Drop-off/Pick-up Procedures

Be Prepared

Events on the National Mall may result in parking restrictions and road closures. Please refer to your Parent Pack letter from staff for your week's specific drop-off and pick-up locations and instructions.

Inclement Weather

In the event of severe inclement weather, drop-off and pick-up locations may be adjusted. Any changes will be communicated in your Parent Pack letter from staff. Parents/guardians are required to bring their child to the designated location and sign them in and out.

Summer camp hours

Before-Camp Program:

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. ET (Pre-registration required)

Camp Sessions:

9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET

After-Camp Program:

4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. ET (Pre-registration required)

Your Camper's First Day of Camp

Camp staff and Youth Teaching Assistants (YTAs) can be identified by their Summer Camp T-shirts and nametags.

On Monday, go directly to the YTA of your camp to sign in your camper. Look for a sign with the name of your camper's camp. Take your child to meet his/her campmates and sign in with the volunteer Youth Teaching Assistants (YTAs). Your child will receive a name badge they must wear while at camp. View map of the location of the S. Dillon Ripley Center
Medication: Please check in all medications with the designated staff member. Be sure that each medication is clearly labeled with your child's name and camp.
Camp T-Shirts: Camp T-shirts will be distributed in the camp rooms and given to participants to place in their backpacks and take home.
Clothing: Campers should wear clothes appropriate for camp activities, heat index, and weather. Please apply sunscreen prior to coming to camp each day.
Make sure each camper has their water bottle, lunch and two snacks.

After the First Day of Camp

Cars should pull up to the loading area in front of the S. Dillon Ripley Center on Jefferson Drive no more than ten minutes prior to the scheduled times. We are not responsible for any tickets received.
Please bring your camper directly to the Youth Team Assistant (YTA) assigned to your child's camp, starting no earlier than 9:00am ET at the designated location indicated on your Parent Pack letter from staff. YTAs will be located upstairs in front of the Ripley Center kiosk, starting no earlier than 9:00 a.m. ET. Please note that this may be slightly delayed depending on the number of children they need to pick up from Before-Camp. You must sign your camper in each day.
The YTAs will escort campers to their individual camp classrooms starting at 9:30 a.m. ET or after all of the campers have signed in.
Please note that camps begin promptly at 9:30 a.m., so please try to arrive on time. If campers arrive after 9:30 a.m., it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to escort the child to the camp classroom in the S. Dillon Ripley Center. Please sign in your camper with their YTA so that we may ensure that your child arrived.

Pick-Up Procedures

Pick-Up Card

You will be emailed a camper pick-up card one week prior to the camp, to be used for the pick-up process. This card ensures that the child leaves camp with the appropriate authorized person. You must have the Pick-up card in-hand or pulled up on your phone when you arrive to pick-up your child.

If you will be picking up more than one camper, please bring the camper pick-up card for each child. You may make photocopies to distribute to other family member or responsible parties charged with picking up your child. These people must be listed in the camper's registration information online. Staff will not forward the Pick-up cards to anyone.

General Camp Pick-up Procedures - Monday through Thursday

At the end of the day you will pick up your camper from the designated location indicated on your Parent Pack letter. Pick-up is between 4:20 p.m. and 4:40 p.m. ET. For the safety of all campers, please present your pick-up card and sign out each camper at pick-up each day.
Campers must remain with their group until they are signed out by their parent/guardian, and only at that time will they be released.
If someone other than the parents will be picking up a child on a particular day, they must be listed as an authorized person on the camper's registration information. If this changes, you must send the child to camp with a note, signed and dated, indicating the change in arrangements. Please also include all appropriate domestic (US) phone numbers so that Summer Camp Managers can call to confirm this change. Failure to follow this procedure will mean that your child will not be released to another person. Verify your camper's registration information

Friday Pick Up procedures / Thursday July 2nd

All campers must be signed out from their camp room. Campers will not be brought to the designated location indicated on the Parent Pack letter from camp staff.

Before- and After- Camp Procedures

If your child is in Before-Camp, you must come down to the 3rd subfloor of the Ripley Center to sign in your child every day. You and your child's name will be on a check list at the Kiosk entrance. Check in and come downstairs. You will meet camp staff who will check you in: receive medication as necessary, give you the camp T-shirt, and ensure we have all forms necessary. Your child will be brought to their camp after drop-off.
If your child is in After-Camp, you must come down to the 3rd subfloor of the Ripley Center to sign your child out of camp. You and your child's name will be on a check list at the Kiosk entrance. Check in and come downstairs. Security may check your bags.
You must show your Pick-up card and sign your campers out every day. Some days After-Camp may be outside across from the Ripley Center. Check the Kiosk Door.

Parking

Events on the National Mall may result in parking restrictions and road closures. If you are driving, please plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time.

Late Arrival or Early Pick-up

Adhering to the scheduled times for arrival and dismissal is critical. In the event of a late arrival, parents are responsible for accompanying their child to the appropriate camp room/location.

If you are going to be late, please call the summer hotline at 202-633-2267
At 4:45pm, campers will be brought to the after-camp location in the Ripley Center.

During drop-off, a Summer Camp representative will remain outside the the designated location indicated on your Parent Pack letter to check-in latecomers until fifteen minutes after the campers have been taken to their individual camps. After this time the child must be accompanied to the appropriate classroom by their parent and sign in with camp staff.

If you need to pick up your camper early on a particular day, please call the Smithsonian Summer Camp Hotline or email summercamp@si.edu. Please also let your camp's YTA know of your intentions during drop-off.

Late Pick-up and Fees

Arriving late to pick up your child presents a significant challenge to the Summer Camp staff.

Fees for Late Pick-up

You will be charged a late pick-up fee as follows:

$25 for After-Camp registration for that day
In addition to the After-Camp registration fee, you will be charged $15 for every block of 15 minutes you are late.

If you pick up between:

Your late fee is:

5:00 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. ET

$45.00

5:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET

$60.00

5:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. ET

$75.00

5:45 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. ET

$90.00

Payment for late fees must be made at time of pick-up.

If you expect in advance to be late picking up your camper, and they are not in After-Camp, contact Summer Camp Staff before 4:00 p.m. ET at (202) 633-2267.

You must come down to the After-Camp room and sign your child out.

While we understand that emergencies arise from time to time, repeated tardiness is difficult to accommodate and unfair to the child. If tardiness is not remedied, you may be asked to discontinue with the program.