Your child has off of school – now what? Bring them for a day of exciting learning and adventure at one of our Vacation Day programs! Offered during winter break, spring break, and other days that many area school districts have off, these programs are a perfect way to keep your child engaged on their days off of school. AfterCare provides flexibility for busy families.
All vacation day programs are drop-off programs appropriate for children ages 5-12 years. Please bring a sack lunch for all full-day programs, AM and PM snacks are provided.
Tuition assistance is available. Contact camps@aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org to inquire about availability.
Program Update
Registration is open for the 2021/2022 school year. Vacation Day programs will be offered on days off of school for Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) and Monona Grove School District (MGSD).
Vacation Day Programming: 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
Cost: $60/day
AfterCare: 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Cost: $20/day
REGISTER HERE FOR 2021/2022
Already registered? Login to access your program registration
Please follow these instructions when registering.
After a year of modified activities due to COVID-19, we’re grateful for the ability to offer Vacation Day programs for your children. Our programs include adaptations to help ensure the safety of everyone, including emphasizing handwashing, minimizing personal contact, minimizing time indoors and monitoring health of staff and students. As health and safety guidelines continue to evolve in regards to COVID-19, we work in conjunction with and in adherence with our local public health authorities, and, as always, in accordance with Wisconsin’s Department of Children & Families.
Vacation Day procedures include the following:
- Curbside drop-off and pick-up will take place in the bus parking lot. Curbside drop-off is 8:30-8:45am and pick-up is 3:30-3:45pm. Parents are to stay in their vehicles at all times unless there are tears and the camper needs help with the transition. If you need to leave your vehicle to escort your camper to their group, a mask is required for all adults that enter the group, so please have one available if needed. ALNC will email our Daily Health Screening that should be done prior to drop off. Our staff will conduct curbside check-in and check-out during these times only. If you must drop-off or pick-up outside these windows, please contact (608) 221-0404 x0.
- Groups will not co-mingle and assigned ALNC staff will only work with their individual group to reduce as many transitions/contacts as possible.
- Campers will wash hands frequently throughout the day. Staff will carry hand sanitizer to use as appropriate.
- Please expect and prepare your camper to be outside at all times as long as weather permits. We expect to use inside spaces only in the event of inclement weather and for bathroom breaks, filling water, etc.
- ALNC staff will provide spray-on sunscreen (minimum spf 30, organic and regular) and bug spray (both deet-free and 10% deet). We will not apply from individual bottles brought from home this year to reduce contact. Parents are encouraged to help their children apply sunscreen and bug spray before arriving to camp each morning. Staff will reapply at lunch and as needed.
Campers should bring:
- Backpack.
- Lunch.
- Refillable water bottle. Drinking fountains will not be used for sanitary reasons, but places to fill water bottles will be available.
- Mask with a baggie to keep in (extra masks are recommended). ALNC requires masks be worn inside and outside the building.
- Comfortable shoes that can get wet.
- Full change of clothes, including layers for all weather and a raincoat as needed.
- Baggie containing: markers and/or crayons and a pencil and/or pen. If you do not have a supply or access to these at home, ALNC can provide an individual baggie for your camper.
- Please discuss physical distancing with your camper before they arrive. ALNC staff will share guidelines at the beginning of camp, but it will be helpful if children are already aware and mindful.
- Please label each item clearly with the camper’s name.
Campers should avoid bringing:
- Any small trinkets, toys, etc.
- Anything else easily lost or meant to be shared (pokemon cards, legos, etc).
COVID-19 Cancellation Policy (If ALNC cancels a program due to COVID-19)
- You will be contacted and asked for your refund preference.
- You may request a full refund, a credit towards future programs, or donate your program fees.
- If you do not respond with a preference by a specified date, ALNC will issue you a credit (good for future programming) less a 15% administrative fee.
In the interest of public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be operating differently until further notice, taking additional precautions to help decrease risk to our students and staff. How this looks may change depending on the program and the current metrics of our community. We will always err on the side of caution and cancel or modify programs if we even suspect we’ve had a positive case on site and therefore ask families to be prepared for last minute alterations or cancellations of programs. While this may be inconvenient and challenging, we strongly believe it is the correct choice in order to keep your family, our staff and our community as safe as possible. We will promptly share information with public health authorities, families and staff as soon as we learn of a possible or confirmed positive case. Depending on the program, changes in our operation during the pandemic include some or all of the following:
- Our facility remains closed to the public until further notice.
- We are requiring curbside pick-up and drop-off for some programs and outdoor meeting spots for others.
- Most or all activities will take place outdoors, and we may need to cancel in the event of inclement weather.
- In spring, summer and fall, outdoor handwashing stations will be available throughout the ALNC grounds and frequent handwashing will be required.
- All staff and participants (ages 2 and up) are required to wear masks when indoors and whenever possible outdoors. Please review our mask policy.
- Our facility and materials will be disinfected frequently.
- Groups will be kept small, and we will restrict the number of programs, family members, chaperones or others allowed on-site.
- In the event of a positive case or other community metrics, some programs may be canceled or postponed with short notice in accordance with public health guidelines.
Registration policies
Your registration is not complete until payment is received. Pre-registration and advanced payment is highly recommended as classes do fill up. For questions or to register by phone, call 608-221-0404 x 1.
Medical Form
Completed medical information is required for all Vacation Day participants. Medical forms are included during program registration – you may fill them out as you go or log back in to complete. If skipped, you will receive an email reminder from us requesting that you submit information prior to your child’s first program. Please contact the Camp Coordinator (camps@aldoleopoldnaturecenter.org) if you have any questions or problems.
Cancellation Policy*
Please notify us of any cancellations at least 7 days before the program. If you inform us:
- At least 1 month in advance, we will provide a refund (minus 15% administrative fee) or transfer you to an alternate session, if available.
- At least 2 weeks in advance, we will issue you a voucher (minus 15% administrative fee) or transfer you to an alternate session, if available.
- Any cancellations or non-attendance less than 2 weeks beforehand will result in a full charge of the class fee.
* Cancellation policy may change due to COVID-19.
