Burn Brae Day Camp Announces Exciting New Programs for Children Ages 3-15 AND Open House Dates - Now Registering for Summer 2015

Dresher, PA—Looking for a nurturing, non-competitive day camp where children ages 3 to 15 are excited, engaged, encouraged, and inspired? In a beautiful, natural environment where kids can make friends, have fun, relax and experience the satisfaction of creative expression and athletic development? At Burn Brae Day Camp in Upper Dublin Township, Montgomery County, PA, campers choose from a unique menu of activities taught by expert, adult faculty and education professionals, and return year after year.

When Owner/Director Lisa Kasser founded Burn Brae Day Camp in 1981, her goal was to create a camp where children could explore their creative gifts, both those known and not yet discovered. “I wanted to build a kind and gentle camp where every child feels safe to explore creative arts, athletics and interests, and has opportunities to shine without regard to talent or ability,” says Kasser.

Over three decades, some former Burn Brae campers are now well known on stage or screen, which Kasser attributes to the encouragement and high quality of instruction that children find at camp. But she takes equal pride in the “little miracles” that happen every day at Burn Brae, where every child is a star, no skills are required, and even children who prefer sports or science to arts will find plenty to explore and enjoy.

Burn Brae’s Pre-Majors group (ages 3-6) is widely acclaimed for balancing stimulating, age-appropriate activities with social skills and rest. A major part of the camp community, these young campers do not choose their Major/Minor activities, but do benefit from a program that includes instructional swim, sports, arts, music, nature, French, yoga, technology and reading readiness activities, while practicing sharing, problem solving, and basic communication skills—all guided by certified teachers and subject specialists.

Exciting New Programs for Summer 2015

Burn Brae campers ages 7 to 15 choose Majors, Minors, and Electives from a wide array of activities. Along with daily instructional and recreational swimming, weekly sports electives at Burn Brae emphasize instruction and skill-building in tennis, archery, volleyball, basketball, flag football, hockey, obstacle course, cheerleading, soccer, lacrosse, kickball, softball, archery, team-building, Ultimate Frisbee, and Ga-Ga. New this summer, campers can also choose Vintage Sports, where they can learn to play beloved games from past eras, such as stickball, hopscotch, wiffle ball, home run derby and more.

For campers ages 7-9, Burn Brae’s optional Step-Up program bridges the transition from Pre-Majors to the camp’s regular Junior program, offering a comfortable blend of fixed schedule and individual choice.

Within Majors covering Theater, Instruments, Art, Dance and Movie Production, Junior and Senior campers may to choose to learn or develop their skills in painting, drawing, ceramics, crafts, digital photography, theater, improvisational theater, glee, all musical instruments, jazz band, rock band, jazz dance/hip-hop/Broadway, modern dance, ballet/tap, TV/video, computer animation, creative writing, science and nature studies, brain games, Legos/robotics, pastry arts, special effects make-up and Project Runway. New choices include:

· Movie Production: a new Major that will let children experience every phase of film-making by taking a small group of campers through the collaborative process of writing, creating storyboards, shooting film, editing and producing a short group movie.

· Improvisational Theater: a new Minor in which children will learn to create and perform characters, action, story and dialogue simultaneously, stimulating creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, teamwork, confidence and communication skills.

· Games for the Brain: a new minor that will challenge and stimulate strategic thinking, as well as organizing and planning skills, through small group games including Magic Cards, Dungeons & Dragons, chess, Othello and other games of strategy.

Also new for summer 2015 is Teen Quest, an optional program for teenagers 13 to 15, which will include weekly guest speakers, community service activities, leadership skills, and career exploration through on-site internships in camp office business and administration, nurse’s office, computers, music, science, fashion, design, theater, dance, art, TV production, Step-Up program, pastry arts, writing, robotics and more; Teen Quest campers also choose daily sports and swim activities. Teens may instead choose to be placed in Burn Brae’s regular Senior camper program, which allows for choosing one Major and four Minor activities.

Kasser provides refrigeration for lunches packed from home, and also offers the optional Smart LunchesÒ program, which allows parents to order healthy, hot or cold lunches and snacks for their children, on an as-needed basis. She says, “Smart Lunches has an extensive menu that never uses peanut or tree nuts, so it’s a great option for children with food allergies or diet challenges, or parents who for any reason would rather purchase lunch for a day, a week, or a whole season. It’s easy to order or change orders online.”

Smart Lunches is just another way that Kasser makes Burn Brae Day Camp convenient for families. Flexible scheduling for a minimum two- to 10-week sessions lets parents choose consecutive or non-consecutive weeks with half or full-day options, and before and after-care hours are available, along with door-to-door transportation in seat-belted, air-conditioned vehicles in Montgomery, Bucks and Philadelphia Counties and the Main Line. A camper-to-staff ratio of 5:1 (3:1 for ages 3-6) includes certified professional teaching staff, and Assistant Director Dr. Mike Blum—a highly experienced school psychologist—is on-site all day, every day throughout the regular camp season, along with a full-time Registered Nurse.

2015 Open House Dates

Also for parents’ convenience, Kasser offers numerous Open Houses at camp now through May; all include a tour of the facilities, a camp orientation video, and plenty of time to ask her questions and discuss camp life. Personal appointments are also available. Kassser says, “We encourage parents to come to an Open House with their children, so everyone feels comfortable with our philosophy and program. Involving children in the process of choosing a camp helps kids feel empowered and builds excitement for camp.”

Burn Brae Day Camp is conveniently located at 1405 Twining Road, Dresher, PA 19025, within five minutes of both the PA Turnpike Fort Washington and Willow Grove exits and Route 309. Open Houses at Burn Brae Day Camp are held rain or shine on the following dates in 2015; no reservations are required:

Saturday, March 21 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Sunday, March 22 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Sunday, March 29 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Saturday, April 11 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Sunday, April 12 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Sunday, April 19 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Saturday, April 25 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Sunday, April 26 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Saturday, May 2 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Saturday, May 9 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Learn why families love Burn Brae Day Camp! Visit online at www.burnbraedaycamp.com.

For questions and information contact: Lisa Kasser, Owner/Director, 215-657-3388, burnbraedaycamp@aol.com