Beach

Beach Nights

Garden

Garden Science

Archery

Archery

Tie Dye

Tie Dye

gaga

Gaga

Camp Life

Cabins, Bathrooms, and Showers

All campers live in cabins with one or more counselors.Cabins are rustic and campers sleep in bunk beds. Cabin assignments are made according to a child's age and grade. Bathrooms are centrally located within the cabin or just outside. Showers are located in the Sandcastles for girls and the Shower House for boys.

Check out a virtual tour here!

Cabin Requests

Our Philosophy

Camp has always been a place where campers forge some of their closest, lifelong friendships. One of the great benefits of overnight camp is making new friends from different places and backgrounds. Peconic Dunes 4-H Camp encourages campers to attend without being concerned whether they will know their cabin-mates since there will be many opportunities to meet and make friends.

We attempt to provide as diverse a cabin group experience as possible by limiting the number of campers in each cabin from any known social circle or specific town.

Our goal is to create cabin groups that offer campers the opportunity to meet as many new people as possible from a variety of backgrounds, interests, and life experiences.

Concerns

We want to avoid cliques that can form when too many campers from the same school or hometown are in the same cabin. These cliques can make camp life difficult for campers who don’t belong and for counselors who are trying to foster bunk unity and comradery.

While we understand the excitement that goes along with the possibility of bunking with a good friend, we want to make sure campers do not end up feeling “tethered” to one individual, counting on them for consistent companionship and support while they are at camp. This can create an uncomfortable dynamic for the rest of the cabin group.

There are also times when friends come to camp as bunk mates but have a minor (or even major) falling out, creating unnecessary drama and discomfort for other campers and staff.

Policy

With these goals in mind, we will honor one, and only one, cabin mate request from each camper.

For a cabin mate request to be honored, the request must be mutual. The other camper must submit a request for that camper.

Campers making requests to bunk with each other must be the same age by August 31, 2022.

Requests for more than one cabin mate will not be honored.

Cabin mate requests are NOT guaranteed. We will do our best to accommodate reasonable requests.

Please note the same policy applies to day camp requests.

While cabin mate requests are not guaranteed, your camper will have multiple opportunities throughout the day to do activities with their friends from home. The schedule at Peconic Dunes Camp consists of Choices, Challenges, and Cabin Activities. Cabin Activities are set in the schedule and done with their cabinmates but, campers who have not been placed in the same cabin may sign up for the same Choice and Challenge activities. Evening programs, such as the Thursday night dance, provide even more opportunities for campers to interact with friends outside of their bunk.

Cabin requests or changes to existing requests will not be accepted after May 15th.

Contacting Your Child at Camp

Cell phones: and other electronic devices are not permitted at camp for a variety of reasons: we want campers to disconnect from technology; cell phones are expensive and can easily be lost or damaged at camp; they can be misused. Please do not send your child to camp with a cell phone. Cell phones or electronic devices will be confiscated and returned to parents at departure.

Calling home: campers are not permitted to use the office phone to call home. If necessary (injury or illness, or severe homesickness) camp staff will contact parents.

Mail: Campers are permitted to receive letters and postcards that can be sent with one first class stamp. Oversized envelopes, which require more than one first class stamp, will not be accepted and will be returned to sender. All mail sent via USPS should be addressed to Camper's Name, Peconic Dunes Camp, P.O. Box 190, Peconic NY 11958.

IMPORTANT: Campers are NOT allowed to receive any packages while at camp. Please let relatives and friends know not to send your child a package while at camp.

If there is an essential item, such as a pair of eye glasses, toiletries or an article of clothing, that a camper forgot, you must contact the camp office in advance to arrange for package delivery. If you do not get the package pre-approved, it will be returned to sender.

Why a "No Package" Policy?

Along with many other camps, we have determined that packages lead to unnecessary stress, anxiety and jealousy when parents feel obligated to send packages and when some campers receive packages and others don't. Despite prohibitions, campers continue to receive food products that pose a thread to other campers with food allergies and attract insects and pests in the cabin. Moreover, packages produce a large amount of waste that the camp must dispose of.

E-Letters: A one way e-mail service is offered to overnight campers and CITs. Log into your Peconic Dunes account, click on additional options, click on e-mail a camper. E-mails are received at the camp office, printed, and delivered to your camper once each day. There are currently no facilities for campers to send an e-mail reply from camp.

Inclement Weather

Inclement weather can impact camp activities. Light rain does not alter the camp schedule, but, for the safety and well-being of our campers and staff, severe weather conditions require changes in schedule and program.

If the weather is extremely hot, strenuous activities, such as team sports, will be cancelled or modified. Counselors will make sure campers take frequent breaks out of the sun and drink plenty of water.

When rain is heavy, campers will move under shelter and counselors will implement rainy day plans.In the event of downpours or thunderstorms, campers and staff will go back to their cabins for quiet cabin activities.

In emergency weather situations, such as a hurricane threat, day camp will be cancelled and all overnight campers and staff will be relocated to Southold High School.

Laundry

There are no laundry facilities for campers' use. Campers should pack enough clothes for the entire week of camp. In the event of an emergency, the staff will arrange laundry service for a camper. 

Meals

Campers eat meals with their cabins in the dining hall. Snacks are available mid-afternoon and before bed. Water to refill water bottles is available at water stations throughout the camp. Campers with dietary restrictions should list their allergies/restrictions on the health history and Camper Health form. We will do our best to accommodate requests. 

Also available at breakfast: fruit, yogurt, and cereal. Also available at lunch and dinner: salad bar. 

*Please click here  to see the full menu for the summer. All menus are subject to change depending on deliveries and availability of ingredients.

Camp Activities

Each day campers will participate in a variety of educational and recreational activities offered by our five program departments (see below).Not all activities are offered daily or weekly and campers are not guaranteed to experience all activities. Some activities are subject to weather conditions and other activities are only available for senior camp (e.g., archery, some boating activities).

Program Departments and Sample Activities

  • Aquatics
Swimming, Snorkeling, Kayaking, Canoeing, Stand-Up-Paddleboarding, Corcling
  • Expressive Arts
Art and Design, Improv Theater, Music, Digital Photography
  • Sports
Soccer, Beach Vollelyball, Team Handball, Lacrosse, Adventure Trail
  • ECO
Environmental Science, Nature Study, Gardening, Project Build
  • Outdoor Skills
Backcountry Cooking, Wilderness Skills, Leadership Skills, Fishing, Archery

For some people, the day starts a little earlier with optional activities known as The Bears (Polar, Yoga, and Alpha). Then the whole camp gathers for flag raising, quotemeister, and kudos. One of our favorite traditions is t-shirt signing when campers sign each other's camp shirts. The last night of each session features the closing campfire when campers are recognized for their achievements during the week. Camp traditions at Peconic Dunes include:


Campers will also have fun with their cabins and cohorts each day doing a variety of activities like those listed below:

  • Charades
  • Bracelet Making
  • Can Jam
  • Capture the Flag
  • Free Swim
  • Karaoke
  • Kickball
  • Nukem
  • Parachute Games
  • Read & Relax
  • Shelter Building
  • Skit Practice
  • Tie Dyeing
  • Treasure Hunts
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Water Aerobics
  • Water Polo
  • Whiffle Ball

Every night's a little different at Peconic Dunes. We have our classic campfires on the first and last night of camp, plus another during the mid-week talent show. It's not always sunny at camp so we have a few surprises to pull out if it rains.

  • Carnival
  • Closing Campfire
  • Counselor Hunt
  • Dance
  • Get Yer Ya Yas Out Campfire
  • Opening Campfire
  • Sand Sculpture Competition
  • Turtle Games
  • Ugly Counselor Contest
  • Reflections

If your child requires any sort of special accommodation (i.e. medication dispensed, physical adaptation, verbal, or otherwise), please notify the camp when you register. We will do our best to make reasonable accommodations within the limits of our outdoor camp environment.

Staff

Peconic Dunes 4-H Camp maintains a camp-wide staff to camper ratio of 1:4. Staff members selected to work at Peconic Dunes are hired based on their experience working with children, safety and skill certifications and experience in their given specialty.


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Last updated July 4, 2023