Cub Scout Day Camp and Tot Lots

[Eagle92]

Ok what the deal with CSDC and Totlots. Why do I need to know, well at the moment I going to be the PD this summer, and will be attending NCS in Feb or Mar (forgot the exact date and I say at the moment as I may become the AS instead). BUT I need to know ASAP because I'm in the process of revamping the entire CSDC program for my district.

 

SO how do Tot lots work, are fees charged? What activities do they do ? Who can attend? Who supervises them, Any and all advice and recommendations on this topic are gretaly appreciated.

[SctDad]

Eagle92

 

Be careful what you are saying, you did not mention NCS training, BALOO training or OWL training.

 

Just thought I would throw that gas on the fire.

 

BTW Good luck with planning

[AnaMaria]

Ours is for volunteers only. The kids have to be walking, I think, not sure about potty trained. There's no fee. The do some activities every day - can't remember exactly what - but related to the theme/what the Cubs are doing when possible. Our day camp/twilight camp are held at our primitive camp and an area is fenced off near the check-in/first aid/administrative shelter for them.

[NWScouter]

Out here called Tag Alongs. Only children of volunteers at day camp that day. Can use the older sisters to help out with the younger ones. If possible can participate in age apporiate Day Camp staions -- crafts, cooking, nature -- if you have time for them to do it.

 

Are they still requiring Day Camp Den Dhiefs to be 14? I had my younger Boy Scouts volunteering to be DC DC for years and then one year got turned down because they where not 14.

[Twocubdad]

From the camp standards:

 

If the camp has a tot lot, adult supervision and guidance are provided, and minimum state requirements are met. Two-deep leadership is provided by a tot lot supervisor at least 21 years of age and an assistant tot lot supervisor at least 18 years of age. Both are qualified to oversee dependent youth, and both have taken Youth Protection training (Camp Leadership: Youth Protection Begins With You, No. 34227); Seasonal Camp Staff Youth Protection and Personal Safety Training, No. 20-138 (available online at http://info.netbsa.org, under Council Solutions Group, Boy Scout, Training); and the National Camping School Camp Security and Stress Management sessions, which may be conducted locally. Provisions are made for preschool-age children of adult leaders to be covered by sickness/accident insurance.

 

One thing you need to watch is that you don't violate state law regulating day care centers. In my state we avoid that by requiring all the tots to have a parent in camp -- that is, only children of camp staffers may stay in the tot lot program. Once we had a dad volunteer to help in camp on Monday with his little one in the tot lot. Tuesday, he dropped off his Cub Scout AND the little brother at camp and he went to work. I thought my co-CD would stroke out. No, we're not a day care center.

 

We require that tots be out of diapers, but beyond that no other requirements. The time or two we've had a special circumstance with the tots, we just assign the tot's parent to the tot lot and let them supervise their own child. Keep in mind your mission is to run a Cub Scout camp, not a tot lot. Once we had a mom show up with one Cub Scout and four siblings for the tot lot! We thanked her for offering to help, but it was a better use of our resources for her to stay home with the little ones.

 

Program stuff is wide open. Much depends on numbers and the ages of your tots. I would encourage you to appoint one of your best volunteers to run the tot lot program and let them have at it. I was always very fortunate to have a great tot lot director.

 

We have a big day camp and consequently a big tot lot program (on year I think we had around 80 tots). The tots are generally grouped by age in various "dens" with their own den leaders and programs adapted to their age. There are lots of crafts, playground time, Disney videos and naps. The older kids (those pushing Cub Scout age) get to take part in selected parts of the main camp program, crafts and games, for example. The tot lot director works with the program area directors to work the tots into the schedule. The little kids, of course, don't do things like shooting sports or aquatics. Instead they may toss water balloons or splash in wading pools.

 

The older "tots" end up being Cub Scout-age girls. If there are sufficient numbers, we form them into a den and put them into the regular rotation. In the past we've had moms on camp staff who were also GSUSA leader and ran Girl Scout programs for the girls. The oldest girls can help look after the little ones.

 

Our tots have their own security/ID system, including a special color t-shirt. We do charge $20 per week for the tots, but we give parents a $20 discount on their Cub's registration. The $20 covers the t-shirt, snacks and program supplies.(This message has been edited by Twocubdad)

[Eagle92]

Sctdad,

Thanks for throwing gas on the fire I'm BALOO trained, will be at NCS while you are at WB21C (you lucky dog), And I am holding off on the OWL training until after next year when national comes out with the new weekend program for all outdoor training, gonna serve on staff for that one since I already have BALOO and staffed IOLS before.

 

Everyone else,

Thank you for the info and please keep it coming. our CDSC is small, only 27 cubs last year, and the program has stagnated some. One problem I see is getting the volunteers, and I htink a tot lot will help attract some more folks.

[SctDad]

What is this WB21C course that you say I am going to. I have a future Cub Scout on the way about that time and HWMBO said that there is no camping in that time frame.

 

I still have green light for camping for about another 3 weeks, but that is it.

 

I would not mind the NCS course though. I think that is past my base restriction. LOL

[Nike]

Tot lot may be your biggest headache. You need your best volunteer in that position and she/he needs a really hardcore team. Our last District's day camp had a huge tot lot that was set up and run just like day care with centers and an iron clad schedule. Any boy over 6 was not permitted and only girls 10 and under were able to go. We did take infants since there was a second room for cribs. The girls between 6 and 10 were their own den and fell right into the camp rotation. Tot lot can be very successful and a real boon to the volunteers. You just have to run it with an iron fist (aimed at the parents not the kids).

 

If it weren't for our tot lot, we would have had about half the volunteers we needed for 300 boys.

[DeanRx]

Our Dist Day camp only allows siblings of campers who has a parent volunteering that day. The sibling must be under age 12 and at a minimum walking and potty-trained (our day camp is at a local park outdoors, no crib or baby changing facilities availible).

 

Technicially speaking, the "tot-lot" is just a kid watch service provided for the adult volunteers. The parent has to sign a permission slip, the "tot" has a sticker ID'ing what area of day camp their parent is volunteering in so they can be found quickly if need should arise. They have a minimum of two adults and then a good number of older sibling girls (11 and 12 y/o) that help out. The tot's take part in most of the day camp activities (songs, skits, etc...) within reason as their own seperate "patrol".

 

It works well, falls in line with state regs., and keeps the volunteer numbers up for daycampers.

[John-in-KC]

Our District:

 

The parent has to be ON STAFF ... OR...

 

The parent has to be a walking leader and on-property.

 

Period.

 

Our District has run as low as 600 registered youth this decade, and as high as 800. We run either a 4 or 5 day program.

 

We allocate our Tot Lot 2 adults and two J-staff, to care for about 20 youth. If the parent is STAFF, there is no fee. If the parent is a walking leader, the fee is equal to one day of camp.

 

 

[WestCoastScouter]

I would have a tot lot for those age 5 and under.

 

Those 6 and up... siblings that are girls... can form their own "Little Sister Den", and do the same rotations as the boy dens.

 

It's hard to put a 7 yr old girl with a 2-3 yr. old for activities... when 8 or 9 yr. old brother is doing the cool stuff with mom or dad.

 

Tot Lot and "little sister" den was free while parent volunteered.