Frequently Asked Questions for Parents and Guardians

A packing list for camp can be found here. 

We firmly believe that unplugging and spending time in nature is a fundamental part of an awesome camp experience.  Giving kids some space from the devices that control their lives allows them to make better connections with fellow campers and staff.  Dr. Jake Sorenson, a camp researcher and founder of Sacred Playgrounds’ Effective Camp Project, identifies being “unplugged” as one of the five fundamental characteristics of the Christian summer camp experience.  Dr. Sorenson found that only 8% of campers say it was “often difficult” to be without devices at camp.  While many campers may be reluctant to leave their phone behind at the beginning of the week, once they’re in the camp environment and having fun with new friends it no longer feels like such a big deal.

We understand that concerns about campers leaving phones behind sometimes come from parents & guardians’ concerns and not the camper’s.  For parents and guardians who are used to being able to text their child anytime to check in, giving up that connection during a week at camp can be stressful.  That is why we offer other ways to connect and receive updates about your camper while they’re at camp (see “How can I be in contact with my child throughout the week?” for more details.)  Parents and guardians are also welcome to call our office (518) 494-7170 during the week to talk to staff about how their camper is doing or to talk to their camper directly.  We will contact you if there is an emergency or particular concern about your camper (illness, homesickness, behavior, etc.)

If a camper does come to camp with a phone or other device, we will collect the device and lock it in the office for safe-keeping for the duration of the program.

Due to the size of our site and the number of campers that come through in a summer, we find that many lost items are found but not claimed.  We do our best to collect lost & found items and get them back to campers before the end of the week, and set out remaining items at check-out for families to double check before they leave.  So what can you do?  Label everything. 

 Items that most commonly get lost at camp include:

• water bottles
• towels
• sweatshirts / jackets

Labeling these items means we can get them back to your camper before they go home.  You may also want to consider refraining from sending brand new, expensive, or special favorite items with your camper.

If you realize your camper has lost something important after you have returned home, give our office a call at (518) 494-7170 and we’ll check our lost and found and mail it to you.

Generally, campers check in between 3:00pm and 4:00pm on Sunday.  Please check the welcome letter you received after registering for your specific check-in date and time.  

Check-out is at 3:00pm on Friday.  Parents/guardians or a pre-designated person must sign your camper out at check-out.  Campers will not be released to anyone except those listed on the check-in sheet without prior notice in writing.  Photo ID is required to pick up campers at check-out.

Skye Farm is located off Exit 24 of the Northway (I-87.)  Turn left onto East Schroon River Road and follow the brown & orange signs down the dirt road to main camp or up the hill to our retreat lodges.

By GPS:

To reach Kessler Hall for Check-In and Check-Out, use this address:

89 Sherman Lake Road

Warrensburg, NY 12885

To reach the office, health lodge, and dining hall, use this address:

87 Sherman Lake Road

Warrensburg, NY 12885

To reach Ogden and Shippey Lodges, use this address and follow the sign to turn right up the hill: 

1884 E Schroon River Rd

Warrensburg, NY 12885

To contact your camper directly while they’re at camp, you have two major options:

1. Bunk1!  Bunk1 is a service that allows for families to send “bunk notes” online to be delivered to campers and allows families to see pictures from camp each day.  More information about Bunk1 is shared in campers’ welcome packets.
2. Send a letter in the mail!  We deliver camper mail daily, and receiving a letter, card, or postcard can be pretty exciting.  Due to the slow nature of snail mail, we recommend mailing letters early in the week or even before your child has left for camp to ensure that they arrive in time.  If you choose to send multiple letters ahead of time, we can space out the delivery so that your camper is receiving letters all throughout the week.  If your camper wants to write a letter to you, we will help them put it in an envelope and send it to you!  You can also send some pre-addressed envelopes with them if you wish.  Letters sent to campers can be addressed to:

Camper’s Name / Program

Skye Farm Camp

1884 East Schroon River Rd

Warrensburg, NY  12885

Please do not send packages.  If you decide that you need to send your child a package, please contact our office to make arrangements.

Parents and guardians may also call the Skye Farm office at (518) 494-7170 during the week to talk to staff about how their camper is doing or to talk to their camper directly.  Generally, we advise that families not rely on this too much, as we do want to encourage campers to strengthen their independence and build relationships with their counselors and fellow campers.  For a camper who may be missing home, hearing a parent’s voice on the phone may be helpful, but we also find that it often simply makes them miss home more, and hinders their ability to make it through the week.  In cases like these, we will discuss with you what you think is the best way to help your child feel comfortable and have a fun week at camp.

Visits to the site by parents/guardians, families, and friends are welcome during check-in and check-out.  Additional visits are rare and must be arranged through the office.

Photos of all our camp programs get posted daily online on Bunk1!  You can log in to see photos of the week’s activities and of your camper (access is restricted to parents and guardians of campers in attendance that week.)  More info about Bunk1 is shared in campers’ welcome packets.

Siblings and friends of the same gender can sign up for the same program and request to be in the same cabin in the “Cabinmate Request” section on their registration forms.  If both forms indicate that the campers would like to be in the same cabin, we will do our best to ensure that that is possible.

The Skye Farm kitchen staff has a Special Diet Cook dedicated to providing campers with the most delicious week possible, regardless of what foods they can and cannot eat.  Food safety is of the utmost importance, and special care is taken to ensure that campers with food allergies receive meals that are perfectly safe.  The Special Diet Cook works with campers one-on-one to make sure that they know what’s safe for them, they feel comfortable asking questions, and they get enough to eat.  

Please be detailed on your child’s health forms when describing any food allergies and/or intolerances.  Even if your child has not had a reaction in a long time, we’d like to know about any reactions to food, especially if they’re anaphylactic.  Epi-pens will be kept with the camper’s counselor and will be supervised by the camp nurse.  If your child has a dietary restriction and relies on certain foods to make sure they get the nutrition they need, please let us know.  We may be able to provide the foods ourselves, or may be able to safely store the food and serve it to your child as necessary.  If you would like to have a conversation about your child’s dietary needs in advance of their week at camp, please call our office at (518) 494-7170 and we will put you in contact with the Special Diet Cook.  If you indicate on health forms that your child has a food allergy, the Special Diet Cook or the camp nurse may reach out to discuss the severity of the allergy so that we can adequately prepare.

Please note that campers are not allowed to have food with them in their cabins.  Any food brought to camp must be properly stored by the Food Service Manager, and will be returned to the camper at the end of the week. 

If your child is a picky eater, has difficulty with foods of certain textures, etc, it can be helpful to make note of this on your child’s health form so we can let the kitchen staff know to be ready to help them get enough to eat.  At camp we encourage campers to try new things, and many picky eaters go home loving foods they’d never tried or liked before!  With that being said, we will always make sure campers get enough to eat, even if that means getting them some food that’s in their comfort zone.  

At any meal, campers have the option of getting a bowl of cereal or a piece of fresh fruit.  At lunch and dinner, campers have the option of getting a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  If these supplements don’t work for a particular camper, the kitchen staff will work with them one-on-one to find an alternative that works for them.

Please note that campers are not allowed to have food with them in their cabins.  Any food brought to camp must be properly stored by the Food Service Manager, and will be returned to the camper at the end of the week. 

Camp is a great place for kids with all kinds of abilities and learning styles to have fun and grow.  We understand that some elements of our environment may be challenging for certain campers.  We are happy to work with campers and their families on a case by case basis to help them have a fun-filled and safe week at camp.  Call our office at (518) 494-7170 to have a conversation about how we can address your child’s needs.

As we tell our campers, it’s normal and okay to miss home, because that means you have a pretty awesome home to go back to at the end of the week!  Counselors and staff are trained to notice signs that a camper may be missing home, even if they’re not speaking up about it.  We have many strategies for making campers feel more comfortable at camp that we regularly employ.  Generally, we fill our days with as many fun activities as possible, to engage campers’ minds and keep them from feeling lonely or focusing too much on missing home.  When a camper is struggling to have fun because they’re missing home, we may encourage them to think about the exciting things they’re doing at camp and write about them in letters to their family.  We make sure they feel comfortable talking with their counselor or another staff member about how they’re feeling, we help them make friends with other campers, and we make sure they’re eating enough and getting enough sleep.  If we notice that your camper is struggling because they’re missing home, we’ll call you to let you know and to have a conversation about what might help them.  Are they used to sleeping close to a night light?  Is there something in their daily routine that we can replicate to make them feel more comfortable?  We’ll work with you to help them feel more comfortable and have an awesome week.

Sometimes, a camper isn’t quite ready to be at camp for the whole week, and that’s okay.  Campers can still have positive experiences at camp, even if spending multiple nights away from home is something they’re really not comfortable with yet.  If a camper is asking to go home and our attempts to help them feel comfortable have not worked, we’ll talk with the parents and discuss options for an early pick-up.

You can help your camper prepare to be away at camp and diminish the effects of missing home.  Here are some things to consider:

• Make sure your child is involved in the decision to go to camp.  If they help pick their program and buy into the idea of going to camp, they are far less likely to feel like you’re sending them away or feel like they’re being “forced” to be at camp.
• Talk with your camper about ways to stay connected while you’re apart.  Send them with the supplies they need to write you letters or bunk notes, or have them keep a camp journal to share with you when they get home.  Practice writing letters to friends or relatives with them so they feel comfortable doing so at camp.
• Describe to your camper what you’re going to do on Friday when you pick them up.  Are you going to go out to dinner after check-out?  Have a game night?  Eat ice cream and tell camp stories?  Giving them something concrete to look forward to on Friday can be helpful.
• Carefully consider what updates you’re sending your camper during the week.  Big news from home can throw a camper off, especially when you aren’t right there with them to help them process it.
• If your child hasn’t been away from home before, consider trying a practice run before they go to camp where they spend the weekend with grandparents or other family.
• If this is your child’s first time at camp and they’d like to see the site before they arrive for camp, we can arrange a time for your family to walk around, meet some staff, see the cabins, etc.  If visiting the site isn’t an option for you, have them explore our website and social media for pictures and more information about camp.
• Avoid talking about camp or the time apart in anxious or ambivalent ways (i.e. “I hope you’ll be okay there,” “Your dog is really going to miss you while you’re gone, I hope I have time to walk him,” etc.)  Try instead to express optimism and excitement about the new experience.  If you are anxious about being separated from your child, discuss it with other parents or adults, not with your child.
• For younger children, use a wall calendar to show when they’ll be at camp.  Having an understanding of their time at camp as a specific period and not an eternity can be helpful.

Skye Farm has a registered nurse on staff to provide care for campers and staff, and staff are certified in wilderness first aid and CPR.  Campers who take any sort of medication regularly will take their meds at the health lodge under the supervision of the RN.  Note that campers that take seasonal allergy medicine should bring some of their medicine to camp, even if they don’t currently need it at home–the woods have different plants and pollens!  At check-in you will have the opportunity to meet the nurse, discuss any health concerns, and hand all medication (both prescription and over the counter) in their original containers over to the nurse.  Epi-pens will be kept with the camper’s counselor, out of reach of the other campers but available in case of emergency.

Included in the health forms for camp are standing orders to be signed by your camper’s doctor.  These standing orders allow you to give the nurse permission to administer your child’s prescription medications as well as basic over the counter medications to your camper as needed (i.e. ibuprofen, antacid, etc.)  If this form is not signed by both you and your child’s doctor, the nurse will be unable to administer any of the medications or products listed on the form.

If your child has any medical concerns you’d like to discuss in advance of their week at camp, you can call the office at (518) 494-7170 to be put in contact with the camp nurse.

Counselors carry first aid kits with basic supplies at all times, and are certified in first aid and CPR.  Any injury or illness, no matter how minor, is reported to the nurse to be followed up on if necessary.  The health lodge is equipped with more extensive supplies and has bunks and a private bathroom available for campers who may need to spend the night or stay away from other campers.  The nurse will contact the parents/guardians of campers who have experienced notable injuries or illnesses at camp.  If a camper needs to go home or see their doctor, arrangements will be made for an early pick-up.  

In the case of a serious injury or illness, a camper may be brought to the Warrensburg Health Center (less than 20 minutes away) by senior staff members, or an ambulance may be called.  Parents/guardians are notified as quickly as possible.  These kinds of injury and illness are very rare at Skye Farm, but we have careful plans in place and any emergency medical situations are handled by the nurse and by our most experienced staff.

Skye Farm is proud to be accredited by the American Camp Association.  Developed exclusively for the camp profession, this nationally recognized organization focuses on program quality, health and safety issues, and requires review of every facet of our operations.  Skye Farm has voluntarily submitted to this independent appraisal done by camp experts and has earned this mark of distinction.  Skye Farm also meets New York State Department of Health Regulations, undergoing at least two full inspections each year.  Our inspection records are kept on file at our office and at the NYSDOH offices in Glens Falls, NY.

At Skye Farm, we believe every child deserves to go to camp, regardless of their ability to pay.  If you are unable to pay the cost of camp you can submit a scholarship request form, found here. 

Many United Methodist churches have “campership” funds available to help cover the cost of a week of camp.  Contact your local church to see what they can do–many will help send kids to camp, even if they don’t regularly attend the church.

Yes!

Sibling Discount – $20.00 off per sibling if you have a sibling or siblings registering for summer camp programs. 

We partner with Warren County Cornell Cooperative Extension to send kids to camp who might not otherwise have the opportunity.  They send out letters and forms to families and award a certain amount of scholarships to send kids to camp.  Follow the instructions in the materials from CCE–they will let you know if your child has been selected for a scholarship.  If your child is not selected for their program but still wants to come to camp, contact us!  We can help you figure out the most affordable option for your family and get you our scholarship form.

Absolutely!  Our campers come from a wide range of faith backgrounds, and many don’t have any experience with Christian faith at all.  Camp is a place where we get to learn from one another, and our different experiences make that possible.  At Upper NY United Methodist Camps (like Skye Farm!) we focus on three things we want to communicate to our campers:

1. There is a God.
2. God loves you.
3. God wants a relationship with you.

Our staff is trained to facilitate conversations about faith in ways that don’t exclude campers without prior knowledge of the Bible or Christian teachings.  We will never pressure campers to make faith-related commitments or participate in faith-related activities that make them uncomfortable.  More information about the faith foundation of Skye Farm can be found on our About Us page.  

If your camper enjoys their experience with faith at camp and would like to attend a church, we can help you to find one in your area and put you in contact with a pastor or youth pastor!

Most campers at Skye Farm stay in our classic camper cabins with no more than 7 cabinmates and their cabin counselor.  Our cabins are rustic but comfortable, with bunkbeds, new waterproof mattresses, and electric lights inside and outside of the cabin.  Cabins are grouped in twos, and “cabin groups” of 10-16 campers share campfires and other activities.  Campers use wash houses which are a short walk away from their cabin for bathroom and showering needs.  Wash houses are kept clean throughout the week by our maintenance staff, and have multiple stalls and showers with hot water for campers’ use.

Campers are housed according to age and to the housing gender preference identified on their registration form.  All dressing/undressing is done in private stalls in the wash house, not in the cabin.  At camp we welcome all people, and want to make sure campers have access to the housing and bathroom options that align with their gender identity.  If you have any questions about gender-related accommodations for your child, give us a call at (518) 494-7170 or email us at info@skyefarmcamp.org.