Summer Camp Parent Guide

Health, safety, and operational details for Brain Eating Machines summer robotics camps and intensive programs.

Welcome to Brain Eating Machines Summer Camps! This guide provides important operational details specific to our summer camps and intensive multi-day programs. The health and safety of our students is our top priority.

Last Updated: December 2025

Before Reading This Guide:

Health & Medical Requirements

Required Documentation:

All forms must be submitted at least one week before camp starts. Forms submitted late may result in enrollment cancellation without refund.

  • Health Form: A completed health information form is required for every camper.
  • Emergency Contacts: Provide at least two emergency contacts. At least one contact must be available during camp hours.
  • Medical Conditions: Disclose any allergies, medical conditions, medications, or special needs that may affect participation. Failure to disclose relevant medical information may result in emergency situations and program dismissal.
  • Medication Authorization: If your child requires medication during camp, submit a medication authorization form. All medications must be in original containers with clear dosing instructions.

Special Medical Needs:

Please contact us at least two weeks before camp if your child has:

  • Asthma: Students requiring inhalers must have a current asthma action plan on file.
  • Severe Food Allergies: Students with severe food allergies must have an allergy action plan and EpiPen (if prescribed) on file.
  • Other Medical Conditions: Students with other medical conditions requiring special accommodation should contact us to discuss support needs.

Illness Policy

To protect the health of all students and staff, please keep your child home if they exhibit any of the following symptoms. Students may return to camp when they meet the specified recovery criteria.

Keep Your Child Home If:

  • Fever: Temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. Student must be fever-free without medication for 24 hours before returning.
  • Vomiting or Diarrhea: Must be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning.
  • Persistent Cough or Congestion: Severe enough to interfere with participation or potentially contagious.
  • Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye):
    • Bacterial: may return 24 hours after starting antibiotic treatment
    • Viral: may return when discharge has cleared
  • Head Lice: May return after treatment and removal of all nits.
  • Rash: Unexplained rash, especially with fever or behavior changes, requires medical clearance before return.
  • COVID-19 or Other Contagious Illness: Follow current CDC and New Jersey Department of Health guidelines for isolation and return.

If Your Child Becomes Ill During Camp:

  • We will isolate the child from other students and contact parents/guardians immediately.
  • Parents must arrange pickup within one hour of notification.
  • Students may not return until they meet the recovery criteria listed above.

Daily Health Screening

To maintain a healthy environment, we implement daily health monitoring:

  • Parents should conduct a health check before bringing children to camp each day.
  • Staff will observe students for signs of illness throughout the day.
  • Any student exhibiting symptoms of illness will be isolated and parents will be contacted for pickup.
  • Depending on current public health conditions, we may implement temperature checks, health questionnaires, or other screening measures.

Drop-Off & Pick-Up Procedures

Drop-Off:

  • Drop-off time will be specified in your welcome email (typically 15 minutes before camp start time).
  • Students must be signed in by an authorized adult.
  • Please do not drop off students before the designated drop-off time begins.

Pick-Up:

  • Pick-up time will be specified in your welcome email (typically at camp end time).
  • Students must be signed out by an authorized adult.
  • Only individuals listed on the registration form may pick up students unless we receive written authorization.

Late Pick-Up:

  • Parents must pick up students on time.
  • A $10 late fee applies for every 10 minutes after camp ends.
  • Repeated late pickups may result in dismissal from the program without refund.

Authorized Pick-Up:

  • If someone not on your registration form needs to pick up your child, send us written authorization via email before pick-up time.
  • The authorized person must provide photo ID.

Food, Snacks & Allergies

What to Bring

  • Snacks: All students should bring snacks and a refillable water bottle. Label all items with your child’s name.
  • Lunch: For full-day camps, students should bring a packed lunch. Refrigeration may not be available; use insulated lunch bags with ice packs.

Allergy-Aware Environment

  • We maintain a nut-aware environment. Please avoid sending foods containing peanuts or tree nuts.
  • Students with severe food allergies must have an allergy action plan on file (see Health & Medical Requirements above).
  • No Food Sharing: Students may not share food due to allergy concerns.

Dietary Restrictions

  • Please inform us of any dietary restrictions or special needs during registration.
  • We cannot provide meals, but can accommodate storage and preparation needs within our facility capabilities.

What to Bring / What NOT to Bring

What Students Should Bring:

✅ Water bottle (labeled with child’s name) ✅ Snacks (nut-free, in labeled container) ✅ Lunch (for full-day camps, in insulated bag with ice pack) ✅ Laptop (if specified in program details - see equipment requirements) ✅ Any required medications (with completed authorization form)

What Students Should NOT Bring:

❌ Electronic devices (phones, tablets, games - except required laptops) ❌ Toys, trading cards, or collectibles ❌ Valuable items or jewelry ❌ Foods containing peanuts or tree nuts

Important: Brain Eating Machines is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged personal items. All phones and watches will be kept in bags for the duration of class. To reach students during camp, contact instructors directly.

Clothing Requirements:

  • Comfortable clothing suitable for active learning
  • Closed-toe shoes required for safety (no flip-flops, Crocs, or sliders allowed)
  • Label everything with your child’s name

Lost and Found: We maintain a lost and found area. Unclaimed items are donated after 30 days.

Daily Camp Structure

Your child’s camp experience will typically follow this structure:

  • Arrival & Morning Activities: Students arrive, check in, and begin with warm-up activities or team-building
  • Core Learning Sessions: Hands-on robotics building, programming, and problem-solving
  • Snack Break: Mid-morning break for snacks and restroom
  • Continued Learning: More building, testing, and collaboration
  • Lunch (Full-Day Camps): Supervised lunch period
  • Afternoon Activities: Project completion, showcasing, or challenges
  • Wrap-Up & Pick-Up: Daily summary, cleanup, and dismissal

Specific schedules will be provided in your welcome email one week before camp starts.

Communication During Camp

Before Camp Starts:

  • You will receive a welcome email with camp details, schedule, classroom location, and what to bring one week before camp starts.

During Camp:

  • Daily Updates: Brief daily summaries may be provided via email or at pickup, sharing highlights of what students learned and built.
  • Questions or Concerns: Contact us anytime at contact@braineatingmachines.com.
  • Emergency Contact: In case of emergencies affecting your child, we will contact you immediately via phone.

Emergency Notifications:

  • In case of facility emergencies, severe weather, or other issues affecting camp operations, we will contact all families immediately via email and phone.

Weather & Closures

  • Severe Weather: In case of severe weather requiring camp closure, we will notify families via email by 7:00 AM on the day of closure.
  • Make-Up Days: We will make every effort to schedule make-up days for closures due to facility issues or severe weather.
  • Outdoor Activities: Most activities occur indoors. Any outdoor time is at instructor discretion based on weather conditions.

Camp Cancellation & Refunds

For complete cancellation and refund policies, please see our Policies & Terms.

Quick Reference for Summer Camps:

  • 6+ weeks before camp: Full refund minus $50 processing fee
  • 3-6 weeks before camp: 50% refund
  • Less than 3 weeks before camp: No refund
  • After camp starts: No refunds for withdrawals or absences
  • Incomplete health forms: May result in enrollment forfeiture without refund

Medical Emergencies: Evaluated case-by-case with documentation.

Additional Policies

For information about the following topics, please see our Policies & Terms page:

  • Code of Conduct & Behavior Expectations
  • Safety & Supervision Standards
  • Liability & Medical Authorization
  • Photography & Media Release
  • Mandatory Reporting Requirements
  • Changes to Terms

Questions About Summer Camp?

If you have questions about summer camp operations or need to discuss special accommodations for your child, please contact us:

Email: contact@braineatingmachines.com

Additional Resources: