While there is currently still snow on the ground while this guide is being published, it doesn't mean it is too early to start planning summer camp experiences for your child(ren)! There are lots of incredible summer camps in Ottawa and now is the time to book a spot for your child! A lot of the summer camp spots are booked up by the end of January.
Below you will find a directory that highlights summer camps in Ottawa and all the information you need to contact the camp to book a spot for your child(ren). More camps will continue to be added here.
Ottawa Art Gallery: Art and About
Join us this summer to learn about art, the Ottawa Art Gallery, and its surroundings! Kids aged 6 to 12 years old who like making art and getting their hands dirty will love our Summer Day Camp program, Art and About. Campers will enjoy a variety of hands-on indoor and outdoor activities and specialty workshops led by professional artists.
- Recommended kids ages: 6 to 12 years old
- Location: Ottawa Art Gallery (50 Mackenzie King Bridge)
- Web address: https://oaggao.ca/learn/activities-and-public-programs/kids-and-family-programs/art-camps/ (Registration opens January 30th)
- Contact information: Email: camps@oaggao.ca, Tel : 613- 233-8699 +241.
Saunders Farm Camp
Saunders Farm Camp is the ultimate outdoor adventure for kids! Packed with fun and fresh air, our camp offers a full day of active play, including jumbo jumpers, a splash pad, mazes, and more. With a focus on outdoor exploration and creativity, it’s the perfect way for kids to burn energy, make new friends, and create unforgettable memories. Think pure, farm-fresh fun!
What to Expect:
- Farm-Fresh Lunch Daily: Every camper enjoys a delicious and nutritious lunch prepared fresh on the farm, featuring a variety of camper-approved favourites such as cheesy pizza, flavourful tacos, tender BBQ chicken, hearty pasta dishes, and classic deli sandwiches—all designed to keep them energized for a full day of fun and adventure.
- Play-Based Learning: Our engaging activities are thoughtfully designed for endless fun while subtly fostering learning, creativity, and teamwork. Campers can bounce to their heart’s content on the Jumbo Jumpers, take wagon rides to learn about the crops we grow in the farm, climb and play on our interactive play structures, and so much more like Gem Mining, scavenger hunts and our famous hedge mazes!
- Exciting Theme Days Every Week: Each day at Saunders Farm Camp is packed with unique adventures tied to our fun weekly themes:
- Monday: Farm Life – Dive into the world of farming with classic farm activities, games, wagon rides, and more.
- Tuesday: Beach Day – Celebrate summer with beach-themed games, talent shows, and plenty of sunny fun.
- Wednesday: Pirates & Fairies – Discover treasures at the Gem Mine, embark on a thrilling pirate scavenger hunt, and explore the Pirate Ship play structure.
- Thursday: Nature Adventure Day – Immerse yourself in the outdoors with nature walks, scavenger hunts, themed games, and the Woodland Adventure play structure.
- Friday: Halloween Day – End the week with a Behind-the-Scenes tour of our haunted attraction Circus Macabre, costume fun (campers can wear their favorite costumes), and Halloween-themed games and activities. Every day offers new surprises, ensuring campers have a week filled with adventure, creativity, and lasting memories!
- Daily Arts & Crafts: Campers will explore their artistic side with fun, themed crafts inspired by each day's activities. Every Monday, they’ll kick off the week by creating their very own tie-dye T-shirt, a camper favorite! These one-of-a-kind shirts, designed and crafted by each camper, are worn throughout the week and taken home as a special keepsake on Friday.
- Top-Notch Safety: At Saunders Farm Camp, safety is our top priority. Our dedicated counselors are selected from a competitive pool of applicants and undergo extensive training to ensure every camper is well cared for. The camp is led by our Camp Director alongside two highly skilled Assistant Camp Directors. To further ensure safety, every member of our Farm Camp team is certified in First Aid and CPR, allowing us to be fully prepared for any situation. You can trust that your child will be in a safe, caring, and well-supervised environment at Saunders Farm Camp.
- Rain OR Shine Fun: Saunders Farm Camp is open no matter the weather! If it’s raining, we encourage campers to come prepared with rain gear so they can splash in puddles and embrace the fun of outdoor play in the rain. While we’ll offer extra time indoors to dry off, the adventures don’t stop! In the case of extreme weather—such as thunderstorms, tornado warnings, or heavy rain—our campers are brought indoors to stay safe. During these times, we switch to indoor games and activities to keep the day just as fun and exciting. Whatever the weather, Saunders Farm Camp ensures a safe and enjoyable experience for all!
- Convenient Hours: Farm Camp runs from 9:00am - 4:00pm, with optional pre-camp care (8:00am - 9:00am) and post-camp care (4:00pm - 5:00pm) to suit your schedule.
- Please note, we will be closed on Monday, August 4th for the Civic Holiday. As a result, that week is offered at a discounted rate!
Recommended Kids Ages: 5 - 12 years old. We do allow children who are 4 years old to attend Saunders Farm Camp as long as they have completed their first year of Junior Kindergarten and are able to independently use the bathroom, feed themselves and dress themselves.
Location:
Saunders Farm7893 Bleeks Road, Munster Ontario
Web Address: https://saundersfarm.com/summer-day-camp/
City of Ottawa Summer Camps
Website: https://ottawa.ca/en/recreation-and-culture/courses-and-camps (Camp list coming soon)
Camps for all ages! Camp experiences based on age and/or interests. These summer camps include Ottawa Adventure, Energy, Fun and Friends, and Bout d’choux. Some summer camp highlights:
Outdoor Adventure: Grab your binoculars and magnifying glasses to discover the wonders of nature in your neighbourhood. The week may include activities such as hiking, orienteering, gardening, nature crafts, and much more.
Little Athletes: Boys and girls will have the opportunity and pleasure to practice and discover a new sport daily.
3D Game Programmer: Create your own 3D worlds, choosing characters and enemies to program your game. Three different PC games that can be taken home and shared. Software to create your own games at home. Half-day of computer and half-day camp activities.
Hip Hop and Swim: Floating, gliding, popping, and locking – hip hop is full of high-energy moves. Performance on the last day. Camp activities including swimming throughout the week.
National Kids Camps: The Ultimate Summer Adventure for Kids!
With over 40 years of experience and multiple awards, National Kids Camps is Ottawa and Gatineau’s premier destination for unforgettable summer experiences. We offer a wide range of full and half-day camps designed to prioritize safety, adventure, and lifelong friendships.
Our exciting programs include:
- Outdoor Adventures: Mountain biking, wakeboarding, boating, and wilderness survival skills
- Sports & Activities: Pickleball, tennis, mountain biking and more!
- Specialty Camps: Survivor Camp, Wilderness Adventure, Decathlon Sports Camp, Legendary Waves & Wheels, and Outbound Summer Camps in Kanata and Camp Fortune.
Who Can Join? Our camps are designed for kids ages 6 to 15, with tailored programs for different age groups.
Convenient Locations & Transportation: We operate in Ottawa and Gatineau, including Kanata, Barrhaven, and Camp Fortune.
Transportation is available from Kanata, Nepean, Ottawa, and Orleans.
Ready for the Best Summer Ever?
Visit our website for full details: www.nationalkidscamps.com
Have questions? Call us at (613) 723-1101
Check out our 2025 NKC Summer Camp Guide: View Here
Ottawa School of Theatre
We are so excited for a summer full of fun, theatre-style! With camp themes like Shakespeare, Acting & Performance, and Musical Theatre, it is guaranteed to be a great time. There are camps for ages 6-8 and 9-12. We also have teen intensives for ages 13-17!
All OST camps are taught by an Ottawa theatre professional and ends with a performance on the Richcraft Theatre stage at 3 pm.
Our goal is to provide an enriching and challenging summer camp, with a focus on encouraging participation and helping each student attain their own definition of excellence in performance.
Camp specialty: Theatre workshops
Recommended kids ages: 6-17
Location: Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Blvd. Ottawa, ON
Website: CAMPS - https://ost-eto.ca/summer-camps/, TEEN INTENSIVES - https://ost-eto.ca/teen-intensives/
Contact: office@ost-eto.ca, 613-424-3678
The Academy for Musical Theatre Summer Workshops
The Academy for Musical Theatre, founded in 1998 in Perth, Ontario, Canada, provides high quality instruction in music, acting, dance and various aspects of technical theatre to youths of all ages, culminating in the performance of a full-scale Broadway musical. This summer we'll be bringing "BEETLE JUICE Jr," "ANNIE Jr." and "THE LION KING JR." to the stage at the beautiful Gladstone Theatre! Join us for the most epic Broadway experience ever, complete with full:
~Professional costumes
~ Lighting
~ Individual microphones
~ A starring lead role for every performer!
The Academy is the winner of the Perth Chamber of Commerce 2004 Business Achievement Award, and is headed by Heidi Stepanek (B.Mus., M.A.), who has also nominated for the YWCA’s Women of Distinction Awards, and boasts a staff of several highly trained theatre professionals who are also all long-time alumni of The Academy.
The Academy is a very special and unique community of non-judgmental and spirited individuals with positive attitudes, devoted to providing a fun and safe environment for us to experiment artistically without fear of negative feedback. Our primary mandate is to build confidence. Several of our alumni have gone on to successful careers in the performing arts, but our students have found that the life skills they have learned at The Academy are exceptionally valuable, regardless of their chosen career. We are primarily a training academy, though we are also known for the high-calibre performances that result from our workshops, and students come from as far away as California, New York, Winnipeg, Germany and Mexico to attend our unique and acclaimed programs.
Camp specialty: building confidence, inclusivity, vocal, dance and acting training, a starring lead role for every performer, professional costumes, lighting and microphones
Ages: each program is different but overall we have programs for ages 7 through 18
Location: The Gladstone Theatre, 910 Gladstone Ave., Ottawa
Website: www.musictheatre.ca
Contact: musictheatre.info@gmail.com, 613-706-2287
Wesley Clover Parks Horseback Riding Day Camps
Beginner day camps at Wesley Clover Parks are designed for children with little to no previous horseback riding experience. We focus on an all-inclusive approach to horsemanship as a first contact for anyone interested in horses and equestrian sport! Our counsellors have a wide range of activities planned to promote learning, teamwork and fun! Campers can look forward to games, crafts, outdoor play, equine theory, hands on learning with our horses and ponies, and of course daily horseback riding lessons! Each week ends with a “fun show” where families are invited to come witness the skills campers have gained throughout the week. The ratio of campers to counsellors is five to one. All counsellors certified and receive first aid training.
Recommended age: Minimum age 7, most campers are aged 7 - 13.
Location: Wesley Clover Parks: 401 Corkstown Rd Ottawa, ON. K2H 8T1
Website: www.wesleycloverparks.com/horseback-riding-camps
Email: lessons@wesleycloverparks.com
Ottawa School of Art - Summer Art Camps
The Ottawa School of Art is offering art camps for children and teens at our ByWard Market and Orleans campuses. Explore painting, drawing, cartooning, sculpture, mixed media, and more!
These camps are a great opportunity to make new friends and create some amazing art. (Registration opens on March 14th, 2025)
Camp speciality:
recommended kids ages: 6 – 17 years old
locations and contact info: ByWard Market Campus, 35 George Street, Ottawa, ON, K1N 8W5
Contact: info@artottawa.ca, 613-241-7471
