The variety of girls' camps
Girls-only traditional camps offer a slate of activities focused on a variety of fun. Typical outdoor fun ranges from swimming and canoeing to ziplining. Many girls' summer camps include both outdoor adventure and creative programming. Some girls camps are traditional multi-activity camps, while others are specialized around one main interest.
Find TRADITIONAL GIRLS' CAMPS
Other girls’ camps are more specialized. Find your favourite activity listed below, and you’ll find girls-only camps that focus on it.
Girls' sports camps
Sports camps exclusive to girls have grown exponentially in recent years, notably girls' soccer camps. Girls at these camps meet and compete with peers of their own skill level. It’s a great way to grow skills in the sport you love. Some camps taught by women’s sport veterans are especially inspiring. Each link takes you to a list where specialized girls camps appear at the top, followed by camps that offer that sport as part of a broader program.
Search all GIRLS' SPORTS CAMPS
Girls' education camps
Teen girls/young women can spend a week or longer at camps focused on learning, like those linked to below. It’s an ideal way to get an academic edge, or to explore subjects you just can’t enough of at school. Subjects below link to a list of camps that are specialized (top of the list) or at least offer some instruction in that area (further down the list).
Search all GIRLS' EDUCATION CAMPS
Girls' technology camps
An increasing number of camps encourage young women to develop their interest in technology subjects. Click on your interest below and find camps for girls focused on that (top of the list) or at least offering it as a subject (further down).
Search all GIRLS' COMPUTER AND TECH CAMPS
Girls' arts camps
Camp lists linked to below are girls-only, offering a focus on the arts subject (top of the linked list) or at least programming in that interest (further down).
Search all GIRLS' ARTS CAMPS
More girls' camp types available:
Girls' camps near you
Find girls camps by province:
Find girls' camps in a city near you. Click on your city in the list below, and find girls camps there:
Why attend an all-girls camp?
Here’s a glance at the advantages girls gain at girls summer camps and other girls-only programs:
Confidence to push boundaries. At a girls-only camp, girls find unique inspiration in an environment that allows them to grow. It’s a unique kind of camp that allows and encourages them to be themselves. Alicia Berlin writes that all-girls camps “support girls in the process of stepping outside of their comfort zone and taking risks.”
Find and strengthen their own voice. "It's kind of easy to be yourself here,” says Allison, speaking of a girls-only environment, “you pretty much don't have to worry about what other people are thinking, or about impressing boys.” This holds true for both all girls schools and camps like those above. At Girls Who Fight, for example, they “teach girls how to use their voices and body language to present themselves confidently."
Time for introspection and self discovery. Gina Faubert, founder of Radiant Girls, says, “Having your daughter ponder the life she’d like to create, what she’s committed to, and what she won’t stand for are meaningful exercises for self-reflection." It’s important that they have time and space for this during the critically formative tween and early teen years. "When girls know who they really are, they are less likely to be drawn into peer pressure and worries about being accepted."
Develop strong, unique friendships. Diane Baker of Wild Horse Camp in Alberta says, "Girls who attend the camp often make lifelong friends, and they reunite each year for a joyful week of ‘catching up.’" Taylor Statten camp alumnus Jess looks back on how "camp let me just be myself … it let us all just be kids in the most naturally rewarding environment there is, the outdoors ... Friendships I created are ones that continue to be a big part of my life."
Encounter strong role models. Counselors and leaders like Baker give girls an example to follow. She and others like her set out to “empower girls, to have them set goals, dream big dreams.” Girls can model themselves after the self-actualized leaders at these camps.
Explore issues sensitive to women in a healthy and beneficial way. Jaqui Raill, director of Camp Ouareau, an all-girls camp in Quebec, explains that their camp allows for opportunities to foster discussion and address issues facing young teenage girls: "They can talk about pressures, body image, appropriate role models, and nutrition with healthy young women [camp staff] who are active, eat well and not obsessed with their bodies."
Feel encouraged academically. One impetus for some girls-only camps is to attract young women to specific subjects, notably technology, for example. At a non-gendered tech camp, they might feel outnumbered by boys and thus uncomfortable. Burch Ford, president of the U.S.-based National Coalition of Girls' Schools (NCGS), says, "In many ways, gender dynamics have not changed, and in most of the world, public life is still the domain of men … [Girls-only environments] provide not only a physical but a psychological space where that part of our culture is left at the door, and girls have the freedom to explore who they are and who they want to become." Girls who attend single-sex schools outscore their coed counterparts on the SAT by an average of 28 to 43 points, and nearly 100% of girls' school graduates go on to college, according to the NCGS.
Find the right girls camp
Below is a list of questions you should consider, when thinking about camps:
- What types of activities can help my daughter develop her interests and self-confidence?
- What can my daughter expect to gain from an experience at this camp?
- Will my daughter be grouped with other girls her age or will some activities be mixed ages?
Many girls’ camps exhibit at the annual Camp Expo in Toronto. This is the best forum for parents to meet with camps face-to-face, to ask all the questions that matter to you. You can also check out our list of camp open houses for opportunities to ask questions.
Below is a list of questions to bear in mind, when talking to camps:
- Are there any activities specifically designed to foster my daughter’s independence (or other qualities)?
- What are the camp counsellor’s qualifications?
Find more advice in our advice section:
Sources and further reading
"All-Girls STEM Camps." Kim Elsesser. Forbes.com.
"Why send your daughter to an all girls summer camp?" Alicia Berlin.
"Girls' schools encourage girls to be themselves." Sharon Aschaiek.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Girls summer camps are there?
There are 11 camps that are Our Kids trusted members. Use the filters to narrow by age and program type, then click on matched programs to see daily activities, dates, rates and registration information.
What are the fees to attend Girls summer camps?
Fees for programs for girls only range from $142 to $950 per program (program types and lengths vary). Use the filters here to narrow programs by age and type.
Where can parents meet with Girls summer camps?
Meet with program directors and staff at the Our Kids Camp & Program Expo. The Expo is held annually in February, and is a fun and informative day for parents, kids, and teens. Find event details and free tickets here.
