Ontario After-School Programs

Publicly-run after school programs in the province generally focus on providing care for kids as young as four or five (or as old as ten) to essentially relieve working parents of child care concerns. If you're stuck in rush hour traffic, you know that your children are in a supervised environment where they are safe.

Taking part in privately run programs throughout the province extends learning or physical activity into the after school hours. A number of programs listed above offer unique, enriched learning or an exceptional learning environment that stimulates kids and offers them learning or activity they simply would not have in a typical academic or sports camp environment.

What are the advantages of after school programs?

Effective after school programs offer a wide range of benefits to both parents and kids.

Parents know that their child is in a supervised environment, for one thing. But there is much more beyond that. Well run private after school programs can boost your child's academic performance, can reduce risky or troubling behaviours.

Effective after school sports programs encourage physical activity, and many of these programs are put on by well-equipped sports camps and other such organizations. These can be a very effective way for your son or daughter to advance his or her skills in the sport he or she loves. And you still have that added benefit of knowing that your child is safe, and doing something positive with their time.

For kids in Ontario, these programs offer after school learning that can be focused on a particular interest. For example, a number of kids robotics camps put on after school programs. The same can be said for arts camps, science camps, etc. For kids who may be busy during the summer or leery about committing to camp or have any other objection to summer camp, this is an opportunity to dip their toes in or explore a learning experience that is simply not available to them in school or elsewhere. 

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