Camps FAQs

Students should bring a small bag, a nut-free lunch and snacks, a water bottle, and masks. On the first day of camp, students will receive VisArts tote bags, which can be used to take home finished projects each day. Please ensure your child brings this tote bag every day.

Note that storage space at VisArts is limited, so please avoid sending your child with a full-sized or wheeled backpack.

Students should wear flat, closed-toed shoes and comfortable clothing that allows them to move and play freely. While VisArts provides aprons for all students, please be aware that they will be working with paint and other materials that may stain clothing.

While not mandatory, VisArts strongly encourages universal indoor masking at camp. If your child tests positive for COVID-19 but remains asymptomatic, they must wear a mask while at VisArts.

Please note, masking may be temporarily recommended or required in cases of local outbreaks, high-risk situations, or when COVID-19 community transmission is high.

Please see our Health and Safety Policy for more information.

In the event of a positive COVID-19 test result by any staff member or student, VisArts will follow the guidelines set by the CDC.

VisArts will not close down if a camper, teacher, or staff member tests positive. However, we will inform families of any possible exposure and recommend a monitoring period of several days to observe students’ symptoms and overall well-being.

If a student tests positive but remains asymptomatic, they may continue attending camp while wearing a mask and following other required safety protocols.

If any student begins showing symptoms of COVID-19, they should stay home and be tested.

Please note, no refunds or credits will be issued in the case of a positive COVID-19 test.

VisArts offers several outdoor spaces for playtime. Weather permitting, campers will enjoy lunch and recess outdoors whenever possible.

Campers will eat lunch in a designated area separate from their classrooms. There will be two lunch periods, and campers will share this time with one or two other groups.

VisArts has several outdoor spaces, and we’ll take campers outside for lunch and recess whenever possible, weather permitting.

Please note that tween and teen students do not have a lunch/recess period.

Be sure to pack your child a nut-free lunch, nut-free snacks, and a water bottle for the day.

Students will eat lunch in a designated lunch space, separate from their classrooms. There will be two different lunch periods throughout the day and students will be with one or two other groups during their designated lunch/recess period. VisArts has several outdoor spaces available to us, we will take students outside for lunch and recess as much as possible, weather permitting. Teen and tween students do NOT have a lunch/recess period.

Please pack your child a nut-free lunch, a water bottle, and some nut-free snacks for throughout the day.

VisArts is located at 155 Gibbs Street. Camp drop-off and pick-up will take place at the corner of Gibbs Street and Beall Avenue, in the designated safe zone. Please refer to the diagram for more details.

Families may also park and walk to VisArts to pick up or drop off their children.

VisArts uses Procare, a childcare app for checking your child in and out of camp from your car. You’ll receive an email invitation before camp starts—no need to download it until then. Be sure to provide emails for all parents/guardians responsible for your camper, as invites will be sent to everyone listed.

Once you receive the invite, download the app and create an account using the 10-digit code provided. Be sure to add the names and contact information of any adults who may pick up your child.

Below are the drop-off and pick-up times for camps and intensives.

Young Artists + Artistic Adventures

• Arrival: 8:30–8:50 AM
• Dismissal: 4–4:15 PM

Tween + Teen Intensives – AM

• Arrival: 9:45–10 AM
• Dismissal: 12–12:15 PM

Tween + Teen Intensives – PM

• Arrival: 12:45–1 PM
• Dismissal: 3–3:15 PM

Authorized pick-up individuals will receive a unique four-digit PIN to sign their child in and out of camp. This randomly generated number cannot be changed, so please keep it handy for check-in and check-out.

For more detailed arrival and dismissal instructions, please refer to our Arrival and Dismissal Instructions.

Young Artists campers will stay in one classroom for all of their classes, exploring a variety of media with the same teaching team.

Artistic Adventures campers will move between different classrooms throughout the day. Each 50–60 minute class focuses on a single medium, giving students the chance to work with multiple instructors and materials.

Tween + Teen Intensives are offered in one- or two-week sessions, with morning or afternoon blocks that run for two to three hours. Each session focuses on a single medium, and students will remain in the same classroom for the duration.

Students enrolled in the same camp type and session may request to be grouped with friends, siblings, or relatives. To make a friend request, please include the other student’s name in the health forms.

Campers are grouped by age, so requests involving students with more than a two-year age difference will be placed in the younger group.

Please note that students in different camp types or sessions cannot be placed together.

We do our best to honor all friend requests, but cannot guarantee placement.

Transfers between camps may be possible if space is available. If the new camp has a higher fee, families will need to pay the difference before the transfer is confirmed. If transferring to a camp with a lower fee, the difference will be issued as a credit that can be used toward a future camp program.*

Transfer fees are based on how close it is to the camp start date:

• More than 4 weeks in advance: no transfer fee

• 2 to 4 weeks in advance: $25 per change

• Less than 2 weeks in advance: $50 per change

*Restrictions may apply

Cancellation Policy

• More than four weeks before the start date: 100% refund, minus a $50 non-refundable registration fee (per ticket)

• Two to four weeks before the start date: 50% refund, minus a $25 non-refundable registration fee (per ticket)

• Less than two weeks before the start date: No refunds

Refunds will be issued using the original payment method. If you paid with credits, your refund will be returned as a credit.

All of our teachers are either Montgomery County Public School art instructors or practicing artists with teaching experience. Every teacher has passed a background check and fingerprint screening.

Want to learn more? Visit our staff page to see their bios and backgrounds.

VisArts is a welcoming and inclusive space for people of all ages, backgrounds, identities, and beliefs. To support this environment, we maintain a zero-tolerance policy for bullying.

As part of the required online release forms, you’ll find our camper code of conduct, which must be signed by both you and your camper. If a camper violates this code, we reserve the right—depending on the severity of the behavior—to dismiss them from the remainder of the camp session.

VisArts is committed to ensuring that art education is accessible to all. Thanks to support from private donors, we’re able to offer full and partial scholarships for families who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. Scholarship funds are limited and awarded on a first come, first served basis.

You must submit a copy of your most recent tax return with your application. We’ll respond to your application within two weeks.

Please visit our Camp Scholarships page to see if you qualify.

• Young Artists + Artistic Adventures
• Tween + Teen Intensives

Thanks to support from private donors, we’re able to offer camp payment plans. Please contact Shraddha Tiwari, Camp Director, to set up a payment plan

Aftercare at VisArts
Our Aftercare program provides a safe, engaging, and fun environment for children ages 5–12 after their Young Artists or Artistic Adventures camp ends at 4 PM. It’s a great option for families who need a little extra time in the afternoon due to work, commuting, or other commitments—while kids enjoy a range of supervised activities.

Hours, Eligibility, and Cost

• Monday–Friday, 4–6 PM

• Open to campers enrolled in Young Artists or Artistic Adventures

• Session 1, 3, 4, 5: $300

• Session 2: $270

Aftercare Program Activities

• Group Projects: Fun, team-based activities that promote collaboration, communication, and problem-solving—key for social and emotional growth.

• Outdoor Play + Structured Games: Active playtime and organized games to help kids move, interact, and bond with friends.

• Quiet Time: Calm spaces for reading, journaling, or simply relaxing—perfect for kids who need a little downtime.

Aftercare Check-In/Check-Out + Pick-Up

• Sign-Out Process: Parents sign their child out at the Floor 3 office using the ProCare* system. You can do this via your phone or with assistance from a staff member at the Check-in/Check-out Desk.

• Authorized Pick-Up: Only individuals listed as authorized contacts in the ProCare system, and with the ProCare code, are allowed to pick up children.

• Carpooling: If you plan to carpool, please contact us ahead of time to confirm pick-up details.

VisArts uses ProCare, an online platform designed to ensure safe and streamlined pick-ups for both our camps and Aftercare program.

Thanks to the generosity of our private donors, we’re able to offer camp discounts, including early bird pricing. From January 1 to January 31, camp tuition is at its lowest rate and will gradually increase until the final price is reached.