Safe Summer Fun at Headfirst Camps

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This article is written in partnership with Headfirst Camps.

After so much time spent on screens over the past year, kids need the socialization, exploration and joy of summer camp more than ever (and parents need to feel good about sending them!). That’s why Headfirst Camps has worked tirelessly to revamp and optimize safety protocols in order to provide kids with a wide range of programming this summer, from day camp to sports to STEM. 

Headfirst is one of the most popular camps in town, with the area’s highest renewal rate. Last summer, they successfully operated three locations with zero reported COVID cases among staff and campers. For 2021, they’ll be running five locations, all with reduced capacity and adhering to CDC, state and local guidelines.

Additional safety protocols include weekly pre-camp health screenings, daily temperature checks, masks, cohorting, staggered carpool times by program, regular surface cleaning, handwashing breaks and physical distancing. Their newest location, Catholic University, even offers an all-outdoor Multi-sport camp option!

A Camp with Benefits

In a year when many kids have missed so much of the social-emotional learning that happens at school, Headfirst offers them a chance to build those skills in person with their peers. Headfirst’s program curriculums are written by experienced educators and promote their “Super 6” skills, emphasizing empathy, optimism, setting and achieving goals, resiliency and the ability to manage emotions. Staff members are trained on how to relay these concepts to kids in age-specific ways and ensure that the lessons learned at Headfirst will stick with campers far beyond the summer.

It’s still camp, though, so there are tons of fun, team-building traditions as well, such as eyeblack with positive messages, Icees parties (which must be earned by working together) and colored wristbands highlighting whichever skill is the focus that week (which also must be earned). Campers who attend multiple weeks wear their collection of wristbands proudly.

A Program for Every Camper

Headfirst’s range of programming includes Day and Junior Day camps with different weekly themes, as well as STEM and Multi-Sport options. They also offer soccer and baseball and are the official camp provider for D.C. United and the Washington Nationals.

Their newest program, Innovators, Inc., gives campers a specific goal they must work to achieve as a team during the week, such as curating a museum exhibit, writing, rehearsing and putting on a show, or investigating life in another galaxy. Some of this year’s Innovator themes include Magnificent Magicians, Museum Curators, Histories Mysteries, and National Parks Navigators.

Start looking forward to summer now!

Headfirst hopes to make the summer of 2021 easier for parents, too. They have planned out efficient carpool drop-off and daily blog updates on camper activities. They also have the best-trained staff in town.

Not only that, readers of DC Area Moms will receive a special discount of 10% if you use the code DCMOMS10.

Weeks are already filling up, so sign up now!

For more information on Headfirst’s programs, safety protocols, and philosophy, please visit www.headfirstcamps.com

Headfirst Camp Locations:

St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School: NW Washington, DC

St. Alban’s School: NW Washington, DC

Mater Dei School: Bethesda, MD

Flint Hill School: Oakton, VA

Catholic University: NE Washington, DC (new location!)