If you are looking for strategies to get your preschooler excited about day camp or another new experience, think about what helps you, as an adult, get excited for something new that’s about to happen in your life. Here is the secret formula: Value + Safety + Adventure.
In 1997, I applied to be a Day Camp Counsellor at the newly opened Crowfoot YMCA (now the Melcor YMCA) and was fortunate enough to be part of the first summer day camp team (my camp name was “Summit”). I loved it so much that I was a returning leader for the next three summers with the YMCA, then led the summer volunteer program at Westside Recreation Centre, spent a summer as a Camp Counsellor at Summit Camp in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, and supervised The City of Calgary Park n’ Play as a Recreation Program Specialist. I had no idea that my first full-time summer job would be the start of a recreation career spanning 25 years (and counting!).
Whether you're looking for enrichment for your child, a way to keep your kids occupied and supervised while you work, or need a short reprieve from parenting, there's sure to be a summer camp that's the right fit for your child and family. Even facing down yet another summer in the COVID-19 pandemic, summer camps are up and running!
Every child deserves to experience summer camp. It is an adventure like no other where a child can bond with nature, build self-confidence, and make lifelong friends. For a child with a disability, summer camp can break down barriers and foster a sense of belonging.
Page 16 of 36
Calgary’s Child Magazine © 2026 Calgary’s Child
