contact us by phone or send a note to camp with your child so that we can make arrangements for his/her early pick-up ahead of time.

CUSTODY

Please advise the Camp Director if there are any persons who are legally restricted (e.g. custody orders) from picking up your camper or having contact of any nature with your camper during camp.

With regard to custody orders or agreements, a complete legal document must be filed with the director at the time of registration and no later than the start of the Camp program. Staff will adhere to the custody pick-up schedule per the document provided. Any changes/updates to the agreement must be made in writing with a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours’ notice including both parents’ signatures to confirm both parties’ agreement.

Once the custody papers are on file, staff will follow those orders, until either the order has expired or new papers are on file. Staff cannot accept verbal notification of changes. Any and all changes MUST be submitted in writing and signed.

All custody issues must be resolved away from the Camp program. Please contact the Camp Director with any related questions.

Before- and After-Camp Care
We are happy to offer before-camp and after-camp care for your camper. The program will be supervised by Camp CBG staff. Activities will include games, art projects, and gardening. Pack an extra snack for your camper for after-camp care. Morning fees are $60/camper/per week; afternoon fees are $75/camper/week, and fees cannot be prorated for partial use; no membership discount available.
•Morning hours are 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. and afternoon hours are 3 – 5:30 p.m.
•No drop-ins. Campers must be preregistered for this service. No on-site registration is available.
•Children must be signed in with staff at drop-off.
•Parents/caregivers will be asked for photo identification at pick-up, and parents/caregivers must sign children out upon pick-up. There is a late fee of $15 for pick up between 5:30 and 5:45 p.m. An additional $1 per minute will be charged after 5:45 p.m. Late fees are payable by cash, check, or credit card at the time of pick-up. Repeated late pick-ups may result in the loss of this service.

Snacks
Camp CBG does not provide daily snacks to campers. Please pack a nut-free snack for your camper each day. We will take a snack break midmorning and midafternoon daily. Some camps may be making their own additional snacks during Camp CBG. If your child has food allergies or diet restrictions that may prevent him/her from consuming nut-free snacks, please specify to what degree on the Emergency/Health History Form.

Lunch
Camp CBG does not provide lunch to campers. Only those enrolled in a full-day program or Lunch Bunch need to bring a lunch. Lunches must be nut-free.
 

Extra-special attention
Please let us know on your child’s Emergency/Health History Form if your child has physical, emotional, educational, or medical special needs. Advise us of any severe allergies or chronic illness. This includes information regarding food or airborne allergies. If your child will require special accommodations, please call (847) 835-8361 to discuss your situation prior to registering.

Staffing
In order to provide the best possible experiences for your children, camps will be limited to 12 or 15 participants with two staff. Camps are taught by Chicago Botanic Garden staff and qualified teachers, with assistance from interns and volunteers.

Please Do Not Bring to Camp
Cell phones are not permitted at Camp CBG. This is for both security and privacy. We have every parent/guardian’s contact information in the Camp CBG Office. Should your child need to contact you during the camp day, Camp CBG staff will contact you. The Office phone number will be published and communicated in June. If you child is caught using a cell phone, it will be collected by staff and securely stored in the office for the child’s parent to pick up at the end of the day. The Garden is NOT responsible for any item (including electronic devices) lost or broken during camp. Please leave the following items at home: personal video game players, cellphones, MP3 players/iPods, and iPad type devices.

Camp Emergency Communications
Camp CBG runs rain or shine. In the event of a Garden closing, you will receive an email indicating that the Chicago Botanic Garden is closed.

Camper Code of Conduct
You will be asked to review the CBG Camper Code of Conduct upon completion of the Emergency/Health History Form.

• Campers will treat their fellow campers, instructors, and volunteers with respect.
• Campers will follow directions and stay with their group.

Please read and discuss these expectations with your child. In the event that a camper does not follow the Code of Conduct, or his or her behavior endangers other campers or interferes with an instructor's ability to provide programming, the coordinator of camp programs or camp instructor will inform the parent at pick-up or through a phone call. If a second incident occurs, parents may be asked to withdraw their child from camp. Refunds will not be given for behavior-related withdrawals.