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Childcare Information: Sprouts for Boys and Girls Ages Infant through Four
Using our experience and your feedback we have thoughtfully planned how our childcare areas are organized. Please respect and participate in these organizational efforts so that we can continue to provide safe, secure and fun childcare for our wonderful, growing number of children. Our childcare areas get better each year because of input we receive from Moms, so get involved and let us know what you think! Children's Ticket Information There is a small ticket fee for children aged three to sixteen. (See ticket information for prices.) There is no ticket fee for children under the age of three and there is no additional fee for childcare. Your child is not automatically registered for childcare when you purchase their ticket - you must fill out and return the registration form postmarked by July 21st to complete the registration process. You will not receive a confirmation of your child's registration in Sprouts. Please call us before the July 21st postmark deadline if you would like to confirm our receipt of your child's registration. How Does Sprouts Operate?
We appreciate your support in picking up your child on time at the close of any childcare session. If you don't pick up your children on time you will only be offered one childcare session instead of two the following day. Sprouts camp is a little community of moms and children within the greater Festival community. Because we like to keep that family-feel of Sprouts, we ask that you sign up for your four-hour work shifts in the Sprouts area. You will work alongside the Sprouts staff caring for one or two children in addition to your own during the shift. Moms (and work shift volunteers) sign up for work shifts in Sprouts, not at Orientation when you first arrive. NOTE: If you arrive on Friday or Saturday, please talk with the coordinator or AC if there isn't a work shift slot available that you prefer. Also, if your child(ren) tends to need all your attention for whatever reason, please speak with an AC about doing your work shift in another area while we care for your child(ren). Activities We will have toys, a sand box, swings, books, games, some planned activities, a quiet area for naps, and rocking and holding chairs. Sprouts is always a favorite drop-in space for moms and work shift volunteers who want the fun of caring for and engaging little ones. Meals and Medication We do not serve meals in Sprouts because we think in the busy and stimulating environment of the Festival that it is very important for children this young to share their meals with mothers or familiar friends. We will have juices, fruit, crackers and light sandwiches mid-morning and mid-afternoon. These snacks are not replacements for meals. It is important to plan to eat regular meals with your child. If you are bringing food (including formula or pumped breast milk) or medication for your child that requires refrigeration, you will need to bring a cooler to keep it in. Ice is available at the Festival concession at the Country Store. If your child is on medication, please remember to bring an adequate supply to the Festival. We ask that you plan to give that medication before or after your child's time at Sprouts, as we are not able to give medication on your behalf. What to Bring to Sprouts While your child is with us in Sprouts, it may be important to bring along a familiar blanket, toy or stuffed animal. Include a complete change of clothes, a warm sweater or jacket as well as cool clothes, sun hats and sunscreen, and diapers if necessary. Waterproof clothing and boots for yourself and your children, umbrella and waterproof covering for strollers/wagons, and some dry clothes and shoes left in the car will make living in this outdoor environment much easier and more comfortable for you and your child. Please bring extra clothes for children who are recently potty-trained, as accidents sometimes happen in unfamiliar environments. If your child is accustomed to a particular front-pack or backpack, please bring it along for the staff to use. Please label strollers, diaper bags, backpacks, etc., as well as tents, plastic containers, etc. to avoid mix-ups on the shuttle. Fun "In the Line" Especially if you plan to arrive on Monday, you may want to consider these tips:
How's the Weather? Michigan weather varies from the high 90's during the day and can go as low as the low 40's in the evenings, so pack to be comfortable in all kinds of summer weather (including thunderstorms!). Festival Environment Sprouts Camp is for girls and boys from birth through four years old. The area focuses on the needs of our very young children. It is located in the "downtown" Festival area so that moms and other caregivers can come and go easily. Families are welcome to camp in the Family Campground located next to and across from Sprouts. Many moms have found this to be a warm and supportive place to connect with other families, and an easy way to have informal shared care. In the weeks before you arrival, talk with your preschoolers about how it will be camping at the Festival. For example, practice using quiet voices late at night or early in the morning. Turn out all the lights at home, get out the flashlights and show them how it will be at night in the woods. You might want to set up your tent in the backyard or living room and talk about the difference between thin tent walls and walls and doors at home. Camping with young children at the Festival is a chance to teach them about respecting others close by, helping each other and making new friends. The Festival is a wonderful event to share with your children, and children experience a unique feeling of safety and freedom on the Land. We want to stress that mothers must still provide close supervision of the older mobile toddlers attending Festival. It is easy to become separated from your child with so much going on. All "lost" children can be located at the childcare area where they are registered. The Festival is a child-friendly and parent supportive event, while also supporting the need for adult-only space. You are responsible to decide what activities are fitting for your children to attend. The Festival makes every effort to inform you about events that are adult-only. Adult-only events and areas are announced, posted outside of workshop areas and/or noted in the program. However, we depend on you to be responsible for your children. We cannot become their guardians in place of you; we can only give you the tools to make good parenting decisions at the Festival. Having a Young Son at the Festival: We feel it's also important to discuss different views within the Festival community about the presence of young male children. It is important to respect all of our different opinions. It is also important for us to provide all-female space and time for our daughters. We provide quality care for our youngest sons within the all-female Festival because these boys are too young to be cared for away from the main Festival areas at Brother Sun Camp. Mothers with young sons aged five through ten enroll their sons at Brother Sun camp. Other womyn come to the Festival to be in the female-only space. Good, safe, loving childcare is provided at both Sprouts Camp and Brother Sun. It is up to you as mothers in our community to support the age guidelines in the different childcare areas. Recycling Opportunity! If your child has toys they no longer play with or clothes that they have outgrown (especially warm clothes, socks, shoes, etc.) we would make good use of them in Sprouts. return to top |
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The following provides information and registration materials for Sprouts Camp for children ages infant through four. Please read the information carefully and send in the 
Plan to make time to do an on-site check-in and orientation with your child before your child's first childcare. While you're there we'll get additional information about your child and provide you with more detailed information, a schedule, and go over the organization and sign-up procedures of Sprouts. Please make sure to check-in at Sprouts the day before you need childcare.