Camp Kaleidoscope
JCC Greater Boston’s premier arts and science day camp for campers entering grades K–8 and CITs entering grades 9–11. Camp runs from 9am–4pm, with early drop-off and extended-day options available. Camp Registration opens on January 3 at 10am for returning families and on January 10 at 10am for new families!
Unleash Your Creativity and Imagination!
Experience the ultimate combination of creative arts and excitement with our unique blend of theater, filmmaking, music, culinary, science, sports, games, and outdoor activities in a nurturing and supportive environment.
Our talented staff of artists, performers, and educators will inspire you to explore your emerging interests, build self-confidence, and have a blast. We provide a pluralistic Jewish setting where you can freely express yourself and try new things. Camp Kaleidoscope is a welcoming and inclusive space that embraces all backgrounds, faiths, and beliefs. Join us for an unforgettable summer of growth, fun, and self-discovery at Camp Kaleidoscope!
Camp Registration Coming Soon
Registration for Summer 2024 opens on January 3 for returning families and on January 10 for new families! Check back here to stay up-to-date with any new information.
Camp at a Glance
Make the most of your summer with a full day of fun and adventure! With extended-day options, you can start the day early and stay late for even more fun.
- Regular Camp Hours: 9am–4pm
- Extended-Day Hours: 8am–6pm
Sessions
June 24–August 16. For eight consecutive weeks each summer, Camp Kaleidoscope offers a variety of activities for youth by creating immersive experiences in performing arts, visual arts, science, sports, and swimming. Our camp curriculum is designed to foster social-emotional skills through extensive enrichment opportunities. Campers develop self-confidence as they are mentored by experts in their chosen specialty focus. Families may register campers entering grades K-10 for two week sessions, with many families choosing to come all eight weeks to get the most out of the camp experience. See session dates below.
Bunks
Join a diverse community of campers and make new friends. Our groups, or “Bunks” are organized by grade and age.
Camp Program
Camp is divided into four Units:
- Lower Camp for campers entering grades K-1
- Middle Camp for campers entering grades 2-3
- Upper Camp for campers entering grades 4-8
- Counselors in Training (CIT) for campers entering grades 9-10
Lower Camp features age and developmentally appropriate programming for our youngest campers to explore drama, art, science, sports, and more! With patient, caring counselors as role models, campers make friends and learn new skills in a safe and nurturing environment.
Middle Camp introduces campers to exciting new activities, including Improv, ropes challenge course, cooking, and much more. Campers continue their social development in a fun, active environment.
Upper camp offers the chance to customize the experience every two weeks by selecting from a full range of options. Campers who wish to participate in the musical must attend for a full four-week session (Weeks 1-4 and/or Weeks 5-8).
Swimming is a highlight of the program for all ages. Campers make a splash and swim daily. Campers in grades K-8 are offered instructional swim twice a week led by certified instructors at the JCC’s acclaimed Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy. All campers enjoy free swim in our outdoor pool.
Campers celebrate Shabbat every Friday, as well having theme days and special events throughout the summer. Weeks four and eight culminate in the Camp Kaleidoscope arts festival and musical theatre production where campers share performances and exhibits with family and friends.
Daily Schedule
Explore some of our sample daily camp schedules and browse our most recent weekly newsletter to get an idea of all the fun that happens each day at camp.
Daily Activities
Fully-staged musical theater productions, singing and dancing (hip hop, jazz, ballet, modern), music (guitar, percussion, piano, voice), story dramatization, improvisation, scene study, and stage combat.
Painting and poster art, animation and video production, costumes and fashion, scene design, mosaics, painting, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry making, and crafts.
Instructional and recreational swim, canoeing, hiking, basketball, gaga, Ultimate Frisbee, tennis, table tennis, kickball, Pillow Polo, challenge course, and fencing.
Buildings and structures, electricity and magnetism, rockets and kites, nature exploration, geysers, volcanos. Other activities include cooking and baking, creative writing, knitting, needlework, set design and painting, and tie-dye.
Arts festivals, carnival, evening activities (grades 6+), daily camper performances, Shabbat celebrations, and visiting artists & performers.
Rise to the Challenge
CIT Program
JOIN THE FUN WITHOUT THE HASSLE
Transportation
Conveniently located at the Leventhal-Sidman JCC in Newton, we’re dedicated to making it as easy as possible for everyone to get to camp. For a weekly rate of $97.50 per camper, we provide bus transportation from nearby communities, including Cambridge, Brookline, Framingham, Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston.
Bus Overview
Camp Kaleidoscope will operate two buses for Summer 2023, available in full-week increments only. You may sign up for transportation through your CampInTouch account. Bus monitors provide supervision on the bus.
Bus Pick-Up & Drop-Off
- In the morning, arrive ten minutes before the scheduled departure to camp, as buses will leave at the scheduled time and will not wait for latecomers.
- In the afternoon, arrive ten minutes ahead of the scheduled arrival from camp, as buses will not wait at their stops, in order to ensure they meet their drop-off times for other stops.
- When your camper’s designated adult is not present at the drop-off location at the scheduled time, the camper will not be allowed off of the bus. We will make an effort to contact you in order to allow you to pick up your camper from a later stop.
- A fee of $10 per half hour (or portion thereof) will be assessed after the scheduled arrival time for the last stop, should a bus counselor be required to wait with your camper. Please be mindful of our bus counselors, and arrive on time.
- With written permission, campers aged ten and older may walk home from their bus stop.
- Please notify us in writing, by 12pm of the applicable day, regarding any changes to pick-up arrangements, such as if your camper will not be taking the bus on a given day.
2024 Rates & Dates
Rates
Session-2 weeks | |
Campers Entering K–8 | $1,530 |
CITs Entering Grades 9-10 | $1,200 |
Please note a $25 non-refundable registration fee will apply to each camper enrolled.
Sibling Discount: Save $50 for the second and each additional sibling in a family.
JCC Members: Save $50/session.
2024 Dates
Session 1 (Weeks 1 & 2) | June 24–July 5 (no camp July 4) |
Session 2 (Weeks 3 & 4) | July 8–July 19 |
Session 3 (Weeks 5 & 6) | July 22-August 2 |
Session 4 (Weeks 7 & 8) | August 5-August 16 |
Add-Ons
After Care (4–6pm) | +$180/week |
Before Care (8–9am) | +$90/week |
Bus Transportation | +$97.50/week |
FAQs
What Dates Do I Need To Know About in 2023?
- Jan 4–Feb 1: Sessions/weeks may be dropped or changed, subject to availability.
- Feb 1: Financial Aid applications due online.
- After Feb 1: Deposits are not refundable.
- May 1:
- Full payment is due, or a payment plan must be in place and no refunds will be issued. You cannot drop weeks after this date.
- All camp forms and lunch orders are due.
- June 24: First Day of Camp
- July 4: There will be no camp on July 4, in celebration of Independence Day.
- July 20–21 & August 16–17: Arts Festivals
- July 20 & August 17 at 6pm: Upper Camp Performances
What Should I Bring To Camp?
Packing List
- Water bottle (labeled)
- Masks (just in case)
- Bathing suit, towel, swim cap (first days only)
- Lunch (Dairy, parve, fish, or vegetarian; or preorder kosher-certified lunch in your CampInTouch account. Please do not bring peanuts, meat, poultry, or shellfish to camp. Lunches brought from home are stored in air-conditioned rooms.)
- Sunscreen & bug spray
- Snacks
- Hat
Clothing
To ensure quick return of any lost items, please label all clothing, water bottles, towels, and bathing suits with your camper’s full name. Additionally, please check the weather forecast and provide appropriate clothing, including secure footwear such as sneakers or sandals (no flip-flops please).
Valuables
To avoid loss or damage, please refrain from sending items of high monetary or sentimental value to camp. Additionally, the use of all electronics, including cell phones and handheld devices, is prohibited.
Sun Safety & Hydration
To ensure their well-being during outdoor activities, children should come to camp with sunscreen applied and a labeled water bottle. Our staff will provide opportunities for reapplying sunscreen, refilling water bottles, and they will encourage regular hydration throughout the day.
What Food Is Provided?
- All campers are served ice pops in the afternoon.
- All food supplied by the camp is kosher certified and nut-free.
- Campers should bring a healthy, peanut-free snack from home every day.
Camp Kaleidoscope offers a variety of individually packaged, healthy lunch options prepared by PLNT Burger. You may preorder from your CampInTouch account. Campers are welcome to bring their own dairy, parve, fish, or vegetarian lunches.
All items are kosher-certified and nut-free, and include a dessert of cookie, pastry, or fruit.
Cost: $11.95/lunch
What Are Your Health & Safety Procedures?
Camp Kaleidoscope is staffed by a registered nurse (RN), and a physician is on call. In case of an emergency, the local hospital is less than five miles away from JCC Greater Boston.
Camp Kaleidoscope is in compliance with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health policies and is inspected and licensed by the City of Newton Department of Public Health. As part of that relationship, we have been asked to share commonly asked questions about Meningococcal Disease.
Parents may request copies of background checks, health care policies, discipline policies, as well as procedures for filing grievances.
What Are Your Security Procedures?
All visitors must show their JCC pass or ID for admission into the building. Only campers and camp staff may enter through the auditorium door. Parents must enter the building through the front entrance.
Policies
Payments, Cancellations, and Terms & Conditions
Payments & Cancellations
- Camp Kaleidoscope now requires a separate deposit for each session or week. The deposit(s) are strictly tied to those specific sessions and/or weeks. A deposit of $75 per week is due upon registration.
- Sessions or weeks may be dropped or switched, pending availability, without loss of deposit, until February 1.
- Sessions may not be split in order to drop individual weeks.
- Payment Dates:
- After February 1: Deposits are no longer refundable or transferable.
- February 1–May 1: Sessions may be dropped, and all fees paid will be refunded, except the deposit(s).
- May 1: Full payment is due, unless a payment plan is in place, or written notice to withdraw/disenroll has been received. Families are financially responsible for all sessions and/or weeks registered.
- If full payment has not been received by May 1 (and a payment plan is not in place), the remaining balance will be charged to the method on file on or about May 2nd.
- Tuition is non-refundable after May 1. This includes: no refunds for illness, partial sessions/weeks attended, or change of plans.
- Camp Kaleidoscope does not charge a fee to be on our waitlist. If you are waitlisted and a spot opens up, we will contact you by email and/or phone. Families have 36 hours to respond to accept the spot before we contact the next camper on the list.
- Families may remove their name from the waitlist by email at any time.
- Payment of camp tuition may be paid in the following forms:
- By check
- By Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
- By credit card.
- A convenience fee may apply depending on the method of payment. If you elect to pay by physical check, please note that payment must be received and processed before the installment date, to avoid having that payment charged to the method on file.
- A $25 processing fee will be added to your invoice for any check or EFT returned unpaid, or credit card declined.
- There are four payment options available at the time of registration:
- You may elect to pay in full at the time of registration.
- You may pay in two installments (in March and in May)
- You may pay via a monthly payment plan.
- You must select your payment option at the time of registration. Any registration after May 1 requires full payment at that time.
Discipline Policy
Camp is an exciting, fun, sociable, and nurturing experience. Campers are expected to be respectful of each other, counselors, and the facilities. All efforts are made to work with campers and parents to provide a positive and meaningful experience at camp.
Bathroom
All campers are expected to use the restrooms independently at camp. This includes having ample awareness to get to the bathroom in time, manage clothing, wiping, flushing, and washing hands — independently. No camper shall be punished for soiling, wetting, or not using the toilet. In the event of a bathroom accident, the camp nurse will assist, if necessary, and parents will be notified. Camp staff and parents will work together with the camper to address the situation, and reasonable accommodations will be made as needed.
Behavior
If a camper distracts their group, willfully disregards directions, is disrespectful, or otherwise disrupts an activity, they may be asked to leave the group for a short period of time. The teacher or counselor will discuss the behavior with the camper, and, if applicable, they will return to the group. Children will be given reminders and redirection in order to encourage positive behavior. Staff members will empower children to make positive choices and to practice empathy and cooperation in group settings. No camper shall be denied food.
If the behavior continues or recurs, the camper may be brought to the office or senior staff for a time-out or break, when applicable, depending on the camper’s age and abilities. The camper will rejoin their group after an appropriate period of time. If the problem persists, parents are notified, and a plan may be implemented. If a child has specific behavior issues, all efforts will be made to work with parents to implement procedures or programs for managing the behavior, in a manner appropriate for camp.
Dangerous Behavior
If a camper behaves in a manner that is dangerous or destructive, staff will immediately remove the camper from the situation and call a supervisor. Staff will discuss the situation with the camper or campers involved and explain that the behavior is inappropriate and unacceptable, and parents will be informed. Parents are notified as soon as possible if a camper should hit, push, bite, or otherwise hurt another member of the camp community, or if they are the object of such behavior. A camper who hits or hurts another person or engages in dangerous or destructive behavior will be sent home. In this case, parents may be required to pick up the camper during the camp day. A parent conference is required before the camper may return to camp.
Repeated Dangerous Offenses
If a camper repeatedly endangers themselves or another camper or staff member; repeatedly breaks camp rules; participates in repeated demeaning or hurtful behavior; or knowingly damages property; they will be required to leave the camp. Refunds will not be awarded in these cases.
COVID-19
In the event that Camp Kaleidoscope must close your child’s bunk, or all of camp, due to state or local mandate, Camp Kaleidoscope will do our best to fit you into another week, session, or JCC camp program as you prefer. If we are unable to accommodate you, JCC Greater Boston will credit your account for use in a future program.
Financial Aid
Thanks to the support of generous individual and foundation donors, JCC Greater Boston makes every effort to offer financial assistance to campers in need. For more information, or a confidential conversation, please contact us. Applications are due February 1.
Financial aid applications must be made online before February 1, at which time all submitted requests will be reviewed. Requests made after February 1 will be reviewed individually and are dependent upon funds remaining. Awards are not guaranteed year to year or for weeks added after February 1. If you are unable to accept the award, you must submit a written request to either reduce enrollment or withdraw. You must submit this request within two weeks of award notification in order to receive a refund of any deposit(s) connected to the withdrawal.
Additional weeks may be added after the deadline has passed, however, there is no guarantee that the aid will be the same. Financial aid is not transferable between camps.
Campers with Special Needs
Camp Kaleidoscope’s inclusive program seeks to enhance the social, emotional, physical and developmental needs of all children. If your camper has a 504 plan, an IEP, or receives special services, you must fill out the Special Needs Pre-Registration Form within your CampInTouch account.
We strive to offer the best camp experience possible for children who need extra support. A limited number of spaces are available for children with mild developmental disabilities. Interviews are required. Enrollment may be limited to one or two sessions. All bunk groups are inclusive.
Campers with mild disabilities participate in all camp activities. Upper campers entering grades 4-8 must be able to navigate between classes independently throughout the JCC Campus. Parents may be required to provide one-on-one aides if necessary. Please review our discipline policy, above.
For more information, email kaleidoscope@jccgb.org.
Drop-Off & Pick-Up
Attendance & Extended Day
Absence: If your child will be out for the day, please email the camp office at kaleidoscope@jccgb.org or call 617.558.6523.
Pick-Up Policy: Campers will be released to parents/guardians or those listed on your registration form. If your camper will be picked up from camp by anyone else, please let us know. Dashboard cards will be mailed to you to help us recognize your car. Additional cards are available at camp.
Extended Day and Early Drop-Off: Available by the week. Please sign up within your CampInTouch account. We regret that there is no extended day on the last day of camp, August 18.
Drop-Off
Morning drop-off is 8:45–9:00am. Cars drive through the loop, dropping off in designated areas.
Early drop-off is 8–8:45am. Park in the lot and escort your camper or pull up to the drop-off area by the theater, as instructed.
Pick-Up
- Pickup is at 4:00pm. Be patient – we have a lot of cars driving through. Please do not arrive earlier than 3:50pm. You may park in the lot and walk over, or join the pick-up line.
- Parents pull up to the curb next to the sidewalk. Campers should not walk through traffic to enter cars. Please follow our staff’s directions to ensure safety at pickup.
- Dashboard cards will be mailed. Campers are released to drivers with a card; drivers without a card may be asked for ID. Notify the office in advance if your child is going home with someone not on your dismissal list.
- Extended day is 4-6pm. Park in the lot and walk into the building to meet your child.
Join the Camp Kaleidoscope Team
Camp Kaleidoscope is accepting applications for the summer season, 2024. Please use the link below to apply. Preference will be given to those who are able to work all 8 weeks.
Meet the Team
Get in Touch
JCC Camp Kaleidoscope
Leventhal-Sidman JCC
333 Nahanton Street, Newton, MA 02459
617.558.6523
kaleidoscope@jccgb.org
Contact Us
Have any questions? Just fill out this form and our team will take it from there.