Summertime Adventures Await!
Explore, learn, and grow with Camp Balcones - Camp Fire's Summer Camp is Austin’s premier urban nature and science day camp that sparks curiosity and inspires learning in kids ages 6 – 14 years old while preventing summer learning loss. Each week features a nature or science theme in addition to traditional camp activities like swimming, hiking, archery, canoeing, crafts, creative expression, and other fun-filled activities.
Camp Balcones has eight unique weekly STEAM-based themes which incorporate hands-on, project-based activities. Your child will explore nature, identify plants and animals, and have fun with unstructured play in a safe environment with new friends and camp instructors.
Camp Balcones runs for 8 weeks during the summer, beginning on June 2, 2025 and is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM with an option for 5:00 PM late pickups.
AGES: 6 - 14 (Please NOTE: Camp is for campers who have completed KINDERGARTEN)
COST: $450.00 per week
TRANSPORTATION: $50.00 per week
LOCATION: Emma Long Metropolitan Park
1600 City Park Rd, Austin, TX 78730
ADAPTATIONS TO OUR CAMP PROGRAM
1. We are limiting participation to a total of 60 campers each week. Each group is up to 15 campers and two counselors/assistants. This group will be together throughout camp.
2. Campers have the option of arriving at camp by a parent or guardian each day or traveling via one of our two van routes. Our van route will hold 10 campers total, and those campers will remain together all day.
3. Campers riding the van will be picked up between 8:00 - 8:30 AM each morning and dropped off between 4:00 - 4:30 PM each day.
ARRIVAL / DEPARTURE AND VAN INFORMATION
1st Pick Up - Our van will pick up at Maplewood Elementary at 8:00 AM.
2nd Pick Up - Our van will pick up at Northwest Recreation Center at 8:30 AM after picking up at Maplewood Elementary.
Van drop offs will be 4:00 PM for Maplewood Elementary and 4:30 PM for Northwest Recreation Center. Traffic may affect van pickups and drop off times. Our driver or Program Director will contact parents in the event of unforeseen travel time delays.
If you are not utilizing our van services, your camper must be dropped off at the Turkey Creek Pavilion at Emma Long Park. Drop off begins at 8:00 AM and pick up is between 3:30 PM and 4:00 PM. Late pickups are permitted until 5:00 PM if selected during the registration process.
HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES
We follow guidelines recommended by the CDC, which currently do not require facemasks. If you prefer your child to wear a facemask, we will support and enforce that preference.
Campers will not be changing for swimming. We ask that parents ensure their child arrives wearing their swimsuit under their clothing each day. This allows campers to remove their outer clothing, swim, towel off, and put their clothing back on over their swimsuit. Changing areas are not available at Emma Long. Campers will have access to a designated Port-O-Potty at the Turkey Creek Pavilion/Shelter, though it is not suitable for changing garments.
We will update our processes as needed, based on guidance from the CDC and the American Camping Association.
SAMPLE CAMP SCHEDULE
(Scroll down for weekly themes)
8:00 AM - Van pick ups or parent drop offs at camp
8:50 AM - Morning announcements; Vans arrive
9:00 AM - First activity period; Morning snack (AM snack provided)
10:00 AM - Second activity period
11:00 AM - Third activity period
12:00 PM - Lunch (Lunch is NOT provided. Please pack a lunch that does not require staff to heat up or prepare)
1:00 PM - Archery
2:00 PM - Fourth activity period; Afternoon snack (PM snack provided)
3:15 - 3:30 PM - Vans depart
4:00 PM - Campers picked up at camp or van stops
A limited number of sliding fee spaces may be available. Please email Yo Han Kim, Program Director at ykim@camp-fire.org or call 512-349-2111 to learn more.
"Camp Fire sparks an interest in kids in the world around them. When you see Camp Fire in action, the impact clicks. My girls have had a great time at the summer camp ‐ and they still talk about what they learned and did even months later."
Alicia, Camp Fire Parent
WEEKLY CAMP THEMES
Week 1: Trail to Knowing Me
June 2 - June 6, 2025
Campers learn about relationships, improve communication skills, gain self-knowledge, and learn how to stay healthy and safe. This Trail relates to the long-term benefit of Health & Well-being, as campers learn how to take care of their mind and body.
Example Concepts:
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Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
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Conscious Discipline
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Mindfulness Techniques
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Peer-to-Peer Communication Skills
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Self-Care
Week 2: Forest Adventures
June 9 - June 13, 2025
Campers will participate in enrichment activities using curriculum from Project Learning Tree. We will explore the rich vegetation (trees and plants) around Emma Long as well as identifying the various species and how the flora affects our ecosystem.
Example concepts:
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Plant and tree identification
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Telling direction w/ the sun
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Art projects using plants and trees around camp
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Craft projects using plants and natural materials around camp
Week 3: Trail to Family and Community
June 16 - June 20, 2025
Campers learn about families and communities, how to work as a team, how to become effective leaders, and how to help out in their homes and communities. This Trail relates to the long-term benefit of Civic Engagement, as campers find their purpose in the world around them.
Example concepts:
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What is a community?
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Teamwork activities
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Leadership activities
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Volunteering/Civic Engagement
Week 4: The Wonders of Water
June 23 - June 27, 2025
Campers will participate in enrichment activities using curriculum from Project WET. We will explore our river/lake and streams as well as study water conservation and how it affects our ecosystem.
Example concepts:
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Where does our water come from and where does it go?
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Water quality and what it means to our community
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Water conservation
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Water filtration and purification techniques
Please Note - There is no camp June 30 - July 4, 2025
Week 5: Trail to Creativity
July 7 - July 11, 2025
Campers stimulate creativity and imagination through activities that involve the visual and performing arts. This Trail relates to the long-term benefit of Academic success, as campers learn that creativity comes in many forms.
Example concepts:
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Art & Craft projects
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Different ways to express oneself
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Creative Games
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Creative Skills building
Week 6: Camping 101
July 14 - July 18, 2025
Campers will learn the basics of camping: terrain and season, equipment (shelter, sleep system) and how to set up a tent with a sleep system. Campers will also learn how to make a basic campfire! However, we will not be able to make a campfire IF there is a park burn ban during that session.
Example concepts:
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Camping, tents, knots, fire safety
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Outdoor cooking
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Leave No Trace, hiking, wilderness first aid
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Hydration, water filtering
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Emergency preparation
Week 7: Trail to the Future
July 21 - July 25, 2025
Campers develop numerous mental and physical skills needed for their futures by playing games to teach sharing, teamwork, and good sportsmanship. This Trail relates to the long-term benefit of job/career readiness.
Example concepts:
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Inventions and failures
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Engineering marvels
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Games around the world
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Learning something new
Week 8: Balcones Biodiversity
July 28 - August 1, 2025
Campers will participate in enrichment activities using curriculum from Project WILD. We will explore the various insects and animals around Emma Long as well as identifying the various species and how they affect our ecosystem.
Example concepts:
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Identifying animal tracks and scat
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Wildlife migration
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Scavenger hunts
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Logic puzzles
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Insect Identification
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How our rich abundance of various species contributes to the complex ecosystem of Central Texas and Camp Balcones