Educational camps aren't necessarily all work and no play. Many offer integrated programs that combine learning with traditional summer camp activities like sports and field trips. Options like these can be an ideal solution for parents who want their children to brush up on academics over the summer without sacrificing too much fun time.

Central Montessori Camps in Toronto offer the best of both worlds. "The emphasis is a balance of learning and fun," says Deborah Sharp, principal of Central Montessori Schools.

"Educational camps are good because they offer a leg up and an opportunity to refine weaknesses," says Brandon McClounie, publicity chair for the British Columbia Camping Association. "It really does keep them fresh over the summer. The results are tangible."

He says parents should make sure their kids are clear about the potential benefits of doing a bit of extra work while their friends are off playing. "Children have to know it's going to help them gain in the long run and make things easier during the school year and alleviate some stresses," he says.

Central Montessori offers three different types of day camps that blend learning and fun: variety, sports and ESL. The variety camps entail about two hours of academic lessons per day, with the rest of the time focused on activities like sports, yoga and field trips to places like the science centre or a bowling alley. The sports camp also has an academic component, and its physical activities are more sports-oriented, such as tennis, basketball and soccer. "I like that you do a little bit of everything," says Brandon, 7, who went to the sports camp last summer. "It's pretty fun."

The third camp type, ESL, or English as a Second Language, enables children who don't speak English as a first language to brush up on their conversational and written English skills through group lessons and interacting with each other. Kathy, 9, is from Korea and enjoyed the camp last summer. "I made some friends from Korea, but we don't speak Korean. I'm here to speak English," she says. "We all read together and search for difficult words and talk about them."

The academic lessons for all three camp types use a lot of equipment. "It's very hands-on," Sharp says. As proof that educational camps know how to have fun too, they participate in Water Wednesday each week when the school sets up fun equipment like waterslides, sprinklers and inflatable castles. With all of those fun activities bookending the lessons, these educational camps will hardly feel like work at all.

Camp is just one more opportunity for your child to learn about the world around them and to extend their education as deeply and broadly as they like to. Don't forget that camps.ca also lists camps that specialize in some arts.

Photo: Bond Academy (by Ashley Hutcheson)