More Than Just Summer Childcare
Why the freedom to struggle a little bit is the best thing we can give our kids this summer.
I honestly don’t know how some parents pull it off.
Every summer, I see parents who skip camp registration altogether, and I just wonder how they plan to survive the next two months. Keeping kids entertained all day, every day, sounds like an absolute circus, and I am definitely not cut out to be the ringmaster.
Sure, at first, staying home sounds like a great idea. You picture this perfect, happy time with your kids. But there are only so many trips to the neighbourhood splash pad you can take, and only so many board games you can drag out of the closet before the charm wears off. By week three, you are just done with the whole idea. You need your sanity back.
Kids also need way more than just a parent acting as a cruise ship director until September. They don’t just need their time filled; they need to figure out who they are when no one is holding their hand. Camp gives them that space to grow up a little bit. It proves to them that they can survive a little discomfort without the world ending.
The biggest shift with my daughter is always in her independence. At home, even when I try to let her fly solo, I am constantly hovering to catch her if something goes wrong. For example, when I let her go outside and play; even though I really trust her, but secretly, I am standing at our upstairs window, watching her every move from behind the glass where she can’t see me. It is just my basic motherly instinct, even if my husband swears I am being way too much.
At camp, their safety net vanishes, and it is the best thing for them. If they drop their towel in the water, they have to figure out how to dry off. If they want clean socks, they have to dig through their bag to find them. If they have a conflict with a camper, they have to figure out a way to apologize and learn how to compromise. It teaches them to stop relying on their parents to fix their problems and shows them that disappointment doesn’t last forever.
There is also a wonderful sense of freedom at camp. School has a funny way of putting labels on kids early on. You become the shy kid, the class clown, or the quiet one who sits in the back. Camp doesn’t care about any of that. Nobody knows who you were during the school year, and nobody cares. Every camper gets to introduce themselves as they are, and be exactly who they want to be in that moment. For a lot of kids, that breath of fresh air is exactly what they need.
They also spend so much time outside. They are hiking, swimming, climbing, and running around during games. They are active, getting dirty, and having fun. This reminds them that entertainment doesn’t always have to come from a screen.
Of course, some parents might think that camp is just play and that kids don’t learn anything. But that’s not true. Camp just teaches things in a completely different way. It’s a unique testing ground where kids get to test their limits on their own terms, venture out of their comfort zones, and discover strengths they didn’t know they had.
Beyond the activities, camp is great for character development. We spend so much time at home talking to our kids about kindness, respect, responsibility, and empathy. Camp gives them a chance to practice those values every single day. This happens in the everyday moments, like including a kid who is sitting alone, comforting a nervous little friend, or helping a counsellor with a task. Those experiences become their biggest takeaways.
Another thing I appreciate is that camp brings together kids who might never meet otherwise. Kids from different schools, different neighbourhoods, and different backgrounds end up spending time together and making friends. It is a beautiful reminder that kids have an incredible ability to connect if they are just given the opportunity.
I also believe camp should be something every child has the chance to experience. Thankfully, we have some incredible communities in Ontario working to make that happen. Organizations like Amici Children's Camp Charity and Moorelands Kids do amazing work sending children to camp who might not otherwise be able to afford it, while local programs like the Toronto Welcome Policy help make city day camps accessible to everyone. It really does take a village, and these groups make sure no kid gets left behind.
When my daughter comes home every day covered in dirt and smelling like a mix of sunscreen and a long day in the sun, I notice her feeling a little more independent and confident than she did that morning. These changes don’t show up on a report card, but as a parent, they’re the things that matter most.
So yes, summer camp keeps the calendar full and gives us a much-needed break. We shouldn’t feel guilty for admitting we need that. But camp is about more than just filling the hours. It’s about how those few weeks shape who our kids are growing into.
Camp planning is complicated enough without jumping between dozens of camp websites. That’s why we built KikiPlan, a simple way for Toronto families to compare camps, organize schedules, and keep track of summer plans. Join the waitlist at kikiplan.com
