Sleepaway Camp FAQs for Parents

Windridge welcomes campers ages 7 to 15 for all three of our regular sessions. Our Rookie program is designed for our youngest campers, ages 7 to 10, and offers a gentler introduction to camp life during the first ten days of each session. Rookie campers who are comfortable, happy, and having fun are welcome to stay for the rest of the full session, with their family’s blessing, of course!

16-year-olds are welcome at Windridge as CITs (Counselors-in-Training). Learn more about our CIT program.

We offer three 17-day sessions each summer. Each session also includes a 10-day Rookie option for campers ages 7 to 10 who are new to camp or not quite ready for a full session. View our full session dates and rates.

Yes! Windridge is proudly accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA). ACA accreditation means our program has been independently evaluated against more than 300 health, safety, and program quality standards. It's one of the most meaningful indicators of a well-run, safe camp, and we take that responsibility seriously.

About 140 campers attend each session. Our campers come from 38 states and more than 30 countries, and our international community is one of the things families love most about Windridge. Learn more about our community.

Our daily schedule includes four periods in the morning and four in the afternoon, plus two rest hour periods, one after lunch and one before dinner.

Major sport blocks combine two regular periods into a longer session for tennis, soccer, golf, and horseback riding. Horseback riding and golf have limited enrollment and an additional fee, and golf is a three-period block limited to 16 campers per session. We ask that campers choose one major sport, though they can double major for extra time in their sport. Campers can choose up to three majors over the course of their stay, but three is a tight schedule and doesn’t always work, since golf and soccer can conflict. The rest of the day is filled with electives, and campers can adjust their schedule each day to try new activities or spend time with friends.

Each evening features a different all-camp activity, sometimes grouped by bunk or age, and sometimes mixing everyone together to help campers get to know the full Windridge community.

View our sample daily schedule | View our electives

Tennis majors play two periods of tennis each day. Campers who want more time on court can double major and play four periods a day, and they can add tennis electives as well. We don’t encourage campers to play tennis all day, though. Playing a variety of sports is better for growing bodies and for mental health, and it’s a core part of our philosophy. There’s so much more to experience at camp!

Campers also compete on our challenge ladder, play in a singles and a doubles tournament each session, and play interclub matches against other camps and clubs around Vermont. Ramsey Hoehn, our Director of Tennis and the son of our cofounder, Ted, calls Windridge “Tennis Heaven.” He encourages campers to head down to the courts during rest hour, too, whether for fun or to get more match experience.

Find out more about our tennis major

Windridge has 21 tennis courts: 13 red clay courts and 8 Har-Tru courts. Learn more about our tennis program.

Windridge is a screen-free camp. We do not allow cell phones, tablets, iPads, e-readers, smartwatches, handheld gaming devices, or any device with wi-fi or gaming capabilities. Cell service is not available in Roxbury, and wi-fi is reserved for management and staff use only. We strongly recommend leaving all valuables at home, as Windridge is not responsible for lost or damaged items.

Our screen-free policy exists to help campers unplug, be present, and make the most of every moment at camp. In our experience, it doesn't take long before they don't miss their devices at all!

Counselors provide music and many bring speakers, so there's always a great soundtrack to camp life. We also love it when campers arrive with a good book. For those who forget, we have a selection available at camp, because there's nothing quite like reading on a summer afternoon in Vermont.

Yes, laundry is included in the camp fee at no additional charge. Each camper’s laundry is done once per 17-day session, and campers staying for multiple sessions will have laundry done between sessions as well. If a camper needs laundry done sooner, for example because of an accident or another unexpected situation, our staff will take care of it quickly and discreetly.

One large laundry bag is required, clearly marked with your camper’s name on the outside. Laundry bags are available for purchase at camp for those who arrive without one.

Campers live in cabins grouped by age and gender, with a separate girls' camp and boys' camp. All cabins have electricity, screened windows, and fans, and some have bunk beds. Cabins house anywhere from four to eight campers, with a 1:4 staff-to-camper ratio ensuring plenty of attentive, personal support for every child.

Shower houses are centrally located on each side of camp, with younger campers placed in cabins closest to them. Rookie campers (ages 7 to 10) and some of our younger regular session campers live in cabins with their own bathrooms.

Rookie campers and some of our younger regular session campers live in cabins with their own bathrooms. All other campers use the shower houses, which are centrally located on each side of camp, and younger campers live in the cabins closest to them. Learn more about our facilities.

Yes! We do our best to honor cabin mate requests, with one important guideline: campers should be within a year of age of each other, and both campers need to have requested one another. We build our cabins around age-appropriate groupings, keeping campers close in age creates a comfortable, age-appropriate environment for everyone in the cabin.

Please include any cabin mate requests in your registration paperwork through CampInTouch so we can take them into account when putting cabin groups together. The earlier we have that information, the better!

We understand that cabin life can be nuanced. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out!

Yes, as much or as little as they like! We encourage siblings to live in separate cabins so each child can have their own camp experience and build their own friend group. If siblings would like to room together, we’ll do our best to accommodate them, as long as they are close in age. Windridge has a separate boys’ camp and girls’ camp, so brothers and sisters live on different sides of camp.

Siblings can set up their daily schedules to share activities, and schedules can change every day. The whole camp eats every meal together in the dining hall, with each camper sitting with their cabin, and evening activities include the entire camp.

You'd be surprised how quickly that changes! Many of our campers arrive not knowing anyone and leave with friendships that last for years. Returning campers genuinely love welcoming newcomers into the Windridge community, and our staff are specifically trained to help new campers feel at home right away.

We're also thoughtful about how we build cabin groups. We place new campers in cabins with other first-timers and work to strike a comfortable balance of new and returning campers wherever we can. During the first few days of each session, we place a real emphasis on cabin bonding, giving every camper the time and space to get comfortable, find their footing, and start feeling like a true part of the Windridge family. It usually doesn't take long at all!

Homesickness is completely normal at summer camp. Even returning campers get a little homesick sometimes, and it's nothing to worry about! Our staff are trained to recognize the signs of homesickness and to help campers work through it in a supportive, age-appropriate way. Our management team meets every day to check in on any campers who are missing home, and we have a strong network of support in place to make sure every camper feels safe, heard, and has someone they feel comfortable talking to.

In our experience, homesickness tends to peak around days three through five of each session, so if a teary letter arrives in your mailbox during that window, don't panic! Reach out to us and we'll give you a real update on how your camper is doing, what their day looked like, and how they're progressing. Things almost always turn around quickly.

We keep parents informed if their child is struggling and always welcome a check-in call from families who want to know how their camper is doing. We'd rather you call than worry!

We maintain a 1:4 staff-to-camper ratio, meaning every four campers has a dedicated counselor. This allows our staff to give each camper the individual attention, coaching, and support they deserve.

All of our counselors are at least 18 years old, and they come from across the United States and around the world. Our major sport staff are collegiate athletes or have played at a high level, and many of our tennis coaches play college tennis in the US. Some of our counselors are former Windridge campers, too.

We aren’t a tennis academy, and we want campers to enjoy everything camp has to offer. But the depth of our tennis program and the experience of our coaching staff set Windridge apart from other camps with tennis programs.

All staff are background checked and vetted, either by Windridge or, for international staff, through their placement agency. Every staff member also completes a ten-day orientation before campers arrive.

Read more about our Windridge community

Your camper's health and safety is our top priority. Windridge has a fully stocked health center on site, staffed by two certified registered nurses throughout the summer. We also work closely with a local physician's practice in Northfield, VT, and Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) in Montpelier is just 15 minutes away.

If a camper is unwell or injured, our nurse will evaluate them and determine whether a visit to the doctor is needed. If a doctor's visit is necessary, parents or emergency contacts will be notified as soon as possible. In the event of a true emergency, we will attempt to reach parents or emergency contacts immediately and will keep trying until we make contact. If a camper needs to spend the night in the health center, we will also notify parents or emergency contacts as soon as we are able to reach you.

Please note that we do not typically contact parents for routine health matters such as headaches, blisters, or sore muscles. Rest assured your camper is in good hands for the everyday bumps and bruises of camp life!

All medications, prescription and over-the-counter alike, including Advil, melatonin, and vitamins, must be stored in our locked health center and administered only by our camp nurses or designated staff. Medications are distributed at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before bed. Please bring all medications to the nurse on opening day in their original containers, clearly labeled with your camper's name and dosage. We stock many common over-the-counter medications, including Tylenol and allergy medicines.

Absolutely. Windridge is a nut-free camp, and we are experienced in accommodating a wide range of dietary needs, including diabetes management, vegetarian and vegan diets, gluten-free requirements, and other allergies or preferences. Please make sure to note any dietary needs in your camper's registration paperwork so our team can prepare in advance. When in doubt, contact us. We want every camper to feel safe and well fed!

We're proud of our food at Windridge, and our campers will tell you the same! Our wonderful chef prepares all meals fresh daily.

At breakfast campers have access to a toast and bagel bar, yogurt, fresh fruit, a cereal bar with four options, oatmeal, and a hot line with rotating options like french toast, waffles, and pancakes. Scrambled eggs are available every day, and on non-syrup days we serve sausage, bacon, or another protein alongside them.

Lunch features a hot bar with changing daily options, a sandwich bar with sliced meats and toppings, a full salad bar, and fresh fruit and vegetables with hummus.

Snack is served mid afternoon while they are in programming, and we always have fresh fruit that is portable (bananas, apples and oranges) in the dining hall that they are welcome to grab anytime throughout the day.

Dinner is served family style and always includes a full salad bar alongside the main meal.

Special dietary needs are always accommodated, just let us know in advance.

We're able to accommodate a wide range of eaters at Windridge, and most campers are pleasantly surprised by how much they find to eat.

If your child is having a genuinely hard time finding something they like, we encourage them to try whatever is being served first. Trying new foods and expanding their palate is part of growing up, and camp is a great place for it. If that's not working, we'll quietly find another solution. We keep a few reliable fallbacks on hand for situations where a camper really needs them, and we'll always make sure your child is getting the calories they need

If you have questions, please reach out and chat with one of us over the phone about your specific concerns.

Parents can email their campers daily through our Windridge App. We print those emails and deliver them to campers at lunch each day. We also post hundreds of photos daily on our App (available on desktop as well) so you can follow along from home and feel connected to your camper's experience.

Since campers don't have access to email, we encourage you to send them with stamped, pre-addressed envelopes and some writing supplies so they can write home the old-fashioned way. We collect all outgoing camper letters daily and mail them for you, so keep an eye on your mailbox!

We provide detailed instructions on how to email your camper and access our photo galleries on opening day.

While campers don't have regular phone access, our directors and leadership team are available throughout the summer to give you updates on how your child is doing. Please don't hesitate to call our office at any time. We are always happy to chat.

Absolutely, campers love getting mail! We do ask that care packages contain no food. Since we're in a rural Vermont setting, food in the cabins can attract wildlife, and outside food also makes it harder for us to manage allergens for all campers. Our office staff inspects all incoming packages and will remove any food items. Non-food packages are warmly welcomed, though we ask that you limit care packages to one per session.

Windridge is located at 1215 Roxbury Road, in Roxbury, Vermont, just off Exit 5 on I-89. Drive times are approximately 3 hours from Boston, 5+ hours from New York City, and 2.5 hours from Montreal.

We offer charter bus transportation from New York City, with stops in Darien, CT and Hartford, CT. 

Commercial airlines offer direct service to Burlington International Airport (BTV) from Boston (Logan), Chicago (O'Hare), Washington D.C. (Dulles), New York (JFK), and Newark. We meet campers with vans to transport campers at Burlington Airport and Boston Logan on opening day and return them on closing day.

If your camper is arriving by private plane, the Berlin, VT airport is the most convenient option. Please notify our office in advance if you need airport pickup from Berlin.

For more information, please visit our travel page.

We offer several ways to save on tuition:

• Sibling discount: families enrolling more than one child receive a discount.
• Multiple session discount: campers attending more than one session receive a reduced rate.
• First-time Vermont family discount: families new to Windridge from Vermont receive a special introductory discount.
• Referral discount: refer a friend to Windridge, and both families receive a discount.
• Regional Ranked Player discount: campers ranked in the top 25 in their region receive a discount.
• Payment plans: we offer flexible payment plans for families who prefer to spread out tuition payments.

View our full dates and rates or contact us to learn more about any of these options.

Deposits are non-refundable, except in cases where your camper is on the waitlist and a space does not become available. Tuition balances will be refunded only if your camper's spot can be filled from our waitlist. If the spot cannot be filled, full tuition is forfeited. For full details please visit our Dates & Rates page or contact us with any questions.