Frequently Asked Questions

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Communicating with my Child at
Summer Camp

Can I send my child a gift at Summer Camp?

For guests in WILD, Venture and Junior High, for an additional cost, you can purchase your child a Mid-Week Care Package which will be delivered to your child’s bunk on Tuesday to remind them you are thinking of them! Includes a Muskoka Woods stuffed animal, cube puzzle, colouring book, pencil crayons and sharpener, and a sweet treat, all in a Muskoka Woods tote bag.

What is Muskoka Woods’ cell phone policy?

We recognize that camp is a transforming experience where kids get to have fun, grow in confidence and leave inspired to shape their world, and that technology can sometimes be a barrier to the full potential that is offered through camp. We recommend that all communication devices should stay at home. If a family reaches a decision that their child will come to Muskoka Woods with a device, please see our Cell Phone Policy. Please note: Wild & Venture will be cell phone free starting in 2025. 

Getting Here, Arrivals and Departures

Is there a bus my child can take to Muskoka Woods?

Yes. You can choose transportation options in your online account. Please see our rates and dates page for prices

Where can I find directions to camp?

The Summer Camp address is:
4585 Hwy 141 Box 130
Rosseau, Ontario
P0C 1J0 Canada

What conditions are there when I pick-up my child?

If you plan to arrive late to camp or leave early, please call our office in advance. Please note there is no adjustment in fees or option to make up missed activities. If someone different from the parent/guardian names listed on file is picking up your child from camp, please call our office as the authorized names are required to be added on file. Those picking up guests should be prepared with photo identification. Muskoka Woods does not release guest information to anyone who is not listed on the registration forms as approved by the parent/guardian.

When do I pick up my child?

DROP-OFF & SUNDAY ARRIVAL

Join us at camp on Sunday during your arrival window – we look forward to seeing you and your family!

Weeks 1 to 8
Gates will be open 3:00 to 4:30 PM

CEO
Guests arrive according to the window for their last name for Sessions 1 and 2.

Week 9 Classic
Gates will be open 4:00 to 5:30 PM

As you pull in the gate, you will be greeted by our friendly staff. If your child has any medications to drop off, you will be directed to our medical tent. We will direct you to each cabin you need to stop at, and you will drive right up to the cabin! Our amazing Counsellors and Welcome Experts will be there to help your child with their bags and get them settled in their cabin. Guests may be dropped off by boat or float plane at our boathouse dock during the same arrival times.

After dropping your child off at their cabin, our staff will direct you back onto the road for your trip home. All guests will enjoy dinner with their new cabin mates shortly after arriving and getting settled in.

Please note: We are not prepared to receive early arrivals on Sundays, as we are busy preparing the property for an amazing week for your child! Please be aware that a police officer may be at our gate to direct traffic for safety reasons, and you are not permitted to park alongside the highway.

PICK-UP & DEPARTURE FROM CAMP

Weeks 1 to 8
Gates will be open 9:00 to 10:30 AM on Saturday morning.

Week 9 Classic
Gates will be open 9:00-10:00 AM on the morning of Friday, August 29th.

Weeks 1 to 8 finish on Saturday morning; Week 9 Classic ends on Friday, August 29th.

As you arrive to pick up your child at the end of their stay, our staff will direct you to our upper parking lot where you will park and head to your child’s cabin. After walking to the cabin and gathering your luggage, your child can say their goodbyes! We recommend taking a look at the lost and found tables outside of the office, and the Camp Store will be open for one last visit from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM on Saturday morning in Weeks 1 to 8.

For CEOs and their parents, a graduation ceremony begins at 9:30 AM on their final Saturday morning of each session. Departure for CEOs begins after the graduation ceremony.

Check out our Parents Guide for more important information on what to know before coming to camp.

Health Care Centre

Do you have a Health Care Centre with nurses and a doctor?

At Muskoka Woods, we don’t just meet the Ontario Camping Association’s standards of healthcare – we exceed them. Our Health Care Centre is staffed all summer long by our Head Nurse and Healthcare Crew. Each week, a Doctor and Nurse team join us to ensure the best care possible. We are equipped 24/7 to attend to the medical needs of our guests should they arise. Muskoka Woods is located approximately 30 minutes away from hospital facilities in the Parry Sound and Bracebridge areas.
For guests with a medical condition requiring additional support such as epilepsy or diabetes, please contact our Medical Director today at healthcare@muskokawoods.com to discuss your child’s needs and our ability to match support to provide a safe and healthy week.

If your child needs to take medication while at Muskoka Woods, please bring it with the original label and drop it off at our Health Care Centre on Sunday. Medication will be administered as per the guest’s needs.

What if someone in my child’s cabin gets sick? Will my child have to come home?

If a guest is feeling sick, they will be seen by our team of healthcare professionals to determine the next best steps for the care of the child and the guests in their cabin.

My child needs to take medication, how do they get it?

If your child needs to take medication while at Muskoka Woods, please bring it with the original label and drop it off at the Health Care Tent on Sunday. Medication will be administered as per the guest’s needs.

Login / Username / Password

I forgot my username/password. Can I get it back?

Yes! Please visit this page to reset your password.

I have questions about my account, what can I do?

Our Guest Relations team can be reached via live chat, email at guestrelations@muskokawoods.com or phone at 705-732-4373 to answer any of your questions.

Summer Camp

My child has dietary concerns, can Muskoka Woods accommodate this?

Safely navigating meal options when your child has food allergies can be a challenge, especially when it comes to making independent choices while they are at summer camp. We can accommodate many allergies and special diets to make their summer camp experience a positive one. We offer gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan meal options if you indicate the need for such a diet on your medical form. If selecting one of these special diets, your child will select their meals from our Special Diets Buffet. It’s required that you list specific food allergies and special diets on your child’s medical form in your account. when registering for camp and we will follow up with you to discuss your options so we can ensure a safe experience for your child. Please be advised that despite our best efforts to reduce the risk, cross-contamination may occur in our kitchen during preparation, on the main buffet, or on the special diets buffet by guests accidentally moving serving utensils or signs. If you have any questions, our team can be reached in advance of camp at specialdiets@muskokawoods.com to discuss your child’s dietary requirements.

What does the summer camp meal menu include?

Muskoka Woods takes great care to ensure meals are nutritious and delicious. Guests at Muskoka Woods summer camp have varying tastes so we ensure there is variety every day. In addition, special diets can be accommodated.

See a sample menu here.

What should I pack for camp?

Getting ready to come up to Muskoka Woods? Check out our suggested packing list to make sure you don’t forget anything. Remember to label all clothing, and we do not recommend bringing valuables such as tablets, jewelry or cell phones. Muskoka Woods will not accept responsibility for lost or stolen items.

Can Muskoka Woods provide me with a sleeping bag and other summer camp essentials?

Yes! You can purchase a Camp Essentials Kit in your online account that will be waiting for your child in their cabin when they arrive. This kit comes with everything you might need for the week away at camp: a sleeping bag, pillow, pillowcase, fitted bed sheet, beach towel, gym bag, a water bottle, sunglasses, sunscreen, toothbrush and toothpaste.

Will you send clothing that my child lost at camp back to us?
We strongly encourage parents to label all of their children’s belongings, as this helps us to return any items found during their stay. If you return home and discover something is missing, you can complete this FORM. If the item is found, we can ship small items back to you at your expense.

We have a large volume of lost items that are unclaimed, and we are unable to store anything at camp beyond three weeks (including the current week). All summer camp lost and found items will be donated on the last Friday of camp, at the end of August.

How do I add money to my child’s Camp Store account?

The Camp Store is full of treats your child can purchase; like a midweek ice cream, Muskoka Woods gear, and other items to buy as a memory of their incredible time at camp! For your convenience, we recommend that you set up a Store Account before your child arrives. We suggest $75 per week. You can log into your family profile and add money to your child’s Store Account at any time, even while they are at camp. Want to know what they are spending their money on? You can see an up-to-the-minute report of their purchases through your online account. Any balance over $10 will be refunded in September to your VISA or MasterCard on file.
Set up a Store Account in one of two ways:

a) Add money to your child’s store account as part of the registration process, or

b) Sign into your family profile before camp and add it to your child’s registration.

Can I make a cabinmate request for my child?

Absolutely! At Muskoka Woods, we do our best to accommodate cabinmate requests, with a few guidelines to ensure fairness and a great experience for everyone:

  • We can guarantee one cabinmate request per camper.
  • Requests must be submitted at least 2 weeks before arrival.
  • Both campers must request each other, and the request must be mutual (one camper requesting only the other).
  • Both campers need to be registered in the same age group and event.

Please keep in mind that we’re unable to accommodate requests for larger groups, as we aim to create balanced cabin experiences for all our guests.

We hope this helps, and we’re excited for your child’s upcoming adventure with us!

Why don’t you accommodate large group cabinmate requests?
Camp is about friendships; the ones you might come with, and all of the new ones you’ll make! Our time and attention go towards creating cabin groups where everyone feels welcome and included. We want everyone to have the opportunity to come to camp with one friend while making new friends as well! Because of this, we do not accommodate large group requests, as the best camp experience comes from the chance to make new friends. Furthermore, large groups can unintentionally leave out other kids in the cabin who aren’t part of the group.
My child doesn’t want to be with another guest. Can you make sure they won’t be together?

We are unable to guarantee “Not With” requests. At Muskoka Woods we value friendship and never want any guest to feel excluded or left out. We encourage families to speak openly with each other before camp if they would prefer not to be in a cabin with each other.

I always come to camp with my 6-9 best friends. Does this mean that we cannot be in the same cabin this coming summer?

While it’s fantastic that you have such a close group of friends, it does mean that not everyone will be able to be in the same cabin. We can usually accommodate groups of 3-4 friends in one cabin. We recommend discussing with your group to decide how best to divide up.

You’re welcome to submit the names of all your friends in the group, but please know that we will need to split you into separate cabins. We’ll do our best to prioritize your first request, but we appreciate your understanding as we create a great experience for all campers.

I’ve never been to overnight camp before and a week seems too long for my first time. Can I come for a shorter stay?

At this time, we do not offer a camp experience shorter than a week, or what was previously called the Test Drive program. We believe the best possible experience for the guest is the full week at camp, growing in skills and building friendships. One-way emails can be a great way to help with homesickness while away from home.

My child is staying multiple weeks. Can they stay over?
If your child is staying consecutive weeks, they can join the stayover program free of charge.
Why are you not offering activity selection?

These past three years, we have surveyed each of our guests and many of our parents; the majority prefer the cabin activity model! Our customers of all ages appreciated the wide variety of new activities that the cabin cohort model of camp provides, as compared to the previous experience in choosing an activity schedule. Parents and guests talked about how they grew closer in friendship because they did activities together with kids their same age. Our guests had a chance to forge deeper connections with their new friends and cabin mates they had made.

We recognize some of our guests also enjoy deeper focus into improving their skills at a specific activity and wish to spend more time there; with this, we will continue to review what will be fun, safe and permitted, alongside the feedback from our families as we prepare ahead for Summer 2025.

My child has special needs can you tell me about your exceptionality program?

Muskoka Woods provides an inclusive camp experience for all guests and our Exceptionalities program is designed for children with special needs. Our desire is to provide appropriate support for the child’s physical, intellectual, social or behavioural needs, ensuring each guest has the most successful week possible.

Support options range from 1:1 assistance during the day to a few check-ins during the week. We are proud to offer the Inspiration Garden for our guests; a garden space at the centre of camp which encourages movement and activity by combining sensory toys, a water feature for miniature sailboat racing, a Snoezelen room, music centre, and cozy day-use cabins to rest in.

There is no additional cost for staff assistance, however, our program is small and fills up quickly. Please reach out to our Exceptionalities Team at exceptionalities@muskokawoods.comtoday to discuss availability and support for your child.

What is the Christian Content at Muskoka Woods?

Muskoka Woods is a Christian youth development organization that welcomes everyone to an experience for a lifetime. Cabin Chat and Convo Cafe are intentional times each day where we invite young people into conversations to explore what it is they believe. WILD and Venture guests participate in Cabin Chat and Junior High, Senior High and Crew guests in Conversation Cafe. We offer a choice of two streams of Conversation Cafe: Exploring Life, and Diving Deeper. In Exploring Life our staff share about Christian values, character building and personal beliefs, all relevant to the specific age group. At Diving Deeper, guests will learn more about these same Christian values through Bible based teaching. We establish in all sessions a safe space for our guests to listen, laugh and learn about values and morals as they are invited and encouraged to think about what they believe, and share their questions and perspectives in a safe environment. Our conversations are age appropriate and respectful of all religions and beliefs.

Please see our page with more information about Cabin Chat and Convo Café

Can my younger child visit their older sibling?

Yes! Either child can ask their counsellor if it’s okay that they go visit their sibling. 

Do you have a waiting list? How does it work?

Once an age group fills up, not all hope is lost, there is the opportunity to be added to our waitlist! The sooner your child is added to the waitlist, the greater chance you have to be offered a spot. Once you create your account, you will notice there is a waitlist you can sign up for when you try to sign up for a certain week. While there is no cost or commitment required to being on the waitlist; we ask that you only add your child to the waitlist if you are actively hoping for a spot. If a spot opens up, our Guest Relations team will reach out to you via email. You will be given a deadline to respond within, and you can decide if you’d like to take the spot or turn it down.

My child is on the waitlist and so is their friend, can they both get offered a spot at the same time?

When a spot opens up, we reach out to the next person on the waiting list. Offers going out to those on the waitlist are entirely dependent on the time that a child had registered to our waitlist. If you are trying to get in with a friend, your best chance of a spot becoming available for both families, is to get registered on our waitlist at the same time.

How do I apply / complete my application for CEO?

Instructions for how to apply for the CEO program including instructions on how to navigate the online application (HR/Staff) portal, please click here

What is your refund/cancellation policy?

Final payment for camp fees is due in full on April 8, 2025. Prior to April 8, 2025 a non-refundable $400 deposit is required to secure each registration. Deposits are non-refundable, and non-transferable to another child, member of the family or future summer. Availability permitting, you can transfer a registration for the same person to an available date in the same summer without penalty. Withdrawal from camp before April 8, 2025 is a forfeit of the $400 deposit, per week cancelled. Withdrawal from camp after April 8, 2025, until 30 days prior to the expected arrival date is a forfeit of fifty percent 50% of the program fees and taxes. Withdrawal from camp within 30 days of expected arrival is a forfeit of 100% of the program fees and taxes, unless a medical certificate accompanies the request. In instances where withdrawal occurs and a medical certificate is not provided, the corresponding fees as outlined above are non-refundable and non-transferable to another child, member of the family or future summer. This policy includes all withdrawals as a result of other commitments and opportunities including, but not limited to, family travel, sports tournaments, tryouts, travel restrictions, or summer school. There is no adjustment in fees if a guest arrives late or leaves early. The cancellation policy applies even if a waiting list exists for the event you are withdrawing from.

Transportation services can be cancelled up until 7 days prior to intended use for a full refund. Cancellation fees may apply within 7 days of expected arrival for changes made to additional services and options.

Read our full Terms & Conditions here.

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