Day Camp at YMCA Camp Bernie is a thrilling, active program for all children entering grades K-11. Our weekly sessions allow campers to enjoy and explore everything our beautiful 285-acre facility has to offer. We believe that a camp experience provides children with the unique opportunity to try new things and discover who they truly are. We will help children to make new friends, build memories and to challenge themselves daily.
There’s so much to explore! 10 climbing elements, canoeing, sports, archery, arts & crafts, biking and so much more! Click for a full list!
Today’s children face more stressful situations than we can imagine. Kids often react by indulging in unhealthy behaviors. As parents and childcare providers, we feel the need to protect them, but we must remember that our goal is to prepare them to be happy and productive adults. YMCA Camp Bernie focuses on helping campers to build the 7 C’s: competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping, and control in order to better deal with stressful situations. Together we can raise successful children who will make their unique and substantial contributions to the world.
Host an International Camper and your camper attends for FREE!
USA Immersion is a local not-for-profit organization offering fellowships to attend Camp Bernie YMCA Day Camp for free to those families interested in participating in their international cultural immersion program. Local families benefit from this program when they welcome in their homes an international student attending Camp Bernie YMCA Day Camp. In return, both the international students and our local kids benefit from the opportunity to learn about each other’s cultures while attending Day Camp together.
If you would like to find out more about the USAI-Camp Bernie YMCA Day Camp Fellowship, please call USAI at 845-876-7112. You can also contact them at info@usaimmersion.org
Children entering K-5th grades spend the week exploring our alluring programs. In small groups, campers participate in a wide variety of adventurous outdoor activities throughout the week. The program provides opportunities for campers to find what they enjoy most and do more of it as well as stretch their imaginations during All Camp Day every Wednesday. This is a unique, customized experience where campers are immersed with our weekly themes. Don’t miss the opportunity to dress up along with camp staff!
Teens & tweens entering 6th-8th grades experience all the fun of camp’s adventurous activities, plus some more advanced challenges! Campers explore adventure outside of Camp Bernie while under the watchful eyes of our trained staff.
These one week sessions focus on our most advanced challenge elements and other advanced camp activities, as well as some leadership opportunities--it’s all about excitement! O.W.Ls, or Outstanding Weekly Leaders, is our way to show our older campers that there’s a place for them here at Camp Bernie that allows them to make their mark on camp like never before!
| Grade | Units | 2024 Weekly Rate |
|---|---|---|
|
K-5 |
Lions, Foxes, Bears |
$375 |
|
6-8
|
Wolf Pack
|
$450 (Includes Trip) |
| 9-11 | O.W.L.s | $375 |
Register by December 31, 2024 to take advantage of our 2024 pricing! Prices will increase January 1, 2025
Registering before June 1st?
A minmum deposit of $100 (per week) is due at the time of registration, to secure your camper's spot.
Balance payments can be split up and charged on a monthly basis if desired. Payment plans are set up through online registration. If you need assistance setting up a payment plan, please email info@campbernieymca.org. Balances are due by June 1st.
Registering after June 1st?
Registration fully closes the Wednesday prior to the start of the session. This includes add-ons like lunch, transportation, and after-camp lessons. Registration after June 1st must be paid in full.
Step back in time to when dinosaurs ruled the earth! Join us on an epic adventure as we uncover fossils, learn about prehistoric creatures, and embark on thrilling dino-themed hunts. Get ready to discover your inner paleontologist!
Whether you’re a caped crusader or a mischievous mastermind, this week lets you choose your side! Join epic battles, solve riddles, and compete in hero-versus-villain challenges for ultimate camp domination.
Dive into a week of water-filled fun! Slip, slide, and splash your way through wacky water games, pond adventures, and outrageous water challenges. Stay cool, stay wet, and get ready for a wild time!
Pack your bags for a world tour! Experience the cultures, traditions, and celebrations from countries around the globe, all while making new friends and learning about the beauty of diversity.
Ahoy, mateys! Set sail for adventure on the high seas of camp! Search for hidden treasure, learn to talk like a pirate, and battle other pirate crews as you live the life of a swashbuckling buccaneer.
Get ready for the ultimate camp competition as teams go head-to-head in epic battles of skill, strategy, and teamwork! Show your colors, cheer for your teammates, and see who will reign supreme in Color Wars 2025!
Step right up to the wildest carnival you've ever seen! This week is packed with wacky carnival games, thrilling rides, and creative challenges that bring all the fun of a fair right to camp.
Calling all wizards and witches and magical creatures alike! Join us for a week of spellbinding activities, potion making, and enchanted adventures. Whether you're casting spells or mastering mystical challenges, magic awaits around every corner!
Ready to get messy? Compete in the ultimate mess-filled games! From mud races to gooey obstacle courses, you’ll laugh, slip, and slide your way to messy victory in these outrageous Olympic-style events.
Saddle up, partner! This week is all about living the cowboy dream with rodeo games, western challenges, and exploring the frontier. Get your boots dusty and prepare for a rootin'-tootin' adventure in the Wild West.
Click for more info
*New for the 2025 Season*: Start the day off right with the most important meal of the day. Breakfast will now be an optional add on for day campers. Served at 8am, campers must be at camp by 7:45am to take advantage of this program and will provided by our Food Service team for your camper for the week for an additional fee. You MUST register for the program by the Wednesday prior to your session. Campers that take the bus will NOT be elligible for breakfast.
2025 Rate: $30/week
*Please note that menus are subject to change*
Lunch can be provided by our Food Service team for your camper for the week for an additional fee, but you MUST register for the program by the Wednesday prior to your session.
2025 Rate: $45/week
*Please note that menus are subject to change*
*New for the 2025 Season*: Before and After Care will be included in the price of camp. You may drop off your child anytime between 7am-9am and pick up from 4pm-6pm. Campers will play group games, create new crafts & have the opportunity to join in on exclusive projects only offered during this time. Our Camp Day will officially kick off after Flag Pole at 9am.
Camp Bernie provides transportation to and from camp for an additional fee per family.
East Route
Pick-up Drop Off Location
7:55-8:00 4:55-5:00 Valley View School - Lebanon Township
8:15-8:20 4:40-4:45 Emmanuel Bible Church - Long Valley
8:30-8:35 4:20-4:25 Hackettstown Middle School - Hackettstown
West Route
Pick-up Drop Off Location
8:15-8:20 4:40-4:45 Franklin Township Elementary School - Franklin Township
8:30-8:35 4:30-4:35 Faith Discovery Church - Washington
8:45-8:50 4:20-4:25 Oxford Central School - Oxford
2025 Rate: $50 one way/$70 both ways
Available every Thursday, campouts are a great way to introduce your camper to the idea of Overnight Camp! Campers will experience staying in a cabin, eating meals in the Dining Hall, roasting marshmallows over a fire to make s'mores, and playing evening games that just can't be done with the sun up. Thursday Dinner and Friday breakfast are included.
2025 Rate: $60
What to Pack:
Host an International Camper and your camper attends for FREE!
USA Immersion is a local not-for-profit organization offering fellowships to attend Camp Bernie YMCA Day Camp for free to those families interested in participating in their international cultural immersion program. Local families benefit from this program when they welcome in their homes an international student attending Camp Bernie YMCA Day Camp. In return, both the international students and our local kids benefit from the opportunity to learn about each other’s cultures while attending Day Camp together.
If you would like to find out more about the USAI-Camp Bernie YMCA Day Camp Fellowship, please call USAI at (845) 688-2434. You can also contact them at info@usaimmersion.org
Our American Red Cross certified Lifeguards help children improve their swimming skills through the use of the National YMCA Swim Lesson program. Children are grouped according to skill level and guided through engaging activities to develop and improve skills. Swim Lessons are offered 4-5pm Monday through Thursday, with Friday reserved in the event of cancelation due to thunder.
*This program is also open to children who are not enrolled in our summer camps.
2025 Rate: $115/week
*Please note: Bus transportation is not available after Swim Lessons.
Archery is a timeless sport, easy to learn and fun to master! Our USAA certified instructors will assess your child's skills and help them to improve their stance and techniques. Marksmanship games are incorporated to keep things fun and fresh. Archery Lessons are offered 4-5pm Monday through Thursday, with Friday reserved in the event of cancelation due to thunder.
*This program is also open to children who are not enrolled in our summer camps. 2025 Rate: $80
*Please note: Bus transportation is not available after Archery Lessons.
The Wolf Pack has their own adventures on Wednesdays! Only grades 6-8. Trips are subject to change.
| Date | Attraction | Location |
|---|---|---|
| June 18 | Branchburg Sports Complex | Branchburg, NJ |
| June 25 | Camelbeach Waterpark | Tannersville, PA |
| July 2 | Dorney Park | Allentown, PA |
| July 9 | TBD | TBD |
| July 16 | TBD | TBD |
| July 23 | Mountain Creek Waterpark | Vernon, NJ |
| July 30 | Funplex | East Hanover, NJ |
| August 6 | Branchburg Sports Complex | Branchburg, NJ |
| August 13 | River Country Tubing | Point Pleasant, PA |
| August 20 | Dorney Park | Allentown, PA |
7am-9am Drop-Off/Early Morning Activities
8am-8:30am Breakfast (Extra Cost)
9am-9:15am Flagpole (Official start of the camp day)
9:15am-10:45am Activity Block A in age groups
10:45am-12:15pm Activity Block B in age groups
12:30pm-1pm Lunch
1pm-2:30pm Activity Block C in age groups
2:30pm-4pm Activity Block D in age groups
4pm-6pm Pick-Up/Late Afternoon Activities
4pm-5pm Community Lessons (Extra Cost)
Please label each item with your camper’s name to ensure that is returned to you if it gets misplaced.
Optional:
Electronic devices such as cell phones, handheld video games, and smart watches are not permitted.
East Route
Pick-up Drop Off Location
7:55-8:00 4:55-5:00 Valley View School - Lebanon Township
8:15-8:20 4:40-4:45 Emmanuel Bible Church - Long Valley
8:30-8:35 4:20-4:25 Hackettstown Middle School - Hackettstown
West Route
Pick-up Drop Off Location
8:15-8:20 4:40-4:45 Franklin Township Elementary School - Franklin Township
8:30-8:35 4:30-4:35 Faith Discovery Church - Washington
8:45-8:50 4:20-4:25 Oxford Central School - Oxford
2024 Rate: $60/week per family
Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferrable for all programs.
Once full payment is made, families who need to withdraw will be eligible for a refund until June 1st (excluding deposit).
Inability to attend camp due to extenuating circumstance (including but not limited to illness, injury, family emergency or health challenges) will be considered for refund on a case-by-case basis with written documentation.
Yes! Applications for Camp Scholarships are considered on a rolling basis as long as funds remain available, but the first round of applications are reviewed on March 1st. Only complete applications can be considered. Scholarships are awarded for up to 60% of the full tuition rate. Amounts are awarded are based on financial need.
Additional scholarships are available through SCOPE for those that qualify. To qualify, a camper must be 6-16 years old, be enrolled in public school, and meet family income requirements established by USDA Income Eligibility Guidelines.
2024 SCOPE Application
Families are encouraged to register for their camp weeks as soon as possible to guarantee their camper’s spot. A waiting list will be created if camper units reach capacity. Registration officially closes at 5 p.m. the Wednesday prior to each week of camp.
Our camp has limited spots available for campers based on state and ACA required ratios. Once those slots have filled with campers who have paid their deposit, the system will offer a waitlist option to campers still trying to register. Sessions have been filling earlier and earlier each year. If you are on a waitlist, we will contact you directly to offer you a spot only if someone else drops out and your camper is next on the list. Please email us at info@campbernieymca.org if you would like to be removed from a waitlist. Our system will not permit families to pay camp tuition for waitlisted sessions, so if a spot opens up, the new camper's tuition will need to be paid in order to secure that spot.
We aim for campers to experience every program area at least once during their weekly schedule. Grades 2-8 participate in "Free Choice", where they chose program areas to spend more time at throughout the week. Campers sign ups take place on Monday morning with their units.
Credits from prior years will not show online, only for Camp Administrators. Please add the new session(s) to your camper's account and DO NOT make a payment. Contact us to let us know you're ready to have a credit applied and we will do so manually. If you have a balance left after the credit has been applied, you can then pay that balance online. Call 908-832-5315 or email info@campbernieymca.org
The Camp Store is stocked with snacks, drinks, clothing items and souvenirs. We also carry a supply of toiletry items that campers may have forgotten. Campers have the opportunity to visit the camp store on a daily basis. As our camp store is cashless, money can be added to your camper's online account throughout the session.
At the end of the summer camp season, families will have three options for any unspent Camp Store money:
1. Credit for the future - the money will be kept as a credit in your Camp Store account for your next session or event at camp.
2. Donate Unused Funds - send an email to info@campbernieymca.org and let us know you'd like to donate your unused Camp Store money to our scholarship fund to allow children to have a once-in-a-lifetime camp experience who otherwise would not have been able to.
3. Request a Refund - send an email to info@campbernieymca.org and let us know you'd like your money refunded and we will process your request to your original payment method.
From the moment your camper checks in, staff will play games and getting-to-know-you activities that are designed to help your child feel more comfortable at camp and build ccamp culture. Once check-in has concluded, campers will be provided with a camp orientation and tour. Additionally, if needed camp staff will work together on a game plan for how we can best help struggling campers with guardians.
Campers are grouped by grade. Groupings are generally as follows: Kindergarten are Lions, 1st grade are Tigers, 2nd-3rd grade are Foxes, 4th-5th grade are Bears, 6th-8th grade are Wolf Pack and 9th-11th grade are O.W.L.s. Based on ratios and registrations, campers closest to the date of birth of another group may be moved up or down in a unit group.
We accept two requests per camper and children must request each other. With an age gap, we prefer to avoid mixing ages in groups, but when exceptions are made, the older child will be placed in the younger group.
For the 2025 season, campers will receive an orientation on for program offerings and will sign up for the 1 program activity they are interested in as a free choice activity block. (We will do our best to accomodate campers first few choices based on interest and demand). These activities are your more traditional camp activities which include but are not limited to: canoeing, archery, swim, arts and crafts and more. The other activity blocks will be on a scheduled per-selected rotation
Ocassionally campers will get the ability to have a free choice special activity AKA "Smorgasbord". These activities are more fluid, niche and "silly" in nature and could range from things like: L.A.R.P, Tye-dye, Capture the Flag, Cloud-Watching, nature hike, ultimate frisbee and more.
Day Camp is in session rain or shine. If weather is mild to moderate, camp activities will proceed as scheduled. It is recommended that campers pack rain gear. For heavy rain, we run special, pre-planned indoor activities. During a thunderstorm, all campers and staff will immediately be brought indoors to shelter-in-place for "Thunder Call". The immediate surrounding 10 miles must be clear of thunder and lightening for a total of 10 minutes to conclude "Thunder Call". If at any point during a "Thunder Call", lightening or thunder is detected within the immediate area, the clock will reset.
For Day Camp, if your child is experiencing symptoms of illness, we ask that you keep them home.
Our camp contracts through AMN Healthcare (American Mobile Nurses) for a vetted licensed RN or LPN for the entirety of the summer. If the Camp Nurse is ever off property, there is an assigned health officer on property. Medication is stored and administered by the Nurse. If there is an emergency that requires medical transport, Hackettstown Regional Medical Center is 20 minutes from Camp. All staff are trained in emergency procedures. Many staff are also certified in Basic First Aid and AED/CPR. If a child sustains an injury or is feeling unwell, the camp staff will assess the injury and transport the child to the wellness cabin for further observation and care if necessary. Upon initial care and observation, if extensive care or isolation is needed, the Camp Nurse or Health Office will contact the guardian for a continued care plan.
We firmly believe that camp is for ALL. We also recognize that each child is unique and some may require additional physical or behavioral support. While we will make every effort to accommodate our campers and families, we also recognize that sometimes due to the environment or staffing structure that your child may need support that is beyond our scope. When registering your child, please ensure that you complete the "Camper Profile Sheet", "Health History" and if applicable "Medication" information in full. Additionally to find out if YMCA Camp Bernie is the right fit for your family, you are always welcome to call us and speak with our Administrative team to collaborate on a plan for your child's success during their time here.
Eighty percent of counselors are 18 and up; mostly college students. Counselors have at least two interviews, have a minimum of three references checked and must clear a criminal background screening both through Praesidium (which includes the national sex offender public system) and the CARI state background check system. Staff are also fingerprinted by the state of NJ. Prior to camp, staff attend 2 weeks of in-person training, as well as online training courses through the Redwoods Group and the state of NJ. Head Counselors, Unit Leaders and specialists attend additional trainings.
Specialists have trainings and certifications relevant to their program areas as well as American Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED certifications. Lifeguards are certified by the American Red Cross. Staff Trainings include topics required by the American Camping Association as well as the state of new Jersey that range from emergency procedures, handling homesickness, engaging programming, child abuse prevention, inclusion, youth development, and much more.
