Day Camps for kids 4-12
July and August 2024
David Thompson Secondary (South Vancouver)
Suwa’lkh School (Coquitlam)
Camp Fresh Roots is the best place to grow this summer! Every day will be full of play, learning, good food, great friends, and caring staff to make sure your camper has the best camp experience ever. Get a glimpse of a typical camp day, and hear what past campers have enjoyed!
Camp Frequently Asked Questions
When does registration open?
Returning Campers
Registration will open for returning campers at 9AM on Wednesday, February 12th. A limited number of camp spots will be available; you are welcome to join the waitlist if the camp you want is full.
New Campers
General registration will open at 9AM on Friday, February 14th. It may take 10-20 minutes for all camp spots to be made available – you’re welcome to join the waitlist, or check back around 9:30!
How much does Camp Fresh Roots cost? Are there any discounts or bursaries available?
Camp Fresh Roots uses sliding scale pricing for all our camps. That means you choose what is affordable for your family. We strongly encourage families to pick the highest price they can afford, as doing so helps cover the costs for families who need more support. If the lowest cost is more than your family can afford, please reach out to camp@freshroots.ca about other options.
2025 Camp Fees
Camp Type | Generous (Fruit) Level | Standard (Flower) Level | Accessible (Seed) Level |
---|---|---|---|
July Half-Day Sampler | $126 | $93 | $60 |
Full Week Camps | $420 | $310 | $200 |
August Sampler | $252 | $186 | $60 |
Still not sure which option to select? Click here!
Fruit (Generous)
Our family…
- can comfortably meet our basic needs (food, housing, transportation).
- owns or leases a car.
- owns our home -or- rents an upscale property.
- has regular access to extended health care benefits (dental, vision, etc.).
- works -or- does not need to work to meet our needs.
- can afford an annual vacation or other regular travel.
- can eat out, buy new clothes, go to the movies or other entertainment, or similar items each month.
Flower (Standard)
Our family….
- might have some stress about meeting our basic needs but still regularly meets them.
- has some debt but still can afford our basic needs.
- rents a mid-range apartment
- has adequate employment.
- has access to transportation.
- buys some new things and thrifts for others.
- can take a vacation every few years without a financial burden.
Seed (Accessible)
Our family…
- frequently has financial stress and sometimes does not meet our basic needs.
- does not have stable transportation.
- rents lower-end housing, lives with other people out of necessity, or our housing is unstable.
- is unemployed or underemployed.
- has no or very little expendable income.
- rarely buys new things because we can’t afford them.
- cannot afford to take vacations
This scale is a modification of the work of Alexis J. Cunningfolk
Who is Camp Fresh Roots for? What if my camper has accessibility needs?
Camp Fresh Roots does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, colour, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, family make-up, religion, or national and/or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, scholarships, programs and activities.
Camp Fresh Roots is hosted on a working schoolyard farm and forest! That means we’ll be digging in the soil, using hand tools, looking for bugs, peering at plants, and moving through the sometimes narrow paths and uneven surfaces you’d expect to find between garden beds and on forest paths. We will also be preparing and eating food together!
You are welcome to visit the David Thompson farm with your camper at any time, and we’re happy to arrange a time to visit Suwa’lkh.
While we will do our best to accommodate campers of all abilities, we do not have on site medical personnel, nor are we able to provide one-on-one aides for campers. Campers are welcome to bring their own aides, translators, or other support people. All campers must be able to follow the behavioural expectations listed above independently or with the support of a family-provided aide. Please contact our camp team at camp@freshroots.ca or call 778-764-0344 if you have any questions or concerns.
Do you have programs for older campers?
Yes! In August, our Vancouver camps are split by age, so campers ages 9-12 can have a program designed just for them. These programs focus on take the theme of the week (Art, Food Systems, or Ecology) and go deeper, seeing how these can be used to make an impact on our communities. We strongly recommend signing your camper up for programs that align with their interests!
For our camp alumni, we also offer the LEX program for youth ages 12-14 who are interested in gaining leadership experience and volunteering with camp. Applications are open now!
How do the age groups work? Can my camper be with their sibling or friends?
We welcome campers ages 5-11 in most of our programs! We offer a half-day Sampler in July for campers as young as 4, and older camper programs in August for campers as old as 12. For our camp alumni, we also offer the LEX program for youth ages 12-14 who are interested in gaining leadership experience and volunteering with camp.
For our July Full Week camps and our August Sampler, campers will be put into groups by age as much as possible, while keeping siblings and friends who want to be together in the same group together. Please include friend requests on your registration form! For August Full Week camps, Vancouver campers will need to register by age. Campers under 9 will not be able to register in the 9-12 group; 9 year old campers can be registered in the young group upon request, but we recommend they register for the 9-12 group or join one of the July camps, as the 5-8 camp is specifically geared toward younger campers!
While we will do our best to honor friend requests, we may need to split up very large groups of friends to ensure a positive camp experience for all our campers. We will contact the families involved if this come up to find a good solution.
The camp I want is full! Is there a waitlist?
Yes! You can join the waitlist for free! If a space opens, you will receive an email with a link to register. We reserve the right to prioritize siblings of registered campers or campers who are not registered in another camp session.
What are your refund and cancellation policies? What happens if the weather is awful?
Cancellations
Should we need to cancel a camp session, we will notify families no later than one week before the session starts. If we cannot place your camper in another suitable camp session, we will refund the full camp fee. If we need to cancel part or all of a camp session at the last minute due to dangerous weather or other unforeseen circumstances, we will place your camper into another session or refund the camp fee for the days cancelled.
Our camp is outdoors, rain or shine, and we ask that campers come prepared each day for the weather. Typically, summer weather-related cancellations only happen if there is extreme heat or smoke. You can read our Heat and Air Quality policies here. In case of thunderstorms, we will move campers inside until it is safe to be outside again (30 minutes after the last audible thunder); we may ask parents to pick campers up early in case of severe thunderstorm.
Refunds
If your camper is unable to attend camp, please let us know as soon as possible. Refunds are available as follows:
- Before June 1: Full refund, minus $25 administration fee (fee waived if cancellation is within one week of purchase)
- After June 1 until one week before start of camp session: 50% refund, minus $25 admin fee
- Less than 1 week before camp session: No refund.
If your camper cannot attend two or more days of camp due to illness we will offer a limited credit to be used toward next summer. All credits must be used by the end of the summer after they are issued.
No refunds will be offered for missed days in a camp week other than for illness.
Need to change weeks? Let us know at least two weeks before the start of the first session involved, and we will move your camper if space is available.
How are campers expected to behave at Camp Fresh Roots?
Camp Fresh Roots works hard to ensure a positive, respectful, and caring environment for all our campers and out staff. We also engage in some activities that have a higher level of risk, such as using farm tools and kitchen knives. We expect all our campers to:
- treat other campers, staff and volunteers with respect
- treat animals, plants, and the land with care
- follow all instructions from staff
- stay within the supervised areas of the farm site
- stay with the group during off-site trips
- use precaution and safety when in public areas or travelling on public streets or roads
- use precaution and safety when handling gardening or cooking tools
- report illness or accidents immediately to staff
Whenever possible, we will work with campers and families to have a successful time at camp. However, repeated failure to adhere to these behavioural expectations may result in your child being sent home and/or asked not to return.