Rediscover Center
Parent Camp Information

Feb 1, 2026

 

Dear Parents/Guardians and Campers,

 

Welcome to Rediscover’s Tinkering Camp and Cardboard Camp! We are thrilled that you’ll be joining us for a weeklong camp program.  Your child is going to have an opportunity to exercise creative genius and apply it to art, engineering, and design challenges with real tools, techniques, and materials.

 

This guide will answer some common questions and will explain what to expect at each camp program.

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us at 310-393-3636 or email at mail@rediscovercenter.org.

 

We’re going to have so much fun!

Sincerely,Jonathan Bijur Signature

 

Jonathan Markowitz Bijur

Executive Director

 

Cardboard Camp (ages 6-9)
Daily Routine

 

Each day varies but will generally follow this schedule:

 

9:00AM Arrival and warm up open activity

9:30AM Morning Meeting; Review Daily Schedule

9:40AM Morning Tool Training or Design Challenge

10:30AM Snack break*

11:45AM Cleanup and preparation/introduction to afternoon activity

12:00PM Lunch* – most days we will walk to a nearby outdoor space for eating and play:

12:50PM Afternoon Meeting

1:00PM Afternoon Build and Cleanup

1:30PM Pick up, unless staying for aftercare

*Children will NOT be allowed to leave the site to get food at a nearby restaurant.

 

Cardboard Camp introduces makers aged 6-9 to the world of cardboard art and engineering. Rediscover facilitators help campers discover how to use crafting tools like hot glue and cardboard saws, how to connect structures using real engineering ideas, and how to work through challenges to build fantastic projects with low-stakes, sustainable materials. Kids go home with upcycled costumes, dioramas, creatures, and the skills to transform household recycling into new creative projects.

Tinkering Camp (ages 8-12)
Daily Routine

 

Each day varies but will generally follow this schedule

 

9:00AM Arrival and warm up open activity

9:30AM Morning Meeting; Review Daily Schedule

9:40AM Morning Tool Training or Design Challenge

10:40AM Snack break*

11:00AM Cleanup and preparation/introduction to afternoon activity

12:00PM Lunch* – most days we will walk to a nearby outdoor space for eating and play:

1:00PM Afternoon Meeting

1:15PM Afternoon Build

2:45PM Cleanup and Closing Circle

3:00PM Pick up, unless staying for aftercare

*Children will NOT be allowed to leave the site to get food at a nearby restaurant.

 

At Tinkering Camp, makers aged 8-12 learn to use woodworking and crafting tools in an environment of safety and exploration. Campers bring their wildest dreams to life using wood, cardboard, fabric, and a mountain of recycled materials in Rediscover’s makerspace. With a 5:1 camper-to-facilitator ratio, we provide hands-on learning in a creative and supportive environment.

Drop off and Pick Up

Venice: 2 hour parking is available on Washington Blvd in front of 12958 Washington Blvd and on cross streets Alla Rd and Lyceum Ave south of Washington. Please do not park in the alley behind Rediscover Center. Pick up and drop off will be at the front door at 12958 W Washington Blvd. Please accompany your child to the door for drop off each day. Campers will enter through the front entrance on W Washington Blvd.

Mid City: Parking is available on W Washington Blvd just east of 2375 W Washington Blvd and north and south of W Washington Blvd on cross streets Gramercy Place and Wilton Place. Pick up and drop off will be at the main entrance to Rediscover Center Mid City, through the courtyard in the middle of the block. Please accompany your child to the door for drop off each day.

The Pit Glendale: Parking is available on Dolores St and San Fernando Rd. Please do not block or park in the driveways of adjacent businesses. Please accompany your child to the door at 3015 Dolores St for drop off each day.

Rediscover Center Mission

Rediscover’s Mission is to provide makers with the tools, resources, and confidence to engage in creative reuse and self-expression. We educate youth of all levels of expertise in transforming discarded materials into art, functional objects, and tools for learning. We support one another as hands-on creators, problem-solvers, community stakeholders, and stewards of the Earth.

Staff

Tinkering Camp provides a 1:5 ratio of facilitators to children. Cardboard Camp provides a 1:8 ratio. We are dedicated to providing the strongest, most experienced staff we can. The adult staff members are trained professional educators, makers, and/or artists who support each other and your children’s learning.

Workshop Attire

Children will be working with wood, metal, and cardboard, and be outside for lunch. If your child is susceptible to the sun, please include sunscreen and/or a hat among their belongings.

 

Please be sure your child is wearing sturdy, closed-toed shoes (NO SANDALS OR CROCS). Loose clothes, shirts that expose the belly, and halter-tops are prohibited. Long hair must be tied back. Long sleeves and pants are recommended for children susceptible to making accidental contact with hot glue. Face masks are recommended but not required.

 

Appropriate clothes are part of a safe environment. We do not provide shoes or face masks. We cannot provide alternatives for inappropriate clothing, and children will not be able to participate in makerspace activities if they don’t have clothing that will keep themselves and others safe.

 

Personal Items

Rediscover Camp is a MINIMAL SCREENS environment. If your child does carry a cell phone they are asked to leave it in their bag during the day and check messages only at lunchtime. If you need to contact your child, please call 310-393-3636 and we will connect you. Children are asked to leave iPads or games at home. Also, please no pocket money, gum, or candy. At the park there may be an ice cream cart – we ask that pocket money is NOT provided for additional treats--it is disruptive and distracting for the other children.

 

What to Bring

  1. Snack and lunch in a sack that is easy to carry to the park. We will not be providing communal snack foods, so extra snacks are a good idea!

  2. Reusable water bottle. We have a water cooler but do not provide disposable cups.

  3. Layers! For the Venice location, it can be chilly in the morning if the marine layer rolls in, even in summer.

  4. Optional: Recycled Materials and books for our Little Free Library. See our Creative Reuse Materials guidelines for what to collect.

  5. Creativity!!

 

Illness and Injury Policy

If your child is feeling sick on the day of your scheduled program, please keep them at home and contact Rediscover at (310) 393-3636. It’s our responsibility to provide a safe and healthy experience for all campers, volunteers, and staff at our programs. If a camper notifies staff of symptoms like a sore throat, fatigue, stomach discomfort, or headache, the Site Lead will call a parent/guardian to make a plan for treatment and/or early pick up.

 

For very minor injuries that are fully addressed by first aid, such as removing a small splinter, running a small hot glue burn under water, or applying a small bandaid on a scratch, campers are treated and returned to the activity. Staff will apply first aid such as pressure, band aids, ice packs, and burn cream, and will inform the parent at pick up.

 

Should a serious injury occur during camp we will take whatever steps are necessary to obtain proper care. These steps include:

 

  1. Apply First Aid

  2. Attempt to call parent/guardian.

  3. Attempt to call second contact as given on registration form.

  4. Call an ambulance or paramedic.

 

Medication

It is imperative to let us know if your child is taking medication or has a medical situation, such as peanut allergies, that must be dealt with by camp staff. Camp is NOT a nut-free environment. The policy for children receiving medication during workshop hours:

  1. No medication will be given without written parent/guardian permission. Child’s name, name of medication, dosage, time and date must be provided. Parents must coordinate with the Rediscover office staff or Site Lead.

  2. Medication must be in the original prescription container.

 

Discipline

Even happy children need limits. We use a model of positive reinforcement with the group. Occasionally there is a behavior problem that must be managed to ensure a safe workshop environment for all participants. If a behavior problem persists, the following steps will be taken. If our general positive limit-setting isn’t effective with your child:

  1. A Facilitator will take the child for a 1:1 chat about their behavior and its effect on the group or camper safety.

  2. The Site Lead will speak with the child 1:1.

  3. A phone call will be made to the parent or guardian.

  4. If the behavior persists and is significantly disruptive to the group experience or creates an unsafe environment for the child or others, the child will be dismissed from the remainder of the program without refund.

Evaluations

Shortly after your camp session we will follow up with a brief evaluation form. Please take time to complete and return the form. We want to make Cardboard Camp and Tinkering Camp better and better!

 

Support and Financial Aid

Rediscover is a 501(c)3 organization. Our work depends on donations: financial, in-kind, and volunteering. Please consider us among your philanthropic causes and spread the word about our work.

 

Rediscover Center provides financial aid to income-qualified families for camps and classes. Learn more and apply at rediscovercenter.org/financial-aid.

 

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