Halloween Camp Details 🎃

A few things to take care of before Friday:

• Complete your camper’s Weekend Medication Form in CampBrain.
• Make sure all registration information, including dietary needs and authorized pickup adults, is accurate.
• Check the weather. October at Immokalee is usually incredible, but Florida still likes to keep us guessing.
• Make sure your camper has been free from fever, vomiting, and diarrhea for at least 24 hours before arrival.
• Bring some candy to donate! We’ll use donated candy for trick-or-treating and other Halloween fun. Please give it to us at check-in rather than sending it to the cabin with your camper.

Friday Check-In | 6:00–7:00 PM

Please eat dinner before you arrive. If that doesn’t work with your Friday schedule, we’ll sell pizza through the Camp Store for $1 per slice.

We use two check-in locations: the Airnasium and Koppa Kabana. We’ll let you know which location your camper should use before Halloween Camp and send you a map.

Your camper’s cabin assignment will be given to you at check-in.

Bring to check-in:

• Your camper
• Any medications in their original containers
• Candy donations (please!)
• Any mail you’d like us to give your camper Saturday

Leave packed in the car:

Your camper’s luggage! You’ll bring this out later.

Once check-in is complete, we’ll tell you where to go next. Families checking in at the Airnasium will walk luggage to the cabin. Folded wagons help TONS with this. Families checking in at Koppa Kabana will drive to the cabin area.

Leave at home (or in your car):

Phones, tablets, smart watches, and other connected devices. Halloween Camp is screen-free for campers.

Here’s the full packing list. Below is just info to help!

Bedding

Our cabins have twin mattresses. Send whatever helps your kid sleep comfortably:

• Fitted twin sheet
• Sleeping bag and/or blankets
• Pillow

An Allison tip: If you’re sending a sleeping bag, send a fitted sheet, too. Our mattresses have vinyl protectors, and they’re pretty scratchy if your kid wiggles out of their sleeping bag overnight.

Clothes

How much you send depends largely on how messy your kid is. For most campers, 3–4 outfits is plenty.

• T-shirts
• Shorts and long pants
• Underwear and socks
• Pajamas
• Sweatshirt or jacket
• Sneakers/closed-toe shoes
• Crocs or other casual shoes, if they’d like
• Rain gear if the forecast calls for it
• Optional swimsuit

CLOSED. TOE. SHOES.

We mean it.

Crocs are great for walking around camp, but they do not count as closed-toe activity shoes. Campers need sneakers or another secure, closed-toe shoe to participate in activities like the zipline, adventure activities, and the barn.

Halloween Costume

Bring one costume for our Saturday night Costume Dance.

Remember two things:

• It’s camp. Your camper needs to be able to move, dance, and have fun in it.
• There are six-year-olds here. Keep costumes kid-friendly and save anything truly terrifying for another Halloween party.

Toiletries + Camp Stuff

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Shampoo and soap
• Deodorant
• Towel and washcloth
• Water bottle
• Flashlight
• Small backpack/daypack
• Laundry bag

Sunscreen, bug spray, and other personal items are up to you based on what your camper typically uses.

Label. Everything.

Seriously. First name. Last name.

Put it on clothes. Water bottles. Flashlights. Towels. Costume pieces. The sweatshirt you’re positive your kid couldn’t possibly lose. They can.

Lost & Found will be available during pickup, and we’ll hold Halloween Camp items for one week after camp.

A nurse is on-site throughout Halloween Camp, including overnight.

All medications stay with the nurse, not in the cabin. Bring medications to check-in in their original containers.

And when we say medication, we mean pretty much anything you’d buy in the pharmacy section: prescription medication, cough drops, medicated creams, birth control, allergy medicine, and everything in between.

Camp stocks common over-the-counter medications, so there’s no need to pack your own Tylenol, ibuprofen, Benadryl, cough drops, etc.

Inhalers and EpiPens are handled case-by-case depending on the camper and their needs. If you’re unsure about something, ask us.

Our nurse handles medication administration and helps us take care of campers who are sick, hurt, or just aren’t feeling quite right.

If your camper develops a fever of 101°F or higher, vomits without an obvious cause, has a significant injury, or something else happens that we think you need to know about, we’ll call you.

No physical or immunization record is required for Halloween Camp.

Cabins + Bathrooms

Cabins generally have somewhere between 9–16 campers with two staff members.

Our East Side cabins are duplex-style cabins with bathrooms in the cabin. Our West Side cabins and Yurts use central bathhouses. Campers are always supervised by staff when using those spaces.

Cabins are separated by age group, and you’ll receive your camper’s specific cabin assignment at check-in.

Want to see where your camper will be staying? Explore Camp Immokalee’s facilities.

Food

Please have your camper eat dinner before Friday check-in. Pizza will also be available through the Camp Store for $1 per slice. Meals beginning Saturday are included in the cost of camp.

Dietary needs and food allergies should already be included in your camper’s registration. We also offer options like our salad bar and breakfast bar.

Have a specific concern about food? Email Jen Keyworth at jkeyworth@fcymca.org so we can talk about your camper’s needs before the weekend.

Candy donations for everyone, though? We’ll happily take those at check-in. Please don’t send personal food or candy to the cabin.

Lake Brooklyn

The pool may be closed for the season, but Lake Brooklyn isn’t.

Depending on the weekend’s schedule and conditions, campers may canoe, kayak, swim, or participate in other waterfront activities.

We don’t require a swim test for Halloween Camp because life jackets are required for everyone participating in waterfront activities.

If your camper would be uncomfortable getting wet without a swimsuit, toss one in their bag.

Camp Store

The Camp Store will be open during Halloween Camp for snacks and merchandise.

We recommend adding about $15 to your camper’s account for snacks.

If you’re interested in Camp Immokalee shirts, sweatshirts, or other merchandise, we recommend shopping together during drop-off or pickup.

Important: Camp Store balances are non-refundable. Halloween Camp balances also will not roll over to Winter Camp or future programs as we anticipate changing registration platforms before Winter Camp.

Don’t load more money than you reasonably expect your camper to spend.

Halloween Camp is screen-free for campers, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend the entire weekend wondering what they’re doing.

Waldo Photos

We’ll post photos to Waldo during the weekend to give you a glimpse of your camper. We’ll send this info out the week before Halloween Camp.

We do our best to photograph lots of campers, but remember: a photo is one second of a really full weekend, not a wellbeing report.

Your kid might be caught drinking water. Making a weird face. Standing on the edge of a group. Looking intensely at something happening outside the frame. That’s one second.

If something is going on with your camper that we think you need to know about, we’ll call you.

And if you just need a little reassurance? Email us at cimmokalee@fcymca.org. We’re happy to check in.

Otherwise, let Waldo give you a peek. Then let your kid tell you the story Sunday.

Camper Mail

You can bring a letter with you at check-in or email your camper at campermail@fcymca.org.

Please put your camper’s first and last name on the email so we know where it goes. For Halloween Camp, camper emails will be printed once, at 11:00 AM Saturday. Anything received after that won’t make it to your camper before pickup.

Closing Ceremony | 2:00 PM

Families are invited to join us for an optional Closing Ceremony before pickup. We’ll send specific parking instructions based on cabin locations before the weekend.

After Closing Ceremony, campers will return to their cabins with their counselors to gather belongings and prepare for checkout. We’ll give counselors a few minutes to get everyone settled before releasing families toward the cabins.

Camper Pickup | 2:30–3:30 PM

Pickup happens at your camper’s cabin.

A counselor will greet you and verify photo ID before releasing your camper. Every adult picking up a camper must be listed on the camper’s authorized pickup list.

Please make sure that’s correct in CampBrain before the weekend.

Before you leave:

• Grab all of your camper’s luggage.
• Check Lost & Found.
• Pick up any medications you dropped off Friday.
• Stop by the Camp Store if you’d like.
• Ask your camper approximately 400 questions about their weekend and receive three-word answers until sometime Tuesday.

Refunds & Cancellations

We know plans change. That’s why:

• Everything except the deposit is refundable until one week before camp.
• Deposits are non-refundable.

If something unexpected comes up, reach out. We’ll always do our best to support your family.

Payment Deadlines

All camp balances are due two weeks before the start of camp. Please log in to your CampBrain account to confirm your payment status.

Teen Leader Details

Teen Leaders have a few extra things to know before Halloween Camp.

Come early and help us get ready

If school and family schedules allow, Teen Leaders are invited to arrive early Friday and help us put the finishing touches on Halloween Camp before campers arrive.

We’ll decorate, set props, prep activities, work on Haunted Trails, and tackle whatever else is left on our list. You’ll get to be part of those last few hours when everything we’ve been working on starts to feel like Halloween Camp.

Coming early is completely optional. We’ll send the early arrival time and details to accepted Teen Leaders before camp.

If you’re coming early:

• You may drive yourself to camp.
• Please don’t bring younger siblings who are attending Halloween Camp with you. We won’t be ready for campers yet! They’ll need to arrive during regular check-in.
• Bring everything you need for the weekend. Once you’re here, you’re here.

If you’re not coming early, that’s completely fine. Come during regular Halloween Camp check-in from 6:00–7:00 PM.

Yes, Teen Leaders are still screen-free.

More responsibility doesn’t mean more phone privileges. Phones and smart watches are not part of the Teen Leader experience.

If you drive yourself, we’ll collect your phone and vehicle keys when you arrive and return them when you’re cleared to leave Sunday.

Teen Leaders who drive themselves must also be listed on their own authorized pickup list in CampBrain.

More responsibility means a higher standard.

We don’t expect Teen Leaders to be perfect. You’re here to learn, and learning means making mistakes, getting feedback, and trying again.

But following camp rules and supervision expectations is foundational to being a leader.

Keeping or sneaking a phone, leaving your assigned area, being alone when you’re expected to be supervised, sneaking out, intentionally ignoring staff directions, or other choices that don’t match the responsibility you’ve been given are different from making a normal mistake.

They’re leadership and safety issues, and they can result in being sent home from Halloween Camp.

We’re trusting you with more because we believe you’re ready for more.

Leadership starts with being someone other people can trust.

All other packing, medication, health, communication, and camp expectations on this page apply to Teen Leaders, too.

Teen Leaders who successfully complete the weekend will receive documentation for 20 hours of community service.