3 Years Old - 1st Grade

We affectionately call our youngest campers Ducklings. Their days at NEOC are designed to support their social, emotional, and physical growth, within a safe and supportive framework that encourages their comfort in exploring the natural world, an active lifestyle, and an ease in making friends. The camp program includes familiar activities to help them practice and master skills. New activities encourage them to develop trust, make new discoveries about themselves, and build confidence!

It is this thoughtful balance of consistency and variety that make a single camp week approachable and fun, while multiple weeks at NEOC each feel as new and exciting as the previous week! No matter how many weeks a young camper chooses to spend at NEOC, our team is eager to help them foster a love of the great outdoors and the joy of a summer camp tradition.

Our 1-to-5 staff-to-camper ratio ensures the personalized attention that each young camper deserves. Duckling groups are limited to 10 campers.

Activities

Camp days are divided into five activity periods, plus lunchtime.

Duckings spend their three morning activity periods completely outside and actively exploring nature. The two afternoon periods tend to be quieter activities, which are held in the shade of the woods or in our temperature-controlled mobile activity space.

Examples of our activities are:

  • Arts & crafts
  • Canoe discovery (a shore-based experience that explores balance and music)
  • Circle games
  • Fairy house and shelter appreciation
  • Field games
  • Field sports
  • Garden exploration with specialists from Mass Hort
  • Music
  • Nerf archery
  • Parachute
  • Sandbox play
  • Storytime
  • Slip-n-slide
  • Trail walks
  • Treasure hunts
  • Water games
  • Yoga

Structure of a Week

Ducklings arrive at NEOC and immediately meet their counselors. Their week begins with very familiar activities that helps them settle into camp with comfort and security, while beginning to make friends with the other campers in their group and meeting of all the counselors on campus.

Every morning, with their counselors and group, they attend a whole camp gathering where they join in call and repeat songs and hear about the day ahead!

Each day ends with campers having an opportunity to share their favorite part of the day and what they are most excited about for the next day.

Thursday's theme day, which is new each week and revealed with great excitement on the morning of, is a chance for Ducklings to exercise their imagination and enjoy twists on familiar activities.

Camp ends each week with s'mores!

Potty Training Requirements

All campers must be able to independently use the bathroom while at camp. This includes lowering and raising their bottoms and cleaning themselves post-bathroom use. Campers should also be able to communicate to counselors when they need to use the bathroom. Campers are not permitted to wear diapers or pull-ups at camp, even as a preventative measure.

We realize that accidents may occur. Campers must be able to clean and change themself after an accident.

To ensure a safe and sanitary environment for all, NEOC has two policies for repeated bathroom accidents at camp:

  • After three accidents within a one-week period, the camper will be asked to take a break from camp for the remainder of the week.
  • After three more accidents, the camper will need to take a break for the rest of the summer. In the hopes that the camper will be ready next year, we will apply to the family's account a credit equal to 100% of the amount charged for their unused camp weeks and services. This credit will never expire and can be used by any child in the family for future camps.

Rates

2024 Rates

You won’t see a better rate than you see today! As summer gets closer, each future promotion will never be quite as awesome as the one before it.

We offer a sibling discount on bus service which is $10 less per week for each sibling. Please use the pricing calculator to estimate your rate with bus savings.

Read a full description of our billing, cancellation, and changes policies.

Chart

ACH (2.5% discount)
Credit Card
Number of weeks per family

1 Week

2-3 Weeks

4-7 Weeks

8+ Weeks

Camp
(Orig $812)

$762
Save $50 per week!
$753
Save $59 per week!
$743
Save $69 per week!
$733
Save $79 per week!

Bus
(Orig $102)

$60
Save $42 per week!
Sibling discount available
$60
Save $42 per week!
Sibling discount available
$60
Save $42 per week!
Sibling discount available
$60
Save $42 per week!
Sibling discount available

Weekly
Savings

$92
$101
$111
$121*

*Register for 8 weeks and save $968!

Number of weeks per family

1 Week

2-3 Weeks

4-7 Weeks

8+ Weeks

Camp
(Orig $812)

$782
Save $30 per week!
$772
Save $40 per week!
$762
Save $50 per week!
$752
Save $60 per week!

Bus
(Orig $102)

$62
Save $40 per week!
Sibling discount available
$62
Save $40 per week!
Sibling discount available
$62
Save $40 per week!
Sibling discount available
$62
Save $40 per week!
Sibling discount available

Weekly
Savings

$70
$80
$90
$100*

*Register for 8 weeks and save $800!

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This camp runs on the following weeks. Please log in to register.
Week of Jun 10, 2024
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This camp runs on the following weeks. Please log in to register.
Week of Jun 10, 2024
Week of Jun 17, 2024
Week of Jun 24, 2024
Week of Jul 01, 2024
Week of Jul 08, 2024
Week of Jul 15, 2024
Week of Jul 22, 2024
Week of Jul 29, 2024
Week of Aug 05, 2024
Week of Aug 12, 2024
Week of Aug 19, 2024
Week of Aug 26, 2024
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This camp runs on the following weeks. Please log in to register.
Week of Jun 10, 2024
Week of Jun 17, 2024
Week of Jun 24, 2024
Week of Jul 01, 2024
Week of Jul 08, 2024
Week of Jul 15, 2024
Week of Jul 22, 2024
Week of Jul 29, 2024
Week of Aug 05, 2024
Week of Aug 12, 2024
Week of Aug 19, 2024  (Full)
Week of Aug 26, 2024
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See what our customers think...

Thank you for such an excellent camp! We really appreciated the attention to detail with outdoor fun, kindness, safety, food allergy awareness, help with pick-up and drop-offs by your enthusiastic staff, having the nurse reach out before camp, having different groups by age, and making such a great ... Show full review Thank you for such an excellent camp! We really appreciated the attention to detail with outdoor fun, kindness, safety, food allergy awareness, help with pick-up and drop-offs by your enthusiastic staff, having the nurse reach out before camp, having different groups by age, and making such a great experience. My son was so proud of his little badges at the end of camp and explained each one. Thanks again! My son would love to come back next year." S.L., Cambridge; summer 2023
My son is so happy to go to camp everyday and tell us about it when we pick him up each afternoon. He said today “I love NEOC” which is great to hear as a parent! It feels like a well run and warm environment so far." My son is so happy to go to camp everyday and tell us about it when we pick him up each afternoon. He said today “I love NEOC” which is great to hear as a parent! It feels like a well run and warm environment so far." N.Z., Wellesley (7/12/2023)
The counselors were the highlight of my son's experience at NEOC. We could tell he really valued spending time with them. It was his first summer camp experience ever and although he was initially nervous he ended up having a wonderful time and has asked to attend again next year! He came home singi... Show full review The counselors were the highlight of my son's experience at NEOC. We could tell he really valued spending time with them. It was his first summer camp experience ever and although he was initially nervous he ended up having a wonderful time and has asked to attend again next year! He came home singing the songs, telling us about new activities he got to try, and he still carries his canoe patch around with him. Thank you for creating such a welcoming and fun environment for him to explore this summer!" K.C., Auburndale (7/7/2023)
Our daughter loves NEOC. She enjoys every activity and was particularly proud of the patches she earned this year. The patches are a great idea. She is so excited to return to NEOC next year and earn more patches. It was a nice touch to give returning campers a special patch." Our daughter loves NEOC. She enjoys every activity and was particularly proud of the patches she earned this year. The patches are a great idea. She is so excited to return to NEOC next year and earn more patches. It was a nice touch to give returning campers a special patch." C.P., Wellesley (6/20/2023)
Very supportive counselors — it was my daughter's first ever camp experience and I was a bit worried about how it would go … but the counselors were so sweet and supportive that first day! It went really well!! Thank you!" Very supportive counselors — it was my daughter's first ever camp experience and I was a bit worried about how it would go … but the counselors were so sweet and supportive that first day! It went really well!! Thank you!" L.S., Weston (6/20/2023)
My daughter has been having fun and loves that her councilors have played princess with her." My daughter has been having fun and loves that her councilors have played princess with her." P.M., Norfolk (6/14/2023)
The counselors were always so upbeat and seemed to really love being there. That was fabulous!" The counselors were always so upbeat and seemed to really love being there. That was fabulous!" W.H., Natick (9/2/2022)
We absolutely loved the experience our daughter had. It was so special for our first time ever as parents and camper so we didn't know what to expect but we were blown away by the education, care, and FUN our daughter had." We absolutely loved the experience our daughter had. It was so special for our first time ever as parents and camper so we didn't know what to expect but we were blown away by the education, care, and FUN our daughter had." K.E., Natick (8/16/2022)
We couldn't be happier with our first ever camp experience for our 5 year old! We are so impressed by the organized, friendly, diverse, and energetic NEOC team. My daughter had the best time at her two weeks there and we are already looking forward to next summer!" We couldn't be happier with our first ever camp experience for our 5 year old! We are so impressed by the organized, friendly, diverse, and energetic NEOC team. My daughter had the best time at her two weeks there and we are already looking forward to next summer!" K.E., Natick (7/11/2022)
My daughter just finished her 2 weeks at NEOC and I just wanted to send a note to say that she had a wonderful time ... it was her first time doing an outdoors camp and she loved it. Thank you for organizing such a great camp program for her age group. We will definitely be back next year!" My daughter just finished her 2 weeks at NEOC and I just wanted to send a note to say that she had a wonderful time ... it was her first time doing an outdoors camp and she loved it. Thank you for organizing such a great camp program for her age group. We will definitely be back next year!" L.P., Wellesley (6/27/2022)