Happy Campers Daycare

Happy Campers was a great part of our sons life and he did miss GiGi and her staff when he left.
The entire staff is super sweet and truly love what they do. GiGi was always super excited to see our son and we used her to get him out of the house in the mornings when he was having a rough morning, we’d tell him he gets to go see GiGi and David needed his help feeding the fish. That’s all it took for him to immediately get dressed and out the door.
As for the people saying she doesn’t answer her phone, I NEVER experienced that. GiGi was always VERY responsive with any question or concern or change in plans we had. She responds even during off hours.
I would highly recommend HC to anyone looking for a great place for their kids.

The tour was what sold me. I came in at 5pm when parents usually pick up their children, but at the time i came I witnessed a playdate! All the parents were playing with their own children and other children (and parents). I didn’t need to ask a barrage of questions, I witnessed the trust and satisfaction in Gigi by seeing the comfort of these parents. I am so glad I did a Unilocal search to find this local daycare.
When looking for care for your infant, toddler or child you will be impressed at the adult to child ratio. Usually it’s about 1 adult to 3 children (including babies) because of the extra help her family chips on a daily basis. This is truly a family and home based daycare. They run the daycare out of their home and maintain safety and coziness elements the way I would at my own home.
For my two children who have been cared for by Gigi I have learned and appreciated the advice and experience Gigi offered to me about being a parent– and that really helps out in a family with two working parents. Gigi is understanding of parents schedules and stresses and alleviates those worries with her gentle demeanor and personal experience (she has 2 children in college and beyond). A common reassurance she says to me when I share my current parenting frustrations is «don’t worry, its only temporary». And this is almost always true. Having this outlook reassures me that she applies the same philosophy with the kids at daycare and explains why the kids love her so much. She accepts them and adjusts to their discoveries; good days and tired days; when they want to sleep long or short. Additionally her experience as a mother and for caring for many babies/​children over the years has allowed her to know how to react and care for sick kids– and to know when it’s a cold vs a real sickness. This matters when you’ve got a cold passed around your family or the daycare and you’re already taking 2, 3, sick days and even work from home some days to be with your child. Once Gigi knows any fever is gone she reassures you that she will care for your recovering child (maybe with a runny nose still, maybe a lingering residual cough) because she understands you have a job to return to. Gigi will go to necessary measures to ensure your almost recovered child isn’t possibly getting other kids sick by separating toys and having them nap in separate rooms. How flexible is that?!
I feel welcome to chit chat and talk about my children’s developments and what they ate if I wanted to, or I could just drop by and scoop the kids up in a hurry. And what excellent service when I can text message gigi to meet me outside her house for drop-​off so I don’t have to leave my older child unattended in the car.
For birthdays Gigi always prepares a cake and decorates her space with the birthday child’s name.
If I needed to, I could leave my kids with gigi until they turn 18!

This is my third update for Happy Campers.
My daughter left 2 months ago for preschool. Happy Campers was the best experience for our family. My daughter was loved by Gigi and her family and assistants throughout her time here — Happy Campers was truly and extension of our family. My daughter really thrived here — we miss Happy Campers!!! We will continue to keep in touch and visit when we can.
If you are looking for a daycare and Happy Campers has an opening, do not even hesitate to enroll your child! Best choice we ever made.

My family and I were so fortunate to have found Happy Campers. This daycare is absolutely wonderful. We can’t say enough nice things about this daycare. Gigi, her family, and her helpers truly care for and love the children.
My son started at Happy Campers just after his 1^st birthday and we have recently moved out of the area just after his 2^nd birthday.
Gigi has kids from infants to toddlers. The kids move on to preschool when they are 2.5 or so. There are never more than maybe 7 kids, so the ratio of adults is always very good.
The things we love most about Happy Campers:
1. Gigi has that «magic touch» that you love to see in care providers. She seems to always know exactly what each kid needs based on their individuality. She is amazing at providing structure and discipline, she teaches them about boundaries and manners in a way that the kids really respond to. At the same time, she creates a very supportive, loving, and FUN (!) environment in which all the kids can really flourish.
2. Gigi follows safety and hygiene standards to a T. The place is kept very clean, and I remember watching how she changes diapers, just amazed at how clean and sterile she can make a usually messy task. She teaches the kids to go to the sink and wash their hands with soap (my son is always asking for soap now!)
3. She really goes above and beyond in so many ways. She makes them nutritious home cooked meals. She celebrates every kids birthday (cake, ice cream and a present!). She gives them each a present at the end of the year. She celebrates each going away/​graduation. She makes every kid feel special.
4. She has a really great philosophy about kids. For her she wants her kids to feel self-​confident, which I think is a great thing to aspire to as the kids get into preschool age.
5. She sincerely loves what she does. That actually is all that should matter :-)
Now that we’ve moved away and have tried out a few new daycares/​preschool, we really appreciate what we had at Happy Campers. I would highly recommend this daycare to anyone!

I had a similar experience as OJ, no one ever answers the phone or calls us back. This is scary. If I can’t communicate with the staff, I don’t want my child there.

We contacted this daycare because they have all five star ratings on Unilocal.We visited and were mostly impressed with the daycare. Gilda said she should have space for us and we should call back in a month. Once we were ready to make our selection, we made about three phone calls and stopped by twice and Gilda never got back to us. If there wasn’t space for our daughter, Gilda at least should have taken the time to call us back and let us know.

It would be impossible to add much that the other reviews (especially my wife’s very thorough and detailed assessment) haven’t already said, but I want to reinforce all of those accolades since Gilda and her family and her staff were absolutely wonderful for us in every imaginable way during the two and a half years our daughter was with Happy Campers. «Gigi» is as devoted and thoughtful and attentive and professional as it gets – I had ample opportunity in the time she served as our daycare provider to see her address some tricky, sticky situations and she handled them all with aplomb, managing whenever possible to achieve a positive outcome with every challenge. She also goes above and beyond in many ways, recognizing each child’s temperament and potential and addressing their needs appropriately – she helped our daughter get a significant head start on pre-​school curriculum before «graduating,» and did it all with smiles and fun and boundless energy. Our little girl will go on to many other schools, but I know she will never be better loved or looked after than she was here. Thank you, Gilda.

I can’t say enough GREAT things about Gigi, the happy campers teachers and this daycare. Gigi, the founder, is one of the most incredible, thoughtful and caring childcare providers, friend, partner I have ever met and someone who has an incredible knack with kids. My two kids both LOVE her and the teachers and always look forward to going to school there. My 2 year old is never excited about going anywhere without her mommy and daddy — but Happy Campers is the exception, The environment/​school is incredibly clean and Gigi/​her team do an incredibly job of feeding the kids, playing/​teaching and making sure they are learning/​growing and most importantly, having fun.
I am incredibly grateful to Gigi and Happy Campers for being incredibly childcare partners to my husband and I. Tristin and Bella have graduated from the school but we were lucky to have found someone who cared, loved and nurtured both kids as their own. It truly is a very HAPPYplace and I can’t say enough great things about the community, school and environment that Gigi has nurtured over the years!

My husband Adam rang the doorbell at Happy Campers Daycare one Friday afternoon. He was there to pick up our 6-​month old daughter, who has been there since she was 3 months. Adam was met at the door by Gilda, known by all as Gigi. Gigi immediately informed him that it was one of the kids’ birthdays and that everyone was in the other room celebrating. She was turning 3 and had been going to Gigi’s since she was 6 months old. He proceeded into the communal area where the birthday girl was smiling bright next to her 3 little friends, holding a big smiley face balloon next to her very own birthday cake. HAPPY BIRTHDAY was posted in big bright letters across the wall. Adam looked to the couch and noticed Gigi’s mother in law, Nini, holding our daughter, who was rocking a festive party hat. The birthday girl’s parents were also sitting on the couch joining in the celebration. It was a moment that typifies Happy Campers. Gigi and her staff of devoted friends and family show each and every child such warmth and give each and every parent such confidence that their babies are in capable, loving hands. On his way out of the party, a sweet and friendly Happy Campers employee named Anne offered my husband a piece of cake and made sure our daughter had a balloon to go home with.
We often talk about how lucky we feel to have found such a loving, caring daycare for our daughter. I was so nervous as a first time mother to drop my 3 month old infant off at a day care full time. I can honestly say that I am so confident in our decision to bring our daughter to Happy Campers. We absolutely adore everyone at Happy Campers — I feel like we are taking our daughter to Gramma’s house every day. It is such a warm, loving family environment. They take such wonderful care of our daughter, I wouldn’t dream of taking her to any other daycare.

I’m very pleased with Happy Campers Daycare. I think your child will be well taken care of there. My daughter is 21 months old and has been going to Happy Campers since she was 7 months old. I can not say enough good things about Gilda (Gigi), the woman who runs it, and her family, who assist. Here are some of the things I love about this daycare.
ENVIRONMENT
The space is clean and tidy every day. It looks recently redone. There is good lighting even on foggy days, and there is a safe backyard area for the kids to play in. There are plenty of toys to play with, but not so many that it gets cluttered and overwhelmed with mess. All the expected childproof devices are in place, and the entire daycare is 2 spacious rooms so it’s easy to keep an eye on the kids. The neighborhood is also safe.
ACTIVITIES
During the day, the children play with toys and with each other. There are also books, music, and all kinds of learning disguised as play; at 21 months, our daughter can recognize and say basic colors, shapes, animals, numbers, and letters AND most amazing to me is that she has started singing a handful of songs including her ABCs! I know my husband and I can’t take credit for all of that, and it must be that she’s learning a lot at daycare. I also attribute my daughter’s socialization skills to being around other children and having loving caregivers like Gilda and her husband.
COMMUNICATION
Gilda is always friendly and positive, and at the end of the day when we pick our daughter up, she takes care to let us know about what happened during the day. She accommodates our nitpicky requests to know how our girl ate, drank, slept, and pooped every day! She’s also great about communicating via email and text.
SCHEDULING AND HOURS
Gilda has been very accommodating of our need for flexible scheduling; there were months when our daughter attended full-​time and months when she’s only gone 3 days a week, and Gilda has been very generous in working with that. Their hours are *extremely* flexible as well. I know some daycares expect you to be there the same time every day, or if you miss a dropoff time, you can’t come again until the second dropoff time. With Happy Campers, there is the option of flexible dropoff times, which is great. She even babysits for us occasionally, and our girl loves having dinner with their family.
FOOD
Speaking of which, it’s absolutely fantastic that they provide hot breakfast and lunch as well as morning and afternoon snack. Such a relief not having to pack anything. It’s so good that we have to step up our culinary game at home to keep up with the excellent home-​cooked food she receives at daycare! And when my baby was still drinking breastmilk and formula, Gilda was wonderful about making sure she drank as much as was necessary and offering formula if the baby was still hungry.
HEALTH
Healthwise, when my girl shows signs of teething pain or fever, Gilda has been sure to contact me to check what she should do, though I trust her implicitly if she can’t get a hold of me. In addition, Happy Campers is a licensed daycare trained in first aid and CPR.
CHILD-​STAFF RATIO AND DISCIPLINE
Currently, there are only a few children at the daycare, which I love, so the kids all get lots and lots of attention and love.
While my daughter is younger and only starting to get time-​outs, I have seen Gilda in action with an older child, and she handled the situation very well – she’s loving but firm. I’ve seen her handle separation anxiety, and she always keeps her cool and gets the child to calm down.
COST
The best part is that Happy Campers is SO affordable. Really affordable, especially considering the great quality of care and Gilda’s willingness to work with the family.
As a footnote, while it’s not necessarily a requirement for a successful daycare, I like that Gilda and her husband have 2 grown kids who seem happy and healthy, and one helps with the daycare.
Don’t hesitate to apply – we love it here and you will, too.