YMCA Camp Lakewood Parent Resources

YMCA members receive $100 off the YMCA Camp Lakewood registration fee for sessions 1 – 3 and $45 off the registration fee for sessions 4-10.

Military families receive a YMCA Camp Lakewood 20% discount off program fees. You can request the military discount during online registration. You will be required, upon check-in, to provide the staff with your military ID confirming your active duty status. If you have any questions when registering, please contact our office directly at 573-438-2155 or camplakewood@gwrymca.org.

A Multi-Child Discount is available to families who have multiple children attending camp. $35 off will be applied toward the balance for the second, third, etc. child.

The Gateway Region YMCA feels strongly that anyone who wants to be a part of the Y has the opportunity, regardless of his or her ability to pay. Therefore, we offer financial assistance to those individuals who qualify. Funds for this assistance come from the generous support of those who give to our Annual Campaign. Find the application here. Once processed, our staff lets the individual applying know how much they qualify for and apply it to their account. For questions regarding your application, please call the camp office at 573-438-2155.

Camp fees have a deposit of $200 per session to register and the balance is due on May 1. Payments can be made through the parent portal.

All forms can be completed on the parent portal. Please note that a physician’s exam that includes the physician’s signature is required and must have been completed within 24 months of the camper coming to camp. We will accept your doctor’s form; it is not necessary to use our form. The exam can be uploaded under forms in the parent portal or emailed directly to camplakewood@gwrymca.org.

Mutual cabinmate requests are honored whenever possible and are requested through online registration. The campers must be in the same village and the same program and be within one year’s age of each other. Buddy request preferences are limited to one request per camper and each child must request each other in order to be placed in cabins together.

Please don’t send your camper’s phone with them to camp! We will take it (and lock it in a secure place until check-out). Here's why:

From a logistical standpoint, it's not a good idea to send anything of value (monetary OR sentimental) to camp because, well, kids are kids and odds are, it has a good chance of getting lost. It happens every summer, no matter how much we remind our families to leave those things at home.

We firmly believe that camp is a natural setting to retreat from technology and get more in touch with nature and each other. Permitting cell phones at camp take away from the camp experience as a whole. Instead of asking Instagram if your camp outfit is on point, why not ask your cabinmates? Instead of watching a dance on TikTok, why not make up a new dance with your new friends?

Every week, we watch campers go through the five stages of grieving screens: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. And once they hit acceptance (usually on day two), they have the best week of their lives.

Trust us, we'll call you if something goes wrong or your kiddo is homesick and needs you. But otherwise, we pinky promise leaving the screens at home is the best thing your camper will do all summer.

Please detail your child’s allergies on the Camper Medical Form as well as their Camper Profile Form. Both can be found in the parent portal. Our food service director, Amy McClure, is always happy to talk with parents directly about food allergies. She can be reached at amy.mcclure@gwrymca.org.

It is very normal for a child to experience homesickness. Our staff use a step by step process to work with campers who are missing home. The majority of campers have no issues after the first night but if your child continues to have difficulty, we will contact you to discuss. Here are some things you can do to lessen homesickness:

• Keep frequent letters or emails cheery and newsy in a way that they will not make your camper homesick. Don’t ask them about homesickness.

• Try having your child do overnights at friends’ houses before coming to camp.

• Pack a personal item from home.

• Don’t tell your child that you will come and pick them up if it isn’t fun.

• Don’t bribe your child by promising something valuable if they make it through camp.

• If there is instability at home or your child is very anxious, please contact us so that we may prepare the counselors and our resident behavior specialist.

• Help your child think of things they can do to cope with feelings of missing home.

What does it mean when everyone at Camp Lakewood says it’s, “My Camp!”? It means every one of our campers has a home away from home. It means every one of our campers has a special place where they can try new things without judgment. It means every camper knows a place where they have friends, where they feel safe, happy and wanted. It means every one of our campers has a camp, their camp, and they know the camper sitting next to them feels the exact same way. It means they are an important part of YMCA Camp Lakewood. So when asked, “Whose camp is this?” – we are excited to hear them say…. “MY CAMP!”

Giving To Camp: If you feel it in your heart to help another child discover the joys of camp as much as your child will or has already experienced, please consider donating to our Annual Support Campaign, which helps children whose financial constraints prevent them from attending camp without this assistance.

Find information about the Counselor in Training (CIT) program on the Parent Dashboard. An application and interview process is required to be considered for the program.

If you cancel 4 weeks in advance of the session you will receive a full refund less the deposit ($200 per session.) We will refund in full for illness or medical issues with a doctor’s note.

Waldo Photos is our photo delivery service where you can get all the photos of your camper delivered straight to your phone! To enroll or view the free web gallery, simply click the link below. To view daily wave videos, click here.

 Please complete our questionnaire to help us return lost & found items.

Lost & Found Questionnaire