We’re so excited that your camper will be joining us this summer. We want to make sure you and your child have everything you need to have a great experience. Our staff works all year long to prepare for the time your camper spends here. Now that you’ve signed up, here are the steps you can take to make sure you’re prepared.
Make sure you submit all the required Health Forms at least 30 days prior to your camper’s arrival at Camp. The medical examination form must be signed by a physician and include the date of the camper’s last tetanus shot. A school physical completed within 12 months of camp is acceptable. In order to be in compliance with state regulations a completed health information form including your camper’s health history and physical examination record, signed by a doctor, must be on file. Your camper could be sent home due to failure to comply with this requirement and no refund will be given. Camp requests that forms are to be sent to camp at least 30 days before the scheduled camp session so they can be properly reviewed by camp health personnel. We understand if your camper has a physical scheduled past its due date due to insurance restraints. Please submit the completed form as soon as you are able.
Camp Tecumseh is an allergy-aware camp. Please refrain from sending food containing peanuts, tree nuts, or whole seeds with your campers.
Please be sure to disclose any food allergies or dietary restrictions on your camper’s health form. We will do our best to provide alternatives. We also ask that you contact our Food Service Director at least 30 days in advance of your camper’s stay so you can discuss the best course of action.
Campers are allowed to bring a small amount of snacks, but only if they are stored in an airtight container, such as a Ziploc bag. Drinkables are not allowed, except for bottled water. Due to allergy sensitivities, we ask campers not to bring products with peanuts or tree nuts.
If your camper has special health needs, please call us at least 90 days in advance of the camp date for an evaluation of the camper’s care needs. Camp Tecumseh counselors are encouraging and patient and can help facilitate successful camp experiences for children with differing mild and moderate abilities. Our programs are not designed for campers who need significant assistance or personal care, require constant one-on-one support, or have difficulty managing their behavior in group settings.
Health conditions requiring advance clearance include, but are not limited to: Insulin Dependent Diabetes, Cardiac Situations, Asthma, Seizure Disorders, Autism Spectrum, and Serious Food Allergies. Call our main office at 765-564-2898 to be connected with our Overnight Camp Director.
For all Overnight, Equestrian, and CILT campers, make sure your camper’s Trading Post Account is set up prior to their arrival. The Trading Post is our “camp store” where the camper is able to purchase items throughout their stay. If you did not add an amount during registration, please do so in “View Trading Post Account” on your Account Dashboard. Our recommended limit is $60 per week of Overnight or Equestrian Camp and $100 for a CILT Session, but you may also provide a limit of your own choosing. Any remaining trading post money above $5 will be refunded back to the original payment method either Tuesday or Wednesday the following week. Balances below $5 will be added to our Campership Fund to support camp scholarships for campers in need. Day Camp and Adventure Trips DO NOT use Trading Post accounts.
Common Trading Post Purchases:
Prior to camp, parents and campers may wish to discuss the amount of money that is allotted in their trading post account. The enjoyment of camp is not dependent on the amount of money spent at the Trading Post. Please discuss with your camper the things that might be most appropriate for them to buy. We allow one can of pop or juice may be purchased each afternoon, and one snack item to be purchased after supper. Our counselors will encourage campers to wait until the end of the week for higher-priced items (shirts and sweatshirts).
*World Service is an important aspect of our mission. This money is a donation used to help support Camp Tecumseh’s commitment to causes in both our local community and abroad. Camp Tecumseh offers campers the opportunity to make a maximum contribution of $3.00. It is the camper’s choice to donate if they want to.
At Camp Tecumseh, we allow campers to request a friend to join them in their cabin. To ensure that campers will also have the opportunity to meet new friends, we allow each camper to list only one name as a “cabinmate request”. If the two campers are within one year of each other’s age they can be placed in the same cabin, although if their ages fall into different units, they may be placed together in the younger age unit. To ensure the best experience for all campers in the cabin group, we do our best to limit large groups of campers who already know each other from being placed in the same cabin. Therefore, we can only honor one mutual and exclusive cabinmate request – two campers who list only each other as the cabinmate request on their registration form. We encourage you to coordinate your cabinmate request with the other family in order to ensure a smooth placement, and make sure both campers are registered for the same week of Camp. While Camp tries to honor all mutual cabinmate requests, we do reserve the right to refuse a request if needed.
Things to consider before making a request:
Camp cannot honor requests where more than two campers have linked their names together. In cases where several campers have linked their names together with each choosing a different cabinmate, we will place the campers as Camp feels is in the best interest of all concerned. If you have a special situation for which you would like to request consideration, please call Camp at least one month in advance of your camper’s Camp session. If you are requesting that your camper not be placed with a certain child, it is your responsibility to inform the other family prior to arrival at Camp. Finally, please note that even if two campers are not in the same cabin, there are still many opportunities for them to spend time together at Camp, such as daily swim times, cabin actvities, and all-unit or all-village activities!
Make sure you pack the right stuff for an exceptional week at Camp. Because learning personal responsibility is an important part of the Camp experience, please talk to your camper about keeping track of personal items. To help us recover lost items, put your camper’s first and last name on all belongings. Camp Tecumseh is not responsible for items left behind, lost, or stolen. Check out our Lost and Found Policy HERE for more details.
Possession of drugs, drug paraphernalia, tobacco, or alcohol products is grounds for immediate dismissal from Camp.
In striving to provide a safe and appropriate environment for our campers, we ask that you help us in the choices of clothing your camper brings to Camp. Campers should have enough clothing to last the duration of their stay. Those staying more than one week will have the opportunity to use their Trading Post money to launder their clothes ($12 a load). Campers should bring clothing that can get wet, dirty, and muddy without concern. All clothing should be marked with the camper’s first and last name.
Please ensure all clothes are acceptable for a youth camp. We request that phrases/graphics/logos be in good taste. Camp reserves the right to prohibit the wearing of clothing the Camp Director deems inappropriate for a Christian youth Camp.
We ask that all swim-wear be conservative in nature. For boys, please stick to board short-style swim trunks (no Speedos or Jammers). For girls, one-piece or athletic swimsuits are great, otherwise feel free to bring a (non-white) tank-top to wear on top.
Make sure you pack a pair of long pants and closed-toe, hard-soled shoes if your camper wants to take a trail ride, is registered for horsemanship, or is attending Equestrian Camp. Long pants include jeans, breeches, wind pants, sweat pants, and capris that extend past the knee while sitting. Please no yoga pants. Tennis shoes are acceptable for those riding in a Western saddle. Equestrian campers riding English should bring a boot with a 1/2″ heel. Crocs are not accepted for horseback riding.
Camp Tecumseh has trained staff to administer swim quests for all campers to gauge a combination of swim ability and confidence in the water. The swim quest allows us to place campers in designated areas in our aquatic spaces where campers can be the most confident while safe and having fun.
For the Swim Quest each camper will swim 2 widths of our pool. The first width they will swim the freestyle stroke and the second width they will swim either a backstroke, breaststroke, or elementary backstroke. Some campers may be asked to do a short tread in the deep end following their strokes.
Campers can wear goggles for the swim quest. Goggles will not be provided by Camp Tecumseh.
FAQ’s/Things to note:
Did you remember to pack your outfit for Friday’s Theme Dinner? Friday night’s theme dinners are among the great activities campers look forward to! On Friday of each week, each village will have a celebration of their last full day all together. Dinner is served with themed music playing and space to get up and dance. It is optional to dress up, but it does add some extra fun flare to see everyone in the costumes they came up with.
Have you ever wished you lived in a different decade in the past, or wondered what the future will be like? We’re firing up the delorian, and traveling “Back to the Future”
Who are your favorite characters from those books you can’t put down? After leaving the movies, who do you feel a strong connection with?
Crikey! There are so many amazing animals on this earth, dress like your favorite one!
What better way to celebrate the 4th of July week. Come dressed in your Red, White, and Blue! A great fireworks display over the Richard G. Marsh Lake highlights this week.
Dress like a player from your favorite sport, or deck out in your favorite sport team’s colors. We will bring the best “time-out” music we can find on a Jock Jams CD!
Pull out your cowboy boots and 10-gallon hat for a foot stompin’ good time. There is sure to be a country line dance or two!
Let’s cool off, and celebrate Christmas – July 25th always falls during Week 7 (it’s also Camp Tecumseh’s birthday!). Why wait for the snow…Let’s celebrate now! We want to see all your holiday cheer!
Are you Team DC or Team Marvel? Come dressed as your favorite superhero!Break out the grass skirt and a flower shirt and get ready to limbo!
Break out the grass skirt and a flower shirt and get ready to limbo!
Camp Tecumseh is an allergy aware camp. Please refrain from sending food containing peanuts, tree nuts, or whole seeds with your campers.
Camp provides healthy meals, so snacks are not needed. Camp will allow campers to bring a small amount of snacks, but only if they are stored in an air-tight container, such as a ziplock bag. Please do not bring a large container of candy or other sweets. Due to increased allergy sensitivities, please refrain from bringing products with peanuts or tree nuts. Camp Tecumseh will not provide storage containers nor be held responsible for lost or stolen food items. Counselors will regulate when campers can have their food. Drinkables are not allowed, except for bottled water. Care packages may also be mailed to your camper during their stay.
While your camper is making new friends, learning new skills, and growing in important attributes, you can follow along to what’s happening throughout the week through our parent connection page.
Email your camper throughout the week. Make sure to include your child’s name and cabin name in the subject line. 50 cents will be charged to your child’s Trading Post account for each page. Campers can’t email outgoing messages, but they can write letters home. Please limit e-mails to text only.
Our dedicated media staff does an outstanding job documenting the Tecumseh experience on a daily basis. Uploading new pictures multiple times per day, you can follow the action all week by visiting our photo galleries. From the galleries you can also save pictures, and order prints of your favorite photos.
Photo PhilosophyIn addition to photos, our media team also puts together short videos throughout the week highlighting various aspects of the Tecumseh experience. At the end of the week, don’t miss our cumulative weekly videos which recaps all the fun of the week.
Stay up to date with us via social media. We regularly post updates regarding the week to our Facebook and Instagram pages. Follow along to hear stories from campers, get updates on the weather, see photos and videos, and more.
Whether it’s the last day of a weeklong camp or the end of the day for day camp, we’re all about safety when campers and their families leave Camp Tecumseh. Here’s what to expect during pick-up.
Check out happens in Lake Village inside Kampen Lodge. We start at 9:30am and end at 11:00 AM (All times Eastern Standard Time). If you need to pick your child up earlier than 9:30 AM, please fill out a special leave card so our counselors can be prepared for your early arrival as our campers and counselors do not return from chapel until 9:30 AM. If you are unable to check out your camper out before 11:00 AM, your camper will be with the stayover campers and counselors when you arrive.
We offer the option for campers attending multiple sessions to stay over on weekends where we are already operating other programming (ONLY between Weeks 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8). The stay over weekend is an add-on option during registration. The stayover fee includes food lodging and activity materials. Campers must stay for the entirity of the weekend. You can opt to pick your camper during normal pick up time, but will need to be returned on Sunday at 2 PM ET for the start of the next week.
Please Note: There are NO weekend stay overs are offered between Weeks 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, or 8-9. All campers must be picked up Saturday between 9:30-11 AM ET on these weekends, and returned to camp Sunday between 2-4 PM ET if attending the following week.
Laundry service is available to all stayover campers. This service is $12 and includes a reusable laundry bag. The $12 is charged to their Trading Post Account. You do not need to sign up ahead of time. Your camper will be asked at Friday’s dinner. All the laundry is collected Saturday morning and returned Sunday morning.
The weekend is a relaxed time for the campers and staff to be able to rest up for a new exciting week! Saturdays the campers will get to go to the pool, have a nice extended rest time, dinner, and a Movie Night. Sunday the campers are served breakfast, go to chapel led by the CILT Campers, pick up laundry and settle back into their cabins, eat some lunch, and back to the pool before they meet their second week of cabinmates!
Everyone will stay in Lake Village for the weekend. We will condense the campers into a few cabins per age group to make sure we have adequate supervision of everyone. If your camper is moving to a different cabin for the second week, we have moving time is built in, and the counselors will help them with moving in and out.
In the case of serious illness or other situations that require seeing a physician, the Camp Director or nurse will notify parents. Parents are invited to talk with the Camp Director, one of the three full-time nurses, or the counselors about individual camper needs when you arrive at camp. Remember all medications, prescriptions or over the counter medications must be turned in to the nurses at Check-in. They must be in the original containers.
Campers look forward to hearing from you. Please write them so they receive a letter on Monday or Tuesday (you can leave letters at the Trading Post on check-in day. We’ll make sure they get delivered with the regular mail). We suggest writing letters that are happy and newsy in a way that won’t make a camper homesick. We don’t want your kids to feel like you can’t get along without them. We don’t recommend discussing this before their week at camp as it often leads to homesickness. Temporary homesickness is totally normal, especially for new campers. Overcoming homesickness is an opportunity to grow and mature. Our staff is trained in handling homesickness in constructive and loving ways, and we look forward to helping your child grow.
Unfortunately, emergencies happen. In the event of an emergency, please contact our main camp office at 765-564-2898. The Camp directors will work with parents to determine the best way to notify the camper. If calling outside of office hours, please follow the voice prompts for accessing camp’s emergency phone. Making direct contact with a camper before speaking with Camp staff is strongly discouraged.
Absolutely! You can email your camper using our Camper Email form. We will print these emails off each day and deliver them to your camper after lunch. Each email your camper receives costs 50¢ which will be deducted from the camper’s trading post account.
You may also drop letters and packages off at either of our Trading Posts (located in Scheumann Lodge in Lake Village and Kampen Dining Hall in River Village). Please label these packages with your camper’s First and Last Name, Cabin, and what day you’d like it delivered.
If you’d prefer to mail a letter or package, mail it to 12635 W Tecumseh Bend Rd, Brookston, IN 47923 with the camper’s name and cabin (if known) prominently shown on the item.
PLEASE AVOID SENDING PACKAGES THROUGH AMAZON. We can sometimes get upwards of 50-60 packages in a day in the summer. Avoiding Amazon helps up to cut down on this volume. If your child forgets an important item for camp, please call our main office (765-564-2898), so we can try to help get your camper what they may need faster. to avoid packages arriving late, we highly recommend dropping off letters and packages during Sunday Check-in.
We are not currently allowing parents or families to visit during their camper’s session. If your camper is staying over between two weeks, they will need to stay at camp for the entirety of the weekend. They will not be able to be checked out and returned the same day. If you prefer they not stayover, you can pick them up during normal pick-up time on Saturday (9:30-11 AM) and return them on Sunday at 2 PM ET.
Visiting Campfire: Attending closing campfire on Friday evening is only open to former Camp Tecumseh staff members and parents of current Camp Tecumseh staff members.
Laundry service is available to all stayover campers. This service is $12 and includes a reusable laundry bag. The $12 is charged to their Trading Post Account. You do not need to sign up ahead of time. Your camper will be asked at Friday’s dinner. All the laundry is collected Saturday morning and returned to them by Sunday morning.
Between school, sports, and extracurricular activities, we understand that conflicts sometimes arise. If your camper needs to leave Camp, or needs to be picked up early, please email our camp office at office@camptecumseh.org to let our staff know. Your camper’s counselor’s will also have a “special leave card” you can fill out on check-in day. We’ll make sure to have your camper ready. Please note, we cannot release a camper to anyone other than a camper’s legal guardian without written permission from that camper’s legal guardian.
Early pick ups for Friday must occur before 7:30 PM ET to not interfere with closing programming and cabin devotions. Please email Meg at megp@camptecumseh.org with any questions.
We also ask that you do not pick up your camper during our final chapel on Saturday between 8:00 – 9:30 AM ET.
