When Fairfax County Public Schools have extended closings and parents need to work, Snow Day Camps provide one-day recreation programs for school-age children at select RECenters.
703-324-8571
TTY 711
Ellen Werthmann,
Park Management Specialist
When Fairfax County Public Schools have extended closings and parents need to work, Snow Day Camps provide one-day recreation programs for school-age children at select RECenters.
What is Snow Day Camp? When Fairfax County Public Schools have extended closings and parents need to work, Snow Day Camps provide one-day recreation programs for school-age children at RECenters.
Where? Snow Day Camps are held at four Fairfax County Park Authority RECenters:
Audrey Moore RECenter (Springfield/Annandale)
Lee District RECenter (Franconia/Alexandria)
Oak Marr RECenter (Oakton/Vienna)
Spring Hill RECenter (McLean)
When Do Snow Day Camps Operate?
Snow Day Camp will be held during extended closures of Fairfax County Public Schools between November 1, 2019 through March 27, 2020 when schools are closed two or more school days in a row. Snow Day Camp will begin on the second consecutive all-day school closing. Snow Day Camp will not operate for single-day FCPS school closures, late openings or early dismissals, do not operate on weekends and will not be held when Fairfax County Government is closed or the Fairfax County Park Authority is closed.
Who is eligible? Children ages 5 to 10 (space is limited, first-come basis).
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the day of the camp.
Activities: Games, sports, arts and crafts, and self-directed activities. Children should bring snack, lunch and drink. Swimming may be included depending on pool availability. Please be prepared to swim by bringing swimsuit and towel.
Fees: The cost is $65 per day per child, non-refundable fee. No scholarships are available.
How to Get Information:
Once the decision is made to operate based on school and county closings A registration link will be placed on the FCPA website Fairfax County Park Authority.
Sign up for advance email notification on this page Snow Day Camp.
How to Register:
Online: Direct links to sign up will be posted on this page when camp is being held. You must have an account with Parktakes Online to sign up online. If you don't have an account, sign up today!
Click to Create Account
Telephone: Between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the County is open at 703-222-4664.
In-person: Walk-in to register at any local RECenter. While registration on site may be available the day of the program if space is available, it is strongly encouraged to register in advance.
For more information, please read the Frequently Asked Questions below or call 703-222-4664.
Remember Snowzilla – the more than 20” of snow when schools remained closed for a week, kids were getting cabin fever at home and parents had to get to work? The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors asked the Fairfax County Park Authority to help by offering a safe place for school-age kids during extended school closures.
Children ages 5 to 10 on the day of the camp.
Children age 10 or older are permitted to be in RECenters by themselves. With paid general admission or a pass, they can use any of the age-appropriate RECenter facilities, such as the pool. Teens, 12-15 years old, may use the fitness center and equipment when accompanied by an adult. After completion of a teen weight training class, no supervision is required. Contact us at 703-321-7081 to learn more about the teen certification.
We are not able to provide care for younger children at this time.
Reasonable Accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can be requested by notifying the staff on site; contacting the ADA Coordinator via email gary.logue@fairfaxcounty.gov; office 703-324-8727 or cell 703-505-5948. All children must be able to abide by the Camp Rules of Conduct in order to participate in FCPA activities, programs, or services; with or without accommodations.
Beginning November 1, 2019 through March 27, 2020.
Program hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Camps will be held at four designated Fairfax County Park Authority RECenters:
Snow Day Camp looks like a typical day of a general summer camp, just indoors. Children will participate in a variety of group games, sports, arts and crafts and self-directed activities. Each RECenter has unique features. Swimming may be included depending on pool availability. Please be prepared to swim by bringing swimsuit and towel.
All staff working with Snow Day Camps are Park Authority employees, at least 18 years old, many who have years of experience working with our summer camps and Rec-PAC programs, or who are local school teachers. All have undergone criminal background and Child Protective Services checks. Lifeguards are on duty during all swimming sessions.
Snow Day Camp maintains a 1:12 staff to participant ratio for school-age children (state requires 1:18). Depending on the activity and space available, participants may be in smaller age-appropriate groups or all together for activities.
During weather emergencies, getting to the RECenter may be difficult and there will be limited parking, Take your child to the front desk at the main entrance and you will be instructed where to go. Do not just drop off your child, as he or she must be signed in by a responsible adult.
$65 per day per child, non-refundable.
Safety is always the first priority for our customers and our staff. If you are unable to attend class, please contact the RECenter to let them know not to expect your child. Once registered however, there are no refunds or credits for this program.
There is a late fee of $5 for every 15 minutes that a parent is late when picking up a child.
Snow Day Camp will be held during extended closures of Fairfax County Public Schools, when schools are closed two or more school days in a row. Snow Day Camp will begin on the second consecutive all-day school closing. Snow Day Camp will not operate for single day FCPS school closures, late openings or early dismissals, do not operate on weekends, and will not be held when Fairfax County Government is closed or the Fairfax County Park Authority is closed.
Snow Days Camp will not operate.
No, when the County is closed, all county facilities including RECenters are closed for the day.
If the County opens late, Park Authority RECenters will open at the designated time. Snow Day Camp will operate beginning at that time, or 9 a.m., whichever is later.
If the County or Park Authority closes early due to changing weather conditions, Snow Day Camp will end when the County or Park Authority closes. Parents should plan to pick up their children as close to the closing time as possible.
During extreme weather conditions, electrical power outages may affect some facilities and not others. If a RECenter loses power, we are required to close the building to the public. However, your child will be kept inside and safe until you arrive to pick-up him or her.
You can go to the Snow Day Camp webpage and register for a different location if space is available. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee space at another site.
In this case, if the County and RECenters are open, Snow Camp will operate. Snow Day Camp will begin on the second consecutive all-day school closing. A consecutive all-day school closing does not count intervening weekend days, teacher work days, staff development days or holidays when schools are not in session.
You register online just like any other Parktakes program. Register by phone between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the County is open at 703-222-4664.
While registration on site may be available the day of the program if space is available, it is strongly encouraged to register in advance. We do not want you to drive through the snow to the RECenter only to be turned away because the program is full. Spaces are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis.
You may only register for one day at a time. Registration is first come, first served for each day of Snow Day Camp, space is limited. As soon as the closing decision is made by schools, we will activate registration for that day. If the schools announce a multi-day closing, we will open registration for the first day as soon as possible, and each consecutive day at 9 a.m. prior to each Snow Day Camp day. For example, if schools are closed on Tuesday and announce that schools will remain closed Wednesday through Friday, then Snow Day Camp registration for that Wednesday will open immediately on Tuesday and open at 12 noon on Wednesday for the Snow Day Camp on Thursday.
No, only full day registrations are permitted. However, once registered your child may arrive at any time during the day.
Once the decision is made to operate based on school and county closings, a registration link will be placed on the FCPA web site at Fairfax County Park Authority. Customers can choose to put their names on an email list to receive email notification with the program registration code as soon as Snow Day Camp becomes operational. FCPA will also publicize the information via social media and other normal media channels.
If schools are closed today, the announcement for a possible closing tomorrow may be made during the day, in the evening, or not until the next morning at 5:30 a.m. As soon as the official announcement is made via the schools, we will post registration information on the Park Authority web site and send an email to those who signed up for Snow Day Camp email alerts.
Although you can’t register in advance, make sure you have a Parktakes Online account and your information updated so you can register right away. If you do not already have an account, you can create one today. Also, you can download, fill out, and print the Snow Day Camp Forms so you are ready to go in case of a closing on short notice.
Click to Create Account
Bring your completed camp forms. Children should come dressed in comfortable indoor clothing and sneakers and bring a water bottle, a bag lunch and a healthy snack. Some locations may offer swimming if the pool is available. Plan to bring a swimsuit, towel, and sandals.
Cell phones are permitted at camp for emergency communications only. Electronic devices including computers, tablets, games, etc. are not permitted. Any personal items brought to camp are at your own risk.
Lunches and snacks must be brought from home. Lunches should be nutritious and prepared to be stored at room temperature. Drink and snack machines are available at some sites, but parents must make these purchases before camp…children are not permitted to use them during camp hours.
Just like our summer camp programs, participants need to bring to camp a completed Emergency Contact Form and Authorized Pick-up Form. Find Snow Day Camp Forms. These forms are required and must be submitted EACH DAY of Snow Day Camp. If you attend more than one day during the winter, you must bring the forms EACH DAY. Sites do not keep paperwork on file at the site. It is recommended you make copies of your completed forms for future days.
FCPA strongly urges parents to administer medication at home. If any medication is to be taken by your child during camp, you must submit the Medication Authorization Form (which may require a physician’s signature). This form may be obtained from our website at Park Authority Camp Forms. Medications will not be accepted at the site without proper authorization.
For more information, please contact Mike Bonneville, Rec-PAC Program Manager at 703-324-5273. For facility closing information, you can always find the latest information online at Fairfax County Park Authority, via our Inclement Weather Line at 703-324-8661 and on Twitter and Facebook.
For information about the status of other programs and facilities, see Where to Get Information When Bad Weather Strikes.
