🦉 Acorns & Adventurers Week 1: Wildlife Expedition (June 3-7)
Registration will open Monday, February 18.
Adventure is waiting at Allerton, where kids experience nature and art in a unique setting. Camps are centered on outdoor exploration and adventure with time for rest, relaxation, and free play daily. Campers will run and hike through Allerton…observe and learn about science and nature…and have good old-fashioned fun with friends!
ALLERTON ADVENTURERS + ALLERTON ACORNS
Allerton Adventurers (ages 8-12)* and Allerton Acorns (ages 5-7) will meet from 9am-3pm (Extended Day options available). New themes will keep them excited about coming to camp all summer long:
Allerton is home to so many animals! Have you seen turkey vultures circling overhead? Or heard the frogs croaking by the Reflecting Pond? Our goal this week is to find as many native animals as we can (or at least find signs of them). We’ll make animal track molds to take home, then go out in search of the animals that would make them outside!
Campers, ready your flag! This week will be filled with exciting games and activities. Whether your camper is a natural competitor or a natural spectator, all will have fun at this active week of camp that includes relay races, water balloon tosses, and tug-of–war!
We’ve waited all year for summer to arrive! This week we celebrate the things that make summer wonderful: homemade ice cream, sunshine, lazy days by the river… not to mention the ultimate celebration of summer, the Summer Solstice, on Friday. We will also keep an eye out for animal activity that typically occurs at this time also, such as turtles laying eggs (something our campers have seen more than once!) and young beavers coming out of their lodges. Campers will also plant a flower seed to take home and enjoy for the rest of the summer!
Allerton is full of artistic inspiration, and campers have the chance to take full advantage. Projects include watercolor, jewelry-making, paper crafts, and more! Don’t miss the end of week Art Exhibit on Friday, June 28th at 2:30 p.m. where these artists will display the art they have created for family and friends.
Happy Independence Day!
Welcome to the wonderful world of travel! Like Robert Allerton, campers will experience destinations from around the globe. Lucky for us, we don’t have to leave Illinois to do it. Remember your passport – you’re going to need it!
You don’t have to love Mozart to have fun this week. Sound comes from a variety of different places outdoors, and almost anything can be made into an instrument! We will explore where the sounds of nature come from and make a variety of different natural instruments. Campers will also take turns introducing their favorite song to fellow campers!
A classic at Allerton! Fort Week is a camper favorite and for good reason. Campers use natural materials to do what kids to best – make their own adult-free space! Once built, they have a blast using it to enjoy snack time, play games, or just have some laughs!
Does your camper love table games – checkers, cards, Pokémon… or something more complicated? We will not only introduce campers to a variety of table games, but give them the chance to introduce some! This week will still include plenty of hiking and outdoor play. So let’s collect our gamers at Allerton for the week and let the tournaments begin!
There are so many different ways to experience water at Allerton – the Sangamon River, the Reflecting Pond, a water balloon in your hair… This week we celebrate water! It brings wildlife diversity to the Park and brings fun to camp. We will be playing games, making boats, and tracking down every sprinkler we can find!
*Adventurers (ages 8-12) will also visit the Monticello Family Aquatic Center for two afternoons each week.
DISCOVERY CAMPERS
Discovery Campers* (ages 3-4) will meet from 8:30-11:30am during three weeks of summer fun:
We are searching overhead and underfoot for those creatures that walk, crawl and fly! Campers will spend the week looking and listening (in between running and playing) for wildlife all over Allerton.
The big kids aren’t the only ones who can play in the water! We’ll head down the Sangamon and over to the Reflecting Pond to discover how much fun water can be. Now where were those sprinklers again…?
Magnifying glasses in hand, we’ll leave no stone unturned as we explore the sculpture, gardens, and nature trails of Allerton. Curious kids encouraged to apply.
*Discovery Campers must be fully potty-trained.
REGISTRATION
Registration will open Monday, February 18. Registration packets can be filled out in-person at the Allerton Mansion front desk (Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm), or can be mailed in. Please mail printed registration packets to 515 Old Timber Rd, Monticello, IL 61856, ATTN: Mindy Brand.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD + PRINT THE REGISTRATION PACKET.
Acorns (ages 5-7) + Adventurers (ages 8-12): $165/week (Extended Day available: 7-9am – $25/week, 3-5:30pm – $35/week)
Discovery Campers: $82/week (Extended Day not available)
FAQs:
Allerton Day Camp is all about fun outside! Each week of camp has a different topic, but they all share a common vision for quality time spent outside. We hike every day and play countless games, not to mention explore the art and nature found only at Allerton.
Home base for campers is one of three different buildings in the Park. Your registration materials will include detailed information about where to drop your camper off.
Yes! We offer BEFORE and AFTER care to extend the camp day. Available times for your child’s camp are listed on their registration form. Participants must be pre-registered to use Extended Day.
Participants may be dropped off 5 minutes prior to the start of camp and will be allowed a 5-minute grace period after the end of camp. If you need care earlier or later than those times, you are required to sign your child up for Extended Day. Regularly late pick-ups will be charged a P.M. Extended Day fee for that week.
Yes, we have a limited number of partial camp sponsorships available for qualifying families. Scholarships will be awarded based on need, as decided by Allerton. Early applicants will be given priority. Application information is kept strictly confidential, and all applications are destroyed after the application has been processed. Award of a scholarship does not guarantee your placement in a specific week of camp. Once awarded a scholarship, registration must be completed.
Once received, a scholarship application takes 5-7 business days to process. CLICK HERE FOR REQUIREMENTS AND TO DOWNLOAD + PRINT THE APPLICATION.
You can return the completed application:
In person – Allerton Mansion front desk (Attn: Mindy Brand)
By mail – Attn: Mindy Brand
515 Old Timber Road
Monticello, IL 61856
For more information, contact Mindy Brand at brand@illinois.edu
Campers need to either have a pool pass to the Monticello Family Aquatic Center or bring $5 per visit to camp. Camp staff will collect pool money and pay in one transaction to leave more time for swimming! MFAC has early bird pool passes available on select dates.
Piattran provides Allerton Day Camp rides to and from the pool as well as providing a transportation alternative for parents getting kiddos to and from camp!
To set up rides, you need:
– A current Rider Intake Form (less than 1 year old) on file with Piattran. You can submit this to their office yourself or through Allerton at least two weeks prior to camp. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE RIDER INTAKE FORM.
– Rider fee. Rides are $4 each way. Pro tip: you can set up an account with Piattran and pay only $3 each way.
Payment options:
– Create a pre-paid account with Piattran (easy and a discount)
– Pay the driver with cash/check
– Be billed by Piattran
Piattran
Piatt County Public Transportation
1925 North Market Street
Monticello, IL 61856-8144
Ph: (217) 762-7821 Fax: (217) 762-7594
Email: ride@piattran.org
Camp registration continues all summer, but camps do fill up quickly! Registration closes for individual weeks of camp 14 days prior to that camp.
Yes. We understand that it can be difficult to pay for multiple weeks of camp upfront. You can hold your child’s spot in camp with a non-refundable deposit of $20 per child per week. Your spot will be held until payment is due 10 business days prior to the start of camp. If payment is not made 10 business days before, the spot will be opened up to the waitlist without refund of deposit. When payment is made, your deposit fee will be applied toward total camp fees.
Yes! Registration and full payment of 4+ weeks of camp at once (any 4+ weeks of camp during the summer) will result in a 10% discount of registration fees. Please note that this transaction must be made all at once.
Participants may cancel their registration and withdraw from camp up to 10 business days from the start of camp and receive a full refund of the registration fee, less a $20 administrative fee. If a participant cancels fewer than 10 business days prior to the start of camp, they will be charged the full fee for that camp.
Questions? Contact Mindy Brand at brand@illinois.edu or 217-300-9913.
