Summer camp season is upon us and if you didn’t get a jump on registration when some of them opened back in April (yes, people have been booking summer camps in Calgary since the early spring), here are some resources to seek out full day, half day, and sleepover summer camps for kids in Calgary.
From science to art, exercise to math, there are dozens, hundreds, thousands of ways for your kids to get out and discover something different this summer.
Pedalheads and Heroheads
Our favorite summer day camp every year is Pedalheads. This is how my boys learn to ride their bikes, but also where they learn how to safely ride around our community. The Pedalheads instructors are friendly, positive, and are great with the kids – even when it rains and there’s not a lot of bike riding to be done.
They sing songs, play games, read books, and spend a lot of time getting your kids’ training wheels off and teaching them how to ride.
New this year from the Pedalheads team is Heroheads. This half-day camp will take kids through obstacle courses and activities to get them harnessing their superhero skills. Our boys LOVE American Ninja Warrior, and we’re stoked for Heroheads camp.
Calgary’s Chlid Magazine
This is the mother of all lists. Calgary’s Child Magazine‘s spring issues are FILLED with ads, listings, and information for summer camps all over the city. From overnight camps to day camps to half day camps and more, get a copy, visit their website and get searching.
City of Calgary
In addition to day camp activities and programs at the various City of Calgary facilities, one of the best summer camps in Calgary is the city’s Park N Play program. It moves from community to community throughout the summer offering free (or inexpensive) half and full day camps for local kids. Plan it right and you could travel around to them all summer.
Calgary Public Library
From math to reading to frogs and science, the Calgary Public Library has unique activities all summer long. Check out the website, find a library near you and drop in for one of their free seminars. Most require registration, so plan ahead. Zacharie dropped in for the Math Minds sessions last year and LOVED working on math problems with peers. These are fun and free!
Top Tourist Sites
From Heritage Park, to the Calgary Zoo, and TELUS Spark, your kids’ favorite places to explore in the city are also serving up a chance to dig deeper during summer camp.
YMCA
The YMCA might be a perfect option for commuting parents. Bring your 3-15 yr old kids downtown, drop them at the Eau Claire location for fun day of specialty Day Camps including ESL, climbing, creative arts or swimming.
In addition to the various day camps at community Ys, there is also an outdoor day camp at Camp Riveredge. The YMCA declares this “Calgary’s best kept secret.” It is an outdoor summer day camp located at Sandy Beach. It’s all the fun of a sleep away camp with the comfort of their own bed. Located along the Elbow River, this unique outdoor day camp experience includes a low ropes/challenge course, bouldering wall, tubing on the river, canoeing and weekly guest speakers.
Post Secondary Institutions
With not as many students on campus over the summer months, Calgary’s post secondary spots turn their facilities over to daycamps. This is a great way to get older kids excited about university, or help younger gets get ahead in STEM. The day camps aren’t limited to these fields, the options are wide and varied. So check out Mount Royal University, ACAD, SAIT, or the University of Calgary.
The Apple Store
There are two types of Apple Camps being held at Apple Stores across the country. One about iMovie, the other about creating books. Kids from 8-12 will get a couple of hours instruction at the Apple Store to create music, make movies, and harness their inner iOS. Register here.
Winsport Canada Olympic Park
Some of the most active summer camps are at the home of Canada’s best Olympic athletes. From mountain biking to summer hockey, rock climbing to ringette, Winsport Canada Olympic Park is filled with options for day camps all summer long.
Sleep Away Camps For Kids In Calgary
If you really want to have the kids get deep into the summer camp experience, there are a number of sleep away camps for kids near Calgary.
Heritage Park‘s Home on the Range Camp will have the kids living like turn of the century ranchers and settlers. From sleeping in barns, to dressing in authentic clothing, this camp is as real as it gets.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum will keep your kids’ Jurassic World dreams alive with weeklong camps all summer long. And there’s one for families too, so you won’t miss out on all the cretaceous fun.
Other overnight camps near Calgary include Camp Kasota West and Camp Chief Hector.
Camp and Classes Listings
Spike Bee and Chatterblock are two new websites on scene that are acting as great listing services for all sorts of summer camps in Calgary.
Got a favorite camp your kids go to each year? Know of a resource I might have missed it? Add it in the comments and be sure to share this post around to your community pages so other parents can find great summer camps in Calgary!
Disclosure: Pedalheads is a brand partner of DadCAMP.