WHEN
Once a week: Monday OR Tuesday and/or Wednesday OR Thursday
Campers (2nd-5th grade): after school until 5:00pm
CITs (6th-9th grade): after school until 5:30pm
WHERE
All Programs held at the "pumpkin church"
129 Miller Ave, Portsmouth
Follow this link to view current After School Programs
ARRIVAL
- Little Harbour School: We meet those who attend Little Harbour at dismissal for the walk to our headquarters. John can be found standing on the sidewalk near the playground with a flag. Please have your child meet us there, dressed for the weather. It’s wise to let your child’s teacher know to dismiss them as a walker so they can meet Planet Rangers after school. We inform the front office of the same information. If your child is going to miss a Planet Rangers day for any reason, be sure to let us know so we’re not waiting for them at dismissal. John’s cell is (603) 957-0074.
- Portsmouth Middle School: CITs walk or bike the three blocks from school to Planet Rangers HQ at dismissal time.
- All Other Schools: Many campers and CITs come to us from other great Seacoast schools. If that’s you, kindly drop your child at PR headquarters (address below) with our staff anytime between 2:45 and 3:15. If we are helping to coordinate carpool transportation, contact us by email to confirm arrangements.
EARLY RELEASE DAYS
When early release days happen on a program day, we now offer a super fun Early Birds program to cover the extra time kids have between the school’s noon dismissal days and our 2:45 program start time. The cost is $30 per day for campers and $18 per day for CITs. Arrival instructions are the same as above.
AN ENERGIZING SNACK
We provide a hearty themed snack family style at the start of each program day. It’s a good way to start our time together and a chance for kids to get to know their CITs and other campers… while trying some tasty food!
DEPARTURE
Campers finish at 5:00, CITs at 5:30pm. Pickup is at the pumpkin church hall in Portsmouth. The address is 129 Miller Avenue. Although we’re usually deeply into the current day’s adventures and reluctant to cut it off, we do make a concerted effort to be done within 5 minutes of that time.
A Typical Afternoon at Planet Rangers… (If there is such a thing!)
At Planet Rangers, our mission is to grow great qualities in kids. Each afternoon is carefully crafted with enough structure to make kids feel secure and enough creative freedom that they can get really inspired by the topic and their community. It’s a chance to shift their mindset after any day at school.
Magic, fun, camaraderie and adventure abound as campers and CITs alike stretch their comfort zones, learning about their selves and the amazing world around them. You can expect to greet happy energized kids each day at pick up – full of stories for the ride home!
- Each week, campers and CITs arrive at Planet Rangers HQ from many directions within a half-hour window. Whether they’ve walked, biked or carpooled to Planet Rangers, they get a great feeling as soon as they walk through the door, knowing that friends, adventures, and a hearty snack await.
- After a family-style snack with their color team, campers and CITs enter the theme of the day, meeting new characters, working on projects, and truly becoming part of the story in hands-on ways.
- At the end of the day, when campers head home, CITs stay to help clean up, re-set the spaces we’ve used and debrief the day in a targeted leadership development meeting. The questions asked and guidance shared give CITs perspective on their progress as a leader and help them grow even more the next week.
- On the last day, parents are invited to attend a culminating finale event. Campers and CITs are so eager to showcase what they’ve learned during the 5-week session and teach it to others in loads of fun ways. We hope you can join – and enjoy a little of the Planet Rangers magic yourself!
Just like the kids we serve, we’re learning and growing all the time too!
If you have feedback, questions or ideas that would improve the Summer Rangers experience for your child, please let us know.