Welcome to the Family!
The "AV, Explained" Series
Welcome to our “AV – Explained” Series. In these series of emails we will do a deep dive into several aspects of the Adventure Valley experience that make us truly unique. Click an icon to jump right to a specific Episode, or scroll on to read them all!
First, we want to tell you about Radtagz, our unique Camp Awards program!
Radtagz are our special way of building our campers’ and staff’s sense of accomplishment as well as recognizing their contributions to the camp community. Campers purchase a Radtagz band, and, over their time at camp, strive to earn Tagz to fill it up!
“For theme day that week, we spent the week brainstorming costumes for that Friday. The theme was Broadway and she decided on Sandra D from Grease. She was so excited to dress up and couldn’t wait for that Friday to come…She didn’t end up winning the silly banana but then immediately wanted to brainstorm ideas for the next theme day for the following week. She wanted to try harder that week…. This memory will stand out above the rest… she feels so proud to have a silly banana on her bracelet. She also wants to thank you for the charm!”
— Camper Parent via email
We have four special tags that campers can earn:
- The Sunglasses Emoji Tag, which can be earned by being a super-involved member of the AVDC Community. To earn your Sunglasses Emoji Tag in 2025, have your camper colour in this colouring page, and post it on social media tagging @adventurevalleydaycamp!
- The Silly Banana Tag, awarded for epic costumes on theme days – we have a whole “AV, Explained” episode on this coming soon!
- The Big Chair Tag, awarded for campers who show awesome qualities or growth – another “AV, Explained” episode coming up on this one too!
- The Turtle Tag, awarded for campers and staff who have attended AVDC for three summers!
“My counsellors names are Burmy & Claw!”
Yup, that’s not something you might hear every day. But it’s pretty normal at Adventure Valley!
What??
That’s right! All our Adventure Valley staff adopt their very own Camp Names. So don’t be surprised when your child(ren) come home telling you their counsellors’ names are Rocket and Starlight or Hippo and Ballet!
Why do we use Camp Names?
- Camp Names add to the magic of camp! Using fun names helps create a friendly, non-judgemental atmosphere that is playful and positive. Campers see that camp is a place to be silly and fun, where they can be anyone they want to be, and be accepted for who they are.
- Camp Names help us develop community: they are like the inside joke open to every camper and staff! Campers also get to envision themselves at camp long-term – we’ve had kids as young as five let us know what they want their Camp Name to be when they become staff!
For example, during camp, the campers and staff know Ashlee, our Camp Director as Ariel – like the Disney mermaid!
PS – Feeling strange about calling your child’s counsellor by their Camp Name? No worries. It always feels a little strange while you’re getting used to it. We promise that this is how we’re known at camp – it’s what we call each other too. In fact, we’ve had many a waiter at a restaurant give us strange looks while we’re out with camp friends calling each other Piglet and Duckie!
You know about Radtagz, you know about Camp Names… what other ridiculously fun things do we have up our sleeves? It’s time we tell you about our Friday dress-up days!!
Every week, we announce a specific theme for Friday Fun Day, and the entire camp comes dressed up according to theme! And we go ALL OUT!
Of course, it’s not mandatory to dress up, but it certainly adds to the spirit of fun and community if you send your child in a costume each week. Themes are chosen to allow for easy costumes that your child can create from what they already have at home mixed with equal parts of fun and creativity!
Each week, we reward the most creative and “all out” costumes with the coveted Silly Banana tag. The Silly Banana tag is one of our award tagz that campers can only earn.
Let’s get those creative juices flowing, AVDC Family!
At Adventure Valley, we go beyond summer fun to provide experiences that foster growth and develop the whole child. We focus on building life skills, like confidence, determination, kindness, and positivity.
And when we see a camper demonstrating awesome qualities, or making us proud with their significant growth over their time with us at camp, we want to tell them how awesome they are in a meaningful way, and give them a daily reminder of the wonderful camp citizen they have proven to be!
Enter the Big Chair tag.
The Big Chair is a giant Muskoka chair that lives at Adventure Valley. It is an ideal spot to chat with a friend or have a photoshoot, and is much loved by campers, parents and staff of all ages! So, there is no better symbol to represent campers who show true Adventure Valley values over the course of their time with us!
Each week, our staff have opportunities to nominate their campers for a Big Chair Award. The Leadership Team then finalizes the winners, which are announced on Friday at Schmooze. The Big Chair tag is one of our award tagz that campers can only earn.
Once a week, each unit of campers will have their very special “Tuck Day”.
On their Tuck Day, each cabin will receive an order form to fill out in the morning, which will be filled during afternoon snack. Campers can purchase a treat (like a chocolate bar) and/or just-for-fun Tagz for their Radtagz bracelets. As a blanket rule, we limit campers to one treat per day.
The Tuck Shop is a cashless store. On CampBrain, you will see a new section called your child’s virtual Wallet, where you can load funds for your campers.
Tuck Days for Summer 2025:
Tuesdays: Bunnies and Froggies*
Wednesdays: Kangas
Thursdays: Tigers and LITs
*Please note that for Week 1, Bunnies and Froggies will have their Tuck Day on Wednesday due to the Canada Day holiday)
Tuck FAQs
How much money should I load to my camper’s virtual Wallet?
It depends on how long your camper is with us and what you are allowing your campers to purchase. We recommend $20 for your first week based on the average spend of our campers last summer.
RadTagz tags are sold for $5 each or 3 for $12. Candy items are $2.
What happens to my child’s leftover money?
Unused funds will be refunded at the end of a camper’s last session at AVDC this summer. However, if unused funds are less than $5, they will not be refunded and will instead be donated to ROCK (Reach Out Center for Kids), a local registered non-profit.
How do I make sure my child doesn’t overspend?
Please let us know your expectations for your child’s purchases. Examples of previous caregiver requests include:
“Ensure they don’t spend more than $12/week”
“My camper can only buy a treat per week, no Tagz”
“My camper is allowed to buy Tagz but no treats”