Summer 2027 registration opens Monday, Nov. 16, at 12:00pm central time and we are excited to share several updates and additions to our summer programming based on feedback from our families, staff, and youth!
The Highlights:
A New Approach to Summer Camp Themes
This summer, we're making a small change to the way we approach weekly camp themes! While some of our most popular themes are returning (along with a few exciting new additions), not every week of camp will have a designated theme. And that's intentional!
Over the years, we've heard from families that their children love the traditional summer camp experience and want even more time for the activities that make camp special. From outdoor adventures and swimming to arts and crafts, games, nature exploration, and making memories with friends, we want to make sure there's plenty of time for all the things campers love most. By moving away from having to plan every week around a different theme, our staff can spend more time focusing on these popular and impactful activities rather than trying to fit everything into a specific weekly concept.
Less emphasis on a theme doesn't mean less variety or less fun! We know many families rely on our day camp programs as their primary childcare throughout the summer, and we want every day and every week to offer something new and exciting. Campers will still enjoy a wide variety of activities, experiences, and adventures!
New Activities at Hantesa and day camps
We’re adding new activities at Camp Hantesa including a farm and cooking program, additional ceramics and candle making activities, fishing, and more! And don’t worry – there’s plenty of new activities coming to our Ames and Des Moines day camps too including brand new field trips, new weekly camper-choice clubs, and other special events! We’ll be sharing more about these new activities throughout the winter and spring so keep an eye on our newsletter and social media channels!
Hantesa Transportation
Based on feedback from our transportation survey (thanks to all who took the time to complete it!) we’re keeping our Hantesa Day Camp drop-off/pick-up schedule largely the same with just a few modifications to our Des Moines/Ankeny route:
Des Moines/Ankeny: Morning drop-off will conclude at 8:00am, at which point the bus will depart, picking up Ankeny campers (morning drop-off concluding at 8:15am), and making a brief stop in Madrid on the way to camp!
Ames/Boone: Morning drop-off will conclude at 8:00am at which point the van/bus will depart for camp!
Referral Discount
Did you know more than 50% of our families find out about Camp Fire programs through a friend? In recognition of this invaluable service our families are providing - and because camp is just more fun when our friends are there - we are now offering a referral discount!
Here’s how it works:
When registering, if you have or plan to refer a friend, you’ll complete the optional family referral form and note the name of each camper you’ve referred. If that camper registers, you receive a credit!
There’s no limit to how many friends you can refer – you’ll receive a $15 credit for every new day camper that registers and a $35 credit for each overnight camper that registers.
Referrals must be new to Camp Fire and can not be siblings or family members.
If your referral cancels, the referral bonus will removed from your account.
Middle School (Outrageous) Programming:
We're also making some exciting updates to our middle school programming this summer! We know that middle schoolers are at a unique stage where they're ready for more independence, bigger challenges, and opportunities to explore their interests in new ways. We're refreshing our daily and weekly middle school program schedules to better meet those needs, with activities and experiences designed to keep campers engaged, encourage creative problem-solving, build confidence, and develop new skills!
Junior Apprentice program
Our Junior Apprentice program will continue to offer both overnight and day-only sessions all summer long, however, all Junior Apprentice campers will converge at Camp Hantesa to provide more consistent, high-quality leadership development programming and oversight!
Registration & Billing Details and Improvements:
Our day and overnight camp “seasons” have been combined in our registration platform. This means you only have to fill out each form (medical, waiver, etc) once and can easily select all of your day camp and overnight camp sessions in one go. It will also allow for more streamlined billing, allowing for you to set up a single payment plan for all day/overnight sessions.
Another benefit of this consolidated registration season is that your camper’s store account will now be accessible across day and overnight camp programs without the need to manage multiple wallets across seasons for families that send their children to both Hantesa Day Camp and Overnight Camp programs during the summer!
Don’t forget, our day camps are now licensed with Iowa HHS (in addition to nationally accredited with the American Camp Association) – this means if you utilize the Child Care Assistance (CCA) program to help pay for the cost of your child’s care – you can still send them to camp! To utilize your CCA funds, select the “Tier A” option when registering your child.
Our early bird discounts are back but only for a limited time! Families registering by December 31, 2026 can receive the following early bird discounts:
$25 off/week for Hantesa/Canwita Day Camps
$30 off/session for Hantesa Mini Overnight Camp
$50 off/session for Hantesa Overnight Camp (week-long sessions)
$75 off of Outpost Trip Camps (two-week sessions)
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! If you need assistance registering or have questions about summer 2027 program you can contact us at:
Camp Fire Heart of Iowa, 515-274-1501, campfire@campfireiowa.org