Q | What does my child’s day at camp look like?
A | Theatre Aspen’s Camp Day is divided into enriching activities with a blend of rest time and outdoor team time. See below for more!
EACH WEEK-LONG K-4 CAMP HAS THE FOLLOWING BREAKDOWN:
- Activity Session 1
- 30-minute snack break
- Activity Session 2
- Hour-long lunch/ recess
- Activity session 3
- Activity session 4
- K/1 camps have an additional rest time after recess
Production camps also have a 30-minute snack break and an hour-long lunch. Production camp activities vary from camp to camp.
Q | Which camp is the most age-appropriate for my child?
A | Student registration is strongly recommended for their rising grade! Please contact us if your student would benefit socially from attending a camp for which the grade recommendation aligns with the 2025-26 grade level rather than their rising grade for the 2026-27 school year.
Q | What does my camper need to bring with them for their camp day?
A | A water bottle, sunscreen/bug spray, snacks, lunch (no microwave or fridge available), closed-toed shoes, movement-appropriate clothing, scripts, and clothing layers will make your camper comfy. Remember, on any day the weather is appropriate, we will spend some time outside!
K-4 campers often have a design element of their day, sometimes working with paint, glue, or other substances that can get on clothing. Feel free to send a smock/cover up with your camper to protect any clothing that you don’t want potentially stained.
Q | Where is camp drop off & pick up?
A | Summer Camp 2026 locations are still being finalized. Regardless of where camp is, drop off and pick up will be supervised by our full camp staff to ensure your camper’s safety. We will update this page with detailed information on location and procedures as soon as our camp location is confirmed.
Q | Who can pick up my camper? Can they leave by themselves?
A | When registering your camper, you are asked to fill out a pickup permission question. All names listed here will be authorized to pick up your camper. On the form, you can also authorize your camper to check themselves out.
In your camp confirmation email a week before camp begins, we will ask if anyone has updated pickup permissions. At that time, you may let us know if you would like to add or take away names from your permitted list or authorize your camper to check themselves out.
If you have names to add to your pickup permission list during camp, you are asked to send a signed note with your camper in the morning or send an email with updated pickup permissions to education@theatreaspen.org.
If someone not on your list comes to pick up your camper, we will need a staff member of our camp staff to verbally confirm on a phone call with a parent/guardian before releasing your camper to that party.
Q | Will my camper have outside time?
A | Yes! All K-4 camps have an Outdoor Team Time section devoted to outdoor games, exploring nature and classic summer camp fun. Additionally, all K-12 camps have a snack break and lunch outdoors, weather permitting. All camps may go outside to play the occasional game if the weather is right and we’re itching for some sunshine!
Q | Is there a way to carpool with other families?
A | Yes, when you register for camp, you will elect into or out of the carpool list. If you elect in, your contact info will be shared in the Welcome to Camp email so you can get in touch with other families to make carpool arrangements.
Q | Can my camper be given/take medication at camp?
A | We are First Aid trained, but not nurses! Your camper may take their medication at camp, and we can give them reminders regarding when to take their medication, however we cannot administer it to them.
We can administer Epi-Pens, if your camper uses an Epi-Pen please note it on your registration form so we can ensure we take that to carry through camp or know where your camper stores their Epi-Pen.
Q | What food can my camper bring to camp?
A | Anything but nuts! As nut allergies are widespread, please avoid bringing any nuts or nut-based products (including peanuts) to camp. If we see a camper with a nut-based food, we have to ask them to put it away or throw it out for safety reasons.
Please remember neither a refrigerator nor a microwave is available for camper use. Don’t forget your silverware!
Our camp day is incredibly dynamic and active. We ask that each camper bring an appropriate amount of snacks/lunch to fuel them through the day. K-4 camps often take a short secondary snack break in the afternoon during which Theatre Aspen does not provide a snack.
Q | Can my camper share food with fellow campers?
A | We ask that campers do NOT share food in case anyone has an allergy or sensitivity they are unaware of, or didn’t know was contained in the food item that was shared with them.
Q | How do I help my camper memorize their lines?
A | Campers are encouraged to run lines with their adults at home! For K-1 camps lines are written in camp by the actors, thus allowing for easy memorization on showcase day. For older campers, memorization is a key skill in theatre, and one that mostly has to be worked on outside of rehearsal times. Please help your student be as prepared as they can be by working on memorization with them. Below are tips and tricks for ways to memorize and practice!
REPEAT: Have your student repeat their line out loud 10 times in a row perfectly. If it’s a long line, feel free to repeat it in chunks, then put it all together.
EX. If the line is “I hate blueberries. I prefer strawberries.” They can repeat the first sentence, then the second, then repeat it all together!
RUN SCENES: Practice running lines with your student – you should look at the script and read the other characters’ lines, and your student should say theirs when they come up.
MEMORIZE CUE LINES: Students need to know not just WHAT to say but WHEN to say it – ensure your student knows who speaks before them and what they say.
WALK/MOVE: Walking or moving while memorizing and practicing lines can help our brains lock them in!
WORK BEFORE BED: Memorizing and practicing before bed is perfect, as then they will percolate and “bake in” overnight.
WRITE IT DOWN: Writing lines down is a great way to memorize, and if your student is working on their writing skills, to practice those as well!
Q | What shoes does my camper need to bring?
A | Campers are asked to bring closed-toed, closed-heel shoes. Theatre Aspen’s summer camp is incredibly active, proper footwear is needed for the indoor and outdoor activities we will engage with. Campers are welcome to bring additional dance-specific footwear for camps with a dance element (jazz shoes, ballet slippers, etc) but are not required to have it outside of production programs.
Q | I need to pick up my camper early, what do I do?
A | In the event you have pre-planned to pick up your camper early, we ask that you email us at education@theatreaspen.org or tell your camper’s counselor at drop-off. Please try and give our team a heads-up 24 hours notice.
In the event of a last-minute early pickup, we ask that you text or call the camp administrative phone number at 970-236-6681. Whoever is on office duty at any given time will be logged into our administrative number and help facilitate pick up.
Please do not pick up your camper without giving the office proper notice.
Q | What time can I drop off / pick up my camper?
A | Drop off at camp is between 8:45 and 9:00 am. / Pick up at camp is from 4:00 to 4:15pm. We may give you a call if it’s nearing 4:15 and neither we nor your camper have received any communication about your ETA to pick them up.
Q | Can I drop off / pick up my camper late?
A | Yes. For both late drop-offs and pick-ups please text the administrative number and let staff know when you plan to arrive. For late drop-offs, your camper will meet a staff member at the front doors of the Aspen Elementary School and then will be escorted to their camp.
If you have to pick up your camper after 4:15, your camper will be walked back up the hill to our campus and may be picked up outside of the front doors of AES. Life happens, and sometimes it makes us late! Families who are repeatedly late to pick up their campers will be charged a $20 late pick up fee for their third and any further incidences to compensate for additional time we have to compensate staff to wait with your camper.
Q | Can my camper call home or use their phone during the camp day?
A | If your camper is experiencing illness or distress, they should speak with the staff member in charge of their camp. We will arrange for them to call a grown up if needed. We ask that if campers have cell phones/smart watches, they are put away during the camp day unless they are needed as medical monitoring devices.
If campers are found using a phone, we will ask them to put it away. If a camper is still using their phone after repeated requests to put it away, we may take the camper’s phone until the end of the camp day and return it at pick up.
High school campers/actors may use phones on their lunch break.
Q | How do I get tickets to my camper’s performance?
A | Tickets for Theatre Aspen EDU productions (4-7th grade musical and 8-12th grade musical) are available on our website, and the links will be sent home in our weekly wrap-up emails. All other productions and camp showcases are open to friends and families and do not require tickets.
Q | Where are the camp showcases, and what time do they start?
A | Camp showcase location will be specified as soon as we lock in our overall summer camp location. A showcase/performance reminder email will be sent to you the day before your camper’s showcase for every camp they are enrolled in.
Showcase times will vary from week to week depending on what and how much material we have to show. Showcases will typically begin between 3:30-3:45 pm, and specific start times for your camper’s showcase that week will go out to you in the Showcase Reminder email each Thursday.
Performance for our Two Week Production Camps for 2nd-4th grade actors will typically begin at 3:15pm, however you will receive a confirmed time in the Performance Reminder email for your camper’s session.
Q | I’m not getting any emails from Theatre Aspen about camp. What’s happening?
A | Because Theatre Aspen emails come from an organizational rather than a personal address, sometimes our emails get marked as spam or junk. Please ensure education@theatreaspen.org is saved in your trusted contacts, as every family will receive several important emails about camp and we want to make sure our info gets to you!
Q | What are Theatre Aspen’s Camp Emergency procedures?
A | At Theatre Aspen your camper’s safety is our #1 priority. Our staff is First Aid certified and trained in restorative conflict management, emotional regulation practices, and de-escalation procedures.
Should your camper receive a physical injury at camp, we will let you know. Extremely minor injuries (like a paper cut) won’t warrant a reach out, but minor injuries like a big knee scrape or anything involving the eyes or head will prompt a text to parents, and any major injuries like a sprained ankle, large fall, allergic reaction, or potential broken bone will get an immediate phone call. Extreme injuries or any situation where camp staff deems it necessary to ensure the safety of your child will warrant a 911 call. Parents will be called simultaneously to emergency response services by another camp staff member.
Safety procedures can be found in this document.
Theatre Aspen full-time staff members are mandatory reporters in the State of Colorado and are legally required to report any potential abuse we notice or receive a disclosure about to the appropriate government agency.
Q | Will my camper be photographed/filmed without parental consent?
A | A Media Release Form is included in camp registration. If you do not consent to have your child’s likeness used in TA media, then no footage of them will be published per the media release. If your student is cast in Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr., and Something Rotten! a performance of each production will be filmed and shared with participating families, but not published anywhere publicly.
Q | Will my camper go on any field trips?
A | If your K-1 camper is attending camp during the production week of Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. they will attend a performance or dress rehearsal of this production! In your camp’s welcome email, a field trip permission form will be included, please fill that out upon receipt. If performances are in a different location than camp, we typically travel using either RFTA bus transportation or the Theatre Aspen passenger van (if age-appropriate for campers who don’t need car seats).
Q | What’s your cancellation and refund policy?
A | If a customer withdraws registration 3 weeks before the program start date, they may receive a full refund less a 10% fee OR full credit towards a future Theatre Aspen program to be used within one year.
If a customer withdraws registration prior to 2 weeks before the program start date, they may receive a 90% credit towards a future Theatre Aspen program but are not eligible for a refund.
If a customer withdraws registration less than 2 weeks before the program start date, they are not eligible for either a program credit or a refund.
The refund policy for students who are registered off of the waitlist for a camp remains the same as for campers who were never on the waitlist. Once your registration is processed, you are subject to the same refund policies as all other customers.
Registration for Summer 2026 Productions (Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr., and Something Rotten!) is final and no refunds or credit will be issued.
Customers are responsible for being aware of the Summer 2026 refund policy, as it is readily available on the Theatre Aspen website and you check a box consenting to the refund policy upon registration. Lack of awareness of the policy is not grounds for an exception to the policy. Our full policy can be found here.
Q | Are scholarships available?
A | YES! Theatre Aspen Education offers a variety of high-value programs to students of all ages, featuring industry professionals as teachers, directors, designers, and more. Theatre Aspen Education teaches skills and provides opportunities to students that will build their skills and enrich their lives.
Theatre Aspen Education strives to make our programming inclusive to all students, and we proudly have never turned a student away due to financial need. To achieve this, Theatre Aspen Education offers need-based scholarships and payment plans.
Scholarships are generously underwritten by sponsors and donors, including Juliet Shield-Taylor and the Robins Foundation, Nancy Blank, Nancy and Chuck Wall, and more. Scholarship recipients are encouraged to write a thank you letter which will be passed on to those donors who support our scholarship fund. Payment Plans are also available with the use of a valid credit card.
Beginning in 2022, we have made updates to our Scholarship Policy. Families will now be asked to self-identify which level of scholarship they would like, without disclosing any financial or circumstantial information outside of eligibility for free/reduced lunch. Complete this form before registering for a program. If you register for a program without a scholarship code and request a refund for the difference, we are only able to provide a 90% refund due to our registration software’s usage fees. Once submitted, you will receive an email confirming your scholarship level and providing you with a registration code.
Awarded scholarships will be valid until the end of the calendar year. If at any point during the year, you would like to adjust your scholarship level, simply submit a new form with your requested level adjusted, and we will get you a new code.
In our effort to continue to meet all scholarships requested by participating families, we ask that as you consider what scholarship level makes our programming attainable for your family, you also consider the cost of implementing our programs, maintaining high-quality staff, and providing scholarships to a large number of families. If some programs have a lower tuition amount and you can utilize a lower scholarship tier and still participate, we are happy to provide you with codes at multiple levels for one calendar year. We deeply appreciate your partnership to keep our programs accessible through scholarships for both you and many other families.