Who may attend Fantastic Magic Camp?
The Magic Camp is designed for children ages 6 through 12, although we consider making exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Campers are grouped by age and experience. We offer some seasonal programs, like Performer’s Academy, that is for ages up to 16.
What is the ratio of campers to counselors?
We follow a 5:1 counselor to camper ratio. To learn more about our counselor training program, see the Youth Leadership Training page.
My camper was in the Spade group last week, but this week they are in the Diamond group; why did this change?
Our camper groups are built based on age and experience per session. In order to keep our camper to counselor ratio, we frequently adjust group titles based on each session’s needs. Because of this, they may be in a different group each new session they attend. Our group titles include: Spades, Hearts, Clubs, Diamond, Aces, Jokers, Rabbits, Top Hats, Wands, Playing Cards, Puppets, Juggling Clubs, Scarves and more!
Can my child be in the same group as a particular friend?
Groups are formed based on age and experience. We will take requests into consideration, but may not always be able to make adjustments. However, all campers have ample opportunity to spend time with friends before classes, during snack breaks and lunch, bonus class, and after camp. We often find it best to separate siblings regardless of age to give each child an opportunity to grow individually. If you prefer otherwise, please talk to us prior to camp.
What about lunch and snack?
Please pack a sack lunch and at least 2 snacks that requires no refrigeration or heating. Due to common allergies, we ask families to avoid sending nut and peanut products. We recommend campers bring a sealable, non-spill water bottle.
Do you provide any outdoor activities, or is everything indoors?
When the weather allows, we do allow for optional outdoor activities. Our main classes are done in air-conditioned comfort inside, to guard against problems caused by the summer heat in Texas. Campers engage in physical activity during organized indoor games, daily juggling classes, and other skill workshops.
Can my child come to more than one session?
Absolutely! A camper coming to our camp for the first time takes our well-established beginner curriculum, and after that, they take a constantly changing series of courses designed to enhance those basic skills. There will always be some review, of course, but each session offers a new curriculum and new challenges.
Can my child bring a friend who is visiting to camp for just one day?
We do offer daily registration for most of our camps, so yes! Your child is welcome to share the magic of camp with friends, and signing up for just a day is the perfect way to try us out! Attendants or care-giving staff for children with disabilities who need them, may come for free.
Is Fantastic Magic Camp licensed by the state of Texas?
As a single-subject program, Fantastic Magic Camp is not licensed by the state of Texas.
My child has special needs; can you accommodate them?
Almost certainly! Fantastic Magic Camp is a mainstream day camp in Austin. It is not targeted at any particular group of children.
If a child with special needs has an attendant to assist him or her with daily activities at school or camp, the attendant is of course welcome to accompany the child to Fantastic Magic Camp.
Although our staff has limited training for kids with disabilities, we have had some wonderful successes with children who have ADD, ADHD, OCD, Tourette’s syndrome, Down syndrome, or conditions on the autism spectrum disorder, as well as those who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or vision impaired, or have mobility challenges. We recognize that we cannot meet the needs of every child, but we are eager to try!
If your child has a particular need, please let us know in advance. We appreciate the opportunity to consult with you and your child’s support team and healthcare providers. Whenever possible, we will include best practices for addressing your child’s needs in our staff training.
What are the Performer's Academy and the Monster Performer's Academy?
These programs feature a strong emphasis on performance and theater and culminate with a “big” performance at the end of the session. These programs are only offered during three of our summer sessions. For more information, please visit our Performers Academy page.
Is any financial assistance available?
Yes, Fantastic Magic Camp maintains the Jason Caballero Scholarship Fund to help defray tuition for campers who might otherwise not be able to attend. For more information and to apply, please see the Scholarships page.
What is your tax ID or EIN for childcare reimbursement?
The EIN is 27-4230018. We established “Magic Camp USA, LLC” and dba “Fantastic Magic Camp” in 2011.
Do you have discounts?
In addition to scholarship opportunities, we do offer discounts from time to time, including sibling discounts. Unless otherwise noted (e.g., "bundles"), discounts cannot be stacked. The system will always calculate the discount that will give you the greatest discount, but it will not allow you to use multiple discount offers on the same order.
What is your cancellation policy?
To cancel a registration, there is a $100 fee per camper per week. However, that amount can be applied to a future registration.