About
Big Oak Day Camp (Camp Concepts) includes activities such as GaGa, Capture the Flag, four square, tennis, pickleball, team challenge games, Tchoukball, BBK, and themed games like Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. The camp also runs special events including Staff Survivor finals and Iron Chef, and offers a Teen Travel program of weekly off-campus trips. Campers take part in a swim program in the indoor pool at Carl Sandburg Middle School.
• Ages: 2–14 years old
• Schedule: Summer 2026, June 8 to August 7; all Teen Travel trips are scheduled for Tuesdays unless otherwise noted or affected by unforeseen factors
• Price: COST- Please visit our 'dates & rates' page.
Big Oak Day Camp is a summer day camp owned and operated by career teachers, with an administrative team that has more than 230 years of combined teaching and camp leadership experience. Since 2003, Camp Concepts has been designing and administrating summer camp programs for kids and has been described as a highly respected mainstay in Bucks County day camps for over 30 years, with a reputation for excellence throughout Bucks County and as one of the best camp programs in the region. The program is educator owned and operated and is described as creating a strong community environment where each camper is a known and valued member, with a family-like atmosphere for staff and campers.
The leadership team includes Steve Haines (Executive Director), Steve Bernardini (Assistant Executive Director), Linda Schloo (Account Services), Debbie Kirk (Expressions Day Camp Director), Ashley Carlson (Director of Little Buds), Jennifer Schloo (Little Buds Assistant Director), and Stefanie Schloo (Logistics & Special Programming Specialist). A dedicated Lead Counselor guides each group, supported by an Associate Counselor, Junior Counselor, and/or a Counselor-In-Training. Steve Haines founded Camp Concepts and has over 25 years of experience as a middle school teacher, 14 years as director of the George School Summer Day Camp, and holds a B.S. in Education and a Master’s degree in History. Steve Bernardini brings over 40 years of teaching, coaching, and camp leadership experience, including work as a math, science, and PE teacher and coach at Buckingham Friends School. Debbie has been a teacher in the Philadelphia School District for over twenty years; Ashley is a middle school teacher and graduated from Bucknell University with Elementary & Early Childhood Education; Jennifer teaches first grade in the Allentown School District and holds a degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s in Early Childhood Literacy from Wilkes University; Stefanie graduated from DeSales University, majoring in International Studies, Marketing, and History.
The camp groups are co-ed and based on grade levels, with Junior Camp for kids entering grades 1–5 and Senior Teen Camp for those entering grades 6–9. Senior Camp has an expanded program that includes choice in schedule selection and the Teen Travel program of weekly off-campus trips. Older campers can also take part in weekly Curiosity Shops, where they select from different choice activities based on their interests or join what their friends are doing. Every camper is provided a lunch prepared fresh on-site, with a choice of hot or cold entrees, salad bar, fresh fruit, dessert, and options including turkey and cheese, ham and cheese, PBJ, or Nutella sandwiches. Dietary restrictions are noted on the medical form, with a follow-up by email or phone call to confirm that desired accommodations can be safely handled, and campers may pack a lunch if they prefer or have particular likes and dislikes.
The mission of Camp Concepts states that the real value of camp extends beyond the program or fun, focusing on social and emotional learning. The camps are described as designed to promote fun, interaction, and personal growth through diverse and innovative but facilitated activities, including team-based games and creative problem-solving tasks that encourage collaboration, communication, risk taking, and increased self-confidence. The program prioritizes community and self-discovery over skill acquisition and winning, and works to ensure every camper feels valued, encouraged, and known. The camp refers to memorable and meaningful moments as “M & M Moments” or “M&M moments,” and describes its goal as creating impactful and unforgettable camp experiences that shape the lives of campers and staff.
Camp Concepts notes that it has a reputation for excellence throughout Bucks County and has been recognized with several local awards. Big Oak Day Camp has been named BEST in BUCKS Camp Winner 2020 and BEST in Yardley winner five years running, and the organization states it is very proud of being a Best in Bucks category winner and a multi-year Best in Yardley winner. The program also notes Steve Haines’s role as the C.O.O. of Global Connections Foundation, an NGO that focuses on empowering Kenyan people to greater self-reliance through entrepreneurship and education. Families are asked to follow a specific traffic flow for morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up, and the camp provides a map that can be printed and given to anyone responsible for transportation.
Last updated August 8, 2026.
• Ages: 2–14 years old
• Schedule: Summer 2026, June 8 to August 7; all Teen Travel trips are scheduled for Tuesdays unless otherwise noted or affected by unforeseen factors
• Price: COST- Please visit our 'dates & rates' page.
Big Oak Day Camp is a summer day camp owned and operated by career teachers, with an administrative team that has more than 230 years of combined teaching and camp leadership experience. Since 2003, Camp Concepts has been designing and administrating summer camp programs for kids and has been described as a highly respected mainstay in Bucks County day camps for over 30 years, with a reputation for excellence throughout Bucks County and as one of the best camp programs in the region. The program is educator owned and operated and is described as creating a strong community environment where each camper is a known and valued member, with a family-like atmosphere for staff and campers.
The leadership team includes Steve Haines (Executive Director), Steve Bernardini (Assistant Executive Director), Linda Schloo (Account Services), Debbie Kirk (Expressions Day Camp Director), Ashley Carlson (Director of Little Buds), Jennifer Schloo (Little Buds Assistant Director), and Stefanie Schloo (Logistics & Special Programming Specialist). A dedicated Lead Counselor guides each group, supported by an Associate Counselor, Junior Counselor, and/or a Counselor-In-Training. Steve Haines founded Camp Concepts and has over 25 years of experience as a middle school teacher, 14 years as director of the George School Summer Day Camp, and holds a B.S. in Education and a Master’s degree in History. Steve Bernardini brings over 40 years of teaching, coaching, and camp leadership experience, including work as a math, science, and PE teacher and coach at Buckingham Friends School. Debbie has been a teacher in the Philadelphia School District for over twenty years; Ashley is a middle school teacher and graduated from Bucknell University with Elementary & Early Childhood Education; Jennifer teaches first grade in the Allentown School District and holds a degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s in Early Childhood Literacy from Wilkes University; Stefanie graduated from DeSales University, majoring in International Studies, Marketing, and History.
The camp groups are co-ed and based on grade levels, with Junior Camp for kids entering grades 1–5 and Senior Teen Camp for those entering grades 6–9. Senior Camp has an expanded program that includes choice in schedule selection and the Teen Travel program of weekly off-campus trips. Older campers can also take part in weekly Curiosity Shops, where they select from different choice activities based on their interests or join what their friends are doing. Every camper is provided a lunch prepared fresh on-site, with a choice of hot or cold entrees, salad bar, fresh fruit, dessert, and options including turkey and cheese, ham and cheese, PBJ, or Nutella sandwiches. Dietary restrictions are noted on the medical form, with a follow-up by email or phone call to confirm that desired accommodations can be safely handled, and campers may pack a lunch if they prefer or have particular likes and dislikes.
The mission of Camp Concepts states that the real value of camp extends beyond the program or fun, focusing on social and emotional learning. The camps are described as designed to promote fun, interaction, and personal growth through diverse and innovative but facilitated activities, including team-based games and creative problem-solving tasks that encourage collaboration, communication, risk taking, and increased self-confidence. The program prioritizes community and self-discovery over skill acquisition and winning, and works to ensure every camper feels valued, encouraged, and known. The camp refers to memorable and meaningful moments as “M & M Moments” or “M&M moments,” and describes its goal as creating impactful and unforgettable camp experiences that shape the lives of campers and staff.
Camp Concepts notes that it has a reputation for excellence throughout Bucks County and has been recognized with several local awards. Big Oak Day Camp has been named BEST in BUCKS Camp Winner 2020 and BEST in Yardley winner five years running, and the organization states it is very proud of being a Best in Bucks category winner and a multi-year Best in Yardley winner. The program also notes Steve Haines’s role as the C.O.O. of Global Connections Foundation, an NGO that focuses on empowering Kenyan people to greater self-reliance through entrepreneurship and education. Families are asked to follow a specific traffic flow for morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up, and the camp provides a map that can be printed and given to anyone responsible for transportation.
Last updated August 8, 2026.
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