Day camp is open to children going into kindergarten through sixth grade. This fun and formative weekday experience is offered Monday or Tuesday through Friday in late May and early June.
Camp days begin at 9 a.m. with check-in and opening ceremonies and conclude at 4 p.m. with parent pick-up or bus transportation back to Rapid City.
Day campers check in with camp staff upon arrival and meet their counselors and cabin group for the week. After an icebreaker and flag-raising, campers and counselors head up to Vespers, an outdoor amphitheater with ample seating and a breathtaking view of the lake below. Any specific instructions for the day are given before the group settles in for morning devotions and singing.
After Vespers, campers break into their cabin groups to talk and walk out what they just heard, with the help of questions and activities that reinforce the day's lesson. By mid-morning, kids are hungry, so a nutritious snack is waiting for campers after cabin time. Then it's time for games on the ballfield. These fun activities are designed to get kids moving and working together before they break for lunch. Following a nutritious meal, kids break into cabin groups a second time to rest and reflect on what they're learning. Our aim is to help kids draw connections between what they're experiencing at camp to a life of following Jesus.
The second half of the camp day involves three afternoon rotations. Campers will rotate among different tracks that introduce children to performance and visual arts (sign language, theatre, music and drawing classes), physical education and sports (football, soccer, basketball, whiffleball, volleyball and cheerleading clinics) and outdoor education (swimming, hiking, kayaking, disc golf and fishing).
Afternoon tracks run approximately two hours. Campers will receive some light refreshments and may choose from Gaga ball, 9 Square in the Air and other lawn games before parents arrive or the van departs. On the final day of each session of day camp, campers who wish to bring money may purchase ice cream, candy, T-shirts and other memorabilia from the camp store.
Daily transportation to and from Camp Judson may be purchased for $40 for Session 1 (four days) and $50 for Session 2 (five days). A bus will depart First Baptist Church in Rapid City at 8:30 a.m. and arrive at Camp Judson at approximately 9 a.m. Boarding will begin around 3:45 p.m. for campers departing by bus. Campers should arrive back at the church by 4:30 p.m. These buses will be staffed with counselors on the way out and the way in.
Session 2 Day campers who wish to take part in the total summer camp experience may choose the overnight option for an additional $40. The overnight option is not available for Session 1 campers.
Session 2 day campers who choose the overnight option will not head home at the end of the camp day on Thursday, June 5. They will stay behind to enjoy supper in the dining hall, a hike or games on the lawn and an evening devotion and campfire before heading to bed. They will get to sleep in a cabin, wake up to the morning bell on Friday and enjoy breakfast in the dining hall before resuming a normal day camp schedule once the other day campers arrive. Campers who participate in the Session 2 overnight option must be 7 or going into the first grade in the fall.
