Summer Camp Research 2026, Ben + Ellie

Layered version restored. Focused only on Ben and Ellie, using 5058 William St, Pickering as home base and aiming for about a 30 minute drive.

Context

Ben

10 years old. Sports and outdoors. Will not want an arts-focused camp.

Ellie

8 years old. Sports, arts, and outdoors all work.

Format

Same camp first. Full day or half day both acceptable. Budget flexible.
Weeks needed: Jun 30 Jul 27 Aug 3 Aug 31 Already booked: Camp Adventureland on Aug 10 week Open to camps, community centres, libraries, and similar daily programs

Layer 1, fastest shortlist

1) Willowgrove Day Camp

Best overall same-camp option. Strongest match for the outdoor preference, but still broad enough that Ellie should like it too.

  • JK to Grade 8, so both kids fit
  • Outdoor farm setting, trails, swimming, canoeing, climbing, sports, nature, some creative activities
  • Camp day 9am to 4pm, before care from 8am, after care to 6pm
  • Cancellation: full refund with at least one month notice, no refund after that unless medical note
  • Availability: registration open, live seat count not publicly shown

willowgrove.ca/day-camp

2) Camp Riverwood

Best local premium-feeling option. Very convenient for Pickering and looks broad enough to work for both kids on the same site.

  • Petticoat Creek area in Pickering
  • Traditional camp plus specialty options across sports, arts, STEM, and outdoor activities
  • Good logistics, bus options, strong overall fit
  • Cancellation: refundable up to May 15, 2026 less $100 service charge per camper
  • Availability: registration open, live spot counts not publicly readable

campriverwood.com

3) City of Pickering Camps

Best simple local municipal option. Most useful if there is a sports or adventure week that works for both kids.

  • Most camps are for ages 5 to 12, so both kids fit
  • Regular hours are usually 9am to 4pm
  • Adventure and sports are the most promising shared fits
  • Cancellation: no refunds within five business days of start unless there is a doctor’s note
  • Availability: public portal did not expose readable live seat counts

pickering.ca camps

4) Town of Ajax Camps

Best variety backup. Good if the right general-interest or outdoor stream lines up by week.

  • Weekly camps run June 29 to Sept 4, 2026
  • Broad categories include sports, nature, arts, performing arts, science, trips, and more
  • Potential same-site options for both kids, even if not same exact age stream
  • Cancellation policy exists but I still need the exact cutoff language
  • Availability: registration open, live seat counts not readable from the public page

ajax.ca summer camps

Layer 2, week-by-week best bets

Week of Jun 30

  • Top same-camp look: Willowgrove
  • Top local practical look: Pickering sports or adventure camp
  • Backup: Ajax municipal camp
  • Note: holiday week, so some programs may be shortened to 4 days

Week of Jul 27

  • Top same-camp look: Willowgrove or Camp Riverwood
  • Best municipal backup: Ajax or Whitby
  • Note: likely one of the easier weeks for broad availability

Week of Aug 3

  • Top same-camp look: Camp Riverwood or Willowgrove
  • Best local backup: Pickering sports or adventure camp
  • Note: strong week to bias toward outdoor-heavy programming

Week of Aug 31

  • Top look: Ajax or Whitby municipal late-summer camp
  • Premium look: Camp Riverwood, if still running that final week
  • Note: many camps shorten or trim this last week, so explicit confirmation matters most here

Layer 3, detailed camp profiles

Willowgrove Day Camp, Stouffville

Distance: likely near the edge of the 30 minute goal depending on traffic

Type: outdoor, nature-based day camp on a 100-acre farm

Ages: JK to Grade 8, registration by grade as of Fall 2026

Hours: 9:00am to 4:00pm, before care 8:00am to 8:55am, after care 4:00pm to 6:00pm

Why it fits: daily swim, canoeing, climbing, sports, nature exploration, gardening, yoga and mindfulness, plus enough variety for both kids

Payment: $200 deposit per child, balance due June 1, 2026

Cancellation: full refund with at least one month notice, no refund after that unless medical note

Availability: registration open, live seat counts not shown publicly

Main page

Camp Riverwood, Pickering

Distance: one of the easiest logistics from home

Type: traditional camp plus many optional specialties

Location: Petticoat Creek Conservation Area

Why it fits: close to home, outdoor setting, sports and broad activity mix, likely easy drop-off

Cancellation: if cancelled by May 15, 2026, deposit and paid portion refundable less $100 service charge per camper

Other policy note: fees are by session, not day-by-day refunds for missed days

Availability: registration open, no readable public live spots found

Main page · registration

City of Pickering Camps

Distance: likely the easiest municipal option

Ages: mostly 5 to 12

Hours: regular camp hours 9:00am to 4:00pm

Extended care: available only at Chestnut Hill for the examples shown

Most promising types: Adventure Camp or Sports Camp for Ben and Ellie together

Cancellation: no refunds within five business days of the start of camp unless a doctor’s note is provided

Availability: active registration portal exists, but public seat counts were not exposed in a readable way

Main page

Town of Ajax Camps

Distance: reasonable from home

Season: weekly camps from June 29 to September 4, 2026

Hours: generally 9:00am to 4:00pm, before and after care available

Interesting shared options: Camp Finale, some general-interest streams, nature/outdoor programs, and some sports-based options depending on age bracket

Special note: Lake to Land looks very interesting for outdoors, but Ben and Ellie would likely be in adjacent age bands, not necessarily the exact same stream

Cancellation: town refund policy exists, but exact camp-specific cutoff still needs confirmation

Availability: registration open, live public spot counts not readable

Main page

Town of Whitby Camps

Distance: probably toward the outer edge, but still reasonable for some weeks

Fit: broad municipal backup if Ajax or Pickering do not line up by week

Ages: wide range across weekly day camps

Extended care: 7:30am to 9:00am and 4:30pm to 6:00pm at selected camps

Cancellation: refund request process exists through a form, but exact camp deadline wording still needs confirmation

Availability: live seat counts were not readable from the public sources I could access

Main page

Layer 4, availability and policy confidence

Layer 5, what still needs the next pass

Current page restored to a layered format first, instead of the flattened rewrite.