Parent Guide

For families

Parent guide

Everything you need for a great summer Down By CA: handbooks and checklists, what a day at camp looks like, and what we offer for every age group.

A day Down By CA

Campers are organized by age into units. Each unit has several bunks, or groups of campers, that go from activity to activity together.

  1. Boker Tov!

    After drop-off, all bunks meet together for Boker Tov ("Good morning!"), welcoming each other to camp and doing some fun activities to start our day.

  2. Morning activities

    Campers have three activity periods, including swimming. Other activities include arts and crafts, music, Israel life, karate, sports, Earth Art, and more.

  3. After lunch

    More time for swimming (or water play for younger campers), plus more activities.

  4. End of the day

    All campers get a cold treat and get ready to go home, happy but exhausted!

  5. Fridays

    We always have special events like a carnival, Wet-N-Wild Day, or a petting zoo, and we wind down the week with an all-camp Shabbat.

Want a tour? Please contact Camp Director Robyn Wolf to schedule a tour of our facilities!

Campers starting the day at CA Camps
Boker Tov
Campers swimming at the CA Camps pool
Swim time
Getting to know a pet pig
Special Events

Offerings by age group

Goldsmith @ CA

Preschool

Goldsmith campers enjoy the security of a preschool program with the fun and excitement of CA Camps programming! Campers get a taste of all that CA Camps has to offer, including music, arts, water play, Earth Art, Shabbat, special events, and more!

Camp Katan

Entering Pre-K

Camp Katan is for our youngest day campers, entering Pre-K. It's the perfect transition from preschool to a more formal educational setting! Camp Katan campers follow a full day camp schedule, with a little more rest time and the supervision of preschool teachers.

Junior Village

Pre-K and Kindergarten

Junior Village campers get the full CA Camps experience, with a focus on making good transitions to camp and to school. Junior Village offers more independence than preschool, with the security of experienced counselors and preschool and kindergarten teachers.

Lower Camp

1st and 2nd grade

Lower campers get the full CA Camps experience! Swimming, sports, arts and crafts, cooking, science, Earth Art, and more!

Middle Camp

3rd to 6th grade

Middle Camp is for campers entering 3rd through 6th grades. These campers enjoy more advanced camp activities and go on a field trip every week! Many campers enjoy a few weeks of traditional day camp and a few weeks in a specialty camp.

LIT / CIT

Teens, 7th to 10th grade

Teens get special training, are placed in a bunk or special area, and take on exciting leadership roles like planning our Carnival, Wet-N-Wild Day, and Color Games! Teens also go on exciting trips, including our signature end-of-summer trip to Hersheypark.

Specialty Camps

Varies, typically 2nd to 6th grade

Specialty camps offer week-long sessions focused on one cool area. Past favorites include Art Camp, Sports Camp, STEM Camp with the Science Guys, and Culinary Camp. Summer 2027 specialty camps will be announced soon!

Daily and weekly activities

  • Bo-Bo-Bo-Boker Tov!
  • Swimming (including instructional)
  • Sports (indoor and outdoor)
  • Arts
  • Karate / martial arts
  • Israel life
  • Screen-free games
  • Music / rock band
  • Water play / water slides
  • Playground
  • Ga-ga
  • Whole-camp Shabbat

Trips and special events

  • M&T Bank Stadium tour*
  • Foam party
  • July 4th party and BBQ
  • Hammerman Beach*
  • The Reptile Guy
  • Orioles game*
  • Maccabiah athlete visit and clinic
  • Battle of the Birds Color Games
  • Wet-N-Wild Day
  • Carnival
  • SkyZone*
  • Late Stay*
  • Teen trip to Hersheypark

*Off-campus trips are for Sports Camp and 3rd to 6th graders.

Summer 2025 highlights

Tap any photo to see it larger.

Ready for Summer 2027?

Registration is open! Camp runs June 21 through August 13, 2027.

Questions? Call us at (443) 658-2267 or email mail@cacamps.org.