How to Find the Best Children's Outdoor Camps in Ontario

Outdoor camps are a wonderful way to let your kids enjoy some fun and learning, while you take a break from parenting. Adventure camps are like a sweet, day care (some are overnight programs), where your child gets to participate in lots of organized activities that revolve around outdoor activities, arts and leadership building. 

When it comes to children's outdoor camps, Ontario's wilderness is a wonderful setting. The region is home to a number of innovative sleepaway camps, outdoor programs and activity centers where your kids can learn to invent like a scientist, swim like a pro or hike like the world's famous adventurers. 

How to choose children's outdoor camps in Ontario 

Since there are such a variety of adventure camps in Ontario, you should choose one for your child only after plenty of research. Think about the following questions when you compare programs and what they have to offer.  

· How old is your child?

· Are you looking for an overnight camp or a day camp? 

· Do you want an adventure camp for girls or would you prefer co-ed facilities? 

· What kind of activities is your child interested in? 

· What do you want your child to learn? What skills or personality traits do you think he or she needs to develop? 

Based on your answers to the questions above, you will be able to narrow down your choices, which are many. 

What types of adventure camps are available in Ontario? 

Wilderness camps in Ontario offer many summer sports like swimming, hiking, camping, canoeing, sailing, archery, horseback riding, whitewater rafting and others. These activities may be organized in the Algonquin Park wilderness, on Lake Huron, in Muskoka, near the lakes of Onondaga, Lake Temagami, near the Niagara escarpment and other exciting areas of Ontario. You will find outdoor events to suit kids of all ages from 5 - 18, depending on the intensity and complexity of the activities involved. Wilderness programs set in these areas inspire the best in outdoor fun. Kids and young adults of all ages will find some activity they enjoy from among the variety offered at Ontario's camps. 

Many adventure programs for kids are seasonal, usually held during the summer, while some are held all the year round. You will be able to find camps that are co-ed as well as gender-specific. It is up to you to decide if you want to send your child to a co-ed group or a gender-specific camp. 

Some programs offer non-traditional adventures, such as soccer in Mississauga or a camp with golf and gymnastics on the agenda. Most adventure and camp educational programs are competitive, with kids having fun while they learn to do their best during the activities. 

What other activities will my kid participate in? 

Besides traditional camping activities like outdoor games and sports, many programs offer kids the opportunity to get involved in exciting environmental issues. This could mean learning about sustainable living, renewable energy, and how to live with as little harm to the earth's ecosystem as possible. Your kids could come away from such a program and come up with their renewable resource ideas to apply around the house, and become more energy conscious. 

Other activities could include photography, pottery, stained glass, theater, astronomy, singing or musical instruments, woodworking etc. There are plenty of such programs in Ontario, from which you can easily find one that suits your child perfectly. 

Why should I send my child to summer camp? 

If you think back to your childhood, you may recall that camping and camp stories were an integral part of your memories of growing up. They can be the same for your child too. Kids also often find out at camp what they are good at. This gives kids a sense of confidence and a positive attitude which they begin to apply in their lives. 

Adventure camping takes the aspect of learning a step further. It gives kids a chance to have fun with outdoor sports, and they end up learning more than they are expected to. After all, camp means hands-on experience, unique challenges that your child probably doesn't face in everyday life, and team activities where they have to co-operate with others to accomplish something. These are reasons enough to send your child for a few days into Ontario's wonderful wilderness, under the guidance of qualified and friendly adults. 

Give your child a fun-filled and educational summer by sending him or her to an adventure camp. But compare programs and locations before you do so, and make sure that you ask your child for inputs on where they want to go.