Before your child attends CampTO, After-School and/or Recreation Discovery and Recreation Adventures programs, review the following information:

  • CampTO runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday unless otherwise noted for holidays
  • After-School programs run from school dismissal to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday during the school year unless otherwise noted for holidays and PA days. Some sites have programs that end at 5:30 p.m.
  • Recreation Discovery and Recreation Adventures programs are offered weekly at a variety of different times at different locations across the City. Please contact your local community centre for program-specific information.

For policies and procedures regarding our recreation programs, visit Recreation Program Policies and Procedures.

While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no text alternative available for some of the content on this site. If you require alternate formats or need assistance understanding our maps, drawings, or any other content, please contact Recreation Client Services at 416-396-7378, option 1.

Download the Participant Information form.

This form ensures that staff have medical information regarding your child, your emergency contact information and authorization for who may pick up your child at the end of a program. This form must be completed and submitted in person to on-site staff before your child attends a CampTO, After-School and/or Recreation Discovery and Recreation Adventure program.

Some additional forms to complete may include:

  • Multimedia Consent Form
  • Off-location Trip Permission Form

Allergies and Health Needs

If your child has any health needs or carries medication, caregivers will be required to complete additional forms

  • Administration of Medication Form and Waiver
  • Emergency Allergy Alert Photo I.D. Form
  • Anaphylaxis-Consent for Administration of Epipen® Form

These forms must be completed and submitted in person to on-site staff before your child attends a CampTO, After-School and/or Recreation Discovery and Recreation Adventure program.

Participants with an auto-injector (e.g. Epipen®) and/or asthma puffers must have their labelled medication with them at all times during program hours. Medication cannot be kept on-site after program hours. It will be sent home each day with participants.

Participants are encouraged to:

  • Label all items (backpacks, lunch bags, clothing, hats, water bottles, etc.).
  • Avoid bringing any type of electronics or anything valuable to programs.

The City is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

CampTO

For all camps, every day, pack:

  • sturdy shoes and socks for physical activities
  • a hat
  • sunscreen
  • a water bottle
  • extra clothing in case a change is needed
    • make sure they dress for the weather too
  • snacks and lunch
    • nut-free
    • in labelled reusable containers.

In the event that your child forgets their lunch, where possible, our staff will endeavour to have nutritious snacks on hand that align with Canada’s Food Guide and do not contain common allergens. Staff will notify parents or caregivers when lunches are forgotten.

Swim Days

  • a swimsuit
  • a towel
  • goggles and deck shoes (optional)

Themed Days

Themed days will be listed on the camp schedule – such as pyjama day or superhero day.

Off-Location Trips

  • Completed Off-location Trip Permission Form
  • Specific supplies or equipment indicated on permission form (if applicable)

After-School Programs

Every day, pack sturdy shoes and socks for physical activities.

Warm Days

  • a hat
  • sunscreen
  • a water bottle

Cold Winter Days

  • warm clothes
  • boots
  • hats
  • mittens

Recreation Discovery and Recreation Adventures Programs

For these specific Early Years programs, pack:

  • a water bottle
  • snacks
    • nut-free
    • in labelled reusable containers.
  • indoor shoes
  • extra clothing in case a change is needed
  • In most cases, participants must meet the age(s) specified by the program on the program’s first day. Please contact your local community centre for program-specific information.
  • Age requirements are mandated by the Province of Ontario’s Child Care and Early Years Act and by the City of Toronto Staff to Participant ratios
    • CampTO: Children participating in camps must be four years of age by the first day
    • After-School Programs: Children must be at least 5.8 years of age to be eligible for any after-school program. This translates to five years and nine months or 69 months old. No exceptions.
  • Overrides are not allowed for participants under the age of six.

Safe arrival and departure procedures are in place for all of our After-School, CampTO, Extended Care, Early Years Programs without Caregiver (more than one hour in duration) and Professional Activity (PA) Day Programs. Staff are responsible for ensuring parents and/or caregivers (or participants where applicable) have completed a Participant Information form before the program start and for documenting participant sign-in and sign-out. Participants will only be released to authorized caregivers as indicated on the Participant Information Form. Staff may ask for photo identification.

If you are delayed, let staff know so arrangements can be made for a staff member to stay with your child until you arrive.

With the exception of unforeseen circumstances, from the second time onward, a pickup fee of $1 per minute per child will be applied to your program registration account, to be paid in full before future registrations will be permitted.

If you’re running late or won’t arrive, let staff know as soon as possible. As part of our Safe Arrival and Departure Policy, staff will contact you if your child is supposed to be at a program and isn’t. Program attendance is recorded daily by staff to ensure that your child has arrived safely to the program, so if you can’t make it that day, call your local community centre or local program phone number and let us know.  If we are not told your child will be absent, our emergency protocols will be put into place and could include a call to non-emergency police to ensure your child’s safety.

On the First Day

If you and your child don’t attend the first day and you haven’t let us know, staff will call to ask if you would like to remain in the program.

Trips are fun, safe and supervised, and children are encouraged to attend. We follow trip and transportation procedures that put safety first. Camps will travel by public transit, chartered bus or by foot for most outings. We ensure safety procedures are followed when using public transportation to take children to and from activities.

In order to participate in an outing or trip, an Off-location Trip Permission Form must be completed and signed for each child and returned to camp staff in advance. Verbal permission will not be accepted.

Parents and/or caregivers who do not wish their child to attend a trip may be required to provide alternate arrangements for their child(ren) for the trip’s duration. Due to our Staff-to-Participant Ratio Policy, staff may not be able to accommodate alternate supervision for participants who don’t attend scheduled outings or trips.

During trips, we make sure that children are not wearing nametags that disclose their names in public places to protect their privacy. We have program t-shirts, wrist bands and other ways to make sure we can identify children.

During severe weather conditions, such as thunderstorms, high UV ratings, smog alerts or other potentially harmful conditions, program activities will be adjusted to keep your child safe.

Check in with staff for program changes.