← Back

Page: Youth Summer Camp Pre Arrival

Page text from: https://www.foresthome.org/youth-summer-camp-pre-arrival

Welcome to Youth Summer Camp!

For Pastors

For Parents

In Order to Help You Successfully Prepare for Camp, Please Click on the below Drop Downs to Learn More.

Summer Camp 2025 Theme

This summer, we’re exploring one of the most powerful and life-changing statements Jesus ever made: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). This isn’t just an inspiring quote—it’s a bold declaration of who Jesus is and the only way to experience true life.

During Jesus’s time, people were searching for truth in a world filled with different beliefs, philosophies, and ways of living. Then, Jesus made this profound statement, claiming that He alone is the answer. That truth was radical then, and it remains just as relevant today.

Throughout a week at camp, we’ll take a deeper look at each part of this statement—“the way, the truth, and the life”—and discover how this shapes our faith and transforms the way we live. For His disciples then and for us now, these words call us to recognize that Jesus isn’t just a wise teacher—He is the only way to truly know God and live the life we were created for.

As we dive into His “I am” statements, we can’t wait to see how this truth impacts every camper’s faith journey. We are so excited!

Packing List

**The Essentials: **

• Bible, Notebook, Pen (if you don’t have a Bible, we have one for you when you arrive!)

• Clothing: it can be hot, dry, cool, or even rainy on the mountain. Be prepared for all types of weather- better safe than sorry!

• Clothing and shoes for Mudbowl: clothes that students are okay with getting dirty and muddy. Mud washes out well, but these should be clothes and shoes that a student will be okay with not wearing for the rest of the week! Shoes must be close-toed and Crocs do NOT count.

• Shorts & Pants

• Shirts

• Jacket

• Pajamas

• Modest bathing suit (two is recommended)

  • Trunks for guys
  • One pieces for girls

• Plenty of socks and underwear

• Shoes: some activities at Forest Home require close-toed shoes. Make sure to bring some so you don’t miss out!

• Toiletries

• Toothbrush & Toothpaste

• Shampoo & Conditioner

• Soap

• Deodorant

• Lotion & Chapstick (Remember, high elevation can be dry!)

• Linens (NOT provided by Forest Home)

• Shower towel/Washcloth

• Beach towel

• Sleeping bag

• Pillow

• Extra Blanket: for extra comfort!

**Extra Items to Make Camp Awesome: **

• Flashlight: for walking to and from your cabin at night

• Fun pajamas: for a Dance Party on the last night of camp!

• Glowsticks and white clothing: for a Glow-themed night event

• Reusable Water Bottle: hydrate or diedrate!

• Backpack: recommended to carry everyday items around camp!

• Spending money: Forest Home is currently cashless. If you wish to load money onto your student’s account, more information is available on our website and during the registration process. We also accept credit/debit cards.

**What NOT to bring to camp: **

• Please do not bring the following items:

• • Ipads, laptops, gaming devices, etc.
• • Weapons- knives, airsoft guns, slingshots, etc.
• • Prank supplies (including fireworks and fart bombs)
• • Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco- including Juuls, vapes, wax pens, dab pens, etc.
• • Items with significant monetary value or sentimental value*

**Pro Tips: **

• Label all luggage and personal items with duct tape and a permanent parker: camper’s first & last name and church name. This way, if luggage gets left behind or misplaces, we can easily get it back to you!

• Make sure that your campers can carry all the luggage they are bringing to camp!

• Avoid potential heartbreak- do not bring anything to camp that is invaluable, irreplaceable, or of significant monetary value.

*Forest Home is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen items.

See you soon!

Check-In/Check-Out

Check-In / Arrival

• Before you arrive at camp, log-on to your Forest Home account to see if any of your students or leaders are missing medical forms. If there are missing health forms, contact those participants and get the health forms filled out ASAP. Ensuring that all your students are registered and have turned in a health form will help make your check-in process go as smoothly as possible.

• Check-in will begin at 3 PM. In the unfortunate event of a late arrival (traffic, distance, etc.) please email Sarah Shepherd as soon as possible. Check-in will take place on the Lakeview lawn or above the Creekside field (depending on your group’s respective camp center); there will be signage on the main road to guide you to Lakeview and Creekside. Forest Home Staff will be placed to help you navigate the arrivals process and welcome you to camp. Once your vehicles are parked, you (or your group’s designated group leader) will proceed to the Creekside check-in area or the Lakeview check-in area while the rest of your group will remain on the Lakeview lawn or Creekside field with their counselors.

• Make sure the group leader brings all of the group’s medication and Health Screening Forms with them to check in.

• Once at your check-in destination, Sarah (Reservations Associate) or another Reservations Staff Member will have your registration packet and our nurses and health techs will check-in any medication for your group. Once your group is officially checked-in, the group leader will return to their group to distribute keys and wristbands. We will have staff waiting to show you and your students to your cabins. Dinner will be at 5:30 pm in your camp center’s dining hall.

Once you arrive at Forest Home, feel free to grab anyone with a Forest Home name tag to answer any questions!

Check-Out / Departure

• After breakfast on your checkout day, all guests will head to our final gathering of the week. After gathering ends (around 10:15 AM), you can head out! Please plan to be off property no later than 10:45 AM. Lunch will not be served on departure day, so please ensure to plan accordingly for your group.

First-Aid/Sending Medications to Camp

Each camper is required to undergo a health screening and have that information recorded on the group’s “Health Screening Form” BEFORE arriving at camp. Please note, any ill campers or counselors should not come to camp until they are symptom free without medication for 24 hours. If a camper or counselor arrives ill or becomes ill at camp, they may be sent home, subject to the discretion of the camp nurse and first aid policies.

Medication:

• Church/Group Partners

  • Please watch the short video regarding sending medication to camp. https://vimeo.com/865184187/a83b2c7e19?share=copy
  • Designate a medical volunteer (ie. Registered Nurse, LVN, EMT, nursing student ect.) to assist with the collection of camper medication.
  • Provide the following document “Church Partner Medical Volunteer” to your medical volunteer with step-by-step instructions.
  • Log on to your Forest Home account for a list of medicines you should expect to receive from your campers.
  • Print this list so your medical volunteer can check off medications received.
  • Cross reference the medication the parent provides with the medication printed on the medication expected list to ensure all medications parents registered campers to take during camp are retrieved prior to departure from the church. This will help save time at check-in once at camp. Print the “Medicine Postcard” document on bright colored paper.
  • The postcard will be completed by the medical volunteer at the time medication is collected.
  • All medications must be in their original containers for both prescriptions and over the counter (OTC) store-bought medications.
  • All prescriptions must have their correct prescription labels.
  • Place all medications in a Ziploc bag with camper and church name on the bag. Place all medication in a plastic container to be transported and handed off to the First Aid Team.
  • Please provide the “Sending Medications to Camp” document to ALL parents.

• Individual Campers

  • Place all medications in a Ziploc bag with camper name on the bag.
  • All medications must be in their original containers for both prescriptions and over the counter (OTC) store-bought medications.
  • All prescriptions must have their correct prescription labels
  • Print the “Medicine Postcard” document on bright colored paper and place within zip log back with medication,

The Health Techs on duty will distribute medication during each meal and can be found in the First Aid Station to distribute medications as needed throughout your stay.

Food Allergies/Dietary Restrictions

Please ensure that all dietary requests are indicated on your camper’s online registration form.

Our chefs are trained and able to accommodate the following common dietary allergies:

• gluten free diets
• dairy intolerances
• egg allergies
• vegetarian diets
• vegan diets,
• nut allergies (all our kitchens are nut free facilities).

If your camper has a dietary need or allergy that our kitchen is unable to accommodate for (like Celiac Disease), we require that your camper brings their own food to meet their dining needs during their stay.

• If your camper is bringing their own food to camp, pack their pre-cooked meals in pre-portioned microwave safe containers.
• There are refrigerators for storage and microwaves for heating in all dining facilities for guests to use. (Please note there is no prep area)
• If your camper is bringing their own food, please send it in appropriate containers for travel and ensure that it is labeled with your camper’s name.
• We understand many allergies can be very severe, and we cannot fully guarantee that every item served is 100% free from airborne particles or other means of food allergy cross-contamination. The process of bringing your own precooked and pre-portioned food will limit the chance of any allergy cross-contamination.
• There are other areas in camp that may cause allergic reactions that are out of our control, such as in retail food locations, vending machines, or other campers that may bring snacks.

If you have any additional questions, please contact our Director of Guest Dining, Cecilia Cabrera at Cecilia.Cabrera@foresthome.org and he will respond within 2-3 business days.

Spending Money / Retail Options at Camp

All of your camper’s main activities while at Forest Home are covered by their camp registration fees.

There will be opportunities during the week where campers can choose to purchase items. This includes:

• Roundhouse/The Hub (t-shirts, stickers, hats, etc.)

• The Clubhouse and Stagecoach Coffee Shop (snacks/drinks)

• Craft Cabin crafts/activities

• Laser Tag

**All of Forest Home’s retail transactions are cashless; all retail purchases must be made by credit card, debit card, apple pay, google pay, Forest Home giftcard, or eGiftcard. **

• eGiftcard

  • This link allows you to load money on to your camper’s account at any time before or during camp.
  • You have the option of adding a telephone number to the account, making it easier for your camper to memorize the number required for making a purchase (for efficiency and ease of use, we strongly recommend using this method).
• • To reload money, please click here
• • To check balance on your egiftcard, please click here
• • For more instructions or troubleshooting on eGiftcards, click here
• • At the end of camp, if your camper does not spend all the money on their eGiftcard, it will remain open so that your camper can use it the next time they are at camp. In the event your camper is not returning to camp within a 12-month period, you can also email refunds@foresthome.org to request a refund for the extra funds on your camper’s eGiftcard. We are only able to process refunds that are requested within 12 months of date of purchase.

Camper Photos

Photos can be accessed through a link provided by your group’s leader. This link will be sent directly to the group leader a few days before arriving at camp. It is the group leader’s responsibility to share that link with camper families. If you do not receive the link directly from your group leader, follow up with them for photo access!

Cell Phones

We encourage campers to leave all electronics (including cellphones) at home and ask that all our guests join us in our efforts to keep our public areas at Forest Home cellphone free.

Forest Home will provide phone service for campers who need to contact their parents / guardians, but generally speaking, campers are not able to make or receive phone calls during camp.

If there is a situation with your child at camp that warrants contact of their guardian (homesickness, injury, not cooperating, etc.), you will be contacted by our camp staff immediately.

Recreation

All of these options are available to your campers during free time, weather permitting:

• Canyon Park – Zipline, Giant Swing, Sky Trail
• Laser Tag
• Mini Golf
• The Den – Billiards, Ping Pong, Foosball, Air Hockey, etc.
• Lake – Blob, Giant Water Slides, Floating Pyramid, Kayaks, Paddleboards, etc.
• Pool
• Craft Cabin (additional cost – varies by project)
• Retail (Clubhouse, Stagecoach, Roundhouse)

Final Count & Additional Spots

We need your final count and male / female breakdown two weeks prior to your arrival to camp. We do not assign housing until we receive these numbers to ensure adequate housing for your group and others. If you would like additional spots, contact Sarah Shepherd (Reservations Associate) and she will do her best to accommodate requests as she receives them.

Additional Costs

Your campers’ experience is all-inclusive. They do not NEED to bring extra money to have a full camp-experience – all meals and most activities are paid for in your campers’ registration cost. However, if your students wish to purchase drinks, snacks, FH merch, or projects in the craft cabin, extra spending money will be needed ($20-$40). Please see the above section “Spending Money / Retail Options at Camp” for further explanation.

Non-registered Guests

We have a closed campus.

For the safety of all of our guests, do not instruct anyone to come up to camp (for ANY length of time) who is not a registered guest.

Day passes are not available unless pre-arranged with the Camp Director.

For more information on our Child Protection Policies, please contact Evan Liewer, Senior Director of Programs, at evanl@foresthome.org.

Emergencies

If there is a serious family emergency and a parent needs to contact their child while at camp, they may contact the Forest Home Roundhouse at 909-389-2300 and they can put them in contact with the Camp Director.

A Safe Place

At Forest Home, we deeply care about the safety of our campers in every regard. During the Friday night Counselor Meeting, we will walk all counselors through the steps and policies that the Forest Home staff, counselors, and campers will abide by while at camp. We will walk through camper safety expectations for the weekend so that we can ensure every student is safe while at Forest Home.

Additional Questions?

Couldn’t find the answer to your question? Reach out to someone from our Youth team and we will get back to you!

Sarah Shepherd

Registration sarah.shepherd@foresthome.org (909) 389-4320

Matt France

Director of Youth matt.france@foresthome.org (949) 874-3336