The squawk of your alarm jolts you awake at 5:52 a.m. on a Friday morning in late January.
Bleary-eyed, you grab your laptop and navigate to a registration page in your browser.
When registration opens at 6 a.m. sharp, you frantically search for the dates you need and quickly input your credit card details. After a 15-second wait that feels much longer, a confirmation message appears on the screen.
You exhale in relief.
“We’re in! I nabbed two spots,” you gleefully inform your parent group chat.
"We only got one," your friend replies, along with six sad-face emojis.
You'd think this frantic early morning exercise was about snagging coveted tickets to Taylor Swift, a Vancouver Canucks playoff game, or The Wiggles in concert.
But no. You've just registered both your kids in a summer day camp that's close to your office and runs until 5 p.m. — for a weekly fee that doesn't make you recoil in horror.
Welcome to the cutthroat world of summer camp sign-up.
Managing the cost of summer day camp in Canada
Summer childcare — both its cost and availability — is a challenge for working parents with kids in elementary school.
While most parents who work outside the home will take some time off during the summer break — or perhaps enlist a grandparent or local teenager to take the kids to the outdoor pool for a few afternoons — many rely on summer camps to keep their children safe and occupied in July and August.
Registration for the more popular options opens as early as January or February. Elaborate spreadsheets help parents keep track of the plethora of options: gymnastics camp, swimming camp, theatre camp, overnight camp, sailing camp, and soccer camp.
But the costs can be a shock. Especially if it's a family's first year navigating camp after years of using childcare centres that operated over the summer.
"When I first entered into the world of summer camp registration, it was quite eye-opening and panic inducing," said Veronica Groat, a Calgary mom to an eight-year-old boy.
"We didn't quite realize how challenging and how expensive it was going to be."
The cost of day camps ranges anywhere from $150 to $800 per week (city-run camps tend to be cheaper), and sleepaway camps with water-skiing and horseback riding can be as much as $2,250 per week.
It’s not uncommon for families with two children who choose day camps to spend upwards of $4,000 over the whole summer.
And many of these camps only run until 3 or 4 p.m. Some will offer after-hours care, but that usually comes with an additional fee.
Low-cost or free options exist — the City of Calgary offers free drop-in programs for kids aged 6 to 12 at some parks during the summer — but this program is first-come, first-serve, and usually doesn't run in bad weather.
Managing the cost of camp is tricky because it happens all at once, Groat said.
"That first summer of camp, we watched all the fees hit our bank account, and we just kind of dealt with it," Groat said. "But now that we know we're paying roughly $3,000 to $4,000 per summer, we just hold that money in our account."
Mastering summer camp sign-up means moving fast
Groat and her husband have now perfected the art of day camp registration. It usually involves a 5 a.m. wake-up call, long lists of camp names and dates, and at least two laptops. Their son has autism and spots in the camps he prefers fill up almost immediately.
"You have to know your options, and you have to be ready to move fast," she said.
To save a bit of money on fees, Groat said she tries to sign her son up for camps running the week following a long weekend or the week of a statutory holiday. Because those camps only run for four days instead of five, the fees are usually lower.
"I do put all the camp [fees] on my TD credit card so that I can collect points," she said.
"Then, we claim our camp [fees] on our taxes and get some money back. I don't know if everybody knows about that," she said.
As long as the summer camp's purpose is primarily childcare, the fees are usually tax deductible, according to Revenue Canada. (Always consult with Revenue Canada or a licensed tax professional to confirm your eligible tax deductions).
Make summer camp part of your household budget
That first summer of camp fees might surprise parents, but once they know what to expect, it's time to factor camp costs into the household budget, said Kristy Irwin, Product Group Owner, Youth & Student in the Everyday Advice Journey at TD.
"You should always have an emergency fund and maybe that first year, you have to tap into it," she said.
"But going forward, you might want to consider it a yearly bill. Treat it like a fixed expense and add it to your annual budget the same way you would with sports fees or birthday gifts."
Inside the TD MySpend app, TD clients can create a savings goal tied to summer camp costs and track their progress over the year, Irwin said. Setting up a pre-authorized transfer into a savings account on a monthly basis is another way parents might want to ensure they're putting aside summer camp funds all year.
"TD clients can also make an appointment with a TD Personal Banker for personalized savings advice and guidance," she said.
Asking about sibling discounts, re-using or borrowing camp gear, making use of early-bird registration discounts, and inquiring about payment plans are other options for managing the cost of camp, she added.
"I think parents can also have an open dialogue with their children about what they're interested in and what camp they have enjoyed. Maybe you'll find out they don't want to go to the specialized — and sometimes pricier — camp this year, and they'd be happier in a local community camp," she said.
5 tips for helping manage the cost of summer camp:
- Treat summer camp as a fixed annual expense
- Look for sibling or early-bird discounts
- Research free or low-cost options run by your city or town
- Ask if installment payments are an option
- Save your camp fee receipts because the fees could be tax deductible
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