Madison Adventure Day Camp
A Madison Summer Camp Building Skills & Confidence in Outdoor Adventure Pursuits with 4th - 8th Grade StudentsMadison summer Camp Snapshot
WHAT
5-day adventure day camp, with overnight canoe camping Thurs/Fri
WHO
Adventurous Madison-area students entering 4th thru 8th grade.
PRICE
$725/week. Includes daily transport from downtown Madison and most gear.
GROUP SIZE
12 students per session, 4:1 max student/staff ratio.
IN/OUT TIMES
B.B. Clarke Park, downtown Madison.
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Spend Summer Outside
Skill-building outdoor adventures for Kids entering 4th-8th Grades
Adventure Camp leaves screens and sidewalks behind to explore choice trails, creeks and cliffs in greater Madison, Dane County and beyond. Campers develop adventure sport skills along the way, but also skills like decision-making, navigation, judgment, risk management and teamwork.
Freedom & Responsibility
Adventure Camp is a Madison summer camp for mature students entering 4th - 8th grades ready to engage the responsibilities of self-care and teamwork essential to outdoor adventure. What exactly does that mean? Things like:
Arriving on time with what you need for the day
Maintaining a positive, can-do attitude
Engaging with adversity and exploring ways to push through
Being ready to fail in pursuit of learning
Helping your team when you can and asking for help when you need it
Investment
Adventure Day Camp costs more than other Madison summer camps and daycare options, but we don't think you'll find a better value. Adventure sports involve expensive gear that must be in good repair. We provide all-inclusive transportation to far-away locations so you don't have to drive far to help your kid reach awesome destinations. Last, our instructors are experienced educators who know how to teach technical skills AND facilitate conversations about decision-making, responsibility and risk-management.
The framework we help students build at camp extends well beyond our adventures, into students' lives at home and school. Our dream is for students to amaze their parents and siblings with their abilities and to become able leaders in family adventures.
“Adventure Camp was our daughter’s favorite week of summer. She can’t wait to return to Adventure Camp this year!”
Logistics
The Where, When, Why & How
AGES: Students going into 4th thru 8th grades are welcome. We love the benefits a multi-age group brings; it makes us feel more like a family than a school classroom and helps the kids have more varied opportunities to give and receive help. Contact us if you'd like to discuss your kid’s age, maturity or other related concerns.
SCHEDULE: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday - Wednesday. Meet at B.B. Clarke Park in Madison.
Thursdays we meet at 8:30 AM, camp overnight, and return back to B.B. Clarke by 4:30 PM on Friday.
PREREQUISITES: No previous experience necessary. However, we require students to be responsible for their needs, including transportation to camp, clothing and nutrition. We want students who take responsibility for themselves and own their actions.
BRING YOUR OWN: Food, beverages, athletic clothing and shoes appropriate for weather and scheduled activities, camera, sunscreen. Adventure gear like harnesses, dry bags, mountain bikes, etc. are provided. If your student wants to bring their own bike, harness, etc., in good condition, that usually works out. See the Adventure Camp Gear list for specifics.
Agenda
Our schedule is NOT predetermined. Each day, we meet at B.B. Clarke Park in central Madison and embark on an itinerary determined the previous evening based on the weather forecast and student interest. We expect students to arrive in advance of departure time, prepared for the day's activities with appropriate food, water and clothing.
EACH DAY, we will:
Drive 20 - 60 minutes each way to our adventure destination(s).
Explore beautiful parks or natural areas in the greater Madison area.
Ask students to practice and refine movement, judgment, and outdoor leadership skills.
Offer choices of activities and leadership roles.
EACH WEEK, we will engage in a variety of outdoor athletic pursuits. For example, we might:
Paddle SUPs down Badfish Creek, south of Madison.
Climb and rappel 80' cliffs at Devil's Lake State Park, outside Baraboo.
Hike the Ice Age Trail at Gibraltar Rock, north of Lodi, by foot.
Ride single-track mountain bike trails at CamRock County Park, in Cambridge.
Cook and camp overnight on a Wisconsin River sandbar (we camp overnight on Thursday evenings).
“Camp instructors strike a great balance between providing kids with necessary support and guidance, while also letting kids be self-directed and “learn by doing.”
Managing Safety
Preventing accidents, minimizing consequences
Adventure Camp activities carry inherent, unavoidable physical and emotional risks; we manage these risks, but we cannot eliminate them. This is what we mean when we refer to "real" adventure. We believe engaging in activities with real consequences creates a potent learning environment. To mitigate the risks inherent to our activities, we take the following steps:
FRANK TALK - We help students and parents understand the risks inherent to our adventures, and we don't hide possible consequences. If a large rock strikes your head, a submerged log catches your sandal, or a jump results in an unintended flip, you can be seriously injured or killed. We discuss risk so students can confront, consider and make more informed decisions.
ADVANCE INSTRUCTION - Learning the right skills in a low-risk atmosphere increases the likelihood of success in more adverse conditions. We conduct ground schools in all activities to help students understand the skills and communications they will need to successfully navigate the terrain of our adventures.
INSTRUCTOR JUDGMENT - Daily itinerary is subject to a variety of factors. Weather is an important factor in all outdoor sports; we make daily, in-the-moment decisions to adjust for weather. Individual and interpersonal abilities within each week's group also play a major role in activity and location decisions.
SAFETY EQUIPMENT - We follow industry standards and take a balanced approach to safety equipment. For example, all students must wear PFDs anytime we are paddling; we always wear helmets in a rock climbing area, or while on bikes. Instructors bring First Aid kits and cell phones. If you have any specific equipment questions, please ask us!
WILDERNESS MEDICAL TRAINING - All Adventure Camp Lead Instructors hold current Wilderness First Responder certification. This is training specific to managing injuries and illnesses in areas where definitive medical care is delayed two or more hours.
SAFETY PROTOCOLS - For every area we adventure in, we know where to find emergency medical help. In the case of traumatic accidents, we call 911 and manage injuries/illnesses until definitive care arrives. For non-emergency illnesses, we consult with parents when possible and act accordingly.
Talus scrambling at Devil’s Lake State Park
Kids can belay (and most like to!).
Stopping for lunch on the river.
“The groups are small, and the guides are experienced and invested in the campers’ collective and individual experiences.”
Staff
Adventure Camp staff meet high standards as educators, facilitators and outdoor sports enthusiasts. Please learn more below and let us know if you have questions regarding our training, philosophy or backgrounds. We want our summer camp parents and students to have a strong idea of who we are, why we do this work, and where our strengths lie.
Small class sizes
We maintain a maximum 6:1 ratio of students to instructors because we know mentor-mentee relationships are the core value of our experience together. Small class sizes also create a safer adventure environment and help us manage risk at summer camp.
Attitude
We show youth clients the same respect, attention and enthusiasm as we do adults. We are not babysitting or caretaking, but rather teaching and facilitating - introducing young adventurers to new sports and helping them develop confidence and competency.
Summer Camp Director
Nick Wilkes has extensive experience working with youth and teaching in the outdoors. Nick has taught outdoor sports like sailing, paddling, canyoneering, rock climbing, mountain biking and teambuilding for over 20 years at places like UW Hoofers, Teton Science Schools and Zion Adventure Company. He holds an M.S. in Environmental Education from Antioch University and has over 1,500 days of field instruction under his belt.
Ready For Greatness?
sign up for 2023 Dates >>>
Click the yellow button to reach our camp registration form. After you’ve paid, we will send additional information on camp logistics and request personal details regarding your camper(s).
* Our beautiful Adventure Camp illustrations are the work of the talented Julia Kuo. We can't recommend her more highly!