A Therapeutic Summer Camp in Oshawa That Offers More Than Just Something to Do

When school ends, many families expect things to ease. Mornings become quieter. Homework disappears. There’s more flexibility in the day. For some children, this shift brings relief. For others, it introduces a different kind of stress.

School provides more than academics. It offers routine, predictability, clear social roles, and daily structure. When that framework suddenly disappears, children who rely on consistency or external supports can struggle to adapt. Parents often notice changes that feel confusing or concerning: increased emotional out bursts, heightened anxiety, withdrawal, impulsivity, or a sudden drop in confidence.

These reactions aren’t signs of failure. They’re signals. For some children, summer isn’t simply a break. It’s a transition that requires support.

That reality is the foundation of our Life on the Farm summer camp in Oshawa. It exists for families who know their child needs more than a typical recreational program but still deserves a summer that feels engaging, active, and enjoyable. Why summer can be especially difficult for some children

During the school year, children are supported by predictable rhythms. They know when the day begins, when breaks happen, and what is expected of them socially and behaviorally. Teachers, educational assistants, and peers form a familiar network.

When summer begins, that structure often vanishes overnight.

For children with anxiety, attention difficulties, learning differences, or challenges with emotional regulation, unstructured time can feel overwhelming rather than freeing. Long days without clear expectations can increase stress. Social situations become harder to navigate without guidance. Emotional reactions may escalate more quickly, especially when routines shift week to week.

Parents may find themselves trying to balance work, caregiving, and emotional support, all while searching for summer options that feel appropriate for their child’s needs.

Our summer therapy camp in Oshawa offers a middle ground. It provides consistency without replicating school, and support without removing the joy and movement that make summer meaningful.

A Program Designed Around Emotional and Social Development

Our Life on the Farm summer program is designed for children who have completed JK through Grade 5 and are entering SK through Grade 6. A diagnosis is not required to attend. What matters most is whether a child would benefit from a smaller, more structured environment where emotional and social skills can be supported intentionally.

The program focuses on helping children build and practice skills such as:

• navigating peer relationships

• managing frustration and strong emotions

• developing confidence and self-esteem

• improving self regulation and attention

• problem-solving in real-world situations

• Building friendships
  

These skills are not taught in isolation. They are practiced throughout the day, during group activities, play, and shared responsibilities. When challenges arise, they become opportunities for learning rather than moments of punishment or exclusion.

Group therapy within the program is provided by a Registered Psychotherapist, ensuring that therapeutic goals are thoughtfully integrated into daily experiences rather than separated from them.

Why Environment Matters

This program takes place in a country, farm-based setting in Oshawa. The environment itself plays an important role in how children experience the day.

Outdoor space allows for movement and regulation. Being away from crowded, overstimulating settings can help some children settle more easily. The presence of animals and horses adds opportunities for responsibility, curiosity, and connection without requiring constant verbal interaction.

Children have opportunities to engage in:

• outdoor and farm-based activities

• nature and forest activities

• interaction with animals and horses

• group experiences that encourage cooperation and communication

• hands-on learning in a natural setting

The focus is not on performance or productivity. It’s on participation, engagement, and learning through doing.

How Nature-Informed Psychotherapy Fits Into the Program

A core component of this summer program is nature-informed psychotherapy, delivered through structured outdoor experiences in the forest and farm environment. Rather than relying on traditional indoor, talk-only sessions, psychotherapy is woven into exploration, movement, and group-based activities that support emotional regulation, social skill development, and confidence in real time. Children engage in therapist-led group work while participating in nature-based activities that naturally invite cooperation, problem-solving, communication, and self-reflection. The outdoor setting allows many children to feel more regulated and engaged, making therapeutic learning

more accessible and meaningful. Horses and other animals are part of the camp environment and may be included in activities that support therapeutic goals such as responsibility, awareness, and relationship-building. However, they are not the therapy itself. The psychotherapy is grounded in clinician-led group work, with nature serving as the setting that supports learning, growth, and emotional development.

This approach allows children to practice skills in context, not just talk about them, helping lessons from camp carry over into daily life beyond the program.

Thoughtful Group Placement and Relationships

Children are grouped with peers close in age, typically within a two to three year range. This helps support comfort, relatability, and appropriate social expectations. Strong staffing ratios allow counsellors to build meaningful relationships with campers. Over time, many children begin to feel safer taking social risks, asking for help, and trying new strategies. Those relational experiences often become the most impactful part of the program.

For many families, this is where change becomes visible. Not because children are “fixed,” but because they feel supported enough to grow.

A Long-Standing Program That Families Return to, Year After Year

This summer program has been part of the community for a long time, and that history matters. Over more than two decades, it has continued to meet the standards required for accreditation by the Ontario Camps Association, reflecting consistency in safety practices, staffing qualifications, and program oversight. Accreditation isn’t a one-time stamp. It requires ongoing review, accountability, and adherence to evolving best practices in camp and child-focused programming.

What stands out just as much as longevity, is the continuity of people. Many children who once attended this program return years later in new roles, first as volunteers, then as counselors, and in some cases as professionals working in mental health and related fields. That kind of return doesn’t happen because a camp was simply “fun.” It happens when young people remember feeling understood, supported, and capable during years when those experiences can shape how they see themselves.

For families, this long arc tells an important story. It suggests a program that has grown with the needs of children rather than cycling through trends. One that prioritizes relationships, structure, and emotional safety alongside play. And one that has quietly done its work well enough that former campers continue to see value in being part of it, long after their own summers there have ended.

More Than Just a Way to Fill the Summer

Choosing a summer program is rarely just about childcare. For many families, it’s about finding an environment where their child can feel safe, capable, and included while continuing to develop important life skills.

This camp was designed with those families in mind. It offers structure without rigidity, support without stigma, and opportunities for growth that are woven into everyday experiences.

More detailed program information can be found on the flyer, and additional details may be shared as the season approaches. For families exploring summer options and wondering what kind of environment would best support their child, this program exists to meet that need with care, experience, and intention. Learn more about our Life on the Farm Day Camp or sign up for a free intake call to see if this is a fit for your children.

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