Camp

Summer programs at The DoSeum serve as a “charging station” to power up kids’ minds and support the important work of schools and community organizations. Our exhibits and programs promote joyful learning, invite discovery, spark interest, and develop positive attitudes towards learning.

OUR MISSION: Through joyful learning and discovery, The DoSeum Experience grows curious minds, connects families, and transforms communities.

OUR VISION: As a premier informal educational resource, we cultivate curious, innovative learners capable of mastering the opportunities of tomorrow. 

The goals of our summer programs are to promote joyful learning as it relates to content (STEM, Arts, Literacy) and social emotional development. Through positive learning experience we hope to spark new interests and skills and positive attitudes for our learners.

The DoSeum education team consists of highly qualified and trained program educators. These educators work closely to design and facilitate experiences that are engaging, unique, developmentally appropriate and fun for the campers. At least two team members will always be actively present during the camp and aftercare. Our typical instructor-to-camper ratios are 1:8 for kids 5-11 years and 1:6 for kids 3-4 years.

Camp prices are subject to change each season. All prices will be posted on The DoSeum website and reflect the cost for one week of camp.

Camp fees include a $75 non-refundable fee per camp. If the camp you are registered for is canceled by The DoSeum, you will be refunded your tuition in full. Please Note: Registration funds may not serve as credit for another DoSeum camp or program, and camp sessions are not transferable to other campers. If The DoSeum cancels a program, refund options will be shared.

Yes! DoSeum members enjoy a discount on camp registration and early access to registration. For more information, please visit our Membership page.  

Yes, the DoSeum will send you an email confirming your online registration. Please check your spam folder and inbox for the email confirmation.

Yes. All campers must be in the age range of the camp by the first day of camp. For example, your child must be 5, 6, or 7 years old by the first day of camp to be in a 5-7 camp. They cannot be 8 or older. Our camps are specifically designed for the age ranges associated with them, so we thank you for your understanding. If there is a developmental delay that necessitates a different level of curriculum, please contact us. If a child is accidentally registered in a camp that they are not in the correct age range, the Education team reserves the right to place the child in the correct camp or remove the child from camp, with no refund.

Yes. We require all children to be potty-trained (no Pull-Ups). As with all camps, we ask you to send a change of clothes. We reserve the right to remove campers who are not potty-trained without a refund. If a child arrives in Pull-Ups, please expect a phone call as Pull-Ups, for our purposes, are considered diapers.

Most direct communication for camp will be through email or office telephone. Please make sure that when you register your child, you include the email and phone number for the person who will be the main contact for the camper during their time at The DoSeum. Please expect:

• An email the week prior to your child’s camp explaining camp logistics.
• For multiple-day camps, a Camp Newsletter sent during the week of camp, sharing information and images on what each camp has been up to!

Additional communication will be shared at pickup, over the phone, or via email. Please feel free to reach out to our camp staff with other questions via email or phone.

In the camp registration, you can choose if your child has permission to be photographed or recorded. We will respect your choice. If there is additional photography taking place (e.g., marketing, news segment, etc.) you will receive communication via email or phone

Please have all personal items labeled with the child’s name. Although we do our best to encourage each camper to keep their belongings together, The DoSeum is not re-sponsible for lost or stolen items. Please make sure you bring ONLY what your child needs each day. This includes:

• Change of clothes
• Reusable water bottle
• Morning snack (e.g., small bag of pretzels; packet of apple sauce)
• Lunch (for ages 5 and up, or 3-4 in Extended Care)
• Additional snacks as needed
• Light jacket or sweatshirt

The following items will not be permitted:

• Personal electronics and/or valuable items
• Mobile phone use during camp is NOT permitted - if you need to reach your child during camp for an emergency, please call Helen Anderson at 210.572.0605 or Richard Kissel at 210.572.0606.
• Any food containing nuts or nut products
• Toys

Any valuable or cherished items (camp can be an exciting day, so items might be accidentally misplaced and forgotten!)

Camps run from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM for 3 - 4 year olds without Extended Care, and 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM for ages 5 and up, as well as 3 - 4 year olds with Extended Care. Please review our camp hours below: 

• 8:00 - 9:00 am - Drop off
• 9:00 am - Camp day begins
• 11:00 - 12:00 pm - Lunch for full-day campers (not a full hour)
• 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm - Pick up for 3 and 4-year-old campers, not in Extended Care
• 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm - Camp day continues for 5+
• 3:00-3:30 pm - Pick up for campers 5+ and 3-4 year olds in Extended Care 

Campers should wear clothes that they do not mind getting dirty! Sneakers are best for playing in The DoSeum. Sandals are not recommended. It might be a good idea to bring a light jacket or sweater, in case your camper gets chilly. We also recommend sunscreen; if you would like your child to wear sunscreen/bug spray, please apply before dropping off your camper in the morning.

Drop-off occurs from 8:00-9:00 AM. Drop off your camper curbside at the designated area in front of the museum on Humphrey Avenue, just off Broadway.

Please remain in your car unless you need to take a child out of their car seat. Camp staff will escort your camper inside.

Pick-up occurs from 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM or 3:00 - 3:30 PM. (Please see daily schedule above.) Pick-up will occur in The DoSeum’s Staff parking lot on Brackenridge Avenue, just off of Broadway. Please drive slowly in the parking lot and have your ORANGE HANG TAG clearly visible so our team can know which child you are picking up. If you do not have the hang tag, please plan to show photo ID.

Our biggest priority is the safety of our campers, so we will verify your ID each day if you do not have your hang tag. If a caregiver arrives to pick up your child who is not listed, please know that we will call the telephone number that you provided during registration for verification over the phone before we release the camper.

We understand that occasionally caregivers will be late due to situations outside of your control. If you are running late, please contact our staff to let us know (contact information provided above). We will wait outside for 5 minutes past the pickup window and then bring your child into aftercare.

A $1 per minute, per child, a late fee will be charged after the first 5 minutes of late pickup (i.e., pick up after 12:20 PM or 3:35 PM of the respective pickup window). Late pickup fees can be paid via check, cash, or credit card at the time of pickup.   When you arrive, please use the main entrance of The DoSeum and ask our Front Desk staff to call for camps. We will escort your child to you. Please plan to bring a photo ID inside so that we can verify who is picking up your child.

If your child has an accident and has a change of clothing, our instructors will make sure your child is ok and make sure that your child changes into clean clothes. If your child forgot a change of clothes, we will send them home in DoSeum clothing that will need to be washed and returned by the end of the week. If they need a change of shoes, you will be called and asked to provide shoes, as we do not have extras available. You will receive a note home and, if the situation necessitates, a phone call.

If your child is bilingual, please note this on your camp registration. We will do our best to provide instruction in English and Spanish but cannot guarantee Spanish instruction for every camp at this time. However, it is very helpful for our staff to know the language preference of your child so we can do our best to make accommodations as needed.

Cell phones, video games, and other personal electronic devices can easily become distractions at camp, so we ask that you please keep these items at home. If your child does bring a cell phone to camp, they will not be permitted to use it during the camp day. If there is an emergency and you need to reach your child, please contact the camp staff.

Please clearly label all lunch boxes, water bottles, jackets, changes of clothing, and anything else your child may be bringing to camp. Lost and found items will be stored at the front desk of The DoSeum for one week.

In order to protect the health of all campers and staff, The DoSeum has implemented a Communicable Management policy, which incorporates guidelines and recommendations provided by the State of Texas, Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the Association of Camp Nursing.  Children must be kept at home when showing signs of the beginning of an illness or contagious disease, or when feeling too ill to participate in an educational setting. We expect caregivers to communicate with us regarding any communicable illness or infection so that we may notify all caregivers of our campers. These conditions include but are not limited to: pink eye; chicken pox; measles; mumps; strep throat; or lice. If a child develops a fever of 100.0°F or higher, vomits, or has two loose stools while at camp, the caregiver will be called to pick them up.

We will ask caregivers to keep their child home until we have written permission from a doctor saying the child is well enough to return to camp. These policies are in place to ensure the child’s well-being along with the well-being of the other children at camp and their families. If a child is sent home for illness during the camp week, a refund will not be issued.

No. It is the policy of The DoSeum to not issue full or partial refunds based on the health of a child. By visiting The DoSeum, you voluntarily assume all risks related to any potential infectious or contagious disease, including but not limited to COVID-19.

We cannot administer or store any prescription or over-the-counter medication. If a child takes a daily medication, the caregiver is expected to administer it before or after camp. Epi pens can be stored in the camp instructor’s backpack and will be given only if necessary. We are unable to administer Benadryl for mild allergic reactions but will call the caregiver if a situation arises.

We do NOT provide lunch for campers; please send a packed lunch with your camper(s). If your child is 3-4 years old and will be leaving at noon, they do not need to bring a lunch. Campers 5 and up, as well 3-4 year olds in Extended Care, must bring their own lunch. Lunches should not require refrigeration or microwaving.

We will provide snacks throughout the camp day. You are more than welcome to provide your own daily snack if you’d like. We accommodate for all children with food allergies. We do not have microwaves available. Camp snacks will consist of items in individually pre-packaged boxes or bags for each camp attendee. Please see the attached snack list for this week’s snack options. Also, please see the next question for The DoSeum’s policy on nuts and nut products.

We DO NOT allow nuts of any kind, peanuts, peanut butter, or any snacks made with nut-products in camp for snack or lunch. This is to ensure the safety of all campers. Please help us keep our campers safe by NOT packing nut products. If a child has a nut product, The DoSeum reserves the right to remove the food from the classroom and contact the parent to provide another lunch option by 11:00 AM to the front desk.

Please understand that we aim to provide the safest environment for all children and the nut policy allows us to accommodate the needs of most children we serve.

If a minor injury occurs at camp (cut, scrap, etc.), an Incident Form will be filled out and the appropriate action will be taken by camp staff and/or DoSeum Security. When necessary, a phone call will be made to the caregiver. If an injury or illness needs more immediate care, Education staff will contact the caregiver and arrange for prompt early pick-up.

Our first priority is the safety of our Guests and Staff. Behavior and Discipline procedures in place are to ensure camper safety and allow for healthy learning environments, providing campers with the best camp experiences. All camps will have four expectations to be honored:

1. Share and take care
2. Encourage others
3. Participate together
4. Do your best
5. Keep trying

DoSeum educators strive to make every attempt to be proactive regarding camper behavior. We provide engaging, thoughtful activities, and use research-based approaches when handling common disruptive behavior.

The following unwanted behaviors may result in the temporary or permanent removal of a camper from their DoSeum camp:

• Endangering the health (mental and physical) and safety of children and/or staff
• Use of profanity, vulgarity, or obscenity (hostile or offensive language)
• Refusing to follow behavior guidelines or camp rules; disrupting a program
• Destruction or theft of DoSeum or personal property belonging to others

If a camper does not follow the behavior guidelines, we will take the following action steps as behavior problems progress:

• Staff will redirect the camper to more appropriate behavior, using positive language and modeling.
• If unwanted behavior continues, the camper will be reminded of behavior guidelines and camp rules and create an action plan on how to correct the behavior. Camp staff will follow up with caregiver at pick-up time if necessary.
• If a child’s behavior still does not meet expectations and is affecting the safety or experience of other campers, he/she/they will be referred to the Education Program Coordinator. At this time the camper will be given a short time out to reflect on their actions. A telephone call to parents will also be made at this time.
• If inappropriate behavior continues, as a final action step the camper may be dismissed from camp.

These guidelines are applicable to all DoSeum campers. Camper fees are non-refundable if a camper is sent home for disciplinary reasons. Physical violence or bullying toward another camper or staff member can result in immediate dismissal from the camp.

If the lead educator cannot reach you before camp drop-off the next day, DoSeum educators reserve the right to refuse to accept your child to camp, depending on the severity of the behavior.

Please keep in mind the lead educators will not be available to communicate with caregivers directly until the end of the camp day. The lead educator will follow up with the caregiver in one of the following ways: in-person during conference during pick-up; email; phone call.

If you have any questions or concerns not addressed here regarding camp registration or operation, please feel free to contact:

• Helen Anderson, Education Program Coordinator, handerson@thedoseum.org
• Richard Kissel, Vice President of Education, rkissel@thedoseum.org