YMCA Day Camp Duluth Area

The YMCA Day Camp program has two sites:

YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center: 429 Ugstad Rd, Hermantown, MN 55811

North Star Academy: 3301 Technology Dr. Duluth, MN 55811

Registration opens on February 3, 2025. To register online, please visit duluthymca.org/register. If you need assistance, please contact ar@duluthymca.org 218-722-4745 x140 for support. 

Be sure to have your child's current medical information, health history, and vaccination records available when registering. As a Minnesota state-certified program, we require vaccination records during registration to meet state-level certification requirements. If your child is exempt for immunizations, families must fill out an exemption form and be notarized.   To access this form, please call the Day Camp Director at 218-722-4745 x111 or at daycamp@duluthymca.org.

Day Camp programming begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m. Campers can be dropped off as early at 7:00 a.m. and all campers must be picked up by 6:00 p.m. Programs will vary by location, but all will include the same components, including small group time, outdoor play, and enrichment activities.

The North Star site will take a bus to swim  and rock climb one day a week at the Downtown YMCA. Campers at the Y's Essentia Wellness Center will swim on-site at the pool facilities. The days and times of swimming opportunities at each site vary and will be announced prior to attending camp.

Here's what you can expect:

We are an outdoor camp and the majority of the programming takes place outside. Youth will encounter bugs, engage in a lot of hiking, and will play in the woods in different types of weather/temperatures. 

YES. Day camp is fun and friends should be together! Please provide this information on the registration form or let staff know on the first day of camp. They must remain together in the same group for the entire week. 

Safety is our number one priority, for our campers and staff. We follow the guidance of the Minnesota Weather Watch rubric to help guide decisions on heat and activity level. Any feels-like temperatures above 90 degrees will lead to lower outside activities and more time spend indoors. Any feels-like temperatures of over 100 degrees will lead to all indoor activities. 

We are an outdoor camp and the majority of the programming takes place outside. In light/moderate rain, we will still hold outdoor programming. In the event of lightning and/or thunder, we will move indoors until the weather improves. Youth will encounter bugs, engage in a lot of hiking, and will play in the woods in different types of weather/temperatures. 

In order to best serve our campers, we have a set number of spaces available for Summer Camp. If the specific week of camp you are registering for is full, we will add you to the waiting list. You will be notified if a space becomes available. 

Do you offer discounts?

There is a 10% sibling discount for families who enroll more than one child at the same time by using the promo code WEAREFAMILY at checkout. 

If you have a family membership, (does not include youth memberships) with the Duluth Area Family YMCA, you will receive the member rate for the program. 

How do camp deposits work? 

• A $50 deposit must be paid for each week that you would like your child(ren) to attend camp. Deposits are non-refundable as of May 25. 
• If the remainder of the balance is not paid by the due date, it will result in the forfeiture of the deposit and camp spot. 

How can I make payments for camp?

Payments are made by automatic bank draft through your online registration account (Daxko) on the Monday prior to the week of camp. If you need other payment methods, please call 218-722-4745 x140 or email AR@duluthymca.org for support. Cancellations must be made by the 25th of the month prior to camp (see refund policy below). No refunds will be given for messed days during the month. 

When are my payments due?

Remaining balances following deposits made are due by Monday of every week, prior to the week of attendance. If you do not make your payment by the payment deadline of the Monday before the desired week, you will be unenrolled and lose your spot for that week. Payments can be made by automatic bank draft or credit card draft. Cancellations must be made by the 25th of the month prior to camp. No refunds will be given for missed days during the month. 

Refund Policy:

No refunds will be issued after these dates (see below). Please note that the $50 weekly deposit is non-refundable after May 25. Families can make changes to their own registration online, up to 5 weeks prior to the week your youth will be attending camp. After this time, registration and changes can only be made by calling the billing and registration office at 218-722-4757 x140 and will include a $10 change fee for this process. Please call 218-722-4745 x140, if you need assistance with any changes or cancellations.

Member Pricing: Member pricing is for anyone with a family membership with the Duluth Area Family YMCA. Youth memberships are not eligible for the member rate.

• 252/week for 5 days 

Community Pricing:

• $283/week for 5 days 

*The week of June 30- July 3 will be prorated for 4 days only

Is financial assistance available?
We believe every child should experience camp.  Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we are able to offer one week of financial assistance to families. Families must apply for Child Care County Assistance prior to applying for financial assistance. Financial Assistance is awarded to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis, and is only provided for one week (5 days) of summer program. Financial assistance applications are available by contacting daycamp@duluthymca.org or 218-722-4725 x 111.

Do you accept Child Care County Assistance (CCAP)?

Yes, the program accepts Child Care Assistance. Please register using the online registration system. Please note that you will be responsible to pay the $50.00 deposit. If you plan to register for more than one week at day camp and/or need to set-up a payment plan for the deposit(s), please call 218-722-4745 x140 or email ar@duluthymca.org. CCAP families must fill out a "CCAP Payment Agreement" which will be shared with families prior to attending day camp.

Drop-off is from 7:00 - 9:00 a.m. and pick-up is from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.  We start our activities for the day at 9:00 a.m. 

Locations of each site:

YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center: 429 Ugstad Rd, Hermantown, MN 55811

• The garage on the corner of Arrowhead and Ugstad Road

North Star Academy: 3301 Technology Dr. Duluth, MN 55811

• The playground in the back of the school

YMCA Day Camp works hard to ensure the safety at drop-off and pick-up of every camper. Campers' parents/guardians will be asked to sign-in or sign-out their camper. Please be prepared to show your photo ID at pickup. Only authorized people will be allowed to pick up without notification from a guardian. No one under the age of 16 may pick up a child from day camp.

Late pick-up fee:
A late fee of $1.00/child/per minute past 6:00 p.m. will be charged to your billing account.  If you receive financial assistance, you will be personally responsible for this charge. If there are ongoing late pick-ups, your child will be removed from the program.

Most campers bring a backpack or bag to camp that contains the following items:

• Closed-toe shoes that attach to the foot (please no sandals or shoes with heels)
• Water bottle(s)
• A hat
• Change of clothes
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Healthy lunch, extra snacks & drinks (no sugary drinks or soda are permitted at camp)
• Camper should wear OLD CLOTHES to camp
• A towel
• On swim days, a swim suit and extra towel
• A nylon/parachute material hammock
• Rain gear
• A book

Regular email about summer camp will be shared with enrolled families. Please follow us on the Duluth YMCA Day Camp Facebook page for updates and pictures. 

For questions, please contact:

• Day Camp Director: daycamp@duluthymca.org or 218-722-4745 x111

At the Y, our priority is always on the health an safety of your child. In addition to the many steps we take every day to protect the health of our guests, campers, and staff, we will work closely with out YMCA Risk Management team to incorporate recommendations from local, state, and national agencies and follow guidance from the American Camp Association and MN Department of Humans Services. 

Day Camp follows the state guidelines for staff-to-child ratio of 1:15 at all times during Day Camp programming. 

At the Y, we are pleased to offer opportunities for individuals or groups to do volunteer work together. Whether you are an individual or a group of co-workers, friends or service club, we have something for you! At day camp, the minimum age to volunteer is 15. For more information, please email gmiller@duluthymca.org or call 218-722-4757 x159. 

We are beyond grateful to the members of our community - our members, guests, camper families, volunteers, and staff - who have recognized the challenges crises like this can pose to a human services organization regardless of their own hardships that they may be facing. For those that are able and interested, please make a gift online at www.duluthymca.org/give and select the Community Services Campaign. THANK YOU for your support of children and families. 

To ensure your child is successful in our program, they must be able to do the following: 

• The child can stay with the group at all times.  For the safety of all in the program, we must stay in the ratio. Children that elope from the group pull staff out of ratio. 
• The child is able to participate in structured activities and transition independently. We are not able to provide one-to-one or small group support. We are in ratios of 12-15 children to one (1) staff member. 
• The child is toilet trained and can use the bathroom without assistance. We are not able to provide support in the bathroom and/or change soiled clothing.
• The child is able to participate for long periods of time outdoors. The majority of our programming takes place outdoors. In light/moderate rain, we will still hold outdoor programming. In the event of lightning and/or thunder, we will move indoors until the weather improves. Youth will encounter bugs, engage in a lot of hiking, and will play in the woods in different types of weather/temperatures.

If your child is not able to follow the areas above, they may be removed from the program. If a child is removed from the program, families will still be responsible for the weekly fee.

Families who have children with special needs are welcome to register and attend the YMCA Day Camp program. If your child needs accommodations or has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) during the school year, please contact the Camp Director at your child’s site prior to starting the program. Families may also want to contact family support services at 218-726-2012 for additional support.