• Summer Camps

Types of camps in and around Calgary

Camps today offer a spectrum of opportunities for learning, sports, engagement with various arts and more. Your choices are many! Here’s a look at the camp activities available around the city.

Camps outside of Calgary

Towns, cities and regions surrounding Calgary have a different flavour than camps within the bounds of the city. That might mean a traditional overnight camp experience for your child(ren), a quieter setting, or unique adventures that are simply unavailable in an urban location.

Be sure to consider the following alternatives:

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Benefits of attending camp

Both parents and children may have trepidation about attending summer camp, but it's so much better for kids to be spending time in a camp than remaining alone at home. It's precisely the "breaking out of your comfort zone" that makes camp so valuable. As Rick Mercer says, at camp, "you do things you never thought you would ever do." The whole point of attending a summer camp in Calgary is to grow in ways you can't when you're sitting at home on your cell phone or in front of the TV.

Take a fuller look at a complete list of the benefits of attending a Calgary kids camp.

Finding the right camp

When searching for a Calgary summer camp, you should consider whether it is accredited by the Alberta Camping Association (ACA). This provincial organization visits camps regularly (at least once every three years) and checks compliance with standards in all areas ranging from finances to safety to environmental standards. That said, many great camps are not members of the ACA, offering well-run, safe programs.

Aside from that concern, there are other questions Calgary parents should bear in mind as they investigate summer camps and March Break camps:

You want to know how the camp protects kids’ and teens’ safety.  For example, how well are counselors screened? Are they required to get a police information check (aka a vulnerable sector verification)? Do counselors have training in TRACKS, a program specially designed to help camp counselors deal with conflict resolution and related issues?

You want to understand the camp goals and expectations. Many camps have specific learning or training goals (as with sports camps) that they set out to achieve over a session. With non-traditional camps, there may be an intensive learning or personal development aspect to the camp that requires kids to bring things to camp (anything from sports equipment to pre-requisite learning). Be sure you understand where the camp expects your child to start from, and where they will arrive in the end. 

Camp is all the more fun, when you are properly prepared. Please review our growing collection of advice on finding the best camp and preparing:

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