Camps and Educational Programs

Summer Outdoor Adventure Day Camp

Children in summer camp in the conservation area

Children learning at summer camp

Child playing by pond in conservation area

Children on lunch break during camp day

Summer Adventure Camps At Ball's Falls Conservation Area

Join the fun at Ball’s Falls Conservation Area this summer as children ages 4-15 are invited to participate in a season of fun, while immersed in nature!

JUNIOR CAMPERS ages 4 - 11
Explore the forest, discover natural and cultural heritage, learn outdoor survival skills, conduct science experiments, roast marshmallows over the campfire, and so much more! See the descriptions of each weekly theme below.

SENIOR CAMPERS ages 12 - 15
Participate in Leader-in-Training (LIT) camp! Learn what it takes to be a leader in a summer camp setting and get prepared to volunteer as a Junior Camp Leader at NPCA Day Camps and Programs. This program is ONLY offered the week of July 8 - 12

WEEKLY CAMP THEMES

July 1 - 5: Forest Explorers
July 8 - 12: Ultimate Adventure (FULL) & Leader in Training Camp
July 15 - 19: History Mystery- FULL
July 22 - 26: Summer Survivors - FULL
July 29 - August 2: Eco Heroes - FULL
August 5 - 9: Forest Explorers (FULL)
August 12 - 16: Ultimate Adventure - FULL
August 19 - 23: History Mystery
August 26 - 30: Summer Survivors - FULL

For more information:
programming@npca.ca or 905-788-3135 ext. 322 or 330

Fee per Camper - $180/week*
Leader-in-Training Camp - $365/week*
Hours - 9:00am - 3:00pm
Extended Care Hours - 8:00am - 4:00pm
Extended Care Fee - $12 per family (morning, afternoon, or full day available)

Camp location: Ball's Falls Arboretum, 3159 Sixth Avenue, Lincoln, ON L0R 1S0

*Family discount applied on the second camper when booking two or more siblings in the same camp week.

PREPARING FOR THE ADVENTURE

Campers must come prepared for an action-packed day in the great outdoors. Backpacks should include:
Indoor and outdoor footwear (running shoes, and/or waterproof boots)
Litter-less and nut-free lunch and snacks
Refillable water bottle
Summer gear: rain jacket, splash pants, sunscreen, hat, bug spray

weekly program descriptions

Forest Explorers July 1- 5 | August 5 - 9 (FULL)

Connections are everywhere! From deer grazing in a meadow, to fungus growing on a dead log, everything in nature depends on something else.

Humans are part of these important connections, and our relationship to the natural world is deeply rooted but often forgotten.

Campers will join the Forest Explorer team this week to learn about the amazing web of life through interactive games, outdoor "nature theatre," environmental science experiments and exciting hikes in the forest. This exciting week connects campers to the world around them in the heart of Niagara's Carolinian forest!

Spots Are Still Open

Leader-in-Training (LIT) Camp July 8-12 (FULL)

A one-week camp for participants ages 12 - 15 that will provide them the opportunity to learn how to become a camp leader.

Campers will receive training in the areas of leadership, behaviour management, activity planning, inclusivity, and team building.

They will also receive their Emergency First Aid certification from the Red Cross, valid for 3 years.

LIT's will use their daily training to work with a junior camp group/cohort and lead their own activity by the end of the week! Campers that have successfully completed NPCA's LIT camp will be able to volunteer as Junior Leaders for the rest of the summer.

Junior Leaders who volunteer at camp for subsequent weeks can use their hours towards their high school community service hours requirement.

Spots Are Still Open

Ultimate Adventure July 8 - 12 | August 12 - 16 FULL

Exploring, navigating, discovering and everything adventurous! Back by popular demand, this week will have campers participating in their favourite camp activities that will spark new friendships, encourage them to try new things and make lasting memories.

Campers will trek through the forest on an interactive scavenger hunt, hone their skills in archery, create a team logo and cheer, and participate in the Ultimate Adventure Challenge!

JULY 8 - 12 & August 12- 16 (Ultimate Adventure Camp) FULL

History Mystery July 15 - 19 (FULL) | August 19 - 23

Ever thought about what it would be like to travel back in time? Now is the chance to see what life was like over 200 years ago!

This week campers will travel back to the early 1800's to unlock the secrets of the village of Glen Elgin and get hands-on with history from early settlement times, through the Victorian era, and all the way into the roaring '20s. Campers will have the opportunity to see how the historical village would have operated back in the 1800’s with live re-enactments, heritage demonstrations and vintage activities throughout the week, like blacksmithing, barrel-making and crafting.

History Mystery July 15 - 19 (FULL)

Spots Are Still Open for August 19-23

Summer Survivors July 22 - 26 | August 26 - 30 FULL

There is a wild side to every child! This week campers will learn how to explore the wild of the forest and participate in several bushcraft activities such as plant identification, lighting fires, shelter building and more.

Join the Summer Survivor team to learn and develop outdoor survival skills and how to use natural items to make crafts and tools. With their teammates, campers will get to roast sweet survival treats over the campfire, and sharpen their skills at archery!

This exhilarating camp week will inspire participants to play outdoors, cultivate their skills in the forest rather than online and connect with themselves and their teammates, and the natural world around them.

Summer Survivors July 22 - 26 | August 26 - 30 - FULL

Eco Heros July 29 - August 2 FULL

The NPCA is dedicated to restoring, protecting and sharing conservation areas for everyone to enjoy.

In this immersive week of adventure, campers will learn how to become a friend to the environment and participate in several conservation initiatives at Ball's Falls alongside real-life Eco-Heroes - NPCA experts in restoration and ecology!

Campers will get hands-on in a variety of activities, from tree-ID and planting, to bird box building, and other restoration projects. This jam-packed week will create a sense of belonging, teamwork and responsibility in campers making them Niagara's next generation of Eco-Heroes.

Eco Heros July 29 - August 2 FULL

The St. Johns Summer 2024 Adventure Day Camps

Running July 29 – August 30

Join the fun at St. Johns Valley Centre Conservation Area this summer as children ages 4-12 are invited for a season of fun, while totally immersed in nature!

Junior Campers ages 4-12 will get a chance to explore the forest, investigate our ecosystem, learn outdoor survival skills, conduct science experiments, roast marshmallows over a campfire, and so much more! See our descriptors of each week below.

Fee per Camper - $180/week*
Hours - 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Extended Care Hours - 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Extended Care Fee - $12 per family (morning, afternoon or full day available)

Drop off and Pick Up Location
Holland Road, south side. Click here to see the street view. More details will be shared in an email.
*Family discount on the second child when booking two or more children in the same camp

SEE WEEKLY CAMP THEMES BELOW! Camp location

St Kateri / St Johns Valley Centre
3024 Orchard Hill Rd, Thorold, ON, L0S 1M0

Register Today

July 29 - August 2: Eco Heroes

The NPCA is dedicated to restoring, protecting and sharing conservation areas for everyone to enjoy. In this immersive week of adventure, campers will learn how to become a friend to the environment and participate in several conservation initiatives at St. Johns alongside real-life Eco-Heroes - NPCA experts in restoration and ecology!

This jam-packed week will create a sense of belonging, teamwork and responsibility in campers making them Niagara's next generation of Eco-Heroes

August 5 - 9: Forest Explorers