Taproot Summer Camp Registration Opens Soon!

Registration opens this Saturday, November 23 at 10 a.m.

2025 Taproot Summer Camps and Cost include:

• Taproot Leadership Camp (TLC) Sleep-away camp for rising 7th-Graders to rising 11th-Graders, June 7-14, $1350
• Sprouts Camp half-day camp for kids ages 3-5, $250
• Cambium Camp full-day camp for kids ages 5-8, $440
• Sapling Camp full-day camp for kids ages 8-12, $440

TLC News: We’ll start TLC at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 7 instead of Friday afternoon, June 6 because that’s the last day of Iowa City school. It’ll be interesting to observe if and how this change affects the week! Read more…

Sprouts News: You asked for it, so we’ve extended Sprouts Camp to each week of the summer! We’ve also reduced the Sprouts Camp group size to six children. This will increase the amount of individual attention the teachers will be able to devote to each Sprout. Read More…

Cambium News: We’ll again have two Cambium sub groups, Lorax and Otter, named for their respective trusty carriages. Aside from riding in the vans, the groups will be together. Contact Zac with any buddy requests. Read More…

Sapling News: We’re adding a new long-trip destination this summer, Mines of Spain Recreation Area near Dubuque! We’re super psyched to explore this awesome new spot along the Mississippi River! Read More…

Each camp runs one week, and Taproot Kids can sign up for any or all weeks, as space allows. Prices listed are by the week. This summer’s prices are the same as last summer, except for TLC which is slightly reduced.

Visit the programs page for more information. Email Zac if you have any questions!

Revised Reservation and Refund Policy

We know that signing kids up for summer camp has become pretty high-pressure in recent years. It’s stressful for parents–and also for summer camp providers! Taproot’s reservation and refund policies have evolved as needed, to try to keep the process fair and accessible for all Taproot families, and to protect Taproot’s institutional well-being. In response to an increasingly common practice of the last couple years–namely reserving many weeks of camp and then canceling most of them at short notice, requiring Taproot to issue refunds and scramble to fill empty camp spots–we are making some changes to our deposit and refund policy this year. We will be paying close attention to how it works, and we are open to your feedback.

A 25% deposit is required to reserve a spot in any camp. This reservation deposit will not be refunded except in the case of an emergency.

Full payment for summer camp tuition is due by June 6. Before this date, you can cancel your reservation for any reason and receive a refund of all payments over the 25% deposit.

After June 6, if you cancel a camp week with more than two weeks notice, you’ll receive a refund of payments over the 25% deposit. Cancellations less than two weeks prior to the start of the camp week will not be refunded except in the case of an emergency.

Examples of an emergency:

• Your family has relocated to a different town
• Your child has a serious or longer-term illness or injury that will prevent them from participating in the camp week (more than a minor cold or bug)
• Someone in the immediate family has an illness or injury that will prevent the kid from participating in camp
• You needed spots for two kids but only got one
• Your family has had a major change in circumstances or finances and cannot manage to get the kid to camp or afford the tuition (in this case, please talk to me about financial aid or other options so your kid can still come to camp)

Non-emergency examples:

• You’ve changed or solidified your vacation plans
• Your child got into a different camp that week
• Your child’s buddy didn’t register for the same week
• Friends or family decided to come visit that week

This policy is harsher than in the past, and I’m sorry for that. I want to emphasize that we’re human beings at Taproot, and open to hearing about your unique situation that doesn’t fit any of the above examples. Email Zac with your questions and feedback.

Register for Spring ASP and Sprouts!

Sign up your Taproot Kids for Spring After-School Program for elementary-age children or Sprouts Morning Program for 3-5-year-olds!

ASP is offered Monday-Friday and school pickup is available, depending on your child’s school. Read More…

Sprouts runs on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Sprouts can sign up for any or all of those days. Read More…

Both programs run from March 24 to May 30, 2025.

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