camp Balcones
Middle School
Camp Fire's Summer Day Camp
Located at Emma Long Park
1600 City Park Road at the Caretakers Cabin
Summertime Adventures Await!
This year we are introducing a new session to Camp Balcones! For two weeks we will be running a camp exclusively for 7th and 8th graders. This camp will have longer excursions and more challenging activities, as well as opportunities to lead the younger campers through guided reflections.
Camp Balcones-Middle School runs for 2 weeks during the summer, beginning on June 22, 2020 and on July 6, 2020. Camp Balcones is closed for the week of July 4th. Camp Balcones is available Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.
Parents may choose to extend to pick up at 6:00 from camp during registration.
.
Ages 11-14 Please note: Camp is for campers who have COMPLETED 6th grade.
Cost: $350 per week
If you have any questions about middle school camp, please reach out via email at info@camp-fire.org or via phone at 512-349-2111.
Please remember to choose and pay for your annual membership. It is paid just once per person for the year. If you forget to add it during checkout and registration it will be added to your order.
It is the first item in the list when you add weeks and transportation etc. The membership is 25.00 per year.
A bus will depart from Bowie High School, Maplewood Elementary School and the Northwest Recreation Center.
Morning Departures:
Bowie High School - 8:00
Maplewood Elementary School - 8:00
Northwest Recreation Center - 8:45
Afternoon Drop Offs:
Bowie High School - 4:00
Maplewood Elementary School - 5:00 to 5:30
Northwest Recreation Center - 4:00-4:30
.
Please note the bus must depart each location on time in the morning. This ensures that other campers are picked up and get to camp on time.
A limited number of partial scholarships and sliding fee spaces are available.
Please call Camp Fire at 512-349-2111 to learn more.
2019 Handbook will be available beginning May 1, 2019.
Click here for 2018 handbook
"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
2019 Weekly Camp Themes
Survival Skills
You may know how to camp, but do you know how to survive in nature? This week we will focus on what you would need to know to be safe in an emergency or in the wilderness: how to find food, get water and build a shelter, as well as how to track animals and use a compass to find your way. We will leave civilization behind and go boldly into the wild!
Example concepts:
-
Leave No Trace Principles
-
Knot tying and knife safety
-
Tracking
-
Basic navigation and orienteering
-
Geocaching
-
Wild edible plants
-
Wilderness first aid
Art in Nature
Nature is filled with beautiful colors and breathtaking views, and this week we will capture those images as well as make some of our own. We will explore traditional and digital mediums, as well as the artists and history of the art itself.
Example concepts:
-
Nature photography
-
Andy Goldsworthy
-
Sculptures in Nature
-
Nature Journaling
-
Music and sound
Camp Schedule
8 AM | Arrival Begins
8:15 AM | Small group activities
9:45 AM | Morning Announcements, Vans Arrive
10 AM | First Activity Period, Morning Snack
10:50 AM | Activity Change
11 AM | Second Activity Period
12 PM | Lunch
12:45 PM | Council Circle
1:30 PM | Third Activity Period
2:30 PM Afternoon Snack
3:30 PM Van Routes Depart
Sports/ Games/ Group projects
5 PM | Camp Closes
After Camp until 6PM