Camp Riverbend is a family-run day camp for boys and girls ages 3-14
Our Family
Marianne and Harold
Breene founded Camp Riverbend in 1962. Their four children—Roger, Jill, Paul
and Robin—were Riverbend campers and then counselors. Now as adults they run
Camp Riverbend along with their parents. Daughters-in-law Debbie and Miriam
joined the team over the years. The Breene grandchildren were campers too, and
some are still here each summer as camp counselors.
Our family is at Camp Riverbend every day, supervising every aspect of the camp’s operations and making sure that each child has a wonderful camp experience!
Sessions
Camp runs for 7 weeks from June 27 - August 12, 2011. Campers can attend any
two consecutive weeks or more. Camp runs Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m.
to 4:15 p.m. Camp will be closed Monday, July 4, 2011.
Campers
Campers are grouped by the grade they enter in the fall.
Pre-school and kindergarten groups are co-ed. Each group has
3 counselors for 16-18 campers, or 2 counselors for a smaller group.
Campers entering 1st through 7th grades in the fall are in
single-sex groups. Each group has 2 counselors of the same gender.
Our teen travel programs for campers entering 7th, 8th and
9th grades are co-ed. These groups have 2-4 adult counselors.
The Camp Day
Every day at Camp Riverbend starts when the campers arrive for morning assembly
at 9:30 a.m. There are 7 activity periods each day. Campers eat lunch at mid-day.
After lunch, 4 and 5 year old campers have a quiet rest time. Older campers
can participate in clubs or unstructured play time supervised by counselors.
Following an ice cream snack at the end of the day, campers board their buses
and leave camp at 4:15 p.m. We offer a half day program (9:30 a.m. to 12:30
p.m.) for 3 and 4 year olds. See the Clubhouse
page for more details.
The Camp Site
Camp Riverbend is located on a 30 acre site along the Passaic River in Warren
Township. Shady woods, open fields, nature trails, a wetlands sanctuary,
athletic facilities and the river bank provide a variety of environment to explore.
Take our Camp Tour
to see our camp site.
Our Staff
“A camp is only as good as its counselors.” We are proud of our staff
of enthusiastic, dedicated and creative teachers and college students.
There is no CIT program; no high school students supervise campers. Our
full-time registered nurse is on site daily.
Program
Camp Riverbend provides a wide range of activities, including crafts, sports,
environmental learning and performing arts. Every camper gets individual attention
from instructors and group counselors. Every day brings personalized opportunities
for growth and achievement. Take our
Camp Tour to see the wide range of programs and facilities available.
Swimming
Swimming is an important skill to learn at camp. Each camper swims twice
a day--a lesson every morning and a free swim every afternoon. The waterfront
has 4 crystal- clear heated pools, designed for teaching. Our pools range
from 1 foot to 11 feet deep, to provide safety and challenge for all swimming
abilities. About 20 Red Cross certified Lifeguards and Water Safety Instructors
supervise all campers at the pools.
Food
Each camper brings his or her own lunch which is refrigerated. We provide
drinks (milk, juice, punch, bottled water) for lunch. Pre-school campers
have a mid-morning snack and all campers have an ice cream or ice pop snack
at 4:00 p.m. Cold water is always available at water fountains and water
coolers throughout camp. We provide the food for all cookout lunches.
Camp families may purchase catered hot and cold lunches through Simply Gourmet
Lunches. Click here for
more information.
Transportation
Bus transportation is included in camp tuition. Campers travel in 16,
20 or 24 passenger yellow school buses. Each bus driver has Commercial
Driver’s License with a Passenger and School Bus Endorsements. Each bus has
a riding counselor to supervise campers during the bus route. All campers
wear seat belts. Click here for a list of communities
in Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, and Union counties where our buses go.
For the 3 and 4 year old half day program, transportation to camp is included
in tution; a parent or guardian must pick up these campers at 12:30 pm.
Extended Day
For the convenience of working families, we offer an extended day program.
Campers can be brought to camp as early as 8:00 a.m., and picked up as late
as 6:00 p.m. Counselors supervise extended day campers in games, swimming,
crafts, sports and quiet activities. There are a limited number of daily
drop-in spaces. There is no additional fee for extended day if used instead
of bus transportation. There is an additional charge if your family uses
both bus service and the extended day program daily.
Accreditation
We are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA) and have been since
we started in 1963. Every 3 years, a team of visitors inspects all aspect
of our operation, including transportation, health and sanitation, staff, management
and waterfront safety. ACA accreditation is voluntary; we choose to meet these
standards as part of our commitment to make Camp Riverbend the best camp possible.
We are also licensed by the State of New Jersey Health Department and by Warren
Township which make regular inspections of our program and facilities.