How to pay less for summer camp in Canada

Eight weeks of day camp at the median price in our directory ($285 per week) come to about $2,280 per child. Here are the real ways to bring that bill down, with the official rules.

1. The child care expense deduction (line 21400)

According to the CRA, you can include day camps and day sports schools whose main goal is to care for children, and overnight camps up to a weekly limit. You must have paid for care so that you or the other parent could work, run a business, do grant-funded research or go to school. The child must be under 16 at some point in the year (or have an infirmity).

Source: CRA Form T778 for the 2025 tax year, checked in November 2026. Amounts can change for 2027, so check again when you file.

• Who claims it? Usually the parent with the lower net income. The total is also capped at two thirds of that parent’s earned income.
• What does not count: leisure activities such as tennis lessons, transportation, clothing, tuition for a sports study program, and any part covered by financial aid or a refund.
• The receipt: the camp must give you a receipt. Ask for it before you pay and keep it, even if you file online. Unclaimed expenses cannot be carried forward to another year.

Full rules on the CRA website →

2. In Quebec: the childcare tax credit

If you live in Quebec, child care costs, including some day camps, can also count toward Revenu Québec’s refundable tax credit for childcare expenses. Its rules and amounts differ from the federal ones: see revenuquebec.ca and ask the camp for an RL-24 slip.

3. Financial aid from the camp

431 camps in our directory say they offer financial aid, bursaries or subsidized spots. Show only these camps. Write to the camp early: funds are often limited and handed out first come, first served.

4. Jumpstart (Canadian Tire)

Jumpstart’s Individual Child Grants help families who meet its income criteria (based on the Low Income Cut-Offs). The child must be 4 to 18, the program must be a sport or physical activity, and a sports camp must run at least five days in a row. You apply before the program starts, with your Canada Child Benefit statement. Details and how to apply on the Jumpstart website →

5. Help from your city

Many cities and towns offer fee assistance for their own day camps and recreation programs. Search your city’s website for “recreation fee assistance” or “fee subsidy”. City-run camps also tend to cost less than private camps.

6. Discounts to ask about

• Sibling discount: 263 camps in our directory mention one.
• Early-bird rate: many camps charge less if you register before spring.
• Multi-week price: ask for a price for the full summer or for 4 weeks or more.
• Payment plan: it does not lower the price, but it spreads the cost.

7. Work out the real cost of a week

The listed price does not always include before and after care (532 camps in our directory list it), lunch, busing or field trips. A week of overnight camp has a median price of $575. Compare the total, not the starting price.

Plan the summer and the budget Camp prices by province

This guide sums up public rules and is not tax advice. For your situation, check with the CRA, Revenu Québec or a tax professional.