Day Camp, but Make It Random
Do your kids play music on shuffle and dance along like no one is watching? Totally Awesome Random Fun Day Camp is built for them. Every day is a totally new adventure. One morning it is seven versions of tag you have never played before. The next it is mountain pies on the fire, silly songs at full volume, art projects in unexpected places, and surprises the staff have been planning all year. At TARF Day Camp, the randomness is the point.
TARF has been a Gretna Glen tradition for decades. The day camp version keeps every ounce of that joy-of-the-unexpected energy and packs it into five great days of camp. Campers will still swim, fish, boat, hike, and do all the classic day camp things. They just never quite know what order those things will happen in, or what twist is coming next.
Five Days of Delightful Unpredictability
Classic day camp activities, woven together with random surprises and decades of TARF tradition.
The TARF Twist
Every day brings a new theme, a new surprise, and a new version of something you thought you knew. Seven kinds of tag. Mountain pie recipes no one has ever tried. Silly songs with choreography invented on the spot.
Classic Day Camp Fun
Swimming, fishing, boating, nature walks, games, crafts, and songs fill the core of every day. The random theme adds the surprise, but the camp experience is always at the center.
Faith in Random Places
Bible Discovery happens wherever the theme takes it. Campers explore how God uses random, unexpected moments to teach us and remind us how much he loves us, always.
Small Group Community
Campers are placed in small, age-appropriate family groups for the week. It is where friendships form, silly inside jokes start, and counselors get to know every camper by name.
Built for Ages 5-8 and 9-13
TARF Day Camp runs two tracks side by side. Younger campers (ages 5-8, code DCY4) and older campers (ages 9-13, code DCO4) share the same camp but experience age-appropriate versions of every activity. Younger campers focus on hands-on play, silly songs, and sensory-rich surprises. Older campers dig deeper into the creativity and build on their own ideas for what makes a moment "totally awesome."
Both groups get the full TARF treatment. The difference is in how the randomness lands, not how much of it there is. When registering, you can request one bunkmate in the same age category as your camper.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
Day camp runs Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Lunch and one snack are included. Activities are hands-on, messy by design, and supervised by trained staff.
Campers should pack clothes they do not mind getting wet, muddy, or covered in mountain pie filling. A detailed packing list is available on the Get Ready page.
Gretna Glen is ACA-accredited, meeting over 300 health, safety, and quality standards. Staff are trained specifically for the age groups they serve.
Extended Day Options
AM extended day: 7:30-9:00 AM (drop off any time). PM extended day: 3:30-5:30 PM (pick up 5:15-5:30). Both available for an additional fee and include an extra camp activity. Register online.
WHO THIS PROGRAM IS FOR
- Kids who love surprises, silliness, and the joy of the unexpected
- Campers who thrive on variety, songs, and spontaneous creativity
- Families looking for a high-energy day camp that fits the week after July 4th
- First-time day campers who need a program so fun they forget to be nervous
Sample Day
9:00 - Arrive & settle in.
9:15 - Bible Discovery & Worship.
9:45 - Open play.
10:30 - Morning activity rotations (fishing, boating, theme fun, games, nature).
11:15 - Lunch & singing.
12:30 - Pool/waterslide.
1:45 - Theme activities.
3:00 - Daily closing, singing & snack.
3:30 - Pick up.