Do you want to send your child to camp this summer? It is not always easy for parents whose child is living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to choose a summer camp, especially when the child is not independent in the management of their T1D and the camp is not specifically adapted.
Fortunately, there are several summer camps in Canada specializing in diabetes. These camps offer services and activities adapted to children living with T1D and can thus help reassure parents!
Safety first
There are some things to think about when you register a child living with T1D for a summer camp. For instance, a different routine and more physical activity can impact blood sugar levels and increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
In a camp specializing in diabetes, these aspects are considered to provide a safe structure for children and adolescents. Several measures are put in place such as training workers on T1D and the associated risks, establishing protocols in the event of hypo or hyperglycemia, ensuring the availability of T1D material, etc.
Also, the camp team usually includes both healthcare professionals and people living with T1D:
- Dietitians oversee carbohydrate counting and help children make choices based on their needs.
- Doctors and nurses provide education related to diabetes and monitor treatment (insulin administration, dose adjustment, change of catheters, etc.).
- Monitors living with T1D, and/or trained by the medical team, ensure the safety and well-being of campers.
All of these measures are in place so that diabetes is not a cause for concern, and the child can have fun with their peers!
Meet people who live the same realities
While staying in a diabetes camp, children will meet, sometimes for the first time, other people who are living with T1D. The camp environment ensures that diabetes is lived as a positive experience by promoting learning through play and sharing. Campers can thus exchange their lived experiences with others. As a result, the summer camp is generally a good opportunity to learn less formally than in the doctor’s office.
Back home
The camp team encourages children to be independent in the management of their diabetes. Thus, it is not uncommon to see the child return home with new skills, such as administering insulin on their own, counting carbohydrates, or even using new injection sites.
Changes in a child’s attitude to his or her diabetes can last overtime throughout the year and sometimes much longer. It is, therefore, possible to observe improvements in the management of diabetes at school, at home, and in extracurricular activities. A study also reported that specialized diabetes camps increase the quality of life of a child living with T1D.
List of some T1D summer camps in Canada
- Camp Carowanis (Quebec):
The camp is set over 150 acres of land in the heart of the forest bordering Lake Didi in Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, in the Laurentians, about 85 km from Montreal.
Different stays are offered such as a 1 or 2-week program for children between 7 and 16 years old and a Leader program for young people aged 15 and 16 years old.
The camp takes place on the enchanted site of Camp Trois-Saumons in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, approximately 1h30 North of Quebec City. Campers have the chance to experience outdoor activities on the lake and in the forest while learning or deepening their knowledge about T1D.
The Youth camp is for campers aged 9 to 10 (1 week) or 10 to 15 years old (2 weeks).
- Camp Dragonfly (New Brunswick):
Located on beautiful Greenhill Lake, this camp welcomes children living with T1D to learn and connect with their peers.
- Leadership Academy (Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick):
This camp offers a two-week program for 15 and 16-year-olds living with T1D. They will learn how to work and mentor children in recreational programs. One week is held at Camp Seggie (PEI) and the second at GreenHill Lake Camp (NB).
- Camp Phoenix (Prince Edward Island):
Located on scenic Rice Point, at Camp Seggie, it welcomes children living with T1D to learn and connect with their peers.
- D-Camps (several locations):
Diabetes Canada summer camps are designed for children living with T1D.
- Leadership programs (several locations):
Diabetes Canada Leadership Development Program (LDP) is designed for youth (16 and 17-year-olds) with diabetes who have an interest in developing their leadership skills.
- Camp Banting (Ontario):
This camp, located at the Bonnenfant YMCA/YWCA Outdoor Education and Leadership Centre, on the shores of the Ottawa River, offers several stays divided by age (7-11, 12-15, and 16 and older).
- I Challenge Diabetes Sports camps (several locations):
Sports camps are for children living with T1D aged 5 to 15.
Whatever camp you choose, giving your child living with T1D the chance to go to a summer camp is a precious gift. These stays offer the opportunity to discover that they can go alone and come back proud of their accomplishments and learning.
(First published in January 2022. Updated in June 2024).
References:
- Anarte, M. T., et al.(2020). Diabetes Summer Camp in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: Effects on well-being and quality of life. Endocrinología, Diabetes y Nutrición (English Ed.) 67(5): 326–332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.endien.2019.08.008
- Bultas, M. W., et al. (2015). Psychosocial Outcomes of Participating in Pediatric Diabetes Camp. Public Health Nursing 33(4), 295–302. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12218
