The last day of school will be here before you know it. What follows is an empty two-month calendar for kids, and the loaded question of what to fill it with, for parents.
While many might have already figured out their summer plans, for those who are running out of ideas beyond an ice-cream outing for their little ones, we suggest a simple scroll down.
We have scoured the web to curate a list of camps for every type of child — be it the curious one who asks science questions that you have no answers to or the one that turns your living room into an imaginary soccer field.
For the kid who likes adventure
Have your kids (six to 11 years old) roll out of their cozy beds and into the rough world of a voyageur. In this camp at the Fraser River Discovery Centre (788 Quayside Dr.), participants will learn to navigate and survive off the land. They will spend the week as tiny engineers working hard to build a boat or a beaver dam. Amidst all this adventure, they will also come out knowing a lot more about the Métis culture through art and stories.
Dates: July 10 to 14 and Aug. 8 to 11; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fee: $225 for members, $250 for non-members
Register here: Fraser River Discovery Centre
For the kid who likes theatre and films
Does your child’s love of movies go beyond sitting glued in front of an iPad? Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces at the Massey Theatre (735 Eighth Ave.) is organizing a performing arts camp where kids (seven to 13 years old) can get a taste of comedy, dance, music, theatre, and audio and video arts. They will be trained by a professional team of artists at Massey Theatre to act, write, make films and even try their hand at a percussion instrument. By offering this mashup of activities, Eighth & Eight wants your kid to try new things, and make "social and artistic connections" with their peers.
Dates: July 10 to Aug. 25; 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Fee: $300 per child per week. A 50 per cent discount will apply to all additional children in the same household. Participants can register for a one-week or a two-week camp by June 16.
Details: Eight & Eighth Creative Spaces website
For the kid who likes School of Rock
Kids (eight years and up) who prefer watching re-runs of the 2003 musical comedy School of Rock over a cartoon, or picture themselves as guitar-wielding mini rock stars might want to reserve a spot at this camp. New West Music (D-768 Princess St.) is calling all kids who have at least one year of training on any instrument to join a week-long camp that lets them jam with the experts. Here, they'll learn the basics of songwriting and get to perform and record their favourite rock and pop hits — all in five days.
Dates: July 24 to 28; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fee: $265 per week
Details: New West Music
For the kid who likes soccer
Here's a soccer camp with a twist. Little players (five to 10 years old) will be taught the right way to kick a ball by a dream team of instructors that includes New Westminster police officers and first responders. The New Westminster Police Summer Soccer School Program at Queen's Park Stadium has been a flagship community program since 1981. As part of it, the kids will not just learn the fundamentals of soccer, but also get a chance to meet the police canine unit and members of the New Westminster Fire Department.
Dates: July 17, to 21; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Fee: Price per child is $150.00 (plus a surcharge of $10 for Eventbrite). Only a few spaces are left for this popular camp that normally fills up on the days tickets go on sale.
Details: Eventbrite
For the kid who is a techie
Be it grocery lists, wake-up calls, or reminders to drink water — there is an app out there to help you with it. According to Statista, in March 2023 alone, over 30,000 mobile apps were released through on Apple App Store; about 87,000 on Android. The point is, apps are hot; and now, your kid (nine to 15 years old) can learn how to develop them. Besides the week-long camp on app development, Douglas College (700 Royal Ave.) is also hosting a JavaScript and Playful Programming camp to offer the tech-inclined kids a glimpse into the world of Silicon Valley.
Dates: The Developing Apps camp is between July 17 and 21, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; the JavaScript and Playful Programming camp is on the same week between 1 and 4 p.m.
Fee: $149
Details: Douglas College website
For the kid who likes circus
Here's is a chance for your kid (six to 16 years old) to learn high-flying aerial skills, jump on bouncy trampolines and juggle props — all in a safe space with expert guidance. The Vancouver Circus School (810 Quayside Dr.) is opening up its studio for camps that will have the kids put up a “big show” at the end of each week — one where parents, friends and family can watch their tiny acrobats shine on stage.
Dates: July 3 to Aug. 25; full-day camp is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; half-day camp includes two options — 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Fee: A full-day week-long camp is priced at $429, and a half-day week-long camp is $299. Register a sibling and receive 20 per cent off on the second registration
Details: Vancouver Circus School website
For the kid who likes dogs
Wonderpup Academy’s (9 Sixth St.) Junior Dog Training Camp will help kids (seven to 15 years old) take their relationship with their pups beyond cuddles. Certified teachers will give participants a week-long crash course on dog training, scent work and agility. Kids and their furry friends will get to partake in a dog sport and outdoor activities including parkour for pooches.
Dates: July 11 to Aug. 4, every Tuesday to Friday, 1 to 4 p.m.
Fee: $300
Details: Wonderpup Academy
For the kid who likes to dance
Watch your tiny tot be part of a full-blown dance recital this summer. The newly opened In Movement Dance Co. (802 Agnes St.) is organizing week-long summer camps for kids as young as two years old (up to 10-years-plus). Each week, through July and August, the dance studio will host camps where kids can learn the best moves to productions themed on pirates, fairy tales, cartoon characters such as Bluey, and musicals such as Matilda and Aladdin.
Dates: July 3 to Aug. 18; includes full-day and half-day camps based on the age group
Fee: $195 for half-day camps and $325 for full-day camps
Details: In Movement Dance Co. website
For the kid who likes animation
Your kid can stop wondering how Fantastic Mr. Fox looks so fantastic and Coraline, so cool — New Media Gallery (777 Columbia St.) is offering a camp for children (seven to 12 years old) that will make the art of stop-motion and digital animation less mysterious for them. At the Animation Now: Stop Motion camp, kids will get to wield their own camera and have their own animation set up to bring out digital artworks that look like their Netflix binge.
Dates: July 10 to 14, and July 17 to 21
Fee: $125
Details: New Media Gallery
For the kid who likes skating and swimming
The day camps at New West Parks and Recreation are selling out like hot cakes — and for good reason. The camps, available for a whole week or single day — promise kids (three to 12 years old) a fun-packed day of high-energy games, outdoor play and art. If your child can’t pick between swimming, gymnastics and skating because they enjoy all of them equally, then this camp is tailor-made for them.
Dates: July 4 to Sept. 1
Fee: Single day camps are $60, week-long camps are $275 for eight to 12 years; the fee varies for different age groups
Details: City of New Westminster website
For the kid who likes to lead
Watch your kid transform to a boss baby at this camp. At the Arts & Heritage New Westminster's Art Entrepreneurship camp, kids (nine to 13 years old) will learn to design their own illustration style and create items to collect, sell and trade. By the end of the camp at the Anvil Centre (777 Columbia St.), they'll learn the ropes of creating their own branded merch — be it ‘zines, buttons, stickers and more.
Dates: July 10 to 14; 3:30 to 6 p.m.
Fee: $94
Details: New West City website
