Nature Day Camp - Summer Registration

Update! Registration for summer 2021 is open. 

We are following all the recommendations put out by the CDC, Multnomah County, and Oregon Early Learning Division's Emergency Childcare Guidelines.

Due to the requirement for stable groups and increased numbers of staff on site because of physical distancing, we will not be offering the following aspects of our summer program:

• Partial-day preschool camps
• Nature Skills camps
• Jr Educator (formerly Jr Naturalist) program

We hope to bring these parts of the program back in summer 2022. 

General information

We offer camps for children age 5-12 at six locations in Portland:

• Hoyt Arboretum, Southwest Portland, meeting at Steven's Pavilion (4000 SW Fairview Boulevard)
• Mt Tabor Park, Southeast Portland, meeting at the covered shelter across from the Visitor's Center (turn right at the park entrance at SE 69th and Yamhill Street)
• Pier Park, North Portland (St Johns), meeting at the covered picnic area (near N James Street and Reno Avenue)
• Powell Butte Nature Park, Outer Southeast Portland, meeting at the Visitor's Center (up the hill from SE 162nd Avenue and Powell Boulevard)
• Sellwood Park/Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Southeast Portland, meeting at Picnic Area "I" at Sellwood Park (near SE 7th Avenue and Malden Street)
• Whitaker Ponds Natural Area. Northeast Portland, meeting at the covered gazebo at 7040 NE 47th Avenue. 

Camps during a global pandemic: Due to COVID-19, this year will look different than prior years. Make sure you are familiar with the COVID-19 requirements before registering for camp. 

Read our tips for summer 2021 registration listed below. 

Nature Day Camp policies: Before you register, make sure you are familiar with our camp policies. This includes information about withdrawal fees, late fees, lightning, and cancellations due to air quality or extreme heat. 

Start and end times: Camps begin at 9am and end at 3:30pm. Extended drop-off window is from 8:15-9am. Extended pick-up window is from 3:30-4:15pm. 

Would you rather see all the options at once? A printable pdf is available below. 

"Pay What You Can" pricing for Portland residents

Nature Day Camp uses a "Pay What You Can" pricing (for Portland residents only). Camps are listed at the full cost for a week of camp but can be reduced as needed during the registration process.

"Pay What You Can" pricing is available when registering over the phone and online. Use the available $50 discounts during checkout to bring the weekly cost down to $225, $175, $125, $75, or $25 based on the needs of your family.

• Five-day weeks    |  Cost is listed at $275 for Portland residents ($385 for non-residents). 

  • Use one $50 discount to bring the cost to $225. 
  • Use two $50 discounts to bring the cost to $175.
  • Use three $50 discounts to bring the cost to $125.
  • Use four $50 discounts to bring the cost to $75.
  • Use five $50 discounts to bring the cost to $25. 

• Four-day weeks    |   Cost is listed at $225 for Portland residents ($315 for non-residents). 

  • Use one $50 discount to bring the cost to $175.
  • Use two $50 discounts to bring the cost to $125.
  • Use three $50 discounts to bring the cost to $75.
  • Use four $50 discounts to bring the cost to $25. 

Curious what your fee pays for? Learn more about how we calculate our fees.

Tips for summer 2021 registration 

1. Set up your account ahead of time.  Before the morning of registration, take the time to create or update your PP&R ActiveNet account. Make sure there is an account for your family (including the parent or adult who is doing the registration and each camper. List yourself as the Parent/Guardian and each child as a dependent). Add a saved credit card if desired.  Update or create your account. 

2. Read the COVID-19 requirements before you register. All campers and staff will be wearing face coverings each day of camp (except to eat and drink), will be distanced from anyone outside their household, will be placed in stable groups for the week, will be asked to wash hands or sanitize hands frequently, and will be taking part in modified activities. If any of these does not work for your child or your family, Nature Day Camp may not be a good fit. Review the COVID-19 requirements. 

3. Pay attention to camp dates! Some weeks have five-day camps, and others have four-day camps. Our staff is on a different schedule due to COVID-19 requirements. Staff work a longer day and have every other Friday off. There are no camps on July 2, July 5 (Holiday), July 16, July 30, or August 13. 

4. Need to lower the cost of camp? Use the discounts during checkout to "Pay What You Can". Scholarship forms are not needed. Use one or more $50 discounts to change the cost of camp to an amount that works for your family. This is available both over the phone and online. Learn more about "Pay What You Can" pricing

5. Nature Day Camps have a withdrawal fee. A $25 non-refundable withdrawal fee is charged each time you register for a camp and then withdraw. 

6. Use payment plans to spread out the cost. Nature Day Camps offers the following payment plan option: Pay $25 when registering for camp, and then pay the remaining balance seven (7) days before the camp starts. A valid credit card must be on file to use a payment plan. Note: PP&R staff will follow up on any unpaid balances. Unpaid balances are sent to collections after 120 days. 

7. If a camp is full, always join a waitlist. This is our only way to fill spots if they should become available.  We plan to rely heavily on waitlists to fill camps which means if you are not on the list, you will not get a call that a spot is available. 

Register for camp online, over the phone, or in-person at our office.

• Online:
  • Click the links below (once registration is open) to register for camp or
  • Visit the PP&R registration page and search for "Nature Day Camp" 
• By phone:
  • Call the Customer Service Center at 503-823-2525 and refer to the activity number of the camp. 
  • Call the EE office at 503-823-3601 during our office hours:
    • Mondays 10-5pm
    • Tuesdays 10-5pm
    • Thursdays 10-5pm
• In person: Call 503-823-3601 or 503-823-1149 to set up a time to meet at our office in Southwest Portland. Our building is closed to the public but we can meet you outside and do the registration.

Chickadees | Ages 4-6  |  

Partial-day camps for preschoolers

Sorry, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be offering partial-day camps in summer 2021. 

There are no summer 2021 listings for this age group. We hope to be back in 2022. 

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Hawks | Ages 5-8 | Registration opens on Tuesday, April 6 at 8am 

Full-day camps for lower elementary grades. Tips for summer 2021 registration

For all campers, days are spent in a mixture of structured and unstructured time. Structured activities may include music, games, crafts, and science activities. Structured times take place mostly at the beginning and the end of the day. The middle of the day is spent in unstructured, child-directed time. Unstructured time allows time to play, hike, explore, and hang out as a group. Learn more about the camps for lower elementary on the main Nature Day Camp page.

Specific notes for summer 2021:

1. Stable groups - Campers will be assigned to stable groups of 8-10 children who are close in age.

2. Friend requests - During the registration process, parents can name one (1) other registered camper, close in age (within 2 years), to be grouped with for the week of camp. 

3. Join waitlists! If the camp you want is full, make sure to join the waitlist. Waitlists are the way we fill camps as spots become available. 

4. Required COVID-19 compliance - Plan on COVID restrictions to remain in place for the entire summer, regardless of vaccination status. 

5. Some shortened weeks - To accommodate a longer camp day for families who need it, we are asking our staff to work longer days so campers can remain in their stable groups. Camp staff work nine-hour days and therefore have every other Friday off. Please note the camp dates for each week. 

Camp begins at 9am (Extended drop-off window is 8:15-9:00am)
Camp ends at 3:30pm. (Extended pick-up window is 3:30-4:15pm)

Note: Due to COVID-19, we cannot offer traditional before-care and after-care options.To help families who might need a longer day of camp, we will have extended drop-off and pick-up windows. Drop off as early as 8:15am and pick up as late as 4:15pm. 

Summer 2021 Tentative Schedule for the Hawks (ages 5-8) - Find more information about the weekly nature themes on the main Nature Day Camp page. 

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Ospreys | Ages 8-10  |  Registration opens on Tuesday, April 6 at 8am

Full-day camps for middle elementary grades. Tips for summer 2021 registration

For all campers, days are spent in a mixture of structured and unstructured time. Structured activities may include music, games, crafts, and science activities. Structured times take place mostly at the beginning and the end of the day. The middle of the day is spent in small traveling groups of campers close in age. Unstructured time allows time to play, hike, explore, and hang out as a group. Learn more about the camps for middle elementary on the main Nature Day Camp page.

Specific notes for summer 2021:

1. Stable groups - Campers will be assigned to stable groups of 8-10 children who are close in age.

2. Join waitlists! If the camp you want is full, make sure to join the waitlist. Waitlists are the way we fill camps as spots become available. 

3. Required COVID-19 compliance - Plan on COVID restrictions to remain in place for the entire summer, regardless of vaccination status. 

4. Some shortened weeks - To accommodate a longer camp day for families who need it, we are asking our staff to work longer days so campers can remain in their stable groups. Camp staff work nine-hour days and therefore have every other Friday off. Please note the camp dates for each week. 

Camp begins at 9am (Extended drop-off window is 8:15-9:00am)
Camp ends at 3:30pm. (Extended pick-up window is 3:30-4:15pm)

Note: Due to COVID-19, we cannot offer traditional before-care and after-care options.To help families who might need a longer day of camp, we will have extended drop-off and pick-up windows. Drop off as early as 8:15am and pick up as late as 4:15pm. 

Costs listed are for Portland Residents. Non-Resident costs are 40% higher than those listed.
Find more information about the weekly nature themes on the main Nature Day Camp page. 

Summer 2021 Tentative Schedule for the Ospreys (ages 8-10) - Find more information about the weekly nature themes on the main Nature Day Camp page. 

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Ravens | Ages 10-12  |  Registration opens on Tuesday, April 6 at 8am

Full-day camps for upper elementary grades Tips for summer 2021 registration

For all campers, days are spent in a mixture of structured and unstructured time. Structured activities may include music, games, crafts, and science activities. Structured times take place mostly at the beginning and the end of the day. The middle of the day is spent in small traveling groups of campers close in age. Unstructured time allows time to play, hike, explore, and hang out as a group. Learn more about the camps for middle elementary on the main Nature Day Camp page.

Specific notes for summer 2021:

1. Stable groups - Campers will be assigned to stable groups of 8-10 children who are close in age.

2. Join waitlists! If the camp you want is full, make sure to join the waitlist. Waitlists are the way we fill camps as spots become available. 

3. Required COVID-19 compliance - Plan on COVID restrictions to remain in place for the entire summer, regardless of vaccination status. 

4. Some shortened weeks - To accommodate a longer camp day for families who need it, we are asking our staff to work longer days so campers can remain in their stable groups. Camp staff work nine-hour days and therefore have every other Friday off. Please note the camp dates for each week. 

Camp begins at 9am (Extended drop-off window is 8:15-9:00am)
Camp ends at 3:30pm. (Extended pick-up window is 3:30-4:15pm)

Note: Due to COVID-19, we cannot offer traditional before-care and after-care options.To help families who might need a longer day of camp, we will have extended drop-off and pick-up windows. Drop off as early as 8:15am and pick up as late as 4:15pm. 

Summer 2021 Tentative Schedule for the Ravens (ages 10-12) - Find more information about the weekly nature themes on the main Nature Day Camp page. 

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Extended care options at Nature Day Camp

Note: Due to COVID-19, we cannot offer traditional before-care and after-care options.To help families who might need a longer day of camp, we will have extended drop-off and pick-up windows. Drop off as early as 8:15am and pick up as late as 4:15pm. 

There are no summer 2021 listings for before-care or after-care. We hope to be back to our regular schedule (and longer day options) in 2022. 

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