Summer camp ideas for kids: How Canadian parents can save

For this week’s No More Ls column, we’re looking at how expensive planning kids’ summer activities can be and what to do about it. 

For Canadian parents of elementary school-aged kids, summer camp season doesn’t actually start in July. It starts months earlier, often with an early morning alarm, a spreadsheet and a bit of luck—all to secure summer camp spots for your kids.

Registration often opens between late January and mid-February and popular programs fill up quickly, especially in bigger cities. Parents who missed the early registrations can join waitlists or look for alternative providers; not all camps fill up immediately. 

No matter where you find a spot, camps come with significant costs. The prices vary across Canada, depending on location, provider and specialization, but they can run from about $200 per week per child on the lower end to well over $1,000 for overnight camps. For parents who rely on camps for child care, that can add up to thousands of dollars over the summer. 

Rarely are there two-for or three-for deals to be had. And even if there are multi-kid offers, for families with more than one child, costs climb even faster. Calgary parent Caitlin Schumack has three boys, one aged 11 and twins aged eight, and says a typical full-day camp costs around $500 per child per week. “That’s $1,500 just for one week to have my kids in summer camp,” she says. 

For Schumack, cost is only part of it. There’s also the planning and securing a registration, plus the mental load of managing it all. Her boys will often start talking about what they want to do the summer before, which means keeping track of options far in advance. Online systems often require signing up one child at a time, she says, which can make it difficult to secure spots together. And some camps, like the summer hockey programs her boys enjoy, mean buying equipment. But often kids get a season or two of use, and can buy or sell second-hand. She says it’s become an added expense as the boys get older and the hand-me-downs are harder to come by.

No wonder many parents find the process overwhelming. Here’s how to navigate summer camp season, while keeping both your finances and your peace of mind intact. 

A smarter way to pay for it

Summer camp costs can feel overwhelming because they hit early in the year, shortly after the holidays, when many household budgets are already stretched. 

Andrea Thompson, a certified financial planner with Modern Cents and a mom of seven-year-old twins, recommends spreading that cost out over the year. Plan ahead, she suggests, by setting up a sinking fund—a separate savings account dedicated to a specific expense. Treat summer camp like a monthly bill: if you expect to spend $2,000, set aside $165 each month so the money is ready when registration opens. If your your financial permits, name the savings account. Calling it “Kids’ Camp Money” can make it less tempting to use that cash for something else.

Saving ahead won’t lower the cost, of course, but it makes it far more manageable. “By the time registration opens, you’ve got enough money already saved up; you don’t have to incur credit card debt,” Thompson says. And if you can earn a bit of interest, then that’s a plus too.

Don’t overlook the tax break

One way to offset camp costs comes later, at tax time. In many cases, and “especially if a parent is working, camp is a child care expense for tax purposes,” Thompson says. To be an allowable expense, the primary goal of the camp needs to be to care for children. “Keep all your receipts and submit them to your tax preparer,” Thompson advises.

Usually, you should apply the expense to the income tax calculations for the lower-income earner, reducing a family’s total tax bill and potentially increasing the refund. If you get money back, that cash can then be used strategically—either to pay off the credit card that paid for this summer’s camp, or to replenish the sinking fund for the next summer.

Other ways to save

While there’s no getting around the cost of summer activities, there are practical ways to make the expenses more manageable.

Half-day programs, Thompson says, are usually less expensive than full-day camps and often overlooked, so they may be easier to get a spot in. They can also be a way to access pricier, skill-based programs at a lower cost. If your (or your child care provider’s) schedule allows, mixing half-day camps with time at home—or coordinating with vacation time—can reduce the total number of camp weeks you need to pay for. 

Ask for discounts, too. Some camps offer sibling rates, and existing activities can unlock lower-cost options: Schumack says her sons’ hockey association offers discounted summer camps for its members. Financial assistance or lower-cost programs may also be available, often offered by municipalities or community groups. 

Talking to other parents can help, Thompson adds. Especially if you’re new to an area—or new to this stage of parenting—those informal networks can help you find programs (and prices) you might not have otherwise known about. If you’ve never had kids in summer camp before, these connections will help you know the drill, from knowing which camps are available nearby to remembering to set that early morning alarm for registration.  

Saving money on summer camps

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Camps are essential child care for some families, and occasional extras for others. Either way, Thompson says being realistic about what you can afford is key.

Work backwards from what you can spend over the full summer and make choices accordingly. What doesn’t work, she says, is putting everything on a credit card and hoping it sorts itself out later. 

Summer camps can be fun for kids, but they’re also expensive and stressful for parents. Planning ahead, spreading costs, keeping receipts, exploring half-day options and leaning on other parents can make the season more manageable. With a little strategy, you can plan smarter and stress less for summer camp season.