Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT ITEMS ARE NOT ALLOWED AT CAMP?
Electronic devices—even if Wi-Fi is disabled e-readers, walkie-talkies, electronic watches, cash, nut-based products, tobacco products, drugs and drug paraphernalia, alcohol, and weapons of any type.

DO YOU HAVE A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL ON STAFF?
Yes, we have an on-site infirmary and a nurse on staff 24/7. All non-emergency medical needs will be addressed on-site. We have a behavioral support specialist on our team who will assist with any mental health needs of our campers.

WHAT IF MY CHILD GETS SICK OR INJURED?
In case of an emergency, campers are either taken to the emergency room at South County Hospital in Wakefield, Charlestown Urgent Care in Charlestown, or Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, and parents or guardians are called immediately. Any medications prescribed as a result of an injury or illness while at camp are billed to the families insurance and if payment is made by camp, the charge will be passed onto the family. Camp is not responsible for any medical charges incurred while your child is at camp. Charges are billed to your family’s medical insurance or directly to parents/guardians.

WHAT IF MY CAMPER GETS HOMESICK?
It is normal for campers of all ages to experience homesickness at camp. Our staff is trained in managing camper homesickness and working through it to help campers have a positive experience. It is common for children to feel homesick for the first few days as they adjust to being in a new place with new people. It is important to talk with your camper about homesickness and strategies to address it before summer to help lead to a more successful experience at camp.

CAN MY CHILD REQUEST TO BE IN THE SAME CABIN AS THEIR FRIEND?
Here at Camp Fuller, we believe in the importance of new experiences. We understand coming to camp and being away from home can be a really scary time for a young adult but part of the magic of camp is remembering it is a scary time for everyone, not just your child. The seven other campers in that cabin are feeling the exact same way and this shared experience is what creates incredible friendships and bonds in a cabin. Other key information to remember is if your child and their friend are the same age, they will be in the same division which means they will be in cabins just a few feet away from each other! During the day you do not stay with your cabin group, so two friends can sign up for all the same activities and be together all day! We highly suggest not bunking with a buddy so that your camper can have a great experience meeting new friends and creating a family-like bond with their cabin. Remember they will still have the opportunity to be with their friend all day in program areas!

If necessary, campers may submit a request to bunk with one buddy. Campers may only request to bunk with one buddy no exceptions. In order for the request to be considered, the request must be mutual, meaning that both campers have requested each other, and both campers must be in the same division. All bunk requests are approved at the discretion of the Camp Director. Chain buddy requests are strictly prohibited and will not be granted.

CAN I TALK TO MY CAMPER DURING THE WEEK?
The most effective way for you to communicate with your child is through Bunk 1. Bunk1 is a website designed for making communication between campers and parents effortless. You can create an account to have access to camp photos as well as “bunk notes.” ‘Bunk notes’ are one-way electronic messages similar to emails that get printed and delivered to campers daily. Campers do not have access to the internet, but they are able to write letters in reply and send them out daily. THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE YOUR CAMPER RECEIVES COMMUNICATION FROM YOU.

Summer 2022 has taught us that the US Postal service has still not recovered from the pandemic with low staffing. For a traditional letter or postcard to reach camp it is taking over two weeks. Care packages can take even longer. As of October 2022, we are still receiving letters for Summer 2022 campers. If you would like for your child to receive a care package while at camp, we have two recommendations.

1. Amazon: Amazon delivers daily directly to our administration building, normally on the expected arrival date listed on the website. This is a great way for you to ensure your child receives their care package in a timely fashion. Please have the package addressed to your campers using this format:

Camper Name
Division and Cabin Number
YMCA Camp Fuller
619 Camp Fuller Road
Wakefield, RI, 02879

2. Drop off care packages on check-in day: Another great option to ensure prompt arrival and save you some money on postage is to drop off care packages at the office on check-in day. You can leave mail with us that is addressed to your campers and has the day of the week you would like us to deliver it to your camper. This is a guaranteed way to ensure all mail arrives the day you would like it to and avoid the Post Office all together!

CAN MY CHILD BRING SNACKS TO CAMP?
We do allow campers to have a small shoebox-sized rubber bin to store snacks in. However, we are a rustic outdoor camp and any food left open for even a short time can attract friends such as mice and chipmunks. We know snacks can be an important part of camp so for summer 2023 we are expanding our camp store! Camp Store will have a concession stand open throughout the day for campers to purchase a variety of healthy snacks as well as chips, and candy. All purchases are made through their camp store accounts. This is a safe way to ensure no extra friends find their way into the cabins. If you do send your child with snacks we are a peanut tree nut-free camp and any peanut or nut butter will be disposed of. We also do not encourage any kind of chocolate or items that can melt as the cabins are not temperature controlled and things will melt.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE?
Below you can see a general overview of the schedule that we follow daily here at camp. Please note certain events and circumstances may alter this schedule.

CAN I STOP BY AND SEE CAMP? Please DO NOT come to visit us without first scheduling an appointment. During the off-season we are not always here in the office and Camp Fuller is a private property. We know that everyone loves to come visit and show their friends and family our beautiful Camp Fuller by the sea, but we cannot have visitors on the property in the off-season unless they are chaperoned by a staff member. If you would like to set up a time to come visit, please email campfuller@gpymca.org to set up a time. We thank you for your understanding.