FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (updated 4/19/24)
*** Designates new FAQ
What are the camp goals? What does Hidden Hollow hope a camper will experience and/or learn? The goals of Hidden Hollow Camp evolve around our purpose of providing a safe, enjoyable and educational experience in social living environment is an out door setting for boys and girls of varied social, economic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Campers share experiences in winning, loosing, creating, making friends, developing mentally, socially, physically, and spiritually.
Specific Goals for Campers:
- Become acquainted with their environment
- Experience individual growth and development
- Discover their own potential
- Exercise personal initiative
- Live and work together
- Develop new interests
- Develop spiritual meanings and values
- Enjoy camping
- Develop appreciation for writing letters
- Make new friends
- have a safe enjoyable experience
***Is there a camp map available? YES! If you click on the link provided you can go to an artistic hand drawn map of the camp, showing the activity areas as well as all the cabins. CLICK HERE FOR MAP!
How much does it cost to send my camper(s) to Hidden Hollow Camp? For 2024, the camp fee is $450 per week/per camper. Jr. Camp is $150 per camper. The registration fee is $75.00 per camper.
What is the registration application? Hidden Hollow Camp works with a company CampMinder. The platform is called CampInTouch.
Is it difficult to register for camp? How long does it take? It is not difficult if you are reading this FAQ. If you do not already have a login and password, you will need to set this up. It is part of the registration process. The system is very basic and asks simple questions. You should use a computer or tablet to complete the registration, not a cell phone. If you have filled out an online form or survey in the past, it is very similar. All fields must be completed before you are able to move to the next step. Once you are complete and have made your registration fee, your camper will be ‘APPLIED’. In order for your camper to move to an ‘ENROLLED’ status, all of the required forms must be completed. You can look in the ‘MY ACCOUNT’ section of CampInTouch and click on the FORMS link to see what forms are required.
***What vaccinations and health information is/are required for my child to attend Hidden Hollow? HHC recommends that every camper is to have a physical within one year prior to attending camp and be in good physical and mental health to attend camp. A physical form is not required. In addition, all children will have to get a basic health screening on Sunday before going to their cabins. Hidden Hollow Camp does not provide medical and accidental insurance for campers. All insurance information needs to be submitted by the parent/guardian. Hidden Hollow Camp requires a full Health History on every camper and staff member. You must provide the most recent month and year for each immunization. We must have the date of the last tetanus shot and/or booster. If your child is not fully immunized, you must sign the exemption form and may be required to submit more information from your doctor or health care provider. If you have concerns about your child enjoying camp due to health or mental history, medications, disability, and restriction please contact the Camp Director.
***How do I enter vaccination information into the system? These are either uploaded via the FORMS and DOCUMENTS tab on your CampInTouch Account OR into the Health History Form. You only need to do one or the other in regards to vaccinations.
What about food allergies? Hidden Hollow Camp is NOT an allergen-free facility, and will take the necessary precautions to eliminate cross-contamination. No peanuts or nuts are served through our kitchen line. If your child has severe food allergies and/or needs special food or food preparation, please contact the Camp Director. Any camper who is VEGAN must bring their own food and snacks. DO NOT SEND FOOD IN CARE PACKAGES.
What if my camper needs to take medication while at camp? If your child has prescription medication to take, the container must have administration directions from a licensed physician on the original container. You should give all medications to the cabin counselor on Sunday. If the medication needs to be refrigerated, please bring it to the Trading Post. All medication is locked in the office. All refrigerated medications are locked in a box in the walk-in cooler. No camper is to keep medication on their person or in the cabin unless it is for emergency use or ordered by his or her physician. If any type of injections is required by your doctor for your child during their time at camp, an extra fee may be charged at the beginning of your campers week, if the child cannot do them themselves. Over-the-counter drugs must be plainly marked with specific instructions and your child’s name. Hidden Hollow Camp has a list of OTC medications and remedies on hand at all time. The OTC list is published in the FORMS section of CampInTouch. Please do not send these items with your child, UNLESS the child takes them daily per your or physician instructions. If available, HHC will have the children’s versions of these medications.
What if I have forgotten my CampInTouch login from last year? Please email [email protected] with your name, email address and camper name and we will send you a password reset email.
What if I have additional questions about registration and/or CampInTouch? You can also read the CampInTouch specific FAQs. That document may answer many of your specific questions.
Are there any coupons or discounts for camp? There are organizations in Richland County that offer discounts for a week of camp. These discounts are advertised locally on radio stations. They are on a first come first serve basis and sell out quickly. Friendly House also offers Camperships to residents of Richland County, Ohio. Camperships may be available to those families who are in financial need. Campership forms are available on CampInTouch – the online registration portal, or by stopping by Friendly House, and must be completed and approved prior to enrolling a camper. Additional information is available on the Registration Link.
How many campers will be at HHC per week? Camp can hold 108 girls and 80 boys per week. There are KP positions during regular camp – there are 7 spots per week. Jr. Camp is only open for 40 campers, 20 boys and 20 girls.
When does camp start? The HHC 2024 season will begin on June 30 for the first week and run for six weeks. The last week will begin the week of August 4. Jr. Camp is August 11-13.
How old does my camper have to be to attend HHC? Hidden Hollow is open to any boy or girl between the ages of 8-15. Campers must be 8 years old before their week at camp begins. The last week of camp is open for campers ages 10-15. Jr. Camp is for ages 6-8 who have never attended camp before and must have completed Kindergarten before the summer.
***How old does my child need to be if they want to be a KP? The Hidden Hollow KP Program is designed so a camper can see what it is like to work at camp. Those campers who are at least 15 but can also be 16 years of age may attend camp as a KP. There are limited spots available each week and the KP’s are expected to volunteer their time helping set up for meals, serve meals, clean up after meals, help the staff during programs. For their time, there is no charge for a KP to attend camp. There is additional information regarding KP responsibilities and expectations in the FORMS section of CampInTouch. KP positions are highly sought after and are first come first serve. There are only 7 spots per week and each child can only KP for one week. If your child does not get into one week they may be placed on a wait list and you should be called if space is available in other weeks to see if you would like your camper to change weeks.
When does registration for camp begin? Registration will begin on April 17th, 2024 at 6:30pm and will be completely online.
How many weeks can my camper register for? Campers can register one week or the entire summer!
***How do I pay for HHC? We accept credit and debit card, and e-check payments through our CampMinder online registration system. We will not be able to accept these payment types over the phone or at Friendly House. All credit card/e-check processing fees are covered by The Friendly House. Your account information is kept in the CampInTouch Secure Server and can be updated anytime through your MY ACCOUNT page.
How do I the campers pay at the camp store? The Trading Post is open during camp several times per day. At drop off on Sunday’s, parents will deposit money into the Trading Post. At this time, the Trading Post accepts CASH or CHECK ONLY for depositing funds. We recommend $30, but any amount can be deposited. What ever is not spent is refunded on Saturday. The Trading Post offers cans of soda, bottles of water and Gatorade, candy bars, snacks, HHC logo items including shirts and hoodies.
Can I send in a partial payment for my camper(s)? Yes, but you have to make the minimum payment of $75 per camper. This is the registration fee and will hold your campers spot for the weeks chosen. All payments for camp weeks must be paid in full before May 30th, 2024.
Where do I send my registration form? We do not do paper registrations any longer. All forms must be completed online. The $75 registration fee must be paid online as well. Remaining fee paid by check or money orders can be sent to: THE FRIENDLY HOUSE, c/o Hidden Hollow Camp, 380 N. Mulberry St., Mansfield, OH 44902.
***Where is my confirmation that my camper’s registration form has been accepted? When applying online through CampMinder, all campers will be placed in “APPLIED” status until HHC staff has the opportunity to make sure all the required information has been filled out. After this information has been confirmed, your camper will be “ENROLLED” and you will receive a confirmation email and your account charged. You can also look under “MY ACCOUNT” to see all of your financial transactions and to print receipts. Deposits and confirmations will not go through until your child is moved from APPLIED to ENROLLED. For this to happen all forms in the Forms & Documents section must be completed. It may take up to 2 weeks from when forms are complete for us to process.
You may have to put CampMinder into your main email inbox as well as the email [email protected]. Sometimes these emails can be filed to junk or promotional emails.
Am I able to see photos of my camper or send them emails? Yes! Your CampMinder account also includes access to Summer Services, which include one-way emails to your camper and a look at the photos we post during the week.
Can you hold a spot for my camper? No. Friendly House/HHC will not hold spots for campers. However, if a week is full, your camper will be placed on a wait list and you will be contacted.
My camper wants to be in the same cabin as their friends. Can you make sure this happens? HHC allows for the request of ONE cabinmate, and both campers must ask for each other on the form. We do our best but do note that mistakes can be made. Large groups of requested campers may be split up. Older campers will be placed in the younger campers if they request to be with a younger camper.
Think of it this way… if your camper came to HHC alone and was the only camper in a cabin full of friends or kids who knew each other, would you think that arrangement was fair to your single camper?
***How do I enter or change a bunk/cabinmate request? To edit Bunk Requests, log into CampInTouch and go back into your camper application. This is located on page 4. If your child is camping multiple weeks with different bunk requests please follow the format “Week X – Name, Week Y – Name
What happens if the week my camper wants to attend is full? Camp is on a first-come/first serve basis, and some weeks do fill up more than others. There is never a week that is more popular than another, they all fill up at their own pace. If your camper wants to attend a week that is full, fill out the registration form online and it will place you on a waitlist. When a spot opens up, HHC staff will contact you via email to confirm your interest in the open spot. We also do not hold camper spots by age group. Registration is fully first-come/first serve. We encourage all families, even if the week they want is full, to send us an email. We don’t want your camper to miss out on the fun either!
What is the cancellation policy for HHC? In most cases, all but the $75 registration fee will be returned to you. However, cancellations must be made two calendar weeks before the Sunday your camper is scheduled to come to camp to receive this refund. Any cancellations after that will result in no refund. Your account will not be automatically refunded. ALL REFUNDS WILL BE ON PAPER CHECKS FROM THE FRIENDLY HOUSE AND MAILED TO THE PRIMARY ADDRESS ON THE ACCOUNT.
If you paid using a gift certificate, your refund amount will be what was paid for that certificate, but not more than what the amount the certificate is worth.
If Friendly House needs to cancel camp, all but $25 per camper will be refunded to families.
How does my camper get placed on a waitlist? Campers who are registered for camp through the CampMinder system, will automatically be placed on a waitlist if the session they want to attend is full. Your account WILL NOT be charged. If a spot opens up, HHC staff will contact you via email to see if your family is still interested in the opening. After confirmation from you, your child will be enrolled and your account will be charged.
You can keep that camper on a waitlist for the week, or you can move the camper to another week of camp if it is has the availability. If your cabinmate got into camp and you didn’t we can switch everyone to another week with availability, as long as a parent or guardian of all parties call and confirm that they want to switch weeks. We cannot hold spots for campers listed as cabinmates if we do not have the registration form and payment. There is no way to tell when (or if) your camper will get into camp if they are on a waitlist. It’s a waiting game. You could hear in a couple of days from first contact or as late as the the day before camp starts.
What should my camper bring to HHC? Think of packing for camp like packing for a week-long sleepover! Campers should bring a change of clothes for every day (including socks and underwear), blankets and pillows, towels, washcloths and toiletries (toothbrush, shampoo, etc.). Flip-flops are recommended for the showers and swimming pool area, but otherwise closed-toe shoes and/or shoes that tie are best for camp… and required for horseback riding. Campers should also plan for the weather. It does get cold at night, so long-sleeved tees and sweatshirts or light jackets are recommended. There is a packing list included on the CampInTouch FORMS dashboard.
Is there anything that my camper should NOT bring to camp? Not everything belongs at camp. Campers should leave the following items at home: cell phones, mp3 or other music players, computers, gaming systems, TV’s, weapons, expensive jewelry, and fans. These items will be collected on Sunday and stored in the office until the end of the week and given back when the parents arrive for pick-up on Saturday. Friendly House/Hidden Hollow Camp can not be responsible for items that were not turned in and become lost, broken or stolen. Pets, firearms, alcohol and tobacco products are not permitted at Hidden Hollow Camp. Weapons, alcohol or tobacco products including vapes brought to camp by a camper may result in your camper being sent home.
What if my question isn’t on this list? That’s an easy one to answer! If you have any questions or concerns that aren’t addressed here feel free to call the Friendly House at 419-522-0521 or email us at [email protected]. We will try and answer your question as best as we can!