Outdoor Education

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Outdoor Education

Outdoor education is a key component of any healthy childhood. Experts from Richard Louv to David Suzuki have praised the value of spending time in natural environments and learning both in and about the natural world. The sheer variety of learning experiences out of doors makes it an exciting opportunity that is all too new and strange to too many children. Even for students who are mainly academically inclined, time outdoors is an ideal way to get perspective on studies and other learning.

Outdoor education camps will likely include activities like rock climbing, canoeing, rope games and courses and games for groups. It can also imply environmental education and experience with nature. Any summer camp – whether day or overnight - will almost certainly provide a rich focus on outdoor education, although certain summer camps may offer a variety of focuses that delve deeply into spheres of outdoor learning. Some examples of (with links to) types of camps are as follows:

Zoo camps or animal camps offer children firsthand experience with zoo animals, ideal for children curious about pursuing studies in relevant areas or for any child who simply loves animals.
Horse camps permit young men and women to interact closely with horses, learning essentials of horseback riding and even some other equestrian tricks and skills.
Adventure camps entail excursions deep into the woods, often over several nights or even weeks, where older teens gain firsthand experience in survival techniques, extensive hiking and canoeing and likely encounters with wildlife. This is immensely rewarding, intense learning about the real outdoors.
Numerous types of camps spend a lot of time outdoors offering deep training and education in a variety of activities such as golf, soccer, baseball, sailing and many other outdoor activities.

Outdoor learning and education is one of the major benefits of any summer camp, especially overnight camps, but this term can also apply to learning outside the classroom as practiced in some schools. Outdoor education at a March break camp provides an ideal counterpoint to life in school, with structured learning that helps keep young minds limber.

Read blog posts about outdoor living.

Outdoor education certainly teaches children about issues such as climate change and helps to combat nature deficit disorder. The following presents a list of camps that emphasize outdoor living as part of their activities of curriculum.

List of Camps

camp name	(category)
description	city, province/state
Camp Val-Estrie A French immersion camp just outside of Sherbrooke, Quebec offering cheerleading, leadership, arts and sports, among other summer camp programs. Camp Specialties: Outdoor Living	Day & Overnight – Traditional Waterville — Quebec
Bishop's College School Summer Language Camp Offers many sports summer camp activities along with ESL and FSL integration. Activities include golf, horseback riding and much more.	Day & Overnight – Computer/Education/Science Lennoxville — Quebec
Bond Academy Day Camp Day camps can include care from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., should parents require this. Activities range from arts to science and many more.	Day Camp – Traditional Toronto — Ontario
Camp Chikopi Located in the heart of Muskoka, this boys only summer camp offers many activities, including baseball, soccer, swimming and more.	Overnight – Traditional Huntsville — Ontario
Camp Mère Clarac Located on the banks of Rivière Ouareau, we have a magnificent site of 115 acres of land with unique and safe facilities, making it one of the most beautiful camp sites in Quebec.	Overnight – Sports Mont-Tremblant — Quebec
Camp Mini-Yo-We A Christian summer camp offering a variety of sports and activities, ranging from hiking to swimming to leadership building to arts.	Day & Overnight – Traditional/Adventure Huntsville — Ontario
Frontier Trails Camp & Outdoor Education Centre This eastern Ontario summer camp offers day and overnight programs and a variety of activities from horseback riding to ESL to paintball, more.	Day & Overnight – Traditional/International/Travel Eganville — Ontario Ottawa — Ontario
Muskoka Woods An overnight Christian youth camp offering a variety of activities including golf, rock climbing, soccer, hockey, gymnastics and more.	Overnight – Sports/Traditional Rosseau — Ontario
Onondaga Camp North of Toronto and south of Algonquin, this summer camp offers overnight campers activities from tennis to rock climbing and much more.	Overnight – Traditional/Adventure Minden — Ontario
UCC Summer Camps Traditional day camp in the heart of Toronto offering Kids, Sports, Arts, Tech and Leadership programs, as well as March Break camps.	Day Camp – Traditional Toronto — Ontario
A.C.H.S. Offers programs year round. Summer camp programs include adventure and sports camps as well as hockey school and more.	Day & Overnight – Adventure/Sports Throughout Ontario
Adventure Valley Summer day camp for Toronto kids yearning for outdoor adventure. Sports activities include soccer, tennis, swimming and a variety of other outdoor activities.	Day Camp – Traditional Greater Toronto Area — Ontario
Bayview Glen Day Camp Located centrally to much of Toronto, this summer camp offers air conditioned buildings, a heated swimming pool and more.	Day Camp – Traditional Toronto — Ontario
Camp Couchiching A multi-faceted summer camp not far from Toronto, with activities ranging from sports to theatre arts to rope courses and more.	Overnight – Traditional Orillia — Ontario
Camp Ecolart This Montreal arts and environment camp for kids and teens runs in July and August, featuring photography, film, performing arts, sports, arts and crafts. Languages include english, french and spanish.	Day & Overnight – International/Travel Montreal — Quebec
Camp Kodiak Integrated residential summer camp for children & teens with and without ADHD, LD, NLD and AS. Social skills program, academic program and 50+ activities.	Overnight – Special Needs Parry Sound — Ontario
Camp Tamarack Muskoka summer camp with sports like sailing, water skiiing and golf as well as arts programs like dance and drama.	Overnight – Traditional Bracebridge — Ontario
Can-Aqua An overnight summer camp with a variety of activities ranging from swimming to sailing to archery, along with wilderness trips and more.	Day & Overnight – Traditional Bancroft — Ontario
Crestwood Valley Day Camp A Toronto summer camp specializing in baseball and basketball training camps, including other sports like golf and soccer, arts and more.	Day Camp – Traditional Toronto — Ontario
Family Golf Learning Centre High-quality golf camps for kids aged 6 to 16, featuring CPGA instruction in full swing, short game and advanced and including full day and half day programs.	Day Camp – Sports Oakville — Ontario
Forest Hill Training Centre Inc. Forest Hill Training Center Inc. is a private show stable and a semi-private riding school in the rolling Caledon hills.	Day Camp – Sports Greater Toronto Area — Ontario
Frontier Trails ESL Camp Programs are geared to encourage speaking as opposed to writing proficiency. By using picture images, with English labels, each child gains a certain level of familiarity with the terminology presented.	Day & Overnight – Traditional Eganville — Ontario
Glen Bernard Camp A traditional overnight summer camp offering wilderness adventure, horseback riding, sailing, arts and many other activities.	Overnight – Traditional Huntsville — Ontario
IMG Academy IMG Academy is the world’s leading integrated academic and athletic training establishment and offers week and multi-week camps throughout the year.	Day Camp – Sports Florida — United States
Olympia Sports Camp This northern Ontario summer camp puts the 'sports' in sports camp, from golf to hockey to martial arts to yoga and nearly everything between.	Overnight – Sports Huntsville — Ontario
Planet Kids Oakville YMCA Camps are found at several locations across the city with activities including swimming, day trips and more. Learn more!	Day Camp – Traditional Mississauga — Ontario
Richmond Hill Country Club Day Camp There's much more than golf at this summer camp, including tennis and swimming as well as arts programs including dance. ADHD integrated.	Day Camp – Traditional Richmond Hill — Ontario
SADDLEWOOD RIDING CAMP A sports camp for girls, located in Eastern Ontario. The focus is on horse camp but other activities include swimming, tennis, arts and crafts, etc.	Overnight – Sports Peterborough Area — Ontario
SENECA SUMMER CAMPS - SPORTS, ARTS & SCIENCE Sports, arts and science summer camps that encourage skills development and interaction with like-minded kids from across the GTA.	Day Camp – Sports Toronto — Ontario
Sportball (Milton, Mississagua, Oakville) Our Multi-Sport programs & camps are a fantastic experience for young children! Full/Half day camps available. Sportball camps focus on 8 sports, arts & crafts, snack time, stories, music, co-operative games and theme days.	Day Camp – Sports Oakville — Ontario Mississauga — Ontario Oakville — Ontario
Sportplay Inc. Summer camps combining skills in baseball, football, tennis, track and field, soccer, hockey, basketball and volleyball. Camps in the GTA & KW.	Day Camp – Sports Greater Toronto Area — Ontario Region of Waterloo — Ontario Greater Toronto Area — Ontario
YMCA Cedar Glen Half an hour north of Toronto, this summer camp offers activities ranging from swimming to mountain biking. Camp includes an overnight program.	Day Camp – Traditional Caledon — Ontario

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