Registration Information
FAQ
At Camp Eden all campers over age 6, swim at the Elgin west community centre pool 3 times a week. Campers 5 years old and under, participate in the water play activities at our water park located at the camp.
Camp Eden offers a 5% sibling discount. The 5% is deducted off the total. Families with three children can enjoy a 15% discount.
A $300 deposit is required to save a spot at camp. The balance should be paid by June 1st.
Our camp has a no questions asked refund policy. Your fees will be refunded as long as your child gives our camp a chance for at least three days. Switching to another program within the Camp Eden family can be done at any point with no fees, as long as there is space. We feel confident enough in our program and we will do everything we can to accommodate any campers needs.
The camp season is fast approaching. We hope that everyone is getting excited for the summer. Enclosed is some general camp information for both parents and campers; as well as a list of articles your child(ren) should bring to camp, and your child’s nametag that should be worn on the first day of camp.
When exactly are the camp sessions?
Session 1: July 4 - July 15
Session 2: July 18 – July 29
Session 3: August 2 – August 12
Session 4: August 15 - August 26
*Please note that we are closed on Monday August 1st for the Civic Holiday.
What is a typical day at camp like?
A typical day begins at bus pick up time (see detail of bus information below) or when parents/guardians drop campers off. It ends when the camper is picked up or gets off the bus at the end of the day. We believe that camp begins the moment the first camper steps on the bus in the morning. There will be bus programming each day in order to get the campers excited and enthusiastic for the day’s activities ahead.
Once at camp, children will meet their counsellors, and go to their designated area where the special programming for the day will begin. We have enclosed a sample schedule for all programs which will tell you some of the great things your child will experience this year at camp. The campers will, under the supervision of their counsellors, participate in the various activities you see scheduled.
Eden
Our specialty areas have expanded this year to include: Arts and Crafts, Nature, Hiking, Gardening, Storytelling, Sports, Cooperative Games, Drama, Dance, Yoga and Movement, Martial Arts, Music, Sing-a-long, Swim/ Waterplay.
In addition to these specialties, we also offer six to nine hours a session of specialty art programming taught by one of the instructors from the Klim School of Art. Specialty Art focuses on skill development and creating with a range of tools. We offer pottery, painting, drawing, sketching, and much more.
E-Dance
Our day will be split into two parts: Dance and Traditional camping. During the half day dance portion, campers will be rotating through a schedule of various dance styles such as: jazz, hip hop, musical theatre, interactive, belly dancing, break dancing, bollywood, latin, cultural and dance games. They will explore and experience new dance moves, techniques, and performance skills. Campers will work on 1-2 dances they will perform in front of the whole camp on the last day of each session. These dances will be video taped and available for parents to see on our website. The remainder of their day will be spent participating in Camp Eden’s specialty areas which have been listed above.
Session 1: Lyrical Session 3: Musical Theatre
Session 2: Hip Hop Session 4: Jazz
E-Sports
This all day sport program incorporates a variety of land sports, with skill building, techniques, games and competitions, and also combines traditional camping such as nature, cooperative games, hiking, swimming and theme days. Some of the sports include: baseball, basketball, soccer, football, volleyball, floor hockey, tennis, golf, ultimate frisbee, archery, badminton, track and field, etc. With no need for any sport background, E-Sports allows all campers to experience sports through fun, recreation, and instruction.
Art Studio
This program features week long all art workshops for children ages 6-14. Campers will have the opportunity to work on 3-4 art projects a day, as well as take advantage of our many exciting field trips ever Friday. Please send your child wearing clothing suitable for messy art projects, as well as a lunch, 2 snacks and a refillable water bottle or drink. This summer our Art Studio Camp also offers bussing, lunch option and before and after care. If you are interested in signing up for any of the extra options, please contact the office as soon as possible.
Session 1a: The Body (AGO)
Session 1b: Nature (the ROM)
Session 2a: Music and Movement (Bata Shoe Museum)
Session 2b: Principles of Art and Design (the ROM)
Session 3a: Recycled Art (AGO)
Session 3b: Science and Magic (Science Centre)
Session 4a: Textile and 3D (Casa Loma)
Session 4b: Modernism (the ROM)
Session Post: Craft and Textiles (Black Creek)
Camp E-Style
New to camp this summer is an amazing fashion program for all fashionistas ages 7-14. Campers will work on their weekly themed fashion projects such as fashion illustration, jewellery making, accessory design, sewing, planning fashion runways, and more. Each week will end with a themed fashion show presented to the entire camp. This program allows for campers to release their creativity and express themselves through fashion, art and designing. Along with all the fashion fun campers get to enjoy swimming once a week and the beautiful picturesque background of Camp Eden.
Session 1a: Across the world and back
Session 1b: Blast from the past
Session 2a: What’s your carbon footprint
Session 2b: Back to the future
Session 3a: Red carpet style
Session 3b: Alice in Wonderland
Session 4a: Born this way
Session 4b: Trend Spotting
Leader in Training (LIT)
This specialized program for 14-15 year olds allows campers to become counsellors through guided instruction, manuals, and hands on experience. Campers will participate in group meetings and discussions and learn what it takes to be a staff member at a camp. From behaviour management, leadership skills, communication, taking initiative, and more, campers will go through all the skills necessary to come back as staff the following year.
L’il Magic Fingers (LMF)
For this program, parents/caregivers will bring their child to the L’il Magic Fingers room to sign them in directly with the staff members. Programming starts right as your child enters the room, and as soon as all the kids arrive, their fun day will begin. We kindly ask that you make this sign in process as smooth and comfortable as possible, by saying goodbye to your child and allowing our staff to take over and lead them into our program and activities for the day. Our day will be full of both indoor and outdoor activities such as: Arts & Crafts, Rhythm and Movement, Nature Walks, Gym-tastic, Magical Story Time, Music and Games, Cooking Fun, Super Science, Dance, Gardening and Farming, Playground Time, Specialty Art, and more. The campers will play in our Water Play Area, complete with three wading pools, slides, and sprinklers every day (weather permitting).
Half day L’il Magic Fingers campers will be picked up from the LMF room at 2:00pm and be signed out by their parent or guardian. Please note that due to less time for programming and constant weather changes, half day campers might not get as much waterplay and might not experience all special events.
When and where do campers go swimming?
All campers aged six and up go to the Elgin West Community Pool on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Here we do recreational swim and programming like water polo, water relay races etc. Campers have the option of taking a deep-end test to allow them to enter the deep end of the pool as well as the water slide. Campers also have the option of staying in the smaller pool and using a life jacket if necessary. We follow the rules and regulations of the pool and lifeguards, however on top of their supervision we also have a ratio of 1:2 staff to campers within arms reach in the water at all times.
Campers who are under the age of six stay at camp and play in our waterplay area – complete with wading pools, slides and sprinklers. We are concerned about campers staying cool on hot days, therefore, we have water sports/ activities available throughout the day for all campers when necessary.
Tuesdays: Quest Days
New to Camp Eden this summer are weekly Quest Days. These days do not interrupt the regular schedule, however they add a little spice to the day. Each quest day will have a theme or mission and each specialty’s focus will be to complete the task/quest and seize the day!! These days do not require any costumes, but just energy and smiles!
Wednesdays: Dress Up Days
Each Wednesday will be a Dress up Day. Campers can feel free to come to camp wearing the designated weekly dress up day suggestion that will follow the weekly theme. On these days the campers that forgot their costumes or didn’t have the appropriate clothing, will have a chance to design and make their own at camp.
Fridays: Theme Days
Every Friday, all specialty programs will join Camp Eden for their weekly Theme Days. These days are a chance for campers to get to know one another outside of their regular groups and engage in camp-wide activities and challenges. In order to feel the camp spirit, we recommend that campers wear the appropriate costumes for each theme day. Look out for notes coming home weekly about events such as “Superhero Day”, “Olympics Day” and much more, as well as costume suggestions.
What are the staff members like?
We are lucky to be working with an incredibly skilled and enthusiastic team of counsellors, specialists, and head staff. Each specialist has been chosen because of his/her special skill and passion for that specialty area. Counsellors have been chosen based on their ability to be strong leaders and work well with children. Our staff tends to be comprised of older and more experienced individuals.
You will be receiving a phone call from your child’s counsellor the week before they begin camp. This is a good opportunity for you to ask questions as well as notify the counselor of any special notes and/or requests you may have.
Our specialty instructors (E-Sports, E-Dance, Art Studio, E-Style) are all professionally trained and experienced with many years of instruction in their field. Our L’il Magic Fingers group will be run by a certified Early Childhood Educator, an ECE student, and many other experienced counselors. L’il Magic Fingers is proud to offer a ratio of 1 staff member for every 4 campers.
Lior and Sharon Gluzberg, the directors of Camp Eden, and all the rest of the Camp Eden team are very excited about our skilled group of staff members, our exciting and fun programs, and all of the other details that are coming together as the summer approaches.
What is the site like?
The camp is located at the Toronto Waldorf School located just north of Bathurst and Highway 7. It is a unique building situated in a beautiful natural area. The site allows for a diverse program offering much indoor and outdoor space. The outdoors include: sports fields, forests, gardens and a pond. Indoors, we are using the pottery and art rooms, a gym equipped with basketball courts, and the forum – which has a stage for Camp E-Dance and our drama specialty. Although we are operating camp out of the Waldorf site, our programs are not affiliated. All of our programming and staff are exclusively those of Camp Eden.
What should my child bring to camp?
Each day a camper should bring with them:
- Sunscreen (it is advised that you put sunscreen on your child before they come to camp in the morning, and send a bottle for us to reapply during the day)
- Hat
- Bug spray (optional)
- Bathing suit (please send everyday)
- Towel
- Comfortable shoes appropriate for active games and hiking (closed toe/ strap/closed at the back)
- Comfortable clothing to dance and move around in (E-Dance and E-Sports campers especially)
- Rain gear, when necessary
- Lunch
- Snacks (even if a camper gets a lunch from camp, it is necessary to send 2-3 snacks for their breaks, as well as extras for before and after care campers)
- Water bottle to be refilled throughout the day
- An extra set of clothing (especially underwear in case of accidents for younger children)
Please send your child(ren) to camp wearing his/her bathing suit under their clothes. This will maximize the group’s swimming time once they get to the pool.
In addition, please send your child(ren) to camp wearing the nametag enclosed on the first day that they attend camp. This will help the staff accompany the camper(s) to the appropriate counsellors and group for the session.
We kindly ask that you do not send your child(ren) to camp wearing heelie’s (shoes with wheels) to ensure their safety on the property at all times. As well, please do not send children to camp with electronic devices such as game boys, ipods, cell phones, etc..
We ask that any lunches/snacks brought to camp be peanut free. Due to the high number of children with severe peanut allergies, we maintain a nut-sensitive site. We ask that you check labels on all prepared foods for nut products (including peanut oil, etc.) to ensure that your child(ren)’s lunch is nut free. If you need more information about how to prepare nut free lunches, we would be happy to speak with you about it.
We offer an optional lunch program service that provides a health-conscious lunch option to campers (see form attached). The cost of the lunch program is $70 for a two week session, and it includes a main meal item, fruits/veggies, snack, and a drink. For information about ordering lunches, or to discuss how to prepare lunches for camp at home, please speak with the camp office.
What kind of safety procedures are in place?
All staff is trained in first aid and CPR as well as emergency procedures in the unlikely event of a camp wide emergency (such as fire etc.). The staff is well connected to one another, as well as supervisory staff via walkie talkies. This means that emergencies are avoided in a pro-active way, and are also dealt with as quickly as possible when they do arise.
Our emergency procedure policies are detailed in full in our staff manual and are posted in the camp office. We do fire drills and emergency planning rehearsals during our staff training week. The camp phone number is always accessible in order that calls of an urgent nature can be responded to right away.
The Waldorf school is a secure location. Our staff is instructed to report anyone who is not affiliated with Camp Eden or Waldorf personnel to the Camp Office immediately. Campers are supervised closely by staff in order to ensure that safety procedures are followed.
In order to maintain the security of the site, we discourage parents, family, and friends from coming to camp during the day. As well as creating homesickness in other campers, unscheduled visits make it difficult to differentiate between the adults who should and should not be at camp. Should you ever need to pick up your child(ren) early, please let the office know in advance so that we can accompany the camper(s) to the camp office to meet you at a scheduled time.
When does the bus pick up and drop off?
Bus pick-ups and drop offs will be made to each camper’s front door. Because of this, the routes are typically finalized closer to the beginning of each session. Before camp begins, you will receive a phone call advising you of an approximate bus pick up/drop off time and answer any remaining questions you have. Generally bus pick ups begin at 8:00 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. arrival, and drop offs happen between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
The route moves more quickly if campers are ready to go and waiting near the door/outside on the driveway with a caregiver. We ask for your cooperation in ensuring the bus can maintain its schedule. For this reason, we ask that parents refrain from getting on the bus as this can upset other campers and disrupt the bus schedule.
Please allow for adjustments to pick up/ drop off times while the bus driver, staff, and campers settle into the route. We recommend that the camper is ready ten minutes before their scheduled pick up time on the first day of a new session. The bus routine generally settles after the first day or two of each session, at which point it should not change for the rest of the two week period.
We do try to minimize the amount of time each camper spends on the bus. This is why the routes are designed with efficiency in mind. Bus procedures include safety as well as programming, so that even when on the bus, campers are still engaging in activities.
To aid in the quick pace of the bus route, we are advising that when a camper is going to be absent from camp that you hang a towel on the door. This will signal to the bus not to stop and allows the bus to continue on its route quickly. It also saves you the disturbance of staff having to knock on the door.
What is the drop off/pick up procedures?
If you drive your child(ren) to camp, it is necessary that you sign them in and out each day. A member of the head staff will be near the parking lot area in the morning to greet you and send staff to accompany campers up to where their groups meet. Drop off time is between 8:50 – 9:00 a.m.
In the afternoon, we begin signing campers out once the buses have left. For this reason, we ask that you wait until 4:05 p.m. until the buses have left before coming to sign out your child. Campers will be in the forum waiting in their cabin group area at which point parents will be coming up and signing their children out directly with their child’s counsellor.
In your child’s Camper Information Form you were asked for all the names of people that may pick your child up from camp. Our head staff will have a list on them at all times with those names, and in the case where you are unable to pick up your child, the other members you have permitted will be asked to identify themselves and then sign out your child for you.
For children in the extended hours program, we ask that parents drop off/pick up their child(ren) from the camp office located in the forum (there will be a sign on the room). Children can be dropped off anytime between 8:00am-9:00am, and picked up anytime between 4:00pm and 6:00pm.
If there is to be any changes in the bus or pick up procedure on any day of camp, it is necessary to notify the camp in writing. We appreciate as much advance warning as possible, in order to ensure that we know who is picking up campers, and can notify bus monitors of any absences on their bus route.
What’s next?
Please send back your Camper Information Form if you have not done that already. If your camper has any severe allergies please let the office know so we can send you an allergy form to fill out. Please remember to send back the Sun Safety form and Lunch Option form as well. Feel free to send all the necessary paperwork on the first day of camp with your child, unless there are important notes we need to prepare for.
You will receive some more information on the first day of camp sent home with your child, including a calendar with theme days, and special events, as well as some camp gear for the campers. For updates on important news and events make sure about important news, special events and costumes.
What if I still have questions?
Parent phone call to all families will be made a few days prior to your child’s first day of camp. This will give you the opportunity to speak with your child’s counselor and address any last minutes questions or concerns. Though, feel free to get in touch with the camp office whenever you have a question, concern, or suggestion. The Camp Office phone number before and during the summer is (905) 882-1679.
Thank you very much. We are looking forward to a great summer!
Sincerely,
Sharon Gluzberg
Director