Welcoming International campers
- Ivan Gallegos
- May 5
- 5 min read
Updated: May 6
Every year we have parents outside of Canada asking us if their children can join our camp despite not being Canadian, and the answer is YES! Any child between the ages of 5 and 12 is welcome to our camp as long as they have a basic understanding of English which will allow them to follow instructions and ask questions. Every summer we welcome children from Korea, Brazil, France, China, Spain, etc. who join us for one or several weeks with the purpose of having a good time and practicing their English.
What is a summer day camp?
A summer camp takes place in the summer months of July and August when children are off from school in Canada. A day camp is a week-long (Monday to Friday) program for the day only and does NOT include accommodation (unlike overnight camps). Day camps are designed for parents who need care for their children during working hours in the summer when kids are out of school. Besides multi-activity camps such as ours, others are specialized in sports or different skills, from academic to artistic.
A summer camp is not a summer school and does not provide academic credits for school programs. However, many camps provide learning and training opportunities in a variety of skills, including social skills, teamwork, problem solving and conflict resolution.
What to expect at Toronto Kidz Summer Camp?
Lots of fun and good times. Toronto Kidz is a day camp that runs in July and August in the city of Toronto and offers weekly programs from Monday to Friday. Our regular hours are from 9 am to 4:30 pm, with the option of extended hours starting at 8 am and finishing at 5:30 pm. Campers are dropped off and picked up by parents at the location that was booked for their day camp experience.
Each week comes with a different theme, such as Dinosaurs, Space, Pirates & Mermaids, etc. for our younger campers and themes like Detective, Leadership and Magic for our Junior Campers at select locations. The themes serve as inspiration for the field trip, activities, games and crafts each week. The themes change weekly, which keeps activities and field trips new and fresh each week.
Children are organized in groups by age and supervised at all times by two counsellors per group. Each day, they will play games, do activities and crafts inspired by the theme of the week. They will spend a lot of time outside every day at nearby parks and green spaces. The highlight of the week is always the field trip. We take our campers to popular places like the Ripley's Aquarium, the CN Tower, Little Canada, etc. We take chartered school buses to get to and return from our field trip destinations.
Another highlight is the visit of a special character like a Unicorn, a Pirate, a Dinosaur, etc. We also offer a "Water Day" when we take the children to a wading pool or splash pad at a nearby park or set up water play onsite. Finally, on Fridays, we organize a scavenger hunt, and we end the week with a dance party.
All materials and supplies are included, as well as entrance tickets and transportation to the field trips. However, meals are not included thus, children need to bring snacks for 3 meal breaks each day.
Where to go?
This upcoming summer, we will run camp at 11 locations in Toronto and Etobicoke. You can find the addresses and a map on the Home page. Our camp locations are in family-friendly neighbourhoods with plenty of green spaces nearby for us to explore on our outings. They are all accessible by public transportation, and can also be reached by car. Our Roncesvalles, Ossington, Eglinton and Rosedale camps are the closest to downtown Toronto and great places to find an Airbnb or small hotel for your stay in Toronto. The location you choose is where you will drop off and pick up your camper each day.
How do I register?
To register for our camp, you choose the week(s) that you'd like to register your child(ren) and the location that is most convenient for you based on proximity to your accommodation during your stay in Toronto. On each of our location pages, you can see the dates, themes and availability of that specific camp location. Once you have decided on the dates and location, please proceed to our Parent Portal where you'll create an account, complete your profile, and select the location and the week(s) of your choice. Please fill out all the forms, and then you can pay using a credit card (Visa or Mastercard). Once completed, you will receive a confirmation email (please check your Spam or Promotions folder in case you can't see it come through). About a week before the camp starts, you'll receive a detailed logistics email with all the information you need for the week.
What to bring?
Your camper should bring a small backpack to fit their two snacks, their lunch and their water bottle. They should also bring sunscreen and a hat each day. For younger campers, we recommend bringing a change of clothes just in case. As summers can bring some rainy days in Toronto, it's a good idea to bring rain boots and a raincoat for your child and send them to camp when it rains. For our Water Days, your child will need a bathing suit and a small towel. They can be changed at home in the morning, and after Water Play, they change back into their regular clothes at the camp.
Tips for families visiting Toronto
With Toronto being the biggest City in Canada and the 4th largest in North America by population, it's an exciting and bustling place to spend some time in the summer! It's a very family-friendly city with plenty of parks and green spaces in low-rise neighbourhoods around the core of the city. The biggest and most popular park is High Park in the West End. There is a public swimming pool, tennis courts, playgrounds and even a small zoo for free. Lots of forest and green areas, including ravines, creeks and ponds to explore. Three of our camp locations are walking distance from High Park and include a visit to it every week. These are High Park North (Glenlake), Roncesvalles and Swansea.
Toronto has many different neighbourhoods to choose from, such as Little Italy, The Annex, Koreatown, etc. Each has its charm and special things to see and explore. Most of our locations are very close to some of those fun neighbourhoods, while others are in a bit quieter residential areas. In all parts of the city, it's easy to find accommodation to rent over the summer.
Public transportation is easy to navigate with only 3 subway lines and 7 streetcar routes. Children travel for free up to the age of 12 on subways, streetcars and city buses. Traffic is busy due to the high number of cars on the roads and construction work in the city during the summer. Hence, it is important to choose your accommodation wisely in order to avoid long commutes and journeys through the city during your stay. All of our camp locations are accessible using public transit, and they are located in quiet neighbourhoods.
There are many attractions in the city with plenty of museums, events and places to explore with your family during your stay. Our camp includes a field trip each week to the most popular attractions like the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium, the Royal Ontario Museum, Little Canada, the Toronto Railway Museum, and more. There's always something going on in Toronto in the summer months, and you'll have plenty of things to plan for fun weekends while your children aren't at camp!
If you have questions, don't hesitate to send us an email at campers@torontokidz.ca.
Comments