Latest news with #camps
CTV News
08-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Demand high for YMCA camps
Atlantic Watch The demand is high for YMCA camps this year, along with the need for financial aid.
Irish Times
30-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
I'm paying €757 to keep my child busy for 3.6 hours a day. Summer childcare maths doesn't add up
I used to believe in spreadsheets, that formulas and colour coding had magical powers to put order on a chaotic world and reveal the path to an optimised life. It worked for travel planning, for career choices and for household budgets. But then I tried to make it understand the magical thinking of the maths of Irish family life, and both my spreadsheet and my faith in rationality disintegrated into a sea of alarming little red triangles with exclamation points. The final straw was summer holiday childcare maths. Irish workers are entitled to four weeks of annual leave per year, while Irish schools and (many) preschools are closed for about 13 weeks a year. Parents can request unpaid 'Parent's Leave' from their employer, which is roughly 2 weeks per year per child for the first 12 years. This would mean that even if there are two parents, and each takes different holidays, and the unpaid leave, a max of 10 of the 13 weeks off could be covered. For households where all adults work – and for those with the resources to do so – this is where camps come in. Summer camp as a concept has a dreamy quality; it conjures canoes and tyre swings and lifelong friendships formed by the bonfire. The reality, in Ireland at least, is a little more prosaic. There are frantic Google searches, fights for places, fistfuls of cash to mostly private providers, and all for the pleasure of depositing your child at a random scout den before dashing to squeeze some work into the 3-4 hour window you have before you need to pick them up again. [ The summer juggle: How to work while the kids are off Opens in new window ] My child is 4½, and we're facing our first summer of this. After several weeks of planning she signed up for six weeks of camps during the nine weeks of summer break. I have co-ordinated with other families to make sure she turns up at each random scout den with at least one familiar face, though this means she will be attending camps by five different providers, in five different locations. The total cost, for one child, is €757. And for this money, even optimising for longer camps, across these six weeks we'll be getting an average of 3.6 hours of cover per day. READ MORE These short hours add another incentive to team up with other families. The only way I can imagine getting through the summer as a working family is to participate in the elaborate barter system known as play dates. Sometimes this 'I'll pick them all up Tuesday if you do Wednesday' is explicit, sometimes it's unspoken. Often it's a lifeline. Some families have moved beyond the barter system to something approaching co-operatives; parents banding together over school holidays to take turns minding each others' kids. Taking one day off to mind four or five kids is the same hit to finite holiday allowances as taking one off for just your own, without the expense of private camps. This reinvention of traditional economic models – bartering, co-operatives – on a micro level should signal to us that something approaching market failure is happening at the macro level. Most camps feel designed to deliver a few mornings of entertainment and maybe educational enrichment to children who are otherwise at home for the summer, cared for by a non-working parent. But two-thirds of Irish mothers work outside the home, according to the Growing Up in Ireland Survey. This disjointed maths – the gulf between the world a system presumes exists and reality – feels very familiar. Like how we have six months of maternity leave, but childcare for those under 12 months old doesn't exist. Like how you can get a mortgage for 3½ times your salary, but average Dublin house prices are 8 times average salary levels. [ Ulcer-inducing summer childcare: It seems like the camps begin at 9am but end at 9.15am with a 45-minute commute Opens in new window ] This cognitive dissonance leaves tens if not hundreds of thousands of households scrambling to find ways to make things work. But no amount of spreadsheeting can solve a problem that was never designed to be solvable. It doesn't need to be this way. Public provision of childcare outside of term time is the norm in many countries, such as France, where schools and municipalities organise affordable offerings throughout school holidays that cover the work day. More could also be done to facilitate those who want to spend more time away from work over summer. Policies such as parent's leave, that give employees the legal right to request unpaid leave. I am planning to reduce the hours I work per day over the summer months, something I can do as I work for myself, and that allows me to keep the lights on and get projects lined up for the autumn. This idea of 'summer hours' is common in some parts of Europe, but would probably take government support to become mainstream here. Parents have built patchwork systems that somehow work, cobbled together from WhatsApp groups, favours, and sheer will. Imagine what we could do if the official systems tried even half as hard. Liz Carolan works on democracy and technology issues, and writes at
Khaleej Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
'You need 2 jobs': Some UAE families spend over Dh10,000 on kids summer camps
As schools across the UAE begin their long summer break, working parents are once again grappling with a familiar challenge — how to keep their children productively engaged without burning a hole in their pockets. The frustration isn't new, but with inflation and summer camp costs climbing each year, many are feeling the squeeze. Many parents face the pressure of juggling work commitments, family travel, and childcare, often turning to camps as a solution to keep their children occupied. However, many point out that these camps are becoming increasingly unaffordable for households. While some camps start at around Dh300 a week (roughly Dh1,200 a month), those offering a richer mix of activities — from creative workshops to tech and adventure experiences — tend to charge far more. These premium camps can have a starting price of Dh770 per week or over Dh3,000 per month, making it a costly decision for families with more than one child. Even as parents strive to strike a balance between quality and cost, they often seek camps that offer meaningful experiences without a hefty price tag. 'Need 2 jobs to cover expenses' Sai Bhagwat, a working mother, shared her concern with Khaleej Times. She said, "My younger son, who is 8, will be attending an indoor football camp that costs around Dh750. As a parent, you sometimes feel like you need two jobs to cover all these expenses. I can't take two months off work, and I don't want my kids glued to screens while I'm away. Transportation is an additional cost that adds up to the expenses — include that, and you're looking at nearly Dh1,000 per week." "My elder son is 13 now, so he's more independent. We live in a great community, so he'll be participating in group study sessions, playing board games, or enjoying table tennis with friends. But I'm also planning to enrol him in some short-specialised camps — things like podcast development or STEM workshops. "This cost just as much, if not more, since he's now in middle school. When you tally it all up, it's over Dh6,000 for one child, considering we might travel in between for a week or two during the summer holidays. For parents with two children, you're looking at Dh10,000 or more for two months easily — just for summer camps and transportation. It's a major expense, and honestly, not all camps feel like they deliver value for money." Over the years, for many families across the country, summer camps have become an extension of their child's academic and personal development journey. While some families view these camps as worthwhile investments in their children's development, others are calling for more accessible, affordable options across communities. However, as children grow older, parents point out that their children's interests tend to gravitate toward more niche and specialised activities — which often come at a premium. Some offer good activities Dubai-based American expat Natalia Miranda said, "My son will be doing Kumon this summer — one day online and one day at the centre, focusing on English and Math. Each class runs for an hour. Additionally, he's enrolled in Logiscool, which is ideal for tech-savvy kids. They teach coding, video game design, podcasting, and even how to create and manage a YouTube channel. One week, they're working on Minecraft, and the next, they're learning video production; it's super engaging." Her child's camp is located in Oasis Mall, further adding to the expenditure, as Miranda is a resident of Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT). "For fitness, I'm planning to send my son to boxing too. As you can imagine, the costs add up. Kumon alone is around Dh1,500 a month, and Logiscool is Dh3,000 for six weeks. I haven't signed him up for boxing yet, but I'm hoping to find a deal. Since I can't manage the pickups myself, I'll also need to arrange a driver. As children get older, camps become more specialised and niche — and my son is really into tech, so I look for programmes that match his interests. "Honestly, some of these camps do offer good value, especially when compared to the time kids might otherwise spend on iPads doing something unproductive. At least this way, he's learning something meaningful. Logiscool runs from 9am to 1pm, which is a decent block of time. When I do our family budgeting, I factor these summer camps into our yearly education expenses — they're almost on par with school fees," she added. Home-based or community alternatives For other families, especially those with younger children or multiple children, affordability remains a key concern — and many parents are turning to home-based or community alternatives. Filipino expat and working mother Bernadette Lalog said, "My four-year-old twins will be attending gym classes three times a week within our community in Al Ghadeer. They'll participate in fun physical activities, such as flips, splits, and jumping. Since the gym is part of our residential area, it's quite affordable — about Dh450 per child for a month. "I've also ordered some activities for them from Temu — world puzzles, painting kits and the like. My nanny, who I fondly call our 'super nanny,' will be doing these with the kids. She's very hands-on and makes learning fun for them. I'll be putting together a daily timetable for their activities over the break. I know how expensive some of the summer camps can be — it's hard to find quality ones that are reasonably priced and won't burn a hole in your pocket," added Lalog.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Are you kids getting antsy? Here's 68 summer camps to keep them busy
Does your child dream of becoming a groundbreaking scientist, a successful fashion designer, a Naval aviator or even the next Rembrandt? Whatever the interest – STEM, music, dance, sewing, crafts, etc. – there's still time to find a summer camp for your child in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Most camps have multiple sessions, and many are open until early August. Here's a comprehensive of the many fun and enriching summer camps and activities available for preschool, elementary, middle and high school students: June 23-27: Bugs Don't Bug Me, grades 1-2, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ June 23-27: Storybook Science, grades 1-2, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ June 23-27, July 7-11, July 14-18: Lego Robotics: Smart City, grades 3-4, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ June 23-27: Robolab: Innovators in Motion, grades 7-10, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ June 23-27: Eco-Adventure, ages 8-13, hosted by Threads of Learning Academy, 2869 W. Michigan Ave., Pensacola. Details: July 7-11: Art-chitects, grades 1-2, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 7-11: Camp Magic School Bus, grades 1-2, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 7-11: Pod Camp, grades 7-8, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 7-11: Spy Kids, , grades 3-4, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 14-18: Jurassic Park, ages 8-13, hosted by Threads of Learning Academy, 2869 W. Michigan Ave., Pensacola. Details: July 14-18: Animal Planet, grades 1-2, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 14-18: Nature's Laboratory, grades 3-4, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 14-18: Lights, Power, Electrify, grades 5-6, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 20-25, July 27-Aug. 1: STEM Summer Camp, National Flight Academy, Pensacola. Register at July 21-25: Space Expedition, ages 8-13, hosted by Threads of Learning Academy, 2869 W. Michigan Ave., Pensacola. Details: July 21-25, July 28-Aug. 1: Lego Robotics: Great Adventures, grades 1-2, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 21-25: Splash Science, grades 1-2, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 21-25: Code Crushers, grades 3-4, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 22-25: Escambia County 4-H Heroes of S.T.E.M. Day Camp, ages 8 and older, limit of 20. Register at or call Lina Berry at 850-475-5230. July 28-Aug. 1: Time Travel Scientist: Curiosity Quest, grades 1-2, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 28-Aug. 1: Lego Masters: Block Stars, grades 3-4, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 28-Aug. 1: Mission to Mars, grades 5-6, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ Through Aug. 1: Pensacola MESS Hall Summer Camps 2025, Pensacola. Register Through Aug. 8: Kids College, Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd., Pensacola. Ages 6-8, 9-12, 12-16. Details: Through June 20: Summer Art Intensive, Pensacola Museum of Art, grades 9-12. Details: Through June 20, July 14-18: Music Camp with Devan Dunlap, ages 5-10, hosted by Corals Closet, 114 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. Details: June 20-July 4: Movie Making, ages 8-13, hosted by Threads of Learning Academy, 2869 W. Michigan Ave., Pensacola. Details: June 23-27, July 21-25: Explore Hogwarts: Year 1, grades 3-4, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ June 23-27: Kids Summer Art Camp, ages 7-10, 4916 Landmark Lane, Pace. Details: June 23-27: Don't Try This At Home, grades 5-6, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ June 23-27: Mini Showstoppers Summer Camp, grades K-2, Mixon Magic Performing Arts. Details: June 23-27: 2025 Creatisphere Summer Art 'Musical Masterpiece' Camp, ages 6-12, First City Art Center. Details: June 23-27: Improv Camp, grades 7-9, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 7-11: Art Camp with Grow Creative, ages 5-10, hosted by Corals Closet, 114 S Palafox St., Pensacola. Details: July 7-11: Explore Hogwarts: Year 2, grades 3-4, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 7-26: The Aristocats Kids, Pensacola Little Theatre Summer Camps and Classes 2025. Details: Topher Warren at education@ July 7-26: Matilda Jr. Showstoppers Summer Camp, grades 3-9, Mixon Magic Performing Arts. Details: July 14-18: Pensacola Museum of Art: Explorations in Art, grades 1-2, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 14-18: Explore Hogwarts: Year 3, grades 7-9, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 21-25: Ultimate Game Frenzy, grades 5-6, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 21-25: Mock Trial, grades 7-8, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ July 21-25: Pensacola Museum of Art: Art Adventures, grades 3-5, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ June 28-Aug. 1: Expressions & Experimentation, Pensacola Museum of Art, grades 5-8. Details: July 28-Aug. 1: Pensacola Museum of Art: Expression and Experimentation, grades 5-8, University of West Florida. Details: explorecamps@ Aug. 4-8: 2025 Creatisphere Summer Art 'Stories of the Sea' Camp, ages 5-12, First City Art Center. Details: Through Aug. 8: Kids College, Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd., Pensacola. Ages 6-8, 9-12, 12-16. Details: June 24: Escambia County 4-H Advanced Sewing Day Camp, ages 10 and older, limit of 12. Sewing experience required. Register at or call Lina Berry at 850-475-5230. June 30-July 3: Family Camp Test Kitchen, ages 6 and older, Pensacola Cooks Classroom, 4051 Barrancas Ave., Pensacola, Unit C, Greer's Shopping Center. One adult (required) with one child 6 years old and older. Details: 850-456-0743. June 30 - July 3: Escambia County 4-H Food Challenge Twilight Day Camp, ages 8 and older, limit of 16. Register at or call Lina Berry at 850-475-5230. July 15-18: Escambia County 4-H Craft Keepers Day Camp, ages 8 and older, limit of 20. Register at or call Lina Berry at 850-475-5230. Through Aug. 8: Kids College, Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd., Pensacola. Ages 6-8, 9-12, 12-16. Details: June 23-26, July 7-10, July 14-17: Rising Minds Learning at Lovelock Healing Arts Summer Camp, ages 5-10, limit of 10, 213 S. Baylen St., Pensacola. Register at June 23-27: 3rd Annual Teen G.I.R.L.S. Leadership and Empowerment Camp, for ages 13-18, Real Women Radio Complex, 3499 N. Davis Hwy., Pensacola. Register online at June 23-27, July 21-25: Etiquette Camp with Coco, ages 5-10, hosted by Corals Closet, 114 S Palafox St., Pensacola. Details: Through Aug. 8: Kids College, Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd., Pensacola. Ages 6-8, 9-12, 12-16. Details: June 23-July 26, June 30-July 3, July 7-10, July 14-17, July 21-24, July 28-31, Aug.4- 7: WBZ (Waterboyz) Skate Camps 2025, Details: June 30-July 3, July 7-10, July 14-17, July 21-24, July 28-31, Aug.4- 7: WBZ (Waterboyz) Surf/SKIM Camps 2025, Details: July 7-10: 2025 Crusader Spirit Camp, Pensacola Catholic High gym. Details: SportsCenter Day Camps, Pensacola Christian College, ages 5-12. Details: Sports Center Day Camp. Through Aug. 8: Kids College, Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd., Pensacola. Ages 6-8, 9-12, 12-16. Details: Through July 11: Camp Creative Learning Academy, open to rising 4 year olds-8th graders. Register at or email Jennifer Russell at jrussell@ Through July 24: Episcopal Day School Summer Camp, grades Pre-K 2-8. Register at July 28-Aug. 1: Pirates and Mermaids, ages 8-13, hosted by Threads of Learning Academy, 2869 W. Michigan Ave., Pensacola. Details: Through Aug. 1: Code Ninjas Summer Camp, ages 5-15, Pensacola and Navarre sites. Register and Through Aug. 1: Creative Sparks Summer Camp, weekly themed full- and half-day events, 1449 W. Nine Mile Road, Suite 15, Pensacola. Details: Through Aug. 1: Creative Youth Tutor Summer Camp sponsored by The Unicorn Club. Details: 850-430-9024. Through Aug. 2: Summer Day Camps sponsored by City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation, Cobb, Fricker, Gull Point and Woodland Heights Resource Centers. Details: YMCA Teen Summer Camp, ages 11-15, Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd. Details email Shelby Gibson at Did we miss your Summer Camp? Email mmabins@ This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Summer Camps 2025 for kids in Pensacola Escambia Santa Rosa County
CTV News
31-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Why summers are not built for working parents
While most children can't wait for the school year to end, the summer months can be a logistical and financial challenge for working parents. 'It's really tough for your typical working parent to take two months off in the summer,' Vancouver-based financial planner Kelly Ho told 'I'm also in the thick of it myself.' asked readers to share their stories about the challenges working parents face in the summer. They told us about spending thousands of dollars on camps, scrambling to register for affordable options, camp hours that are shorter than their work days, and needing to use vacation days to fill in gaps in their kids' summer schedules. 'Summer is such a stressful time for working parents,' Oshawa, Ont. mom Abbi Longo told 'We have four kids, three in school, and between co-ordinating camps, paying for them, and balancing work – it sometimes seems impossible.' With the summer holiday only a month away, available options right now could be limited. That's why Ho says it's important to talk to friends, family, neighbours and people in your community for help. 'I'm sure that everyone has the same issues and concerns,' Ho said. 'Don't tackle this alone and actually just let people know, here's what I'm struggling with, and you'd be surprised with the amount of suggestions and help that may arise by just vocalizing one's problems and one's issues with respect to the summer.' Campers Campers hang out before closing campfire, Thursday, June 20, 2024, at YMCA Camp Kern in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) 'Camps just don't align with the realities of working schedules' To many, it seems summers are simply not built for working parents. 'As a single mom living and working full time in a rural area, planning summer coverage for my two elementary-aged kids is incredibly difficult,' Christine Auchinleck told from Ontario's Oxford County. Auchinleck has her kids in camps for part of the summer and plans to use vacation days to look after them at other times. 'Large portions of the summer remain uncovered, and even on days with care, I don't actually have coverage for my actual work hours,' she said. 'This situation affects my job performance, my mental health and my kids' wellbeing.' Emily O'Riordan in Hamilton, Ont. says one of her biggest challenges is that many camps in her area end at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. and that extended hour options are limited. 'Camps just don't align with the realities of working schedules,' she told 'We're lucky to be able to afford weekly camps for our older child—and soon for our younger one too—but it's a major financial strain.' Daria Kathnelson of Ottawa, Ont. says all of her vacation days and a large portion of her annual bonus go towards looking after her two kids and enrolling them in camps, which are costing her family more than $5,000 this summer. 'These funds would normally be saved for a family trip, which we can no longer afford to take,' Kathnelson told 'Affording summer camp each year for two children is extremely stressful. I have no idea how single parents do it. I am able to barely manage, but what about the rest?' Campers Campers swim in the pool, Thursday, June 20, 2024, at YMC Camp Kern in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) (Joshua A. Bickel/AP) Like many other parents, Alessandra McIntosh from Caledon, Ont. got up early one February morning to get her two kids into a more affordable municipal camp as soon as registration opened at 7 a.m. At about $300 per child per week, McIntosh said it's still a 'huge expense.' 'If you don't sign up within the first few minutes, the spots are gone and you have no option but to pay for more expensive camps,' McIntosh told 'With the cost of living going up, people are really going to struggle putting their kids in camp.' Perhaps their kids would cringe, but McIntosh and several other parents expressed a desire for schools to operate year-round with a shorter summer holiday. Others suggested that camps and childcare should be exempt from taxes to ease parents' financial burden. 'Personally I feel that primary school summer vacation is purely an outdated traditional practice to allow school-age children to help with seeding/harvest when we were a more agricultural based society,' Saskatoon dad Mark Petrisor told 'Obviously the times have changed so I think it's well overdue to re-evaluate this practice.' 'It's all about being very organized' The financial challenges summer brings to working parents regularly comes up in Ho's conversations with her clients. She said she begins planning summer activities for her 10- and eight-year-old at least one season in advance. 'That's how I've functioned and that's how I've been able to stay sane,' Ho said. 'A lot of parents think I'm crazy, but you need to know exactly when every registration date is for whatever camps you want to go to so that you don't miss the deadlines. So it's all about being very organized, setting calendar reminders, and browsing before so you actually know what's available.' In Canada, prices can range from about $200 per week for day camps run by municipalities or community centres to $1,000 or more per week for specialty and overnight camps. In many places, the more affordable options tend to fill up very quickly once registration opens. Some camps also offer scholarships and subsidies. campers Counselor Kendra Ashong, center, sings a song with other campers, Thursday, June 20, 2024, at YMCA Camp Kern in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) (Joshua A. Bickel/AP) Although day camps typically operate from about 9 a.m. to 3 or 4 p.m., many offer before and after care for an added fee. Ho says it's also a good idea to talk to other parents about registering your kids for the same camp or activity. 'That way if there are scheduling challenges, then you have the option of approaching them to help with pick-up and drop-off,' Ho said. 'And also the benefit for your kid is that they have a friend going into the program.' Parents who are still in a bind should talk to their employers about tweaking their work schedules. 'Even with my staff… if they need some flexibility for a particular period of time, I have no problem with that as long as the work is done,' Ho said. 'I think there's no issue in asking when the intentions are good.' Ho says the summer months are also a time to lean on grandparents, family members, neighbours, friends, student babysitters and the community for help. 'What do we do if people don't have those types of supports? That's when we have to turn to our social networks,' she said. 'It's really about getting creative if camps present a financial burden.' For example, Ho said you could also try to find other parents who are in a similar situation and take turns being off work to look after each other's kids. Ho also cautioned against scheduling too many activities for your kids during the summer months and advised giving them some downtime too. 'They like the ability to have some free unallocated time,' she said. 'If we think back to our own childhood, I remember lots of lazy summer days sitting at home, hanging out with my grandparents, and I thought it was the best thing in the world.'
