Category Archives: Summer Camp

Cave Springs Camp was able to operate this Summer with the help of the Ontario Trillium Foundation

Cave Springs Camp, Retreat & Conference Centre is thrilled to have received a $50,000 grant from the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund – Operating stream, administered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The 12-month Community Building Fund grant was to help continue operations post-pandemic so that we could adapt and deliver summer camp to local families in the community.

“I wish to extend my sincere congratulations to Cave Springs Camp, Retreat & Conference Centre as recipients of support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.  I know the provincial grant has been put to great use and will assist Cave Springs in serving local families in our community for many more years to come.  The critical character formation and interactive faith-based educational opportunities provided through Cave Springs is truly remarkable, and I extend my heartfelt appreciation to you all on behalf of the Government of Ontario and residents of Niagara West.”   said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP

The Community Building Fund grant helped transform our operations to meet public health requirements and adapt to new ways of working post-pandemic in the digital world. With new programs, like our Leap Frog camp we strived to enhance the camper experience during these past months at Cave Springs. The positive feedback that we have received from parents has been overwhelming this past summer.

“We understand the need to create a safe socially distanced and clean space for all participants and visitors at Cave Springs. We are learning to communicate virtually with our families through our website, social media and email. Now, more than ever, our mission is to ensure that children and youth in the community can discover, grow, renew & celebrate nature through safe participation at Cave Springs.” said Krystyn Keir, Executive Director

To learn more about Cave Springs Camp, visit our website. To help Cave Springs Camp reach their annual fundraising goal please donate here or contact Krystyn Keir, Executive Director at krystyn.keir@cavespringscentre.ca

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Since 2020, OTF has supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.

Top 5 Reasons To Do SLP

The 2020 Servanthood Leadership Program participants think you should do SLP! Here’s why:

Making Friends and Community

I believe that one of the best reasons to join SLP is to make new friends and get involved in the community. I feel that SLP creates a unique environment, which allows everyone to connect through their shared love of volunteering at camp and working with kids. In addition to bonding over these things, you eventually learn more about everyone’s interests and are able to bond over that as well. I found that many of the people in SLP had many things in common with me, while also introducing me to new things such as new camp activities and songs! Everyone in SLP is so kind, accepting, and are overall amazing people that I was able to befriend easily. The friendships I have created in SLP are special to me and without SLP, I wouldn’t have been able to make them. SLP also allows you to become more involved in the community. It exposes you to so many people within the community and gives you the ability to make the community a better place. It is an amazing way to build up your community in a positive way. Overall I feel like SLP is not only a great way to volunteer, but also to meet people and make new friends that share common interests, values, and outlooks and to make a difference in the community. 

– Veronica

Learning New Skills and Collaboration

One of the greatest things about SLP is that it is such an amazing learning experience. Skills like collaboration, patience, responsibility, self-confidence, and problem-solving are all building blocks for success that can be fostered and developed at camp. Additionally, there are so many outdoor skills to be learned, like canoeing and hiking! One of the many amazing parts is that you don’t have to learn these things alone. Through the whole experience, you have other SLPs and SLP leaders to guide and help you as you learn and grow. Thanks to the SLP program, I have developed better communication, leadership skills, confidence, and so much more that I have been able to apply outside of camp. The skills I’ve learned from SLP have, and will continue to benefit me in all aspects of life

– Eryn

Gaining experience, and maybe a camp job in the future!

 SLP is an amazing way to stay connected with the camp part of your life. Even when you are older and can no longer be a camper with SLP you can still stay involved. Many people decide to try out the SLP program and then eventually become a counsellor. Also many of them used to be campers at Cave Springs themselves. It’s a great way to gain experience being a leader and you learn many valuable skills. The experience you get from SLP could help you to get a job as a camp counsellor in the future. 

– Beth

Staying with church and faith

There are many reasons why I loved doing the SLP program and I am going to share one of them with you. The SLP program really helped me learn about my faith and grow as a person. I was able to have the opportunity to meet many young people just like me and talk about our faith. It was a good experience to talk to others who understood my religion and had questions similar to mine. During the SLP program I learned about my religion in a less traditional way, this really helped me grasp some of those key concepts. We watched plays, skits and sang songs that were all about our faith, sometimes I even find myself singing along to these songs when I am not at camp. So, to sum this up I think the SLP program is a great opportunity to grow in your faith and learn more about the church.

– Michaela

Passion for outdoor and camping and kids

Last but certainly not least, SLP can help you develop a passion for outdoors, and working with children! People say camping isn’t for everyone, but I disagree. The outdoors can be a great place to help you clear your head, and learn more about yourself. Exposure to the outside can lead you to new hobbies, passion, and interests. You may even find something you want to pursue career-wise. Being in nature is a great stress reliever as well, and being a part of SLP, you find yourself surrounded by the beautiful Niagara Escarpment environment. 

In SLP, you can get lots of experience working with kids as well! This can help with your social skills, patience, and give you some great experiences. Kids can teach us so much, and can help us learn so much! Whether you love being around children or not, the kids at Cave Springs are incredible, and amazing to work with. You’d be surprised what you can learn from simple things like being outside and with kids. I know I learned lots!

– Olivia

10 Fun Activities To Try This Spring

Written by Jessica Grant, former CSC camper and counsellor, and 2021 Float Staff. Jess also joins the Cave team for summer camp preparation this May and June!

It’s been over a year of trying to minimize our contact with others to keep our community safe and healthy, and you may be running out of fun things to do with your kids! But don’t worry, Cave Springs Camp has got your back! Here are 10 fun things you can do as a family, while maintaining physical distance from others to keep everyone healthy.

Geocaching!

Geocaching is a fun way to get your kids out in nature. It is like a treasure hunt, and there are geocaches all over Southern Ontario! Some of them you can bring things to trade for, and others you can sign a logbook signifying that you found it. You can find the geocaching app for free in the app store, or by clicking here. Just remember to put the geocaches back where you found it when you are done. Psst… there’s even a Geocache along the Bruce Trail at Cave Springs – you can get there through the Cave Springs Conservation Area.

Play Freeze Dance

What is one thing that most kids have in common? Their silly and energetic nature of course! One fun thing to do that can help them release a crazy amount of energy is play freeze dance! It is so much fun to turn on the music and release all the built-up energy, and then stop as soon as the music does. It is a great activity for kids and can make for such good memories.

Introduce your kids to Mad Libs

One of my personal favourites as a kid was the wacky game called Mad Libs. Mad Libs are these word games where you add random nouns, verbs and adjectives and it makes a funny story.

I used to laugh so hard at them, and it was a great way for me to learn my word classes. You can download the app for free in the app store, or buy a Mad Libs book online at Indigo. Here’s a sample from the Mad Libs website for you to try out!

Have a family movie night

Another one of my personal favourites as a kid was a family movie night. We would stay up an hour late and pick out a movie and enjoy popcorn as a family. I would always get so excited, and brag to all my friends that we were gonna have a movie night! It was something small, but as a kid it meant the whole world! So break out the popcorn and Netflix and enjoy it!

Go on a Nature walk!

Nature walks are great things to do right now, you can never get enough Vitamin D! Living near the escarpment means that there is so much nature around us, which is perfect for a nature walk! There are so many trails that you can find with a simple google search, and you can even find them at both low and high intensity. Perfect for the family!

Dust off the old board games!

Board games can be so much fun, and yet are overlooked when looking for something to do! Many of us have tons of board games stashed away somewhere in the house, and if you don’t, then it’s the perfect time to make your own using cardboard and markers! The kids will be overjoyed and it will be a fun afternoon well spent.

Build the world’s best blanket fort (and if you’re willing- camp in it!)

Another crazy memory from my childhood was building super intense blanket forts with my siblings and cousins. We would tip over the couch and connect them to chairs and hang blankets off of them, and then have popcorn and a movie night before camping out in them. This created so many fun memories and I encourage you to try it as a family! The kids will find it so cool, and have so much fun! You will spend the evening making great laughs and memories.

Bake Maggie and Chad’s Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies!

In the spring of 2017 two of our former staff, Maggie and Chad, spent two months trying to create the most perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. In March of 2021, their secret recipe was leaked on our blog!! Their final recipe was easily the best cookie recipe I have ever tasted, and it is the recipe we currently use to make our cookies at camp!

Go on a picnic (and bring the cookies!)

It is never a bad time to get outdoors and enjoy a picnic (unless it is raining of course!) What is better than sitting on a blanket in the grass and enjoying a sandwich in the sunshine with your loved ones? You can do it in your backyard, a local park, or even on a hike! Just don’t forget to bring the cookies!

The floor is lava!

Lastly, I introduce to you a classic childhood and family game! The Floor is Lava! All you need for this is items you can put on the ground to walk or crawl across, while pretending that everything else around you is lava! Feel free to put on some action music to make the game as fun and intense as you can! It’s the perfect game for a rainy day spent inside!

Snapping Turtle Program

Snapping Turtles is gonna be A BLAST! 

You’re never too old to have fun at camp! For the first summer ever we are offering a day camp program for this age group! Here’s why you should spend a week (or two) at Cave Springs Day Camp as a 13-14 year old this summer: 

Experience nature like you’ve never experienced it before! 

Hike all the way to Ball’s Falls! That’s 12km along the Bruce Trail!!! 

Participate in a Outdoor Skills Day, learn useful skills like fire building, plant identification and MORE! 

Snapping Turtles Takeover

Stay later than the rest of camp one day for an extended fun time including dinner over the fire.

Meet like-minded youth 

Make long- lasting friendships!

Gain role models in your enthusiastic and compassionate camp counsellors.

Socialize in a safe, outdoor setting with new people! 

Get to know the ropes

Learn to belay at high ropes!

Challenge yourself with low-ropes and team building initiatives.

Explore mindfulness, gratitude and spirituality 

Have meaningful and thoughtful conversations with peers about themes such as community, love, trust and faith.

Gain leadership and responsibility

A taste of what it’s like to participate in our Servanthood Leadership Program (SLP) which is offered for 14-15-year-olds! 

Give back to the Camp Community

Design and execute alongside your peers a collaborative legacy project that will remain at camp for years and years to come. 

Have SO MUCH FUN!

How Camp Prepares for Post-Secondary

How Working at Camp Prepared Me for University 

Hiya everyone! My name is Zya and I’m super excited to head into my 7th season on staff at Cave Springs this summer as the Assistant Director. I started working at Cave Springs as a Day Camp Counsellor the summer after grade 12, right before I started university. Camp helped prepare me in ways that I didn’t even realize at the time! I’ve since graduated and upon reflection, here are some of the ways that working at camp helped prepare me for post-secondary:

Time management 

I’m not saying I was perfect at this, but certainly, the importance of sticking to a schedule at camp and keeping track of time were handy skills that carried over to my time at university. 

Organization and schedule planning 

As a counsellor, I was responsible for planning activities for my campers. We were instructed to pencil them into weekly schedules. This type of schedule planning became useful when it came to planning classes, extra-curriculars, work and other commitments into my planner. 

Responsibility and Confidence

Being in charge of the care and wellbeing of 10-15 campers certainly instils an intense sense of responsibility that carries over. Camp also gave me confidence in my leadership abilities, which helped me to put myself out there at university.

Making new friends 

I didn’t know anyone on staff when I joined and learning how to make new friends is an important skill to work on before starting post-secondary for sure! In post-secondary, you are bound to meet new people in classes, residence or through joining clubs so it doesn’t hurt to get some practice in while you can- especially if you haven’t moved to a new city or switched schools before. 

Team work

University/ college is full of the dreaded group projects. Working with my team at camp and learning to deal with the challenges that arise helped me gain skills in communication and conflict resolution. Also, you’ll benefit from gaining experience with getting along with people when it comes to roommates in residence, or house-mates in upper years. 

How to work super hard 

Camp is hard!!! We work long days, it’s hot and sometimes the kids can be challenging. But because of this, I learned how to push myself and worked super hard because the reward (kids having an awesome time at camp) was well worth it. This is like university- some days were very challenging, but hard work and determination lead to the reward of obtaining a degree. 

Creative problem solving and flexibility 

I feel like this is pretty self-explanatory. Two great skills to have when tackling a university degree or any post-secondary option. Camp is an inherently creative environment and it encourages staff to think outside the box. I learned how to deal with tricky situations and a touch of chaos here and there, which definitely transferred to university well.

How to step back and look at the bigger picture 

Understanding that all the little things that need to be done to get camp done help make it run smoothly. Even though cleaning a bathroom or sweeping the dining hall floor for the countless time can seem trivial in the moment, it always helped me to step back and think about the bigger picture. All the small parts add up to create an awesome time at camp for our campers. This was like university- I didn’t always love doing my readings or assignments but taking a moment to pause and think about the big picture always helped me to stay motivated. 

Good morals 

At Cave Springs we teach our campers about love, trust, respect, patience, kindness, sacrifice and servant heartedness. All good values to apply to life beyond camp as well. It also filled me with a sense of greater purpose and helped me further my spiritual development in a way that helped me stay grounded in my time outside of camp.

I sought community wherever I went 

This was a major one for me. After experiencing the way that the community at Cave Springs filled me with such contentment, I aimed to replicate this in the extracurriculars that I chose to do, or the workplaces that I entered. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Maggie and Chad’s Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

In the Spring of 2017, Maggie and Chad were determined to invent the most delicious chocolate chip cookies. They spent 2 months swapping out ingredients and experimenting with different ingredient quantities. They made chocolate chip cookies almost every night to come up with what they deemed the most perfect recipe. This is the recipe that our campers use if they do a baking activity while at camp- and it hasn’t disappointed yet!

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients 

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup margarine
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F. 

Cream together sugars and margarine. Whisk in vanilla and egg. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to wet ingredients.

Add chocolate chips and stir until combined.

Form into balls (approx. 2 tablespoons of dough each).

Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving room between each cookie because they will spread.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should start to brown around the edges but will look slightly undercooked (which is what you want for ultimate chewy gooey-ness). Allow to cool slightly before removing from tray.

Enjoy!!!

Work With Us

10 Reasons Why Working at Camp is the Best Job Ever

Spend your summer outdoors and being active

Reconnect with nature, soak up lots of vitamin D. Camp promotes an active lifestyle through playing games like capture the flag, or going on a hike. Way better than spending your summer on the couch! 

Make a meaningful difference in the lives of many children 

If you attended camp, or something similar, you’ll remember thinking that your counsellors were the coolest people to walk the earth. Campers see their counsellors as the ultimate role models, and it’s super cool to be able to make such a lasting impact on their lives. 

Build leadership skills and gain confidence 

A lot of responsibility is placed on your shoulders while working at camp. You will be responsible for the care and wellbeing of a certain group of kids, and these kids will look up to you for years and years to come.

Experience working in a community-focused and team-oriented environment 

Cave Springs is a unique community of people who love creating an awesome summer camp experience for kids. We’re motivated by the same goal. We value teamwork and fostering a positive, caring work environment. 

It’s fun!

Being wacky is pretty much in the job description. 

Try new things

On top of our regular program offerings, such as canoeing, high ropes, hiking, games and more- our staff are encouraged to be creative with the activities that they plan for their campers. As long as it’s safe- we say go for it!! This gives you the opportunity to have a blast alongside your campers. We want you to have fun!!! 

Camp friends are the best friends 

Camp friendships are unlike any others. You spend all day with them for an entire summer. You go through thick and thin with them (literally). You’ll have inside jokes galore, and countless memories to look back on fondly together. 

Learn valuable life lessons

Such as patience, time management, problem-solving, communication, staying calm in stressful situations, versatility and flexibility. All of these skills are transferable and set you up with a firm foundation 

Explore faith and spirituality in an open-minded, welcoming environment

Cave Springs is owned and operated by the United Church of Canada. We have no expectation that our staff will come from a religious background, however we do have designated times per day where we invite our staff to think mindfully about themes such as love, trust, gratitude, sacrifice, and respect. Working at Cave Springs will give you the opportunity to reflect and grow spiritually (without needing to label your faith). 

Get to know yourself! 

Camp is the perfect job for personal development. Get to know yourself better by challenging yourself to grow in an environment that allows you to be exactly yourself. 

Camp 2021 Update

Registration for our Day Camp program for Summer 2021 is now open! 

We are currently offering 6 weeks of Day Camp fun at Cave Springs! We are so excited to have the opportunity to offer exciting camp opportunities for ages 5-14. Campers will participate in cohort groups of 10 campers and 2 leaders. Camp activities will include swimming, hiking, nature education, crafts, games, high ropes (ages 7& up) and much more! Activities will be catered to meet the needs of specific ages- with introductory activities for younger campers and leadership opportunities for our older campers. 

Weeks at camp will be divided into different age categories, as follows: 

  • Dragonflies (Ages 5-6) 
  • Chipmunks (Ages 7-9)
  • Salamanders (Ages 10-12)
  • Snapping Turtles (Ages 13-14) 

To see dates and rates, click here.

Click here for Online Registration

A few notes about Summer 2021 at Cave Springs: 

In anticipation of the most likely ways COVID-19 will impact our summer, we will only be opening day camp registration at this time. 

Should restrictions lessen between now and June, we will be able to open limited spots for overnight camp when it is responsible to do so and will be in touch if and when that happens. If an overnight camp does open, campers already registered for summer 2021 will have the option to switch to an overnight program before spots are opened to the general public. 

At this time the Ontario government has not given the go-ahead for overnight programs, as such our traditional Wednesday night sleepover for Day Campers is not possible. If this changes, it will be offered at no additional cost. 

In order to ensure you have all the information you need regarding 2021 registration, we want to let you know now that there will be a $50 increase to the cost of a week at camp for the 2021 season, to account for the additional health and safety measures that will need to be taken due to COVID-19.

Camper safety takes priority, and with projections that COVID-19 will still be playing a role in our decisions at camp this summer, extra precautions will be necessary. Along with the expected additional cleaning, sanitizing, and hand washing supplies, this increase will allow for the purchasing of program equipment (high ropes harnesses, archery bows and strings, arts and crafts supplies etc.), so that we can minimize the sharing of equipment, and there will be enough time for proper sanitizing between uses.

It is projected that the cost of operating camp will increase by 15-20% with all of the necessary COVID-19 changes, which will be only partially covered through camper registrations, and so we will be organizing fundraising efforts to help cover the rest of those costs.

Dissimilar to previous Day Camp programs at Cave Springs, campers will be responsible for bringing their own packed lunch each day. Campers will be provided with a tuck snack each day, which is included in the registration fee. 

This year we are also making it a priority to increase the capacity of our camper bursary program. We recognize the financial impact that COVID-19 has had on families and are committed to ensuring that financial barriers do not impact access for children to experience a transformative summer at camp. Please reach out to Sharon at director@cavespringscamp.on.ca to discuss your bursary needs and eligibility. 

We are thrilled to be able to bring back our in person camping program after a year away. We know that there will be many changes to navigate and we are truly blessed to be able to undertake these changes with the support of our incredible Cave Springs community.



There is a mantra that I repeat often to my staff throughout our summer: our bottom line will always be fun at camp for kids. As always, we will embrace that goal with passion, enthusiasm, safety, and creativity. 

We cannot wait to welcome you back to Cave Springs this summer.

See you then! 

Confident Campers

Sending your child to camp has so many benefits! At camp, kids are able to have so much fun and many new experiences- they won’t even realize all the new tools they’re adding to their toolkit! Camp fosters personal growth and development in many ways.

Here are a few reasons why choosing to send your child to camp is a great idea: 

Camp Fosters Independence 

Attending summer camp can be a great way for children to gain independence. Guided by the support of their counsellors and camp staff, campers will be able to step out of their comfort zone and learn positive coping mechanisms for how to carry themselves when they’re away from home. 

Camp Improves Social Skills

Meeting new friends can be scary! Camp offers children the opportunity to meet new friends in a safe, welcoming environment. With their counsellors there to help facilitate friendship-making, campers are bound to make new friends and gain important tools for socializing that will only benefit them later on. 

Camp Promotes Creativity 

From spending time in the craft hall to participating in silly games and campfire skits, campers will have ample opportunity to stretch their creative muscles at camp. We encourage campers to help their counsellors decide which activities they will participate in- and there’s rarely an idea for an activity that can’t be made possible at camp with a bit of creativity! 

Camp allows kids to try new things

Camp is the perfect place for kids to try something that they’ve never done before… it’s almost certain they will do an activity that is brand new to them! Even if they’re a seasoned camper, camp still provides the opportunity for kids to do things they wouldn’t get to do every day- such as hiking, archery, high ropes, canoeing, crafts, big group games, fishing and more. They may find a new passion for something they wouldn’t otherwise get to try!

Camp provides positive role models

It’s very important for children to have positive influences to look up to. A good amount of our staff were once campers themselves, so they remember what it was like to look up to their counsellors and therefore understand how important it is to be a good mentor. We hand-pick our staff with the intention that they will be excellent role models for our campers.

Camp is an encouraging, supportive environment 

We teach our campers about love, trust, and respect. As such, we uphold a welcoming, positive and affirming environment for campers to be comfortable to be themselves. Kids really come out of their shells at camp! 

At camp, kids learn a lot! 

Campers learn SO much at camp- and oftentimes they don’t even realize it! Camp can be a great way for kids to learn in a non-classroom setting. Kids will learn about nature, friendship and leadership. Smarter kids are more confident kids!