Adventurers Wanted!

For a meaningful outdoor summer camp experience, give your child something rare! Explore unique habitats across a natural landscape, learn from special guests, visit North House, Springbank Gardens, partake in environmental art and nature-based crafts and activities, and create a journal of your time at rare.

Summer Every Child Outdoors (ECO) Camp programs are for children between the ages of 6 – 12. Summer Every Child Outdoors (ECO) Camp Teens Edition is for kids between the ages of 12 – 16. At this time we do not offer camp programs for children under the age of 6.

There will be 20 spots available per week. Campers will be required to wear masks at all times, unless exempt due to a medical issue. This policy may change depending on public health guidelines at the time. 

General Registration cost is $250 per week for full weeks, and $200 for short (4 day) weeks.

Summer ECO Camp will run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily on weekdays in July and August* 2023.
Summer ECO Camp Teens Edition will run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily on August 8 – 11, 2023.

Extended care (early drop-off and late pick-up) is available from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM, and 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM daily for an additional charge of $25 for either AM or PM, or $50 for both, for the week. Please be advised that to be eligible for extended care, you must purchase the option during registration. Registration for one day of the week is not possible, we will be charging a flat rate of $25 or $50 for the entire week.

Interested in seeing what adventures await at rare Summer ECO Camp?
Check out CTV Kitchener’s coverage of our camp here and here.

Cancellation Policy

Please be advised that once you have registered your child for ECO Camp, there is a portion of your payment that is non-refundable. Should you decide to withdraw your child from ECO Camp at least 3 weeks prior to their scheduled week, the remaining balance of your payment, minus a $50 administration fee, will be refunded.

If you cancel your child’s registration less than 3 weeks prior to their scheduled week, no refund of camp fees will be issued, except for medical reasons or at the discretion of the rare Educators.

There is no cost associated with switching the week you have registered for, should space be available in another session. 

If you would like to withdraw your child from camp, or have any questions regarding our cancellation policy, please contact our Education team at
education@raresites.org

Subsidies

At rare, we strive to provide opportunities to get Every Child Outdoors. Subsidies are available for campers from Waterloo Region for whom registration costs (and in some cases travel costs) are a barrier for participation. Contact education@raresites.org to request camp subsidy assistance or to learn more.

*Summer ECO Camp will not be running during the Civic Holiday week in August. We will instead be running Summer ECO Camp Teen Edition during this week.

Please look through the calendar below to register for Summer ECO Camp. Extended care can be purchased at the end of the registration form. Camper registration will be confirmed after completion of payment via email. Please check your spam folder if you do not receive the confirmation email within five minutes.