Kids and teens who are overweight have benefitted immensely from time at fitness boot camps. As with other boot camps, these fitness camps might not be fun, but in the end, kids admit to having "a blast" as they take control of weight problems. These fitness boot camps are "never a joy ride," as one counselor admits, but kids learn to live through the pain in order to gain leverage. Read more
|  | 
|---|
| Lakefield College School Summer Programs    Transformative experiences learning in and through the outdoors—academic, athletic, for credit or enrichment. Spend every day outdoors on the water, in the forest, or at our farm—learn, have fun and stretch yourself. Lakefield   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| IMG Academy Sport Camps    IMG Academy is the world’s leading integrated academic and athletic training establishment with 11 different sports programs to choose from, offering week and multi-week camps all summer and throughout the year. Florida   Sport (multi) 
			 
 | 
| Crusaders Rugby Club    Programs and full day camps, incredibly popular with participating kids and parents alike. Provides boys and girls aged 4-15 an introduction to non-contact rugby, outdoor games and activities at our private 26-acre park. Oakville   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Mayfair Clubs    Mayfair Clubs offers a wide variety of Sports Day Camps at all of our locations for ages 2-17. We specialize in tennis & squash programming but also offer swimming, multi-sport and even camps for young toddlers. Bathurst Manor/Clanton Park, Toronto; Leslieville, Toronto; Markham   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Forest City CrossFit Camps & Youth Programs    From our PA Day and School Break Camps to our monthly memberships, the youth programs at Forest City CrossFit, help kids aged 5-17 get active, plus develop their physical and social skills. London   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| St. Michael's College School Summer Camps    SMCS Camps provides youth with exciting academic, athletic, and artistic outlets, as well as opportunities to learn and grow within a fun and interactive environment. Please visit: smcscamps.com Forest Hill, Toronto   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Camp Can-Aqua    A traditional camp with diverse programming & exceptional instruction, we believe in teaching kids compromise, patience & empathy. Through thoughtful & individualized programming, our campers thrive here. Haliburton Highlands; Oakville; Ottawa   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Camp Ouareau    This Quebec all-girls overnight summer camp offers a variety of activities and leadership opportunities, as well as a unique language program. A chance to grow in confidence & independence, and develop language skills! Saint-Donat   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Camp Bil-O-Wood    A traditional summer camp and wilderness canoeing program for kids age 7 - 17. Over 30 sports & activities and 2-14 day canoe trips (optional). Campers from Canada, US, & Europe; 79 years in operation, family owned. Blind River   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Outward Bound Canada    Outward Bound Canada provides challenging adventures in the outdoors across the country that develop self-respect, awareness of others, interpersonal skills, and a sense of accomplishment. East York, Toronto; Algonquin Park; Kananaskis; Vancouver; Vancouver Island   Adventure (multi) 
			 
 | 
| Camp Eden Woods    Welcome to CEW in the Haliburton Highlands, Ontario. Our traditional co-ed camp offers a small and intimate overnight camp experience. Rediscover authentic camp spirit where everyone knows your name. Southern Haliburton County   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| InterVarsity Circle Square Ranch Big Clear Lake    Circle Square Ranch is a life-changing Christian summer camp for kids 6-16. We offer a wide range of activities including horseback riding, water activities and climbing. Your summer adventure with friends starts here! Hamilton; Huntsville; Land O' Lakes Tourist Region   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Elite Basketball Camps    Elite Camps offers year-round basketball programs for ages 4-17. We pride ourselves on our experienced coaches who provide high-quality instruction. Programs are run in various locations across Ontario. Est in 1999. Don Mills, Toronto; York Mills, Toronto; Bruce Peninsula; Richmond Hill  Sport: Basketball 
			 
 | 
| Studio PAVAS    Studio PAVAS day camps are fun filled days of Art, Music, Drama and Dance. Explore and expand your creativity and performing skills while making friends for life. Grow, Inspire, Belong. Mississauga   Arts  (multi) 
			 
 | 
| Adventure Valley    Oakville's most-loved summer day camp. Bussing, lunch, snack, and the best camp spirit included in camp fees! We focus on developing the whole child through nature discovery, creative arts and active play. Oakville   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Power Soccer School of Excellence    The largest soccer summer camp program in Canada offers a well organized program that mixes instruction, training and fun. Danforth Village, Toronto; East York, Toronto; Forest Hill, Toronto; Leaside, Toronto  Sport: Soccer 
			 
 | 
| Empower Learning Centre    Join our summer camps at Empower Learning Centre! Engage in fun activities, develop new skills, and make lasting memories. Limited spots available. Register now! Mississauga  Education: Academic/Tutoring (multi) 
			 
 | 
| InterVarsity Ontario Pioneer Camp    Ontario Pioneer Camp is a Christian summer camp and outdoor education and retreat centre located in Ontario, offering programs for children, youth, and students. Huntsville   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Camp Wenonah    Trusted by families worldwide, Camp Wenonah in Muskoka, Ontario, offers an unforgettable overnight camp for ages 5-17. With caring staff and full-time medical support, campers thrive in a safe, enriching environment. Bracebridge   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Teen Ranch    Just an hour from the GTA, a traditional Christian summer camp & year round retreat facility, specializing in developing youth through horse, hockey, adventure, bmx, soccer, figure skate, ninja warrior, WHAM & day camps. Caledon   Sport (multi) 
			 
 | 
| Throughout Ontario, Quebec (7)   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Camp Ak-O-Mak    Camp Ak-O-Mak is a tech-free overnight camp for girls aged 7–16, offering a mix of sports and outdoor adventure to build confidence, resilience, and lasting friendships. Parry Sound   Sport (multi) 
			 
 | 
| The Academy of Martial Arts    We are a Martial Arts school running classes and camps online and in-person. We two locations in Brampton to choose from, contact us today for a tour of our academy. Brampton  Sport: Martial Arts 
			 
 | 
| Four Point Basketball    Four Point Basketball, in partnership with Nike Basketball Camps, delivers a cutting-edge curriculum tailored for both Fundamental and High-Performance athletes. Elevate your game— Make your swishes come true! Throughout British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan (8)  Sport: Basketball 
			 
 | 
| Wildhorse Ranch    A unique western horse ranch experience! Develop courage, and leadership skills through horsemanship. Come Ride! Meet new Friends. Be inspired by horses and nature. Campfires, Conversations, Crafts and Lots of Fun! Rocky Mountain House  Sport: Horseback Riding/Equestrian 
			 
 | 
| YMCA of Oakville    YMCA of Oakville Child and Youth Programs and Summer Day Camps are offered at several locations across the community with activities including swimming, day trips and more. Learn more! Oakville   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Winning Techniques Camp    Winning Techniques Camp offers expert coaching in Figure Skating, Hockey, Adventure, and Leadership. Our supportive staff fosters skill development and life skills in a fun, family-friendly environment. Huntsville   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Camp Pathfinder    Historic all boy's camp est. 1914 in Algonquin Park. Focus on wilderness canoe trips with excellent in-camp program as well. Exceptional 1:2 staff to camper ratio. Positive, tech-free culture for boys. Algonquin Park   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| The Pine Project    Ontario's leading nature connection organization, offering year-round outdoor education programs for children and youth. Time in nature makes kids happier and healthier. Join us to learn, play and grow in nature! Bloor West Village, Toronto; East York, Toronto; Haliburton Highlands  Education: Nature/Environment 
			 
 | 
| Laurus Summer Camp    Montreal, North & South Shore, and West Island's #1 Lifestyle Summer day camp! We blend education & specialty training in arts, sports and more! Weekly program for kids ages 3 - 15! Registration opens January 2nd 2023! Throughout Ontario, Quebec (24)   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Toronto Kyokushinkai Karate    Kids Karate Summer Day Camp, PA Day Camps, March Break Camps. After school martial arts, Karate and fitness programs. The Beach, Toronto  Sport: Martial Arts 
			 
 | 
| Gee-Gees Sports Camps    The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees pride ourselves in offering a wide variety of bilingual sport camps to youth in the Ottawa and Gatineau area. Ottawa   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Girls Inc. of Durham    Offering 8 weeks of summer fun in Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa for girls ages 6 to 16! Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 4:00pm, with extended care available for additional fee. Fun hands-on activities, games and theme days. Ajax; Pickering; Whitby   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| The Ottawa Rowing Club (ORC)    ORC Learn to Row Camp for youth ages 12-17 yrs Offered in the heart of the city on the Ottawa River - come discover our amazing sport & community! Summer Day Camps are offered weekly Monday to Friday 8:30am - 3:30pm Ottawa  Sport: Rowing 
			 
 | 
| Camp Chikopi    Embark on a summer of outdoor thrills & sports. Build friendships, find your best self through experiences that cultivate independence & resilience. Seize a summer of action, adventure, & a lifetime of cherished memories Parry Sound   Sport (multi) 
			 
 | 
| Pear Tree Education    Pear Tree Summer Camps offer a dynamic mix of STEM, storytelling, outdoor activities, and creative arts! With expert educators and small classes, kids enjoy hands-on learning, real-world experiences and new friendships. Throughout British Columbia (9)   Education (multi) 
			 
 | 
| Central Montessori Schools    Looking for a fun and enriching summer experience? CMS offers dynamic summer programs for 3 - 12 year-olds to enjoy a variety of engaging activities while making new friends and memories that will last a lifetime. Bayview Village, Toronto; Willowdale, Toronto; York Mills, Toronto; Thornhill   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Bayview Glen Camp    Located centrally in Toronto, this summer camp boasts ample outdoor greenspace, a full size turf sports field, and air conditioned buildings. They offer specialized sports, arts, and coding/robotics camps. Don Mills, Toronto; York Mills, Toronto   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Ashbury College Summer Programs    Ashbury's Summer Program offers a broad range of summer camps in the performing and visual arts, athletics, and STEM as well as set-up for success workshops and credit courses. Learn something new this summer! Ottawa North   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Radiant Girls    All-Girls Leadership & Wellness events led by professional coaches, school teachers, & female leaders. Camps featuring Adventure, Arts, Horses, Spa, Fitness, Leadership, Business, Friendship & Emotional Intelligence Burlington; Guelph; King   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| J. Addison School STEM & Sports Day Camp    Discover our STEM & Sports Day Camp for ages 8 - 13! Explore and learn skills from 10+ sports, science experiments and arts in a safe, supportive environment. Register soon! - limited to 20 campers per group capacity. Markham  Education: STEM 
			 
 | 
| Joookooo Sports Academy    JOOOKOOO’s programs and camps expose youth to STEM, sports and competitive games. We provide enrichment opportunities that generate valuable learning and skill development in an exciting and inclusive environment. Ajax; Bowmanville   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Hockey Opportunity Camp    HOC offers 3 main overnight programs including Hockey, Ultimate (traditional camp) and Water Skiing. HOC offers something for anyone wanting an overnight camp experience in Northern Ontario. Huntsville   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| True North Sports Camps    True North Sports Camps offers baseball, flag football, basketball, soccer & multi-sport summer day camps and year-round clinics for boys and girls ages 4-14 in Toronto and Etobicoke. Eatonville, Toronto; Forest Hill, Toronto; Whitby   Sport (multi) 
			 
 | 
| Camp Tapawingo, YWCA    An all girls summer camp located on Georgian Bay, operated by YWCA Toronto. Camp “Tap” focuses on empowering and supporting a diverse group of girls through a broad range of arts and outdoor activities. Parry Sound   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Neighbour Note Music Camps & Lessons    Toronto's premier camps run by University Professors, TDSB Teachers, and extraordinary Musicians! (PhD, DMA). Our Rock Band camp instructor performed for over 10 000 people when his band opened for KISS in Mexico City! High Park, Toronto  Arts: Music (multi) 
			 
 | 
| Trio Danceworks    We offer recreational and intensive Summer Dance Camps at our Kanata dance studio. These camps are the best way to join our studio. Kanata  Arts: Dance (multi) 
			 
 | 
| Kandalore    Kandalore is one of the finest overnight camps in Canada, providing the best of both canoe tripping and in-camp activities. For over 75 years, Kandalore has given campers the chance to get to know and be themselves. Leslieville, Toronto; Minden   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Nepean Sailing Club     A fun engaging camp introducing sports and team building activities to kids from 6-17 years old. Adventure Camps and Sailing Camps are offered all summer long. Since 1979! Ottawa   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Barnburner Hockey Academy    Our camps combine on-ice training with elite off-ice development and fun! Players refine stride mechanics on skating treadmills, sharpen accuracy in shooting lanes, & build strength in our gym, all with expert coaching. Forest Hill, Toronto  Sport: Hockey 
			 
 | 
| Campfire Circle    Campfire Circle brings healing through happiness to kids and families affected by childhood cancer or serious illness through our in-hospital, community, and overnight camp programs, at no cost to families. Downtown West, Toronto; Parry Sound; Southern Niagara Region   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Steel Peak Climbing & Ninja    Steel Peak offers a blend of rock climbing and Ninja. Develop agility, balance, coordination, determination, creativity and problem-solving with our knowledgeable and experienced coaches. Vaughan  Sport: Rock Climbing 
			 
 | 
| Tall Ships Adventure    Step aboard and discover the thrill of sailing a tall ship! Every day is an opportunity to develop teamwork, leadership, and resilience while navigating the open waters alongside a diverse and supportive crew. Brockville; Ottawa  Sport: Sailing/Marine Skills 
			 
 | 
| Ross Creek Centre for the Arts    SummerArts combines the best of camp with the best of the arts! Great food, a full rec schedule, campfire & a core of incredible arts programming on a beautiful campus overlooking the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. Canning   Arts  (multi) 
			 
 | 
| Athlete Institute    Athlete Institute offers a day and overnight camps for girls and boys, ages 6-17. Our basketball, volleyball, and multi-sport camps offer expert coaching, friendly competition, and an unforgettable experience. Orangeville   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| MVP'S Camps    An extraordinary Overnight Summer Program, designed to cater to the most talented and passionate youth in Ontario, providing them with an unparalleled, all-encompassing basketball experience. Rosseau  Sport: Basketball 
			 
 | 
| WillowWood School Camp and Summer School    WillowWood offers 3 different summer programs: camps for Grades 1-6, skills programs for Gr. 7-9 and high school credits for students in Grades 9-12. Don Mills, Toronto   Education (multi) 
			 
 | 
| Bear Creek Outdoor Centre    We are a small camp with a spectacular community of campers and staff. We focus on having a great time building interpersonal skills and connecting with each other in a fantastic natural setting. Ottawa; Renfrew   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Camp Kodiak    Fun! Friends! Success! Canada's premier overnight summer camp for children & teens with and without LD, ADHD, and ASD Level 1. We provide a SOCIAL SKILLS program, ACADEMIC program and 50+ activities. Parry Sound   Traditional (multi activity)  
			 
 | 
| Valencia CF Canada    Valencia CF Camps are bigger and better for 2025. With camps running throughout the summer, our goal is to teach as many footballers following the Valencia CF methodology. Moncton; Rigaud  Sport: Soccer 
			 
 | 
| PSB & Interplay Dance    Dance, gym, music, and yoga with certified instructors for ages 2+ from September through June. Camps in July & August, Winter and March Breaks offer fun-filled days of dance, yoga, crafts, games and park visits. Centennial-Port Union, Toronto; Leaside, Toronto  Arts: Dance (multi) 
			 
 | 
| Randolph Kids Performing Arts    One-of-a-kind performing arts summer camps! Led by industry professionals who inspire creativity, skill building, and fun. Musical Theatre, Dance, Acting, Movies & Media, Singing & Songwriting for all ages and abilities. South Annex, Toronto  Arts: Theatre Arts 
			 
 | 
While there are many summer camps that offer fitness as a byproduct of camp activities but specialty camps are different in that they hone in on exercise (especially cardio) and nutrition. While there is a "boot camp" mentality to some of these camps, they go well beyond discipline and exercise to teach children about diet and nutrition as well as specific exercise regimens that target weight loss as well as ongoing cardiovascular health. As with other kinds of boot camps, weight loss boot camps have progressively moved away from an outward discipline to a focus on attitudes and self-control, in recent years. This approach has been found to be much more successful in the long term.
These kinds of fitness boot camps (located popularly in Toronto and Ottawa) are difficult but they do work. As one counselor says: "We haven't had a single girl yet who didn't say the camp was the biggest challenge of her life." Campers agree, admitting that at first it was very tough but by summer's end they had achieved weight loss goals. (Many of these camps last all summer.)
Consult each of the camps in Toronto and Ottawa to learn about their program and how it helps children take control of their health and fitness.
Read a feature article from the 2010 issue of Our Kids Go to camp where we profiled the health benefits of fitness boot camps, showing how holistic education of children brings deeper change.
Disclaimer
Above, we use the term "fitness boot camps," though not all camps listed here are necessarily comfortable calling themselves "boot camps." All of the kids camps listed on this page focus on weight loss and fitness for children and teens.
| Nov 1 | ARTSies Youth Theatre Programs Find Your Light: Youth Theatre Experience November 1, 2025 | 
| Nov 7 | Girls Inc. of Durham Power of the Purse November 7, 2025 | 
| Nov 14 | Power Soccer School of Excellence Power Soccer PA Day Camp Friday November 14th in East York November 14, 2025 | 
| Nov 21 | TAC - Sports, Aquatics and Education WINTER BREAK EARLY BIRD DEADLINE November 21, 2025 |