How to Find the Best Summer Camps in Your City

Start Early — Registration Opens Sooner Than You Think

Most summer camp registration opens between January and March. Popular programs at community recreation centres can fill up within hours of opening. If you wait until May to start looking, many of the best options will already be full.

Know What You're Looking For

Before you start searching, think about what matters most for your family:

Age range — Is your child in the right age group?
Schedule — Do you need full-day or half-day programs?
Location — How far are you willing to drive?
Budget — What's your price range per week?
Interests — Does your child want sports, arts, STEM, or outdoor adventures?

Check Multiple Sources

The biggest challenge is that camp information is scattered across dozens of websites. You might need to check:

Your city's recreation website
Private studios and clubs
Community centres
Specialized camp providers
School-based programs

This is exactly the problem Kiddio solves — we aggregate activities from over 85 recreation providers across Canada, so you can search everything in one place.

Compare Before You Commit

Once you've found a few options, compare them side by side. Look at:

Total cost (including materials fees)
Staff-to-child ratios
What's included (lunch, snacks, supplies)
Drop-off and pick-up times
Cancellation policies

Set Up Alerts

Programs fill up fast. Use Kiddio's registration alerts to get notified 1-3 days before registration opens for programs you're interested in. This way you'll never miss the window.

Plan for the Whole Summer

Most families need coverage for 8-10 weeks. Map out your summer week by week, mixing different types of camps to keep things interesting for your kids. A combination of active outdoor camps, creative arts programs, and specialized skill-building camps works well for most children.