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ABOUT CAMP KUM-BA-YAH NATURE CENTER

Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center has offered quality outdoor enrichment day camp experiences for children in central Virginia for 74 years. Nestled in the heart of Lynchburg, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center offers 47 acres for campers to explore the natural world around them, experience personal discovery through new and challenging activities in a safe and encouraging environment, and cultivate friendships through shared responsibility and community. Tuition is intentionally affordable, and scholarships are available. Campers join us from every part of the city and every walk of life. We celebrate the specialness of difference and strive to enable all children to find confidence and a sense of self-worth.

WHAT TO BRING for SUMMER DAY CAMP:

  • Bathing suit (wear to Camp Kum-Ba-Yah)

  • Towel

  • Clothes to change into after swimming

  • Closed-toed shoes with a heal strap

  • Water bottle labeled with the camper’s name

  • Sunscreen & bug spray labeled with the camper’s name

  • White t-shirt for Tie-Dye Friday

    **Call the Camp Office at (434) 384-5732 if you forget anything. We will provide drawstring backpacks on the first day.

Summer Camp 2025:

Keepers of the Woods Early Registration begins on January 6, 2025.

Registration opens to the public on January 20, 2025.

Session dates are:

Session 1: June 16-20

Session 2: June 23-27

Session 3: June 30-July 4

Session 4: July 7-11

Session 5: July 14-18

Session 6: July 21-25

Session 7: July 28-August 1

Session 8: August 4-8

 
 

CKBY Program Sessions 2025

Camps fill up quickly. If a Camp Session of interest is full, you will have the opportunity to join our “Wait List”. Individual campers may register for a maximum of 4 weeks of Camp. The cost of camp for one week is $270 per camper.

A TYPICAL DAY. . .

CAMP KUM-BA-YAH NATURE CENTER

Campers arrive and are greeted by our caring and enthusiastic counselors and directors. Campers are organized into 8 “campsites” with approximately 10 campers each. The age of campers within each campsite ranges from 1-2 years, and each campsite is led by 2 counselors. From youngest to oldest, our campsite names are Pond Site, Cosby Cove, Poplar Place, Alvalaz’ Abode, Copper Creek, Pinecone Peak, The Ridge, and Deepwoods. Whether inspired by important people or the natural surroundings, each campsite becomes its own family, and throughout the week they interact and work together to build community.

We open the day with fun and interactive camp songs such as “Crazy Moose,” “The Hippo Song,” and “Bananas Unite!” before sharing important messages and announcements and heading to the first activity of the day. Throughout the day, campers will experience a variety of activities designed to further their connection to nature and each other. Some activities include swimming, archery, nature hikes, canoeing, fishing, arts and crafts, garden education, environmental education, low and high ropes courses, a climbing wall, field games, and our legendary treehouse! At the end of the day, we close with camp songs and a friendship circle, sharing experiences before heading home tired and fulfilled. At Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center, children experience summer the way it should be - outside, unplugged, and together with friends new and old.

DAILY SCHEDULE

8:00 am: Extended Care Drop-Off begins

8:30 am: Camp Drop-Off begins

9:00 Camp Opening

9:00am-3:00pm Activities (4/day) & Lunch

3:30 Camp Ends and Camper Pick-Up Begins

4:00 pm Camp Pick-Up ends

3:30-5:30 Extended Care

NUTRITION AT CAMP KUM-BA-YAH NATURE CENTER

Each day, campers have lunch together with their campsite group. Lunch and a snack are included in the registration fee. We believe eating meals together is an additional opportunity for learning and community building. It is part of the philosophy of Camp that the campers are directly involved in the preparation of the food in age-appropriate ways. At least three days per week, lunches (nutritional and vegetarian) are prepared over a campfire under the close supervision of each campsite’s camp counselors. Lunch is the time for campers to learn how to start and stay safe around a fire, prepare a healthy meal, and further connect with fellow campers.

Additionally, campers will have the opportunity to taste fresh fruits and vegetables from the Teaching Garden when they have garden education activities.  

LEADERS IN TRAINING (LIT) PROGRAM

The Leaders-In-Training Program (LIT) is a program designed to offer qualified 14-15 year old applicants an opportunity to prepare for positions not only as camp counselors but as community leaders. LITs gain practical work experience under the guidance of the LIT Director. LITs can register from one week up to eight weeks each summer.

Applicants who register for an LIT position will be contacted and invited to an informal interview with the Camp Director and/or LIT Director. LITs will be notified shortly after about the status of their application. Applicants who have made a deposit but are not selected to join us as a LIT for this summer season will be refunded. Applicants who are not selected one year are encouraged to apply again the following year.

Qualifications:

  • Applicants must be 14 years old at the time of participation.

  • Applicants should possess a genuine interest in youth development, enjoy working with younger campers, and commit to arriving at Camp each day with energy, enthusiasm, and cooperation in all aspects of Camp programming.

  • Applicants must be comfortable with a cell phone-free camp day.

  • Applicants must be excited to spend the camp day outside, in the woods, in the pools, on the field, in the garden, and all that comes with these adventures (sun, outdoor creatures, dirt, etc.).

  • Applicants must have a positive attitude, a cooperative and flexible spirit, and an openness to learning—all critical personal attributes for the LIT position.

LIT Sessions and Costs:

  • $60 per Session

EXTENDED CARE

Extended Care drop-off begins at 8:00 a.m., and pick-up ends at 5:30 p.m. Campers in Extended Care enjoy extra time in the morning with our staff, and time in the afternoon is spent with staff either at the pool (with certified lifeguards on duty) or in KinderWoods. There are only 20 extended care spots per session.

The cost is $60 for the week per camper and must be paid by Friday before the start of the session.