8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Arrival and morning circle
Lawn
A Jewish community day camp in Rockville, Maryland
Every camp week ends with a Friday gathering
Kitbag is a six-week day camp for ages 5 to 12, run by our congregation's camp committee. Weekdays are games, projects and Hebrew songs, and on Friday the whole camp sits in a circle on the lawn for songs, challah and the week's stories.
A camp day
Every week ends with a Friday gathering
Monday sets the plan for Monday to Thursday: games, projects, Hebrew words and songs. Friday is shorter, with challah to bake and a circle on the lawn before pickup.
Summer
Monday
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Games, crafts and garden
Lawn and rooms
10:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.
Snack
Social hall
10:50 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Hebrew words and songs
Classrooms
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Lunch from home
Social hall
12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Quiet hour: reading and drawing
Library
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Weekly project and big game
Lawn and rooms
3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Closing circle and cleanup
Lawn
3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sign-out and pickup
Front entrance
Friday
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Arrival and morning circle
Lawn
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Challah and baking
Kitchen
10:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.
Snack
Social hall
10:50 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Songs and getting ready for the gathering
Classrooms and lawn
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Lunch from home
Social hall
12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Friday gathering: songs, challah and the week's stories
Lawn
1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Sign-out and pickup
Front entrance
Sample classes.
Tuesday to Thursday follow Monday. Friday camp ends at 2:00 p.m., after the gathering.
The summer at a glance
Dates, closures and the Friday gathering
Summer
- Applications open
Registration opens
Early February
Register online. Weeks fill in the order families register.
Register Open house
Late April
Walk the lawn and the rooms, meet the director and ask about the food rule and pickup.
- First day
First day of camp
Late June
Week 1 starts on a Monday, with a morning circle on the lawn.
- Closed
Independence Day
Early July
Camp is closed, and Week 2 runs four days.
- Closed
Tisha B'Av
Midsummer, by the Hebrew calendar
Camp is closed. We post the day each winter, when registration opens.
- Event
The Friday gathering
Every Friday
The whole camp sits in a circle for songs, challah and the week's stories. Families are welcome for the last half hour.
- Event
The closing gathering
Mid August
Show week ends with a longer gathering, and every family is invited.
Sample dates.
Summer
Six weeks, one at a time
Book the weeks that fit your summer. Every week runs Monday to Friday, with a new theme and a Friday gathering at the end.
Summer
- Late JuneOpen
Week 1: Welcome to camp
Learning the lawn, the rooms and each other, with name games, a scavenger walk and the first Friday gathering.
- Ages 5 to 12
- 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday until 2:00 p.m.
- Early JulyOpen
Week 2: A short week
Camp closes on Independence Day, so the week runs four days: parade-of-instruments games and a Friday gathering with a camp band.
- Ages 5 to 12
- 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday until 2:00 p.m.
- Mid JulyWaitlist
Week 3: The camp kitchen
Mixing, kneading and tasting, with challah dough shaped on Friday morning for the gathering.
- Ages 5 to 12
- 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday until 2:00 p.m.
- Late JulyOpen
Week 4: Makers and builders
Cardboard, wood scraps and tape: bridges, boats and a camp-sized city built by the whole group.
- Ages 5 to 12
- 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday until 2:00 p.m.
- Early AugustFull
Week 5: Giving week
Campers plan and make something to give away, sort donations for a food pantry and write notes to neighbors.
- Ages 5 to 12
- 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday until 2:00 p.m.
- Mid AugustOpen
Week 6: Show week
Songs, skits and a closing Friday gathering that families are invited to.
- Ages 5 to 12
- 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday until 2:00 p.m.
Sample sessions.
Permit, ratios and routines
Who is with your camper, and what a day does about heat and storms
The camp's permit, who is with each age group, the checks the camp keeps, and how a day handles sun, rain, food and pickup.
License
Permitted by Maryland State Department of Education, Office of Child Care
Youth camp · MD Permit # 000000Verify
Adults to children
1 adult to 8 children
5 to 8 years
Group size: 16
1 adult to 10 children
9 to 12 years
Group size: 20
Capacity
100
Ages 5 years to 12 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Medication training
Safety routines
Hot days and sun
On hot days the big game moves to the shade or indoors, water bottles are filled at every change of activity, and campers rest in the library. Send a hat and sunscreen already on, and we remind campers to reapply after lunch.
Storms and rain
Light rain doesn't cancel camp, and blocks move into the classrooms and social hall. When we hear thunder, everyone goes inside and waits until half an hour has passed since the last one. We text families before 7:30 a.m. when the plan changes.
The food rule
Camp follows the congregation's kosher food rule: no pork or shellfish, and meat and dairy are never in the same meal. The snack follows it, and families pack dairy or vegetarian lunches. If your family keeps a different rule, tell us and we will talk it through.
Who collects your camper
An adult on your list signs your camper in and out at the front entrance. We ask for ID until we know you, and we ask you to tell us ahead of time when someone new is coming.
Allergies, medicine and sick days
Tell us about allergies and medicine when you register, and we ask what we need privately. A camper with a fever stays home, and if a camper feels ill at camp, we call you and a counselor stays with them until you arrive.
Counting and sign-in
A counselor counts the group at every change of activity and before every move between the lawn and the rooms. Campers sign in each morning with the counselor of their group.
Sample details.
Questions
Questions families ask before camp
Which ages and weeks do you offer?
Camp is for ages 5 to 12, Monday to Friday, for six weeks across the summer. Each week has its own theme, and families book the weeks that fit. Registration opens in February.
What happens on Fridays?
Friday is a shorter day, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Campers bake challah in the morning, get ready for the gathering, and then the whole camp sits in a circle for songs, challah and the week's stories. Families are welcome for the last half hour.
Is camp closed on holidays?
Camp is closed on Independence Day and on Tisha B'Av. We post the day each winter, when registration opens.
What is the food rule, and what do we pack?
Camp follows the congregation's kosher food rule: no pork or shellfish, and meat and dairy are never in the same meal. Families pack a dairy or vegetarian lunch, and camp serves the snack.
Can my child come if our family isn't part of the congregation?
Yes. Families of every background and level of observance come to camp. The day has Hebrew words, songs and a Friday gathering, and a camper who would rather listen can listen. Nobody is asked to pray, and no one is asked about what the family believes.
How does tuition work, and how do I hold a place?
Tuition depends on the weeks you book and your camper's age group, and we go through the figures with you. A place is held once we have your registration, and when a week is full you can join its waitlist.
Save a place for the weeks you need
Registration opens in February. Register online, or call and ask about the Friday gathering, the food rule or pickup.