Welcome to Camp Tournesol! Below are answers to our most frequently asked questions. You will also find location-specific answers on the page for each location. If you don’t find an answer here, contact us – we’re here to help!
Campers between the ages of 4-14 are eligible to enroll. Based on the activities and overall structure of the camp, campers must be at least 4 years old by June 30, 2025. We are sorry, but there are no exceptions to the age restriction.
Please note as well, that all campers must be self-sufficient in the washroom, as camp staff are not authorized to assist your child.
We try very hard to accommodate each camper where we can. Camp Tournesol is committed to ensuring a successful camp experience for all campers. Unfortunately, our staffing structure does not allow for 1:1 camper support. If your child has an Educational Assistant (EA) at school that assists with behaviour concerns, they are required to bring a qualified support person with them to camp. Please note, all campers are required to be self-sufficient in the washroom as camp staff are not authorized to assist your child. Camp Tournesol is unable to provide this support, parents/guardians are required to make these arrangements. Full disclosure on the camper Medical and Behavioural Form is required at the time of registration and failure to do so may result in participant removal, no refunds or credits will be issued should this occur.
Unfortunately, we do not offer half day enrollment or part time enrollment. While it is your choice to only send your child for half a day or a few times a week, there is no price discount. The full enrollment fee will apply.
All lost and found items will be kept at camp until the end of the last week of camp, at which time they will be donated to a local charity if unclaimed. They will not be shipped back to Head Office. Camp Tournesol strongly recommends that you label everything and check daily to ensure that your camper has returned home with their belongings. Campers who bring valuables of any kind to camp do so at their own risk, so please leave valuables at home. Camp Tournesol is not responsible for any damage, loss or theft of personal items brought to camp.
Typically we have 1 counsellor for every 7 children, though some variations apply.
Camp Tournesol has locations all over the Greater Toronto Area! View them all here.
Not all facilities are air conditioned. Visit each location page for the site you’re interested in, and in the FAQ section of that page (at the bottom) it will note whether that specific facility is air conditioned. We understand that some days get quite hot in the summer, so precautions and measures are taken to lessen the impact of the heat if a particular camp location does not have air conditioning. Fans are installed, frequent water breaks are taken, outdoor activity is limited during heat advisory days, freezies are provided to campers, and more, to help minimize the impact of the heat. Please note, refunds will not be given due to hot days at camp.
Registering for summer camp is easy!
Be sure to register early to get the location and weeks you’d like!
Yes! All registered campers will receive a free Camp Tournesol t-shirt. During registration, you will be able to select your camper’s size. Please note, there is only one t-shirt per camper. In other words, if you register your camper for multiple weeks, they will receive one t-shirt for the summer, on the Thursday of their first camp week.
All registered campers will receive a free Camp Tournesol t-shirt. During registration, you will be able to select your camper’s size.
We aren’t selling any additional camp gear in 2025.
Your camper will receive their free Camp Tournesol t-shirt (in the size that you selected during registration) on the Thursday of camp (unless weather requires us to reschedule water day to a different day that week, in which case campers will receive their t-shirt on the rescheduled day). On water day we visit a splash pad, so campers receive and wear their t-shirt that day to ensure counsellors can quickly identify all campers to keep them together and safe.
If your camper is attending their second or subsequent camp week of Camp Tournesol and so, received their t-shirt during their first week, we request that campers pack or wear their Camp Tournesol t-shirt on Thursday.
Camp Tournesol is not offering a lunch or snack program for summer camp 2025. While in the past we have offered pizza days, we will not be doing that in 2025. Campers should come to camp each day with a packed lunch and snacks, as well as a reusable water bottle, to keep them powered up and energized for a day of fun!
Absolutely! Camp week themes are selected based on the interests of campers around current movies, TV shows, computer games or all around fun things to do. Regardless of the theme, all of our activities are created with both our male and female campers in mind. In other words, while all activities relate to the weekly theme, more importantly, they are all gender-neutral and designed to facilitate learning new French vocabulary and facilitating French conversation. Read more about our themes and programming, including a sample day at camp.
Yes! Each year we continue to add more and more activities and options to ensure the campers are always busy learning and practicing French while having fun!
Thursday water days are a favourite at Camp Tournesol!
Campers will take a short bus ride to a nearby splash pad from the camp location. To ensure a fantastic day, parents should have campers arrive wearing their bathing suits underneath their clothing for a quick and easy start to the fun. Essentials to pack include a towel, a hat, sunscreen, water shoes, a refillable water bottle, and a change of clothes. A packed lunch and plenty of snacks are also important to keep the campers fueled and energized throughout the day.
Campers will also receive their free Camp Tournesol t-shirts at the splash pad, which they will be required to wear for the remainder of the day for safety and easy identification. Camp Tournesol staff will provide additional supervision, ensuring that everyone stays hydrated, sun-protected, and safe while having an unforgettable time at the splash pad.
Friday is Festival Day, a grand celebration of the week’s adventures, achievements, and fun! This exciting day brings the camp community together to honour everything campers have learned and experienced during the week.
The day kicks off with campers donning their favourite costumes related to the week’s theme, adding a festive and imaginative touch to the celebrations. Face painting stations will also be available, allowing campers to transform into their favourite characters, creatures, or designs, making the day even more magical.
Festival Day is filled with joy and camaraderie as campers participate in themed games, enjoy lots of freezies, and cheer each other on during prize presentations. Prizes will recognize everything from creative costumes and teamwork to individual achievements throughout the week, ensuring every camper feels celebrated and included. The activities are designed to be both fun and reflective of the week’s theme, bringing together all the skills and knowledge campers have gained.
The highlight of the day is the End-of-Week Show, where parents are invited to arrive one hour early to join in the festivities. Campers will proudly showcase what they’ve learned throughout the week in an engaging performance that uses their French skills. From songs and skits to creative presentations, the show allows campers to shine and share their growth with family and friends. Festival Day is the perfect conclusion to an incredible week, leaving campers, parents, and staff with cherished memories and a sense of accomplishment.
At Camp Tournesol, we work to nurture a lifelong love of French, no matter where your camper is in their French language journey! We are here to meet them where they are with fun activities and experiences, with just the right amount of French (from a little, all the way to fully immersive) to build on their existing language ability.
In order to best do that, for each week of summer camp, you have the option to register your camper in one of three streams, depending on their age and current French background: French Foundations (ages 4-12), French Mastery (ages 4-12) or our Counsellor-in-Training stream (campers entering Grades 7, 8, 9 or 10). Learn more about all of our streams here.
First, how old is your camper?
If your camper will be between 4-12 years old at the start of camp (June 30, 2025), then you’ll choose between our French Foundations and French Mastery streams. If your camper will be entering Grades 7, 8, 9 or 10, then they’re perfect for our Counsellor-in-Training (CIT) stream.
Should your 4-12 year old be in the French Foundations or French Mastery stream?
French Foundations is designed for campers who do not go to a French immersion school program and/or do not speak French at home. Foundations campers typically have some French experience or vocabulary (which they typically learned at their non-French immersion school in French class), but aren’t yet speaking with fluency or confidence.
French Mastery is for campers who either do go to a French immersion program and/or speak French at home. These campers are able to speak French fairly well, and are ready for the full French immersion environment our Mastery stream offers them to build on their current level of fluency and confidence in the language.
If you’re unsure of which stream is ideal for your camper, don’t hesitate to contact us and we can help you decide!
Above all, we want to ensure your camper has a wonderful experience at Camp Tournesol, where they feel challenged but not frustrated as they build their French skills, from wherever they are now. Our interest is in building a life-long love for the French language!
If your camper starts camp, and you’d selected a stream that turns out not to be ideal for them, don’t worry – we will almost always be able to switch them to the other stream right away.
Our Counsellor-in-Training stream spots are limited to 4 per week.
Our French Foundations and French Mastery stream spots are not limited, we allow registration for each on a first come basis, up until the total capacity for that location and week is reached. We find this almost always results in a good mix of proficiency levels, resulting in all campers building on their French knowledge.
Our French Foundations stream is designed for campers who do not go to a French immersion school program and/or do not speak French at home. Foundations campers typically have some French experience or vocabulary (which they typically learned at their non-French immersion school in French class), but aren’t yet speaking with fluency or confidence.
As a general rule, we speak and use as much French as we can with French Foundations stream campers, in consideration of each camper’s current French proficiency. We are always striving to maximize French use, to ensure that campers feel challenged, but never frustrated. This is true in particular activities or conversations, but also over the course of the week, as their comfort level with counsellors, each other, and the French language grows.
Our French Mastery stream is for campers who either go to a French immersion program and/or speak French at home. These campers are able to speak French fairly well.
As a result, our French Mastery campers will be fully immersed in the French language at camp. Counsellors will speak to them in French, and they will be expected to reply to counsellors and speak to each other in French, as much as possible. Of course, our focus is on having fun and building a life-long love of the French language, so we are always striving to ensure that campers feel challenged, but never frustrated. This is true in particular activities or conversations, but also over the course of the week, as their comfort level with counsellors, each other, and the French language grows.
Our Counsellor-in-Training (CIT) program is the perfect opportunity for campers entering Gr. 7, 8, 9 or 10 to develop their leadership skills in a fun and supportive environment. Designed for those who want to take their camp experience to the next level, or who might be interested in being counsellors at camp when they’re older, the CIT program combines hands-on learning with mentorship from our experienced staff. Participants will gain valuable skills in teamwork, communication, and problem-solving while learning the ins and outs of being a camp counsellor.
To ensure a high-quality experience, we only accept 4 CITs per week, and participants must commit to a minimum of one summer camp week. CITs attend the program as campers (so there’s lots of fun in the CIT program too!), but pay a discounted rate ($150 for a 5 day week, or $130 for a 4 day week), which includes access to all camp activities, in addition to specialized leadership training. This unique program provides young leaders with the tools to grow personally and prepare for future opportunities, whether as a counsellor at Camp Tournesol, or beyond.
Register your camper for the CIT stream here.
CIT campers do not have to apply, and can simply register for the program. Register your camper for the CIT stream here. Be sure to register early, as we only have 4 CIT spots for each week!
Summer camp operates from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day.
We also offer early drop off starting at 7:30 a.m. and late pick up until 5:30 p.m. You can add this extended before camp care and/or extended after camp care to your cart at checkout when you register for camp, or purchase it later if you prefer. Before camp care is $40 for a 5 day camp week and $32 for a 4 day camp week. After camp care is $40 for a 5 day camp week and $32 for a 4 day camp week. Before camp care and after camp care are separate purchases, so you can purchase just before care for the week, just after care for the week, or both.
Please note, only entire weeks (not individual days) can be purchased.
Yes! Early drop off starts at 7:30 a.m. and late pick up is offered until 5:30 p.m. You can add this extended before camp care and/or extended after camp care to your cart when you register for camp, or purchase it later if you prefer. Before camp care is $40 for a 5 day camp week and $32 for a 4 day camp week. After camp care is $40 for a 5 day camp week and $32 for a 4 day camp week. Please note, only entire weeks (not individual days) can be purchased. Before camp care and after camp care are separate purchases, so you can purchase just before care for the week, just after care for the week, or both.
A sample camp day for Mondays through Wednesdays will look something like this:
Please note, many of our activities may take place outside, depending on the weather. Outside activities may take place onsite at the camp, or at a nearby green space or park/playground. Activities throughout the day are based on a variety of health and safety factors as well as weather.
For more information about our programming and a more detailed sample day for one of our themes, visit our themes and programming page.
To ensure their safety, campers must be signed in at the time of drop off and signed out at the time of pick up, by their guardian. Guardians must indicate the names of the authorized persons for pickup on their online registration form and everyone must show physical identification in order to sign out a camper. You are required to show physical identification every day, even if we know you. No camper will be permitted to leave camp without being signed out by an authorized adult. The same safety rules apply to all. Should a parent wish to add an authorized person(s) to the approved pick up and drop off list for their child, they may login to their account or call Head Office (888-892-1889).
Camp Tournesol staff will bring the camper(s) to the normal drop off/pick up location and the parent/guardian will be required to sign out their camper(s). For your child(ren) to be released from camp, the person signing them out must:
We take the care and safety of your child(ren) very seriously. Under no circumstance will a child be permitted to leave camp without being signed out by an authorized adult who has verified their identification by showing physical government issued photo ID.
We post this information on the location pages as soon as we have it. In the case where Camp Tournesol is located at a university or a college this information can take a while to be forwarded to us as they have internal procedures they must follow to make drop off and pick up as seamless as possible. An email is sent prior to the start of each summer camp week with this information.
It is important that all campers come prepared for a full day of great activities and fun. Please be sure your camper has the following items every day:
Please do not bring toys to camp and please leave all electronic devices (including cellphones) at home. If you need to contact your child, call our Support team (888-892-1889) and we will contact the camp to relay messages or plan for your child to call you if it is urgent.
There is at least one staff member at every site that has their First Aid and CPR certification. However, Camp Tournesol counsellors DO NOT administer medications (unless its an Epinephrine Auto-Injector in the event of a life-threatening episode of anaphylaxis or Glucagon medications for type 1 diabetics, experiencing severe hypoglycemia (severe low blood sugar), or assisting a camper with the use of an inhaler in the event of a severe asthmatic episode, etc.)
If your child requires medication to be taken throughout the day at camp, please note that camp staff are not trained or authorized to administer medication of any kind. All other medications must be taken by the camper independently, or parents/guardians must make arrangements to return to the camp to oversee the administration of medicines. Also, please ensure this information is communicated clearly on the application form when enrolling your child.
Yes! At least one staff member at every site has their First Aid and CPR certification.
Due to an increase in food related allergies and sensitivities in society, we request parents to take special care when preparing their child’s lunch and snacks. Camp Tournesol tries to provide a peanut and nut free camp. We encourage our families to be sensitive to those who may have peanut butter and/or nut allergies and ask that parents and guardians support our attempts in reducing the risks. Please only provide peanut-free and nut-free items in your child’s lunch and snacks. Parents should be aware, however, that we do not monitor compliance of this request in every location and do not search campers’ lunches. There may also be other camps or people in these locations not affiliated with Camp Tournesol.
Our cancellation and refund policy is as follows:
Participants that have purchased camp sessions or services prior to June 1, 2025 may request a full refund (minus the 2.4% credit card surcharge) for ANY reason, if such a request is made to Head Office on or before May 31, 2025. Please contact our Support team via email at [email protected] or by calling 888-892-1889. Please note, this applies to new purchases made for the 2025 camp season, NOT for camp sessions, services or merchandise products purchased in any previous season, for which credits were issued.
Camp Session purchases made on or after June 1, 2025, through to August 22, 2025, are considered FINAL SALE. No cash refunds will be granted, or credits issued, for ANY reason. Please be aware of this when purchasing camp sessions on or after June 1, 2025. If you are not agreeable to this condition, do not proceed in purchasing camp sessions. Before and After Care services are refundable at any time (not including the 2.4% credit card surcharge), including throughout the camp season, as long as the service you purchased is cancelled a minimum of one full business day prior to the start of the camp session for which you purchased the service. To cancel Before or After Care, please contact our Support team via email at [email protected] or by calling 888-892-1889.
In the event that Camp Tournesol cancels a camp location, session, day, service or merchandise product, before or after June 1, 2025, a full refund will be issued to the Participant. Reasons for cancellation include, but are not limited to: funding availability, lack of enrolment, insufficient staffing, or supply chain issues. Decisions to cancel camp locations is done with consideration of families searching for summer care options for their child(ren) and best efforts are made to finalize these decisions by June 1, 2025, however this is not always possible.
In the unlikely event that Camp Tournesol is forced to shut down due to a government order (ie. pandemic related restrictions), the Participant will receive a credit for the full value of their purchase, to be used in the 2026 camp season.
Participants may switch their camp week(s), if notice is provided to Head Office by contacting our Support team. This must be done a minimum of 14 days in advance of the start date of the original purchased camp session, and is contingent on available spots for the requested week(s). There is no guarantee that sessions will be available for your requested date(s) and location(s). To contact our Support team, please email your request to [email protected] or call 888-892-1889 to speak with one of our Support team members.
Camp Tournesol reserves the right not to offer refunds or credits after June 1, 2025, under any circumstances, including, but not limited to:
Camp week(s) can be switched, if notice is provided to Head Office by contacting our Support team. This must be done a minimum of 14 days in advance of the start date of the original purchased camp session, and is contingent on available spots for the requested week(s). There is no guarantee that sessions will be available for your requested date(s) and location(s).
To contact our Support team, please email your request to support@camptournesol.ca or call 888-892-1889 to speak with one of our Support team members.
No. We suggest that parents evaluate their situation closely prior to enrolling their child and that should a situation occur where the child indicates they are not “having fun” or “didn’t learn anything”, strongly encourage them to try their best the next day. Children often focus on one thing during the day they did not like but in actuality they had 10 other positive things happen. Another suggestion would be to discuss the situation with the camp staff on site as there is often more to the story.
Payments can be made by credit card during the registration process. VISA and Mastercard are accepted.
As a not for profit, Camp Tournesol does not have a formal subsidy program as our fees are already at cost. However, we do accept funding from any organization that wishes to assist.
We suggest parents contact their local service clubs and agencies to enquire about existing summer camp subsidy programs. A call to your local MPP and MP offices could also provide some ideas as to funding.
There is a 2.4% Credit Card Surcharge added to all transactions to cover the fee that payment processors charge. This is a non-refundable fee.
Registration for camp is paid in full at the time of registration. (We no longer accept deposits.)
