2024 Guide to In-Person Camp

welcome!

We are glad y’all will be with us. This guide has lots of information in it, including a link to our COVID response page where all the COVID protocols are updated.

Parents, please share with your child whatever feels relevant. We run an “orientation” on the first day of camp for all the campers, but I also rely on parents to support our camp rules and safety guidelines.

Camp is FUN and we are looking forward to creating and playing with you and/or your children!

PART ONE – NITTY GRITTY DETAILS!

arrival, pick up

camp hours

Our camp day and camp week are thoughtfully crafted as a whole experience. Campers will have the best experience if they come on time each day and stay till the end; likewise, we hope campers will come every day. We ask that you let us know if you will be late arriving or absent. On the last day of camp, we usually have a special sharing for families at the end of the camp day that will last about an hour.

At pickup we ask that you actually leave camp at the end of the camp day. Our staff has chores and a staff meeting at the end of the day. We can’t host families, even with children supervised by parents, after camp is over.

health check in everyday before leaving home

Check in with yourself and/or your camper each day before leaving for camp. Intentionally ask, “How Do You Feel?” If campers or staff are symptomatic, with sneezing, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, fever, nausea, etc., we would like you to stay home, call us, and most likely get a COVID test before coming back to camp.

carpooling

Need help with driving? We will send carpool info by email. Carpooling is set up by parents, not camp, and parents are solely responsible for the carpooling experience; but we will provide contact information so parents in different locations can contact one another. We suggest that families openly discuss what they want in terms of COVID precautions in the car before setting up a carpool. Please respect each family’s decisions as to what is acceptable to them for managing COVID risk.

our driveway

OUR DRIVEWAY SPEED LIMIT IS TEN MPH! Driveway repair is one of our highest maintenance costs.  Driving SLOWLY and CAREFULLY is key to preserving the driveway and staying safe. Take special care going over the pond dam – there are no shoulders, and there are steep drop-offs. DO NOT avoid puddles; drive slowly through them. Watch for walkers (children, neighbors and elders), bikers, and oncoming traffic. The driveway is narrow and someone will need to pull over when two cars meet.

Please keep all children in the car, buckled up, as you go up and down the driveway. Although this is a private driveway, we want you to use the same safety standards as you would on a public road.

drop off and pick up

  • Morning drop-off and End of day pick-up:
    • Park on the east side of the driveway at drop-off and pick-up (right side of the driveway as you arrive at camp).
    • Campers should go directly to the walking path in FRONT of the parking area when arriving.
    • At pick-up we send campers to their cars via the walking path as we see parents arrive.
    • Please, no walking on the driveway; only on the walking path.

parents are welcome at camp!

We enjoy sharing camp with parents. If your campers would like you to walk them in, you are welcome to do that. If you would like to stay and play a game with us in the morning, or join our closing circle in the afternoon, you are welcome. We also rely on parents as volunteers, both during the camp day and in many other roles. Fill out our VOLUNTEER FORM  if you are interested!

before and after camp

Permission is needed for campers to be here before or after camp. We most commonly approve this when staff members and campers are needing to ride in the same car.  Please call at least a week before camp to discuss making such arrangements; last minute requests may not be able to be accommodated.

end of camp sharing

We will have a sharing on the last day of most camps or workshops; it’s our chance to share a little bit of camp with parents and families!  We expect the program to last 30-60 minutes, and we ask that families leave camp at the end of the sharing. We will ring the bell when we need to end the program.

communication

We love hearing from you! We like to know about things that might be affecting you or your camper. We love hearing about the things that are going well. We love hearing about your concerns. And we ESPECIALLY like hearing about concerns while camp is happening so we can address things in time to make course corrections that will make camp better for your family right now!

We also will stay in touch with you if we have anything to share– sometimes individually, and often in emails to the whole camp community. Please monitor your email during the camp week.

contacting us during the camp day

The ONSITE DIRECTOR is the best person to contact if you need to reach someone AT CAMP. The Onsite Director is different each week and we will share their phone number by email in a welcome letter before each camp.

Communication with parents is important to us, but it is not always possible for us to answer the phone during camp hours because Onsite Directors are also leading activities and staying present for campers and staff.  We do love hearing from you, so if we don’t answer, please leave a message or send a text. IF IT IS URGENT, texts can be more easily screened than voice messages when things are busy. Give us enough detail in your message so we know if we need to call back immediately or if it can wait until the end of the camp day.

IF YOU ARE NOT REACHING THE ONSITE DIRECTOR you can also try: 

Louise Omoto Kessel, the camp founder and director (note Louise is often at camp where she may be less able to answer the phone) 919-542-5599.

Marie Mortimer, our Director of Operations, can be reached at 919-260-0185.

The Camp email is monitored by both Louise and Marie and is also a good way to contact us for non-urgent communication: clappinghandsfarm@gmail.com.

stuff! camp attire, what to bring & not bring to camp

camp attire

Please wear clothes that you don’t mind getting wrecked! We get seriously “down in the dirt!” with our play and projects here at Clapping Hands Farm!

bring to camp

  • OPTIONAL: a quality COVID mask that fits well. A cord for keeping the mask around your neck, so it’s easy to take on and off, is recommended if you bring a mask.
  • a lunch that can survive safely without refrigeration.
  • water bottles marked with your names.
  • a hat with a brim.
  • sunscreen as needed.
  • a complete change of clothes (we play in the rain and puddles and ponds here).
  • close-toed shoes to have on hand if needed–we typically go out into the woods for a big game or a bit of a hike at some point during the week.  (Sandals or bare feet are ok most of the time.)
  • clothes for water play (swimsuit or extra shorts and shirt).
  • a towel or 2
  • a small blanket or rug or mat for sitting on the ground.
  • rain gear if you have it.

storing your stuff

You will have a cubby at camp to store your stuff. You are encouraged to leave your spare set of clothes, closed-toe shoes, and your water bottle in your cubby if you are attending a week-long camp.

things not to bring to camp

Electronic toys, cell phones, iPods, CD players, and anything else that could interfere or distract us from creating our own fun this week at Clapping Hands Farm!

forms, $, cancellations

camp forms

We need an Emergency Form for everyone at camp: staff, volunteers, and campers. These forms are part of your registration confirmation and should be mailed in when we confirm your spot for camp. We review the medical information on the Emergency form ahead of time so we can alert staff to allergies and other special concerns.

We need a signed paper copy—- mailed to us or scanned and emailed to us. 

If a minor child needs to take medication at camp we also need this form: Dispensing Medication Form. 

$

You can pay your camp fees in one of three ways

  • Venmo: @ClappingHandsFarm
    This is our favorite way to receive payment!
  • Paypal: PayPal.Me/clappinghands If you choose “friends and family,” we avoid fees.
    If you check the “goods and services” box you do get PayPal protection, but it charges us 4.5% of your payment. We appreciate you covering that fee if you make that choice; just add 4.5% on to your payment please. 
  • Write a check to Clapping Hands and mail it to: 3348 Alston Chapel Road, Pittsboro, NC 27312

cancellation policy

If you have registered and we have confirmed your registration, we consider that a commitment on your part to attend. It is essential that you LET US KNOW if you have changed your mind or made other plans.

We often have a waiting list, and other campers will have the opportunity to come to camp if we know soon enough. Last minute cancellations put our camp economy at risk, since commitments are made about staff and hiring and supplies before camp starts. It also creates extra work for staff at a time when we like to focus on creating the best experience possible for campers.

The financial aspect of our cancellation policy operates on the honor system; please do what you can afford and what seems appropriate to you. If you can, please pay part or all of your camp fee, especially if we are not able to bring another camper in your place. It helps our camp’s financial health and stability and we appreciate it. If you need a full or partial refund, let us know, we will send it.

 

PART TWO – SAFETY and COVID information!

covid info

Our in-person programs in 2024 will be mask and distance optional for most people in most situations. We will continue to actively support people who choose to mask and distance. We will run a survey for symptoms and exposures the weekend before each camp, and people who have tested positive or who have had known exposures will have guidelines they need to follow.  Please read our COVID response page for all the details. We update this page periodically and recommend checking this page before your camp or workshop in case there have been updates.

safety

It is not possible to create a risk-free camp environment. The challenges to safety at clapping hands farm include: no running water, outhouses, no refrigeration, no air conditioning, a farm pond, the natural need for kids to run and play, an outdoor environment complete with insect life, animal life, and poison ivy, and more!

We rely on parents, kids and staff to share in the responsibility for safety, accident prevention, response to injury and illness, and COVID protocols. Please help us keep our excellent safety record. We work hard to keep a safe camp program and expect parents and campers to “think safety” with us.  Here are some of the guidelines we have developed to keep campers safe.

food and drink:

  • Lunches – we ask that you send lunches that are going to be safe to eat at midday without refrigeration.
  • Hand-washing – we have a dandy “use your foot” hand washing station which we will encourage children to use after using the privy and before eating. We also make hand sanitizer available in a few additional locations.
  • Hydration – everyone needs to bring a water bottle with their name on it to camp each day. Campers and staff are encouraged to drink!

sun and rain:

  • Sunscreen – We spend a lot of time in the sun on a normal camp day. Applying sunscreen before coming to camp is recommended.
  • We will continue to do some activities outdoors even in the rain. So rain gear and a change of clothes are on the “to bring” list.

accidents and illness:

  • We are not allowed to administer any medications to campers without a signed dispensing medication form, not even over the counter stuff or antibiotic ointment. (This is considered practicing medicine without a license!) Luckily I have found 99.9% of camp first aid can be addressed with food, drinking water, soap & water, loving attention, and band-aids. If you want us to be able to administer an over the counter or prescription medication to your minor camper during the camp day, please fill out our dispensing medication form. Dispensing Medication Form. 
  • We review our emergency plan with our staff each Sunday and with our campers each Monday of every camp.
  • If anything major happens (which of course we hope does NOT!) we will call 911.
  • Of course, for anything beyond the minor scrape, we will also call you! Thus we want to know how to reach you and a backup person of your choice all day, every day, during camp. Please let us know if your contact information changes for any of the days of camp.

around the farm:

  • Several areas will be “off limits” during camp. This includes ALL farm buildings, with some exceptions during a rain day or during our Fall-Winter-Spring programs. Our home base for camp will be in the woods where camp shelter, stone circle, and privies are located, our orchard, fire circle, fields, and the grassy areas around our homestead.
  • Children are expected to stay within the camp grounds. Children are expected to stay with their group or counselor or to let a counselor know where they are at all times. 

wildlife:

  • Ticks: For the past several years we have been working with Tick Warriors; they produce a non-toxic spray that has reduced the tick population at camp to a tiny fraction of what they once were. Still, vigilance about ticks is critical, especially if you or your camper goes on an excursion beyond our camp home base. Ticks carry several different diseases, some of which can be very serious. Thus, it is important to learn about ticks and tick borne diseases if you and your children are going to be outside in NC in the summertime! The most important thing you can do is CHECK YOUR CHILD (or yourself) FOR TICKS EVERY DAY. Strip off the clothes and systematically look all over the skin, including in the hair and behind the ears, under the arms, etc. Most tick-borne diseases require the tick to be embedded in the skin for at least a few hours before they can pass on the illness. So, the best prevention is to find the ticks early and not give them a chance to be a disease vector! Be aware of any places you or your child are itching and check for a tick.
  • Poison Ivy: We will teach everyone how to identify poison ivy and do our best to pull it from activity areas or avoid areas where it is growing. If your child is very susceptible to poison ivy, I recommend washing with soap and cold water before leaving camp and possibly in the middle of the day as well. We can help your child do that; please let us know if you think it is needed.
  • Snakes and Spiders: We encounter copperheads and black widow spiders every summer. Black widow spiders are not aggressive and are easily captured and we move them off-site (usually after a show and tell opportunity). Copperheads are also not aggressive and I normally do not advise moving them (most bites happen when people are trying to move or kill venomous snakes). However, with this many kids around, we do move them, and we have become skilled at getting them in a bucket (and we have some buckets with locking lids! formerly used for pool chemicals!) and then we take them far away. 

shoes:

We allow campers to go barefoot in the grassy areas around the farm buildings. I realize there is a risk of stubbed toes, stepping on bees or stepping on sharp objects – but going barefooted is such a happy part of my childhood memories that I wanted this to be part of our farm camp. If you want your child to wear shoes, discuss that with them and also let us know.

We do request that children wear shoes on expeditions to distant places and when we play big all-camp running games.

PART THREE – ALL ABOUT CAMP!

our farm, camp program & camp community

our farm and mission

Clapping Hands Farm is an off-the-grid camp with solar panels for electricity, a rainwater collection system, and a hand pump at the well. Our “camp headquarters” consists of the cleared area around our homestead, a spacious pole barn, a couple of county-inspected, health department approved (no kidding) outhouses, a few “use your foot” hand washing sinks, a stone circle in the woods, a “fairy forest” and a games field: plenty of room for projects, games, and gatherings. Excursions to acres and acres of nearby trails, woods, fields, and ponds are also part of our camp terrain.

Our mission is to create an inspired learning community in a natural setting that models good stewardship of the earth. Each week of camp brings together a diverse group and strives to give participants a healthy balance between group responsibility and self-directed choices. Our farm setting invites participants to engage directly with the natural world, involves campers in working together to make the camp run, and requires that the learning and fun we create together is made from our own hands, ideas, and simple materials. Our farm also provides a living example of renewable energy systems, water conservation, and outdoor living skills at work.

The themes of Art and Nature are our specialty and our lead teachers each week are working artists and naturalists. Our staff is primed to lead amazing activities AND to connect with campers on an individual basis and provide special support as needed.

community

Our camp community exists not just for one week, but ideally, in friendships, mentorships, and networks that span the seasons, years,  lifetimes, and even generations. Former campers are now sending their kids to camp! Ask the staff how long they have been connected to camp and you’ll often find they started as campers.

During the week, secretly, everything we do is in the service of community. We LOVE our wonderful artists and the amazing projects we do, but our teaching artists know that we want not just instruction, but mentorship and connection! Our counselors proactively connect with campers. Together, we strive to create a place where people feel seen, heard,  valued, and appreciated– a safe place where people can be themselves and bring their best selves to our work and play.

We really genuinely CARE about everyone at camp and their families. We want to know how it’s going for you. Please contact us if you have any feedback – compliments or concerns! (see contact us at camp section above)

getting involved

VOLUNTEERING: Clapping Hands relies on volunteer help in every aspect of our operations! You can volunteer on weekends to get ready for the next camp, volunteer during camp, bring a staff dinner, come to farm workdays, or do administrative tasks from home! Lots of options! Please fill out this FORM if you’d like to get involved.

DONATING: Clapping Hands operates on a “no one turned away” policy. We typically give out between $2000 to $4000 worth of scholarships each and every camp week. Covering those scholarships keeps camp sustainable. If you can give a donation yourself, or invite someone you know to donate, please do! We can accept TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS through our Fiscal Sponsor; CLAPPING HANDS is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of CLAPPING HANDS must be made payable to Fractured Atlas only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Click here for an easy credit card donation: Donate now! 

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation with a check, please make the check out to Fractured Atlas (only) and send it to 3348 Alston Chapel Road, Pittsboro, NC 27312

If you do not need a tax deduction you can make checks to Clapping Hands Farm or donate online via VENMO: @louiseomotokessel

camp day schedules

Note: Our Fall-Winter-Spring programs have a variety of schedules; the camp and workshop descriptions and the welcome letter for each program will have these details.

schedule for a typical 9-5 camp day with notes

Camp Day~ (subject to change!)

8:00 Staff Arrives (no campers here before 9:00 without permission please! Let us know if you are running into situations that require campers to ride with staff!)

9:00 Campers Arrive: sign up for Anything Goes, stow your stuff in your cubby, and head to the field for Morning Games! (or to the alternate morning activity)

9:00 Morning Games or Alternate Morning Activity – Cooperative Games to get us all awake, playing and laughing together! An alternative activity is usually offered in addition to games~morning draw, morning yoga, morning jam, etc.

9:30 Morning Circle and Snack – includes Names, a Thanksgiving and any notes about the schedule for the day. On Monday this circle runs longer to include a general orientation. After the morning circle we provide a snack.

10:00 Morning classes – this is where our teaching artists for that week step up and shine and where we dive deep into the theme and topics of that particular camp week. Sometimes we have a 2-hour focus group. Sometimes we have two groups of campers who do one activity for one hour and then another for a second hour.

Noon- 1:00 Lunch and free time – we eat lunch in the orchard in our “chill bubbles” and relax and visit and have some free time.

1- 1:45 The All Camp Thing – this is an all-group activity that is different every day. Could be an all-camp game, an art project we all do together, a creative challenge for each buddy group, or a performance.

1:45- 3:45 Anything Goes – this is the elective portion of the day. We will have all kinds of activities offered during Anything Goes – art, nature walks, canoeing, more games, water play, running games, juggling, building fairy houses, continued work on morning projects,  making slime, engineering challenges for building, bamboo crafting… ANYTHING GOES! These activities can be led by children, parents, directors,  and counselors. We LOVE camper-led activities and they enrich our camp! Camper-led activities are well attended by other campers and a great leadership experience for the camper in charge. Please help your child think of things they might be able to teach or lead. If you or your child want to lead something please fill out this form for each activity: Lead an Activity at Camp!

3:45- 4:15 Buddy Group Clean Up and Check In – everyone at camp is in a buddy group of mixed ages led by a counselor. Each buddy group takes responsibility for cleaning up one part of the camp. Then we “check in”: each person gets a chance to say how they are doing and how their day has gone.

4:15- 4:45 Closing Circle and Talent Share – at our closing circle we give appreciations for anything or anyone that day, we plan the next day, and people have a chance to share their talents (songs, stories, dances, showing artwork, etc.)

4:45- 5:00 Snack and Pick Up – we collect our stuff and bring it to the yard where we have snack. We send campers to their cars as their rides arrive.

5:00 Camp over. No campers here after 5:00 please, unless you have specific permission! Let us know if you are running into situations where staff and campers are carpooling together! Or if you are running late.

5:00 for STAFF – chores!

5:15 Staff Meeting

6:00 Counselors’ day is done. Leadership team meets as needed.

VARIATIONS ON THE CAMP DAY SCHEDULE

9-3 camp day

Our 9-3 camps tend to be focused on a specific interest area. The schedule is usually the same as above through lunch. After lunch we typically have a shorter block of “choice time” in the afternoon—- but generally, the choices remain in the general orbit of the topic for the week. Buddy Group Check In and a Closing Circle end the day.

 

special information for fall-winter-spring homeschool art camp

dress for the weather

Fall and Spring days can be cool in the morning. Cloudy days can be cool all day long! Morning dew can soak shoes. Dressing in LAYERS is a good technique, so you can be cozy and warm in the morning and then remove some layers to also be comfy mid-day as it warms up. Arriving in waterproof boots and then changing to running shoes also works well.

Winter days can be frosty. Dressing like you are going on a ski trip is not overkill! Hats, mittens, scarves, long underwear, snow pants etc.

Rain gear is recommended for our Fall-Winter-Spring programs.

Being outside in all kinds of weather is one of the greatest joys in life! But it is only FUN if you are comfortable! Dress appropriately and all is good!

more about weather

We have a big camp shelter that we can all fit under during a rain day. We have good fun under the shelter! We also have a smaller heated space that we don’t expect to use in the Fall session, but will have available in the Winter session for one of our Focus Groups.

We do not cancel camp because it is COLD. We do not cancel camp if it is RAINING. We DO take a weather day if it is raining AND cold. We will communicate about weather BY EMAIL each week if there is any question about weather. 

special program on the last day of camp

We have a special program for parents and families at the end of the day on the last day of camp. Please reserve the weather make up day on your calendar because that might be our last day of camp and we REALLY want everyone there on the last day for our sharing! This is especially vital for performance oriented focus groups! 

homeschool art camp – camp day schedule

9:00- campers arrive, sign up for anything goes choice classes, stow their stuff and then: MORNING GAMES!
9:30 MORNING CIRCLE, with names, a thanksgiving, our plans for the day, and a snack
10:00- Noon FOCUS GROUP TIME!
Noon-1:00 LUNCH and free time
1:00 -2:45 All Camp Activities +/or Anything Goes choice activities
2:45- 3:30 Buddy Group Time, Closing Circle and Snack
3:30- pick up!

directions to clapping hands farm

address

3348 Alston Chapel Road, Pittsboro, NC 27312. SEE BELOW for complete directions if needed–sometimes the GPS doesn’t adequately deliver people to us!

our driveway

DRIVEWAY SPEED LIMIT is 10 mph. We live nearly a mile off the road. It is normal for people to think they made a wrong turn or have driven much farther than 1 mile! Just keep going! See notes above on driveway protection and safety.

REMINDER: camper drop-off is on the east side of the driveway; the right-hand side when arriving at camp. Campers should go directly to the walking path in FRONT of the cars.

From the South (Sanford)

Take 15-501 North towards Pittsboro. When approaching Pittsboro, you will come to a light at the intersection of 15-501 and the Moncure-Pittsboro Road. Take a LEFT at the light onto 87. A short distance down this road, take a LEFT onto the southern end of Old Goldston Road. Old Goldston is across the street from The Church of the Nazarene. In about 1/4 mile, turn LEFT onto Alston Chapel Road. This is our road. Now you can follow the “Once In Pittsboro” directions below starting from “this is our road.”

from upriver (Saxapahaw and Alamance Co)— shortcut! better than what your GPS will give you.

Take 87 towards Pittsboro. On your way down 87, you will pass Silk Hope-Gum Springs road on your right; take the next RIGHT onto Mitchell Chapel Road. Go to the end of Mitchell Chapel road and at the T intersection turn RIGHT onto Old Siler City Road. Go a short distance and turn LEFT onto Sarah’s Lane. Sarah’s Lane will take you to a stop sign and you will be looking at 64 Business. Turn LEFT onto 64 Business and then make an immediate RIGHT onto Adolph Taylor road. This will T up to Alston Chapel Road. Take a RIGHT onto Alston Chapel, go over the Harlan’s Creek bridge and head up the hill. After the bridge, count the driveways to the right and turn RIGHT on the fifth driveway.

There is a mailbox there clearly marked with 3348 and a sign that reads, “Clapping Hands Farm” on the far side of the driveway.

Now you can follow the “Once In Pittsboro” directions below from “our driveway.”

from the West (Greensboro, Siler City, Asheboro)

Take 421 South from Greensboro to Siler City and 64  and head East on 64. Look for Hadley Mill Road. Pass Hadley Mill road and take the next RIGHT onto Alex Cockman Road. Turn LEFT onto Alston Chapel Road and look for our driveway on the LEFT–3348 Alston Chapel Road.

Now you can follow the “Once In Pittsboro” directions below from “our driveway.”

from the North (Chapel Hill)

Take 15-501 S. to Pittsboro. Along the way you will see a sign for 64 west – don’t take it! Come all the way into quaint little historic Pittsboro to the traffic circle around the courthouse and follow the “Once In Pittsboro” directions below.

from the East (Raleigh)

Take 64 West to Pittsboro. You will exit onto 64 business or “Historic Pittsboro” and follow the directions below. If you stay on the 64 bypass you will end up in Siler City, far away from where you want to be! (If you accidentally do this, however, you can find us using the “from the west” directions above.)

ONCE IN PITTSBORO

In the center of town, go around the traffic circle onto 64 West

Go to traffic light and turn LEFT onto 87/902. Al’s Diner is on that corner.

After one block, take the first RIGHT onto Old Goldston Rd. (OK, it’s really the second right, but the first right is a tiny road called Brown Street and when I tell people the “second right” they always miss it!) If you were to turn left at this same intersection you would go to Pittsboro Elementary School (and the street sign on the left side of the road says “Pittsboro Primary School Road”). Just think “First Right” and you won’t miss it!

Once on Old Goldston you will go over a little creek bridge and then. . .

Take the first RIGHT onto Alston Chapel Rd.

This is our road.

You will go about 3 miles. Along the way, you will pass Alston Chapel Church.

After a couple more miles, you will go over a creek bridge at Harlan’s Creek.

After the bridge, count the driveways to the right and turn RIGHT on the fifth driveway.

There is a mailbox there clearly marked with 3348 and a sign that says “Clapping Hands Farm” on the far side of the driveway.