Forest Camp

Pricing

Full five-day week: $365

Four-day holiday week (June 30 - July 3): $295

Before OR after care: $50/week (pro-rated to $40 for the four-day week)

Before AND after care: $100/week (pro-rated to $80 for the four-day week)

Weeklong session registration includes one daily snack and one camper T-shirt.

Summer Camp Themes

Weekly thematic programming is designed to help prepare campers by developing social skills and highlighting nature, inquiry, creativity, movement, art, and music.

Forest Camp sessions are tailored for 2nd-9th graders. Campers are grouped by their Fall 2025 grade level.

Forest Camp Summer Camp with Animals

Theme 1: Animal Adaptations

Discover the hidden world of animals of Prince William Forest Park! Use your senses to explore the forest in a whole new way. Campers will deepen their appreciation for the natural world by seeing the world the way animals do, learning about the ways that animals use their habitat.

  • Experience animal adaptations with deer ears, eagle eyes, raccoon touch, coyote nose, and fox walk

  • Play games like Camouflage to learn more about animal adaptations in action

  • Hear from wildlife professionals about their experiences with animals in human care

  • Explore trails and practice your animal identification skills

(This session is now also open for Middle Schoolers!)

Forest camp summer park rangers for kids

Learn how to prepare for outdoor adventures and test your Junior Ranger skills! Discover how to use your natural resources and outdoor tools to be confident and trail ready. Meet different park rangers to learn about their jobs within national parks.

Theme 2: Junior Rangers

  • Become a Junior Ranger

  • Experience navigating trails and reading a map

  • Practice your backcountry ranger skills, from shelter building to Leave No Trace to basic first aid

  • Learn how to build a campfire and make your very own camp meal

  • Create your own fishing rod, search for bait, and learn how to fish

Forest camp summer camp for kids in nature

Theme 3: Creek Week Scientists

H2-Whoa! Aquatic science takes center stage this week as campers explore creek ecosystems and learn the importance of watersheds. Creek Week campers will explore the role that humans play in protecting and conserving our waterways. 

  • Learn how to test and interpret water quality, and collect data as a scientist

  • Create your own ecosystem and dig into what lives in our local wetlands

  • Research and design your own experiment during your Creek Week at Forest Camp

  • Play exciting water games to cool off and build your teamwork skills

  • Learn what it is like to be a scientist from park scientists

  • Use a magiscope to view and learn about creek critters

(This session is now also open for Middle Schoolers!)

Daily Schedule

  • ✺

    The following day would be a typical day in our Animal Adaptations Theme week:

    8:45-9:00 a.m.: All campers arrive at the picnic tables. The entire camp sings songs, plays games, and listens to announcements.

    9:30 a.m.: Campers get on trail with their camp groups.

    10:00 a.m.: Campers learn more about the adaptations of Prince William Forest Park animals by playing a quick team builder activity.

    10:30 a.m.: Campers will hike down to Quantico creek and work together to ID unique plants.

    11:30 a.m.: Campers have lunch on trail, enjoying classic lunch games.

    12:00-1:45 p.m.: Activity Block: during this time students head to their daily activity block with their trail groups ranging from Skins & Skulls lab, Fishing, Stayin’ Alive (a large group ecology game), and more!

    2:00 p.m.: Water play time to cool off on a hot day.

    2:30-2:45 p.m.: Snack time!

    2:45-3:00 p.m.: End of Camp Day and Camper pick-up.

✺ FAQs ✺

  • Forest Camp will offer full refunds, minus a $50 registration fee, if cancellation is made six weeks prior to the start of the session for which you have registered. For cancellations made less than six weeks prior to a session, Forest Camp will not offer refunds unless we can fill the vacant spot. While we are often successful in filling vacant spots from the waitlist, please know that this is not a guarantee. Within two weeks of the start of a session, Forest Camp does not offer refunds.

    More than six weeks prior to the start of your camp session, registrations can be transferred to any available session at no charge. Between two and six weeks prior to the start of camp, participants may transfer up to 50% of their session tuition to another open session. If Forest Camp can fill the original spot, the remaining 50% can be refunded, minus a $50 fee.

  • Because we spend so much time out in nature, it is important to be prepared every day here at camp. Here is a list of items that each camper needs for a successful day at Forest Camp:

    -Packed lunch that can be carried by the camper on trail

    -Backpack

    -Closed-toed shoes

    -Closed-toed water shoes (for water play)

    -Water bottle

    -Hat

    -Sunscreen

    -Rain jacket

    -Bandana

    -Please remember to label everything

    -Please do not bring: candy, food that contains nuts, or cell phones

  • Campers are responsible for bringing their own lunch every day and are encouraged to pack snacks.

    Please do not send any candy or food containing nuts.

  • One group snack will be offered at the end of the day. For some campers, this may not be enough, so please pack additional snacks for your child. Keep in mind that we do not provide snacks with nuts on our campus. Campers are asked not to share snacks to prevent allergic reactions.

  • Please Provide Your Own Food:

    Forest Camp does not provide meals, so families must pack and provide meals for their campers for the day. Forest Camp will provide one snack for the group.

    Dietary Restrictions for Provided Snacks:

    Gluten-free:

    We can accommodate gluten-free requests.

    Please make a special note if the participant has Celiac Disease.

    Peanuts and Tree Nuts:

    While we have eliminated peanuts, tree nuts, and tree nut and peanut products from our menu, some of our snacks are prepackaged and we cannot guarantee they were not produced on machinery that also processes peanuts/nuts. Our campus cannot be considered nut-free because we do not limit the food that is brought to our campus by participants.

    Sugar-free:

    We are not able to make special accommodations for no-sugar restrictions.

    Severe Allergies:

    If you or your students have severe allergies, please make sure they are noted during registration. All participants with severe allergies should carry their Epi-Pens with them at all times. Please note that Forest Camp education staff are all certified in Wilderness First Aid and trained in administering Epi-Pens.

    Life-threatening Food Restrictions:

    Students with life-threatening food restrictions must contact the camp office after registration to ensure necessary accommodations can be made.

  • During registration, you can list your buddy request(s). Please note we can only guarantee one buddy request per session.

  • Only legal guardians may register or reserve a spot for their campers. Registrations are not transferable to different families. Any duplicate spots will be canceled and refunded in accordance with the registration policy at that time.

    All spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis for registration and the waitlist.

  • To help campers fully immerse themselves in Forest Camp, we request they leave personal devices at home. Our Camp Operations team is available to facilitate any urgent communication with campers. Forest Camp offers a unique chance for children to connect with nature in a technology-free environment, without the distractions or risks of cell phones and other devices.

    Your child’s wellbeing is our top priority. Our Camp Operations Manager (703-594-6055), and our Administration Team are accessible throughout camp days and committed to responding promptly to any family concerns. Camp staff are always onsite, maintaining close communication with educators through radio and cell phones to ensure campers can be reached as needed.

  • Campers are grouped by their Fall 2025 grade level and must be in grades two through nine.

  • We are offering as many spots as we can given the capacity of our campus. Please contact us to sign up to receive important information and updates regarding Forest Camp registration.

  • We will email you if a spot becomes available. We can only register a camper from the waitlist if another camper cancels, so it is impossible to predict if or when that will happen.

  • At Forest Camp we prioritize the emotional and physical safety of campers and staff while also aiming to have campers participate in the whole duration of our programs. If a camper is putting themselves or others in harm’s way, either physically or verbally, we will work to redirect their behavior through a restorative lens. This may include creating a verbal contract with the student, sending home a behavior break sheet, or connecting with the camper’s parent/guardian for assistance and advice. If this is not successful, or if a camper’s behavior is extreme* enough to put themselves or others in danger, the camper will need to be picked up from camp. If the camper returns to Forest Camp and exhibits the same behavior, the camper will need to be picked up again and will not be allowed to return for the rest of the camp session. Refunds will not be issued. We trust that families can be active participants in all phases of this behavior policy in order to help us maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all campers.

    *Extreme behavior includes but is not limited to: the inability of the camper to follow safety directions, undisclosed special needs, the use of physical force against others, possessing unsafe items, behavior that repeatedly pulls staff out of ratio in the camp group, and the inability to consistently participate in normal camp activities.

  • We are happy to make reasonable accommodations for children with special needs, depending on their requirements. While our staff are trained and experienced at working with young students, we do not have a specialist on staff. Parents and guardians with questions regarding the ability of camp staff to meet a child’s needs should contact forestcamp@naturebridge.org. Early communication is appreciated if your child requires reasonable accommodations.

  • Unfortunately, Forest Camp does not have the staffing resources to support campers that require one-on-one assistance. Our typical ratio of staff to campers is 1:10. If you would like to explore the option to supply your own one-on-one aide, please reach out to our campus managers at forestcamp@naturebridge.org.

  • If a camper in your child’s group becomes ill, they will be evaluated and cared for by staff. If they have a temperature greater than 100, repeated vomiting and/or diarrhea, they will be required to isolate under adult supervision and be picked up by their caregivers as soon as possible. They will need to be symptom free for 24 hours to return to camp. You will be informed that there was an illness in your child’s group by camp staff before the end of the day.

  • The majority of our time will be spent outdoors. Campers may go inside for an hour or two at a time to make art or do other activities that are not possible outside.

  • Forest Camp will operate rain or shine!