Summer Camps and Playgrounds

• Dress campers according to weather
• Campers must wear closed-toe shoes - no flip flops, crocs or sandals. Running shoes are recommended.
• For indoor camps, please send clean indoor shoes during inclement weather
• Hat and sunscreen
• Bug repellent is recommended for outdoor camps
• Label all articles worn or brought to camp with your child's name
• Send camper in older ‘play' clothing

Each day your child will be required to bring a lunch, drink and two snacks. To avoid loss or confusion, place your child's name on their lunch.

Please send your child with a refillable water bottle.

Due to severe allergies, all snacks and lunches must be nut free.

Please do not send cell phones, toys, books, electronics, money, or sharp objects to camp. Personal items brought to camp should be limited. There will be no sharing of personal items between participants. You will be notified in writing if your child is requested to bring specific items to camp.

If your child is sick on a day of camp, please keep them home to avoid the spread of the illness.  Contact the Summer Camp Hotline at 905-619-2529, ext. 2267 (CAMP) or email camps@ajax.ca and they will notify the Camp Supervisor of your child’s absence. 

All staff have current Standard First Aid, CPR-C, HIGH FIVE® Principles of Healthy Child Development - a national certification, criminal record check, attend a comprehensive week-long, pre-summer training session and have received additional Health & Safety training.

Please bring your child to the designated drop off area at the start of each camp day to sign-in. Please ensure that when you or the authorized pick-up person returns to pick-up the child that the child is signed out directly with the Camp Supervisor.

A child who is 10 or older may leave the program by themselves, and at any time, if the parent/guardian has agreed to it on the registration form or with a signed note from the parent/guardian.

If your child is 9 or under, and going to the same home as an older sibling, they may walk home together. Otherwise, a caregiver 14 years or older must pick your child up.

The safety of the campers is our number one priority. It is imperative that the person registering the camper provides us with the names of all people permitted to pick up your child. Your child will not be released to anyone not on the list. There is no exception to this rule.

If a name needs to be added to the pick-up list please call the Summer Camp Hotline at 905-619-2529, ext. 2267 (CAMP) or email camps@ajax.ca starting July 4, 2023.

Prior to July 4, 2023 please call 905-427-8811, 905-428-7711, or 905-427-2468.

For those camps listed for ages 4-7 years old, your child must be 4 years of age or older at the start of the camp week. There will be no age exceptions made for campers under the age of 4 years old.

For camps listed 5 years old and older, you may register your child if their age falls within the calendar year.

Please note: No age exceptions will be made for the following camps: Kindercamp, Mini Treasure Hunters, Saplings, Camp Taparac Jr., Dodgeball!, Sports Centre, Elevate GirlSport Camp, Sportball, Camp Finale and Skateboard Camp. For these camps, campers must meet the minimum age requirements by the start of the camp week.

Please email camps@ajax.ca or call 905-619-2529, ext. 7233 (Children’s Camps), ext. 7508 (Youth Camps), or ext. 7259 (Contracted Service Provider Camps) to discuss any age exception requests.

• Staff to Camper Ratio ranges between 1:10 and 1:13 (depending on age of campers).
• Groups are based on chronological age
• Please notify us at the time of registration if you wish to have your child placed in a group with a sibling or friend. We will try our best to accommodate your request.

All camps operate on rainy days. If it is raining at the start of the camp day, Camp Mtigwaki, Saplings, Camp Taparac, Lake to Land, Mini Treasure Hunters and Camp Finale may be relocated by bus to the Ajax Community Centre, Audley Recreation Centre or Village Arena. These camps will return by bus to their locations by 3:30pm to get ready for end of the day sign-out. All other camps remain at their regularly assigned locations and will move indoors for programming. Should inclement weather occur during camp, adequate shelter will be provided to accommodate all campers. The Summer Camp Hotline will be updated to inform whether or not the above camps have been moved.

Outdoor camps operate under the following conditions when temperatures are under 40 degrees Celsius with humidex:

• Staff will take daily conditions into account and plan activities accordingly.
• Water breaks will be scheduled every 20 minutes.
• Sunscreen will be applied every 2 hours or after water play.

When temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius with humidex the following provisions will be made:

• All camp programs will run indoors at their scheduled locations.
• Outdoor play will be limited.

Camp Mtigwaki, Saplings, Camp Taparac, Lake to Land, Mini Treasure Hunters and Camp Finale may be relocated by bus to the Ajax Community Centre, Audley Recreation Centre or Village Arena. These camps will return by bus to their locations by 3:30pm to get ready for end of the day sign-out. The Summer Camp Hotline will be updated to inform whether or not the above camps have been moved.

Some camps participate in recreational swimming at the Ajax Memorial Pool (unless stated otherwise) under the guidance of qualified lifeguards. Campers will be transported to the pool and back on our camp buses.  Camps do not swim on the first day of a camp week.  Swim information will be included in your child’s first day letter.

On the first visit to the pool, your child will be screened for swimming ability and visually identified (coloured bracelet) for supervision according to skill level. While in the water, campers will also be supervised by camp staff. All campers are expected to change into proper swimming attire. All participants are encouraged to swim during swim times. Those not swimming will participate in supervised land activities.

• All campers 6 years old and younger must wear a lifejacket and remain in the shallow end, regardless of swim ability. This is to meet the Town’s Admission Standards. They will swim with a camp counsellor in the water.
• Campers 7 years of age and older can take the swim test, with parent/guardian consent, in order to swim in the deep end of the pool.
• Campers aged 7-9 who do not pass/take the swim test will swim with a staff member in the shallow end of the pool. Campers 10 years of age and older who do not pass/take the swim test will swim in the shallow end of the pool. 

The following procedures must be followed when sending a child with an Epipen to camp:

• You must read, sign and fill out the allergy alert poster and Epipen consent form (forms can be requested at the front desk of any community centre or will be made available by camp staff)
• You must send 2 Epipens to camp - 1 stays on the camper at all times, the other is secured in the camp office and will be returned at the end of the session
• If a camper forgets their Epipen and there is not a second Epipen stored in the camp office, the camper will be removed from the camp and a parent/guardian will be contacted to bring an Epipen or pick their child up

No, this is not a registered program, but we do collect contact information and special instructions in case an adult needs to be reached.

Please Note: Programming is geared toward a fluctuating number of participants. This gives participants the flexibility to come and go from this drop-in program at any time. Older children with permission may come and go on their own. Children can drop by the program at any time throughout the summer.

All staff have current Standard First Aid, CPR-C, HIGH FIVE® Principles of Healthy Child Development - a provincial certification, criminal record check, attend a comprehensive week-long, pre-summer training session and have received additional Health & Safety training.

Participants are required to wear closed-toe shoes. It is also suggested that participants bring a hat, sunscreen and water (reusable container is encouraged). Snacks are not permitted as our programs are Peanut Aware Zones.

Please Note: Electronics/toys, items of value, sandals/crocs, money (unless required for a trip), etc. should not be on site at any time. 

The Playgrounds program runs from 9 a.m. to Noon AND 1 to 4 p.m. There is no supervision during the lunch hour. Children are asked to leave the program site during lunch and may return at 1 p.m. to continue their Playgrounds program experience. 

Please Note: There is no afternoon (p.m.) program on Fridays.

The following procedures must be followed when sending medication to Playgrounds:

• You must read, sign and fill out the medication consent form (form can be requested at the front desk of any community centre or will be made available by Playgrounds leaders on site)
• Send the medication to staff in the original prescribed container
• Only send the correct dosage for the day
• Any medication should be given directly to the Playgrounds staff to hold or be stored

The following procedures must be followed when sending a child with an EpiPen to Playgrounds:

• You must read, sign and fill out the allergy alert poster and EpiPen consent form (forms can be requested at the front desk of any community centre or will be made available by Playgrounds staff on site)
• You must send 2 EpiPens to Playgrounds - 1 stays on the participant at all times, the other is secured in a locked box on site and will be returned at the end of the visit
• If a participant forgets their EpiPen and there is not a second EpiPen stored  on site, the participant will be asked to return home and a parent/guardian will be contacted to bring an EpiPen or pick their child up

In the event of heavy or consistent rain, Ajax Playgrounds locations close for the duration of the rain. The program will resume 30 minutes after the rain has stopped, time permitting. In the event of extreme heat which compromises the well-being of staff and participants, Ajax Playgrounds sites will close at the discretion of administration and the program will re-open when it is safe to do so. Check www.ajax.ca for updates during program disruptions.

Leave Program Policy – A child/participant that is 10 years of age or older may leave the program unaccompanied by an adult if they are given written permission from the parent/guardian to do so. Children are then able to leave the drop-in program at any time. 

Much like our staff, our volunteers must go through specific training and Town of Ajax orientations in order to volunteer at the  Playgrounds program.

Volunteer Information

Yes! Each Playgrounds location will get the opportunity to go on a number of off-site trips throughout the summer. Trips are on a first come, first served basis and space is limited. Please Note: There is a cost and special instructions associated with each trip. Please ask your Playgrounds leaders for more information or contact a Playgrounds Director.

Each Playgrounds program location has access to either school washrooms Monday to Thursday (until August 11) or a portable potty. It is suggested that participants go to the washroom before attending the program.