FAQs

Camp is from 9am to 3pm. We also have before care starting at 7:30am and after care until 5pm. Both can be added onto your enrollment in the Parent Portal.

Yes! We do take requests for campers to be paired with their friends. We will try our best to please such requests, but we cannot guarantee it. Please email us with your request 2 weeks before your camp week begins if it was not filled out on the registration form. We will not take requests after that as groups are made in advance.

We are an open air camp with a passion for enjoying the outdoors, but we understand that MD summers can be intense. For the past five years, we have endured many very hot days due to the design of the camp.

• The camp cabins are located on the coolest part of the farm. Camp cabins are situated on a large wooded north facing hill which gets the least amount of sun in a day.
• At the base of the hill is a spring-fed stream with water coming out of the spring at 57 degrees. While they cannot drink it, children enjoy soaking their feet in it to cool off.
• Each camp shack has a 5 gallon ice water jug. There is an administrative counselor responsible for making sure each cabin has cold water in the jug.
• If a certain camper cannot take the heat, we have an air conditioned nurses station where they can take a break.

Please email or text us at 410-849-4314 with your ETA and we will make sure your child is ready to be picked up. Early pick ups and late drop-offs are at the normal pickup/drop-off location. 

We recommend that all parents send their campers with the following items:

Sunscreen, sun protection, and bug spray (please arrive to camp with it already applied-unless given notice before arriving to camp we can not apply sunscreen unless sprayed to your child).

Comfortable athletic clothes and sneakers (close-toed shoes required). You can wear water shoes around the farm as well. 

Swimming clothes, towel, and water shoes or sandals. Please always send a towel just in case your child gets wet but doesn’t want to change their clothes 

Hat or baseball cap- not necessary but very helpful with the sun exposure the kids receive around the farm

Bagged lunch and plenty of snacks- we often bring our snack on the go so please make it separated from their lunch. 

Water bottle (campers should have enough to last them throughout the day but we will have water jugs with fresh water for them to refill throughout the day)

Backpack or drawstring bag

We ask that you do not send campers with

Electronics- campers do not need electronics during the camp day. WE WORK WITH NATURE AND NOT TECHNOLOGY!  If you would like to send your camper with a phone, we ask that it stays in the backpack during the day and is only used for emergencies. If a counselor notices an excess of phone usage, they will confiscate it until the end of camp day. 

Inappropriate or immodest clothing, including vulgar images or language.

Weapons of any kind including pocket knives

Please wear modest bathing suits- we ask that no bikinis or speedos be worn during camp 

We would be happy to share your child’s group schedule upon request but otherwise, we do not post them anywhere. There are over 20 activities each group gets to do throughout the week so they are always busy and having fun! 

We have a camp photographer come to take photos of the camp day twice a week. Photos will be posted at the end of the week to the Camp Today module found in your Campsite parent portal.

We separate children by their age for all activities throughout the day. The age groups are; Tiny Sprouts (Age 4) Sprouts (5-6), Farm Pals (7-9), and Junior Farmers (10-12). Age ranges may change from week to week depending on the age of campers present. We focus more on the grade level then on the child’s age.

We recommend starting off with 2 weeks and then adding more on as the summer progresses. For 2024, campers may request to enroll for as many weeks as they would like and Mary’s Land Camp will approve the enrollments at their own discretion. New campers must have a teacher recommendation filled out before being accepted for more than 2 weeks.

No, we do not do partial weeks. If you choose that your child will miss camp any days of the week, please let us know in advance, but financially, the regular tuition still applies. Same principle applies for sick days.

Typically, a camper to counselor ratio is 6:1. We stay within the ACA guidelines and recommendations for all group sizes.

Each camp group has a homebase. In the case of heavy rain or thunderstorm, campers will report to their homebase where they will stay dry and safe. If there is life-threatening, inclement weather such as a severe thunderstorm or tornado we will send campers home or cancel camp for the day. If that life threatening incident catches us by surprise and we do not have time to send children home, we will find refuge in secure facilities onsite.

Your child’s safety is our number one goal here at Mary’s Land Summer Camp. Our camp is licensed by the Maryland State Department of Health, our staff is background checked, fingerprinted for child safety, CPR trained, and has a background in mandated reporting. Children will always be supervised when around farm equipment and machinery. We are accredited by the American Camp Association, which is a rigorous process.

“ACA Accreditation means that Mary’s Land Farm submitted to a thorough (up to 290 standards) review of its operation by the American Camp Association (ACA) — from staff qualifications and training to emergency management — and complied with the highest standards in the industry,” said Judith Bevan, National Standards Commission.

“Parents expect their children to attend accredited schools. They also deserve a camp experience that is reviewed and accredited by an expert, independent organization,” Bevan said.

Additionally, we take our hiring process seriously and make sure the camp environment is safe for all ages. Our staff are trained on various protocols for safety. Every year, the camp director and Kirby Bowling, from GAPP Strategies, make adjustments based on annual reviews from feedback from campers, parents, other farm staff members and the counselors. These reviews analyze where, when and how accidents or injuries may have occurred, and revise camp procedures in order to make camp safer for the following sessions. Safety is our number 1 focus here at camp.

In the mornings, campers will engage in simple farm chores like feeding chickens, collecting eggs, and tending to a small garden. Later, campers will learn some of the science behind many farming practices. After lunch, campers will have time for outdoor games and adventurous activities. The day varies by age group and weather conditions. 

An example schedule: 

9:00am-9:15am: Drop off

9:15am-9:40am: Journals & Virtue challenge

9:45am-10:30am: Greenhouse/Hydroponics

10:30am-11:15am: Animal 1

11:15am-12:00am: Gaga Ball/ 9 Square/Mega Slide  

12:00am-12:45pm: Lunch

12:45-1:30pm: Stream 1, 2, or 3

1:30pm-2:15pm: Middle Woods Games 

2:30pm-2:50pm- Clean up & pack up

2:50 pm-3:15pm: Pick up

We make our best effort to give all children a full farm experience with diligent attention to their allergies and health needs. We have had many successful campers with a range of allergies and diseases. Active parental cooperation is appreciated. All health needs MUST be written down when filling out the registration in the health history form and health care provider form (with proper aid instructions if needed). If your child has needs that must be addressed and attended to while at camp it must be written down at least 5 day prior to them attending camp. Any changes made on the day of camp must be then confirmed with an email and contact information. Our counselors are there for the kids and will be made aware of any needs from the Camp Directors once they have heard from you personally. 

Yes. We respect that different families have different formative desires for their children. Also, we do not supply campers with food, so you are free to pack whatever reaches your religious dietary restrictions.