Summer is for Making Memories

By Christine Tyrrell, Communications and Marketing Coordinator

What are your favourite summer memories? Chances are they are associated with the outdoors. Maybe they were of summer camp.

Some of my best summer memories include playing outside in the neighbourhood with my siblings and friends, doing cartwheels, taking a (somewhat painful) dive on the slip and slide (back when I had the energy of a child and these things didn’t make me feel sick!), swimming (somewhat nervously) in lakes and learning (awkwardly) how to water ski.

Although I didn’t go to summer camp, I wish I had. You see, I wasn’t the most confident child and I think that the experience of going to camp might have helped me to become more resilient.

Since working at UCCC and since becoming a parent, I (over)think a lot more about these kind of things.

For kids, summer is 9 weeks of freedom. For parents, depending on their family’s circumstances, summer may mean 9 weeks to fill.

There are lots of considerations: from the type of camp, to the scheduling, and how much it will cost. If you’re thinking about camp for the first time, How to Choose A Summer Camp For Kids Your Child Will Love – Toronto Athletic Camps (tacsports.ca) suggests questions parents should consider. We’ve tried to answer some of them in this blog, and we’ve added a few more.

What kind of camp is it?

UCCC offers multi-activity day camps for children ages 4-12. The activities are both planned and child-directed. There’s a large emphasis on getting outside, exploring, and having adventures. From a parent’s perspective I am looking for outdoor focused activities, for so many reasons.

Where is the camp located?

Most UCCC camps are conveniently based out of local schools across the GTA, York Region, and Simcoe County, but as I noted, a lot of the time is spent outdoors. Campers also have the opportunity weekly to get on a bus and visit conservation areas, beaches, and GTA attractions. This summer, especially after the past two years of the pandemic, I’m sure everyone will have a whole new appreciation for camp trips.

Does the staff receive safety training?

As a parent, I want licensed programs that are run by qualified staff. This is what UCCC offers. In addition to the Standard First Aid and CPR training that staff receive, there is training specific to summer camp policy and procedure, trip preparation, beach safety, and risk assessments.

What level of supervision will there be?

UCCC camps are held to high standards in all areas, including child supervision. The ratio of staff to child ratio varies by age. For the littlest campers (kindergarten age) the ratio is 1:13 and for the oldest (10 to 12 year olds) the ratio is 1:20. With UCCC, parents can feel confident in the fact that UCCC has trained staff, site leads, centre supervisors, a camp coordinator, regional directors, and a VP Child Care Programs.

How much does it cost?

In York and Toronto, a standard week costs $250, and a short week (with the statutory holiday) costs $213.

In Simcoe County it’s $240 for a standard week, and $205 for the short week.

Is the price all-inclusive? Is there extended care?

UCCC camps offer extended care included in the price. Most programs open at 7:00 AM and close at 6:00 PM (some open a little earlier and close a bit later). The camp programming runs from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM; on either side of these hours, kids can just be kids with time to free play or relax. When looking for summer camps near where I live, I noticed that other camps’ hours are often somewhere in the window of 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM and if you want care outside of those hours, you typically have to pay extra.

Is lunch included?

While campers bring their own lunches four days/week, UCCC provides two healthy snacks daily and one pizza lunch weekly on Fridays. As a parent who has to pack lunch every day for my kid and myself, I know I’d appreciate this option!

Is there transportation offered?

The only transportation we offer is the school bus that takes children on weekly trips.

How are issues dealt with at the camp?

At UCCC we are all about relationships and we prioritize strong communication. While we aim to prevent issues in the first place, if they do arise our trained staff and supervisors work to resolve them quickly.

This year, UCCC Summer Camps run from July 4 to September 2, 2022. If you think UCCC may be a good fit for your family, or if you have other questions, you can contact the program’s supervisor Camp 2022 Registration Request Form. And if you know someone who might be interested in our camps, please share this page with them as well. You can also check out Welcome to Summer Camp – 2022.

So, here’s to a great summer making memories. I’m grateful that we have access to summer camps. Our kid hasn’t asked about overnight camp yet, but I’ll try to be resilient when she does.