Tickets and Registration

Parents and guardians can purchase camp tickets for their child(ren) online at perotmuseum.org. Upon successful ticket purchase, you will receive an email containing registration information. Discovery Camp is filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have questions, the PMNS camp office may be reached at 214.756.5834.

Registration forms will be completed through Procare. The registration link will be provided in your ticket confirmation email. The Procare app is available for download on both Apple and Android products. Completion of registration through Procare is required to attend camp and must be completed within seven days of ticket purchase. Please note that a copy of immunizations may be required. You can upload them through the Procare app during registration or email them to camps@perotmuseum.org.

Hours, Days, and Months of Operation

Please refer to the website regarding dates when the museum holds Discovery Camp. Camps will run from 9am until 3pm unless otherwise stated. Our camp program is not licensed by the State of Texas.

Minimum Age of Campers

To attend any Discovery Camp program, children must be at least six years old and fully potty trained. We strictly enforce age and grade level requirements. For Summer camps, grade-level groups correspond to the grade your child will enter in the Fall for the upcoming school year.

Qualifications and Educators

All camp educators have a post-secondary degree or are working toward a degree in the sciences, arts, or education. All educators are certified in basic CPR/first aid, are background checked, and are trained in recognizing signs of abuse and neglect in children.

Dress Code for Discovery Camp

For safety, we require closed-toed shoes. Camper will not be permitted to stay without appropriate shoes. Your child should wear comfortable, weather appropriate clothes that can get messy or wet. Feel free to send a change of clothes. We highly recommend hats and sunglasses. Please send your preferred brand of sunscreen and bug spray with your camper. Your child can request assistance with application from their educator.

Meals and Snacks

We require you send lunch and a snack every day with your camper. Food items must not need refrigeration. Send a reusable water bottle to keep your child hydrated throughout the day. Children are not allowed to share food with campmates.

Medication Administration

Perot Museum of Nature and Science (PMNS) policy does not allow staff to administer medication directly to children. Camp staff will not give any medications (including over-the-counter or prescription drugs) to campers with the exception of topical ointments such as burn cream, hydrocortisone cream for bug bites (except when contraindicated), and antiseptic wipes for scrapes. Campers will need to be able to self-administer any medications they require. Reasonable accommodation will be made for those medications listed under ADA compliance.

Health and Special Needs

If your child becomes ill at the Museum or has an accident that requires a doctor’s attention, we will notify you immediately with a phone call. If you cannot be reached, we will contact your child’s emergency contact and/or your authorized caregiver(s). For the comfort and wellness of your child, we expect you to pick them up within an hour of being called. If a child has a minor accident that causes only a scrape or bump, etc., your child will be treated quickly on-site. You will be notified with an incident report through the Procare app, which will require a digital signature for acknowledgment.

If a camper shows signs of illness:

• Any camper exhibiting a fever of 100.4 or above will be sent home with an authorized caregiver.
• If a camper is sent home with symptoms of an illness, they are not allowed to return to camp unless the following criteria have been met:
  • They have been symptom-free for 24 hours without medication(including fever-reducing medication); or
  • They have a note from a healthcare provider saying they are not contagious and may return to camp.

PMNS strives to include and enable camp navigation and participation. If your child requires adaptive equipment to participate in camp, we will seek to accommodate your child’s needs.

Parent/Guardian Notification

If an incident arises during camp and we need to contact you regarding your child, Discovery Camp will first try to call a parent/guardian. If the parent/guardian cannot be reached, phone calls will be made to other authorized persons until the parent/guardian can be reached. No information regarding the child will be shared with anyone other than the parent/guardian. Other nonemergency notifications will be made through Procare such as an incident report, a note about behavior, or an uplifting note about something good.

If a parent/guardian needs to reach camp staff throughout the day, the preferred method of communication is through Procare messaging. A phone call can be made to TRAC’s main line at 214.309.5801 and a message will be relayed to camp staff. Camp staff will reply via Procare messaging first, then with a phone call if needed.

Incident Reporting

A parent/guardian will be notified of any incident reports made regarding their child’s activity. This will principally be done through Procare but will also include a phone call to a parent/guardian, if warranted.

MINOR INCIDENTS

• Minor behavioral incidents (constant redirecting, outbursts, or inattention/lack of participation)
• Minor injuries requiring first aid (Band-Aids, ice packs, nose bleeds, etc.)

For minor incidents, we will follow these escalation procedures for campers with behavioral issues:

• First Offense: Provide a verbal warning and try to redirect the camper with another activity
• Second Offense: Take the camper out of class (or take them aside in the classroom) and sit with them to discuss why what they’re doing is wrong, then work with the camper to identify a way to fix it together. An incident report will be made at this time.
• Third Offense: Contact the managerr/coordinator to talk with the camper. A phone call to parents may be made regarding the camper’s behavior.

Continuing minor behavior issues will require a conversation with the camper and their parent/guardian by the manager/coordinator and the educator to discuss the incident along with a plan of action, including consequences of continued behavior. The camp reserves the right to remove a camper from camp for behavioral incidents with no refunds provided.

MAJOR INCIDENTS

A parent/guardian will be notified by phone by the manager/coordinator of any major incident involving their child. The camp staff who was witness to the incident will complete an incident report in Procare.

• Major behavioral incidents (cursing, hitting/injuring another child or property, threatening to harm another child or staff member, inappropriate sexual type behavior, any touching that crosses a personal boundary)
• Major medical incident (anything requiring more than a Band-Aid or ice pack)

For major incidents, we will follow these escalation procedures:

• The manager/coordinator will be notified.
• The manager/coordinator will call the child’s parent/guardian to discuss a plan of action and/or if the child needs to be picked up from camp. The camp reserves the right to remove a camper from camp for major behavioral incidents with no refunds provided.
• The educator will create an incident report in Procare.
• The manager/coordinator can be present at pick-up to answer any additional questions from the parent/guardian.

Any major incidents will also be sent to Museum leadership.

Behavior Expectations for Campers

Campers are expected to behave within age-appropriate limits and follow Trinity River Audubon’s Center Guidelines. Expectations are posted in each classroom and are emphasized throughout the week. In the event of a severe behavior issue, we will call a parent/guardian to pick up their child. At our discretion, the child may return to camp the following day.

Emergency Plans

Every child’s registration must include a local emergency contact person who is not either a legal parent or guardian. Information for an emergency contact person must include their address and phone number.

Trinity River Audubon Center Emergency Plan

Every staff member is trained in emergency procedures for Trinity River Audubon Center. If an emergency at TRAC arises, parents/guardians will be contacted via phone or message through Procare if immediate pick-up is required.

Outdoor Activity

Nature is meant to be explored! Activities will be conducted outside as much as possible. Weather will be monitored throughout the camp day and taken into consideration regarding the length of time spent outside.

Parent/Guardian Participation

Any adult staying after dropping off must obtain a general admission ticket to Trinity River Audubon Center. Newsletters, pictures, and videos of activities will be sent through Procare.

Comments, Concerns, or Complaints

We encourage parents/guardians to discuss any comments, concerns, or complaints with the classroom educator first; most questions or situations can be resolved at this level. The camp coordinator will become involved only if appropriate and generally after an issue has been addressed with the teacher. If the situation remains unresolved or if otherwise appropriate, the manager will step in to resolve it.