Our goal is to provide the highest quality recreational day camps. We strive to provide developmentally appropriate activities which promote life-long learning of recreational and sport skills. The skills are experienced in a recreation setting to encourage each child to explore fun and diverse activities.
Family Open House Materials to be Returned What to Bring Every Day Facilities Arriving at Camp Departing from Camp
Parking End-of-Day Programming Late Fees for Pick Up Payment Information Cancellation & Refunds Medication Accidents & Emergencies Illness
Food Activities Discipline/Behavior Management Activity Groups Communications Youth Activity Safety Guidelines
Contact Information
Brian Stelzer, Assistant Director for Summer Camps
Campus Recreation
841 N. 14th Street, 55 CREC
Lincoln, NE 68588-0232
(402) 472-8869
Summer Camps Hotline
May 17 – August 8, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. only
(402) 472-8383
Fax: (402) 472-8080
Family Open House
Thursday, May 28, 2026 | 6:30-7:30 p.m.
This is an excellent opportunity for parents to ask questions and share information regarding their child’s expectations. Information regarding your child’s participation in Husker Summer Camps will be provided including activities; camps’ structure; what to bring each day; and camp policies and procedures.
Materials to Be Returned
On or after May 1, you should have received an email from DocuSign.com containing the following forms:
- Guardians Waiver and Release of Liability form
- Youth Activity Safety Policy Notification form
- Supplemental Information/Check Out Authorization form
- Camper Code of Conduct form
If you have not yet received these forms, please give us a call at (402) 472-8383. Please complete these forms before your first day of camp. The Guardian Waiver and Release of Liability form and Youth Activity Safety Policy Notification form are required by the University Risk Management office to attend Campus Recreation Husker Summer Day Camps.
What to Bring Every Day
Clothing and Shoes
Campers should come to Husker Summer Camps dressed for a full day of activity. We recommend outdoor activity clothes and athletic shoes (no sport-sandals or open-toed shoes). Please survey what your child brings to camp in the morning to avoid lost items.
Water Bottle
Water is a vital component when physically active. Parents are asked to send a water bottle/squeeze bottle each day, labeled with your child’s name. Please encourage your child to drink water while they are attending camp.
Sunblock
Your child will participate in outdoor activities every day. For protection from the sun’s rays, we recommend applying sunblock (SPF 15 or higher recommended) on your child, prior to arrival. You may also send sun block with your child. Sun block is most effective when applied one half hour before exposure.
Swimming
Husker Kids will need swimming apparel every day. Check the session newsletter for specific days. Please pack a swimsuit and towel (labeled) for your child for each swim day.
Backpack/Gym Bag
A backpack, gym, or book bag is recommended for your child’s belongings. Please label all of your camper’s items with their name.
Lunch
Please pack your child a lunch each day in small coolers (recommended), lunch boxes, or lunch bags. Lunch is not provided, and refrigeration is not available.
Facilities
Your child's day will begin and end at the Campus Recreation Center. Activities will take place at various indoor and outdoor locations on campus. Regularly scheduled swimming will be held at an indoor pool located on campus with lifeguards on duty.
Arriving at Camp
Check-in Procedures
Children will be checked in curbside at the “Husker Summer Camps” table outside, south of the Campus Recreation Center in the Memorial Stadium Loop (see map). Check-in will be conducted from 7:30–8:40 a.m.
Staff is available at 7:30 a.m.; be advised that we cannot be responsible for your child before this time.
Signing your child in at any other time must be done in the Campus Recreation Sport Programs Office, Room 034 (see map).
Late Arrivals
All late arrivals (after 8:40 a.m.) are handles at the Campus Recreation Sport Programs Office, located at the 14th Street entrance (see map). Please do not park in the fire lane if you are dropping your child off late. Upon arrival, please check in with your child with the administrative office assistant and sign in on the clipboard. Children will change activity sites with Husker Summer Camps staff at three approximate times throughout the camp day: 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. We recommend that if you must arrive late to camp, that you do so as close to one of those three times as possible. This will alleviate the greatest amount of down time for your child.
Departing from Camp
Early Departures
Advanced notice must be given in writing via email at least one day prior to accommodate an early departure.
All early departures (before 3:55 p.m.) are handled at the Campus Recreation Sports Programs Office, located at the 14th Street entrance (see map). We will not have separate pick-up from 3:55-4:15 p.m. as we prepare for normal pickup. If your camper needs to leave early, please plan to pick them up before 3:55 p.m.
We require the adult at pick-up to sign out the camper.
Please call with an expected time of arrival to ensure timely transport of your camper.
Only guardians listed on the Check-out Authorization form will be permitted to sign the camper out early, even if listed as Self-Checkout.
Check-Out Procedures
Guardians may choose from two check-out authorization plans.
Self Check-Out Authorization Plan: Children with this option will be allowed to sign themselves out to leave the camp program at 4:15 p.m. or at your designated pick-up time. Requests to change your submitted pickup time must be submitted in writing.
Guardian Check-Out Authorization Plan: Guardians who choose this option are required to sign out their child. Children will only be allowed to leave with authorized persons -- ID is required each day. Requests for sign-out exceptions must be submitted in writing.
Check-out will be conducted from 4:15-5:30 p.m. Families are asked to remain in your vehicles while staff come to check your ID.
Please refer to the Check-Out Authorization form in your DocuSign packet to designate Self Check-Out or Guardian Check-Out.
Parking
All families are asked to remain in their vehicle for pick-up. Guardians working on campus or within walking distance may walk up to checkout stations.
Metered parking is available for those families wishing to stay on campus after pick up.
Campus Recreation is not responsible for parking violation tickets.
End-of-Day Programming
The end-of-day program operates from 4:15–5:30 p.m.
This portion of Campus Recreation Summer Camps is supervised with minimal programming. Children will be asked to relax and participate in low activity games.
As a reminder from the valuables section of the Campus Survival Guide, items such as collectors cards or hand held video games are not appropriate for camp or during open program times.
Late Fees for Pick-Up
Your child should be checked out by 5:30 p.m.
If your child is not picked up by this time, a late fee of $20.00 for the first 15 minutes will be assessed. After the first 15 minutes, the late fee will be $1.00 for each additional minute.
Payment Information
Session registration is held by the $50.00 deposit and applied towards the total session fee.
Your balance must be received in full on or before the payment deadline by 5:30 p.m. to avoid your child’s camp session being cancelled. The individual identified as Parent #1 on the enrollment form is responsible for all balances associated with the account.
- Session 1-3: due Friday, May 15
- Session 4-6: due Friday, June 12
- Session 7-8: due Friday, July 10
Session registration will be cancelled if payment is not received in full by the due date.
Camp fees may be paid by cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover or NCard. Checks should be made payable to the University of Nebraska Campus Recreation.
To qualify for the member rate, the parent/guardian must be a Campus Recreation member from enrollment through the duration of camp the child is enrolled in.
Cancellations & Refunds
If your plans change and you need to cancel your child’s registration from a camp session, you will receive a refund less the $50.00 deposit if Campus Recreation is notified in writing at least one week prior to the camp session. After that time, there will be no refund.
All cancellations must be made in writing. Payments and deposits are non-transferable to other sessions.
Medication
If medication of any type (over the counter or prescription) is required, it must be administered by the Campus Recreation Summer Camp Staf. Campers may not carry medication with them, including all over the counter medicines. A Participant Medication and Instruction form must be completed by the parent/guardian. All medications must be in its original container.
Forms will be available at check-in/out and the Parent Open House or emailed through DocuSign.
Accidents & Emergencies
In the case of an emergency or accident involving your child, you will be notified, following notification of the appropriate emergency personnel. All members of the camp staff are certified in Adult and Child CPR, AED, and First Aid and have also been trained in emergency procedures at all locations.
Illness
If your child should become ill while at camp, you will be notified. We do not have a registered nurse on staff; therefore, we will ask you to make the decision whether to remove your child from the program for the day. We ask for you discretion on bringing your child to camp if he/she is ill.
Food
Lunches
Lunch begins around 11:30 a.m. each day. Lunches should be brought in small coolers (recommended), lunch boxes or lunch bags. Refrigeration is not available. When packing your child’s lunch please put his/her name on the cooler/bag.
Please help us in making sure your child has the energy needed to enjoy camp by making sure they eat a good breakfast and have a substantial lunch packed.
Snacks
A snack such as fruit chews, cookies, chewy granola bars, or pretzels and juice boxes are provided at mid-morning. The morning snack is meant to be a supplement and not a substitute to a nutritious breakfast and lunch.
A small afternoon treat is also provided. Typically, this will be a popsicle, fruit rollup, or candy selection.
Parents may provide a small snack for the extended program if they feel it is necessary for their child.
Food allergies need to be articulated on the Supplemental information form and you may be asked to provide an appropriate allergen-free snack (yellow form).
Vending Machines
Vending machines are NOT available to participants during Campus Recreation Summer Camps or during the extended program time. We request that you refrain from sending money to camps with your child.
Activities
Husker Kids
Activities will vary each session based on available facilities and weather. Activities are sport-based in nature. Our goal is to provide a supportive and enjoyable environment where learning and fun can go hand in hand. Specific sport instruction is not a goal of the camp. A typical day at Husker Kids has been described as a “fun PE class that lasts all day.”
Valuables
No cell phones or iPods are allowed at camp. We request that your child leave all items of sentimental or monetary value at home. This may include collector’s cards (No Pokémon Cards), hand held video games, sports equipment, money, etc. Items that are not appropriate for camp will be confiscated and locked in the camp support office until checkout.
Campus Recreation cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items.
Discipline/Behavior Management
At the Husker Summer Camps, we are aware that there will be a time when a camper has a difficult day. First and foremost, we want to quickly resolve any conflicts and keep your child involved in the activities.
On occasion, it may be necessary to give the camper a chance to re-group away from the activity area. If your child still has difficulty in a situation, you will be notified by way of an incident report sent home with your child and/or phone call.
If the behavior persists and conflicts cannot be resolved, or the situation merits, you will be contacted immediately and the incident(s) may result in suspension from the program. In some repeat situations, expulsion may result.
We are not a childcare facility and do not have the staf for one-to-one supervision. Therefore, if there is a behavior incident that requires removal from the day’s activities and you are not available, your emergency contact will be asked to come pick up your child.
Please read and return the Camper Code of Conduct found in your packet.
Activity Groups
One of our goals at Husker Kids and Husker Adventures is to promote individual growth. We feel that exposure to other children and new experiences are one way to achieve this goal. Hence, specific small group requests will not be honored. Husker Kids campers are grouped according to the grades they will be entering in the fall. Husker Adventure groups are a random mix of the registered participants. Most campers will be with the other camper they have requested due to the fact they are entering the same grade.
There is time designated for small group development and we encourage you to visit with your child about the opportunity to make new friends.
Communications
Electronic Mail
If you would like to email us, feel free to do so. Email Brian Stelzer at bstelzer@unl.edu.
Newsletter
A weekly newsletter will be available the Thursday prior to the next session of camp. It will feature upcoming field trips, reminders, and the upcoming session’s activities. Newsletters will be posted on the website and electronically mailed to families.
Contacting Your Child During Camp
If you have an emergency and need to contact your child during the camps, call the Campus Recreation office at (402) 472-3467.
The camp hotline number is (402) 472-8383 for absences, messages, and general information. This number is only active from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cell Phones
Campers are not allowed to carry cell phones during camp program time. Please do not allow your child to bring these items to camp.
If your child needs to walk to an office or needs to carry a cell phone to call a parent/guardian after camp, please contact a camp coordinator prior to the start of the camp session.
Youth Activities Safety Guidelines
Husker Summer Camp Staff
Our energetic and well-qualified staff are ready to spend an exciting summer with the campers. The staff is comprised of UNL professionals, certified schoolteachers, and highly motivated college students.
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln has implemented a Youth Activity Safety Policy to provide a safe environment for youths participating in activities, clinics, and conferences.
Out policy includes safe interaction guidelines including sex offender registry checks for Husker Summer Camp staff. This policy will help to protect participating youths from potential misconduct incidents and help provide a safe, educational, enjoyable activity/program experience.
The following items are completed for out Husker Summer Camp staff prior to the start of our activities.
- All Husker Summer Camp staff must successfully pass a sex offender registry search for Nebraska and the state(s) they reside.
- All Husker Summer camp staff driving activity vehicles must successfully pass a Driving Record Check.
- All UNL activities will comply with UNL’s Youth Activities Safety Guidelines
Disciplinary Action
Per our Youth Activities Safety Guidelines, activity directors of University-sponsored activities, clinics, and conferences reserve the right to immediately dismiss any youth from the activity, clinic, or conference who is found to have violated behavioral expectations. Dismissed youth will be sent home at their expense (if applicable) and will be responsible for all other expenses associated with their dismissal. Parent(s)/guardians(s) will be immediately notified of the youth’s dismissal.