Westmont Spring Camps 2025
Westmont Camps are held on our beautiful campus in the community of Metchosin – connected directly to Witty’s Lagoon, Sitting Lady Falls and the beach.
Our camp days will be spent exploring the outdoors in nature and venturing off-campus on various educational and recreational excursions. Camp hours are from 8:30am to 4:00pm. You are welcome to pick your child up early, but please notify us in advance to ensure you can find us in a timely manner.
We’re thrilled to offer this opportunity and look forward to a fantastic camp experience. All bookings can be done through the Univerus Rec booking system – accessible by the registration button below. You will receive a welcome email with specific details in advance of the camp week.
Early Years (Pre-School) Camps (Ages 3 and 4)
Westmont Camps promise to deliver an engaging and enriching experience, offering children a productive and enjoyable educational experience beyond the traditional classroom setting. Camps provide a unique opportunity for children to explore a wide range of activities and learning experiences.
The Five Pillars of Westmont’s Camps include Mindfulness, The Arts, Life Skills, Wellness & Play. Your child can look forward to participating in various activities and workshops tailored towards developing in these areas. Our activities foster personal growth, artistic expression, life skill development, health and well-being, and community development.
Elementary Camps (Kindergarten to Grade 4)
March 17-21, 2025
Welcome and Fire Safety
Main Activities
- Fire Building: Teaching the basics of safe fire building and management with hands-on experience in creating and extinguishing campfires.
- S’mores Making: Application of fire safety skills through the traditional camping experience of making s’mores.
Art and Nature Exploration
Main Activities
- Nature-Inspired Art Workshops: Engagement in various art techniques using natural and recyclable materials.
- Rock Painting & Leaf Art: Focus on creativity and environmental appreciation through rock painting and crafting leaf art.
Water Games and Team Spirit
Main Activities
- Water Bucket Trivia: An interactive trivia game combining knowledge tests with playful water activities.
- Forest Capture the Flag: A traditional game adapted to the forest setting to enhance team spirit and strategic thinking.
- Clay Boat Making: Craft activity focused on creating clay boats, testing them in water, fostering both creativity and an understanding of basic physics.
Engineering & Environmental Stewardship
Main Activities:
- DIY Birdhouse Building: Older campers will design and build birdhouses, focusing on fostering engineering and design skills.
- Beach Hike: A hike to the beach where birdhouses will be placed, offering learning opportunities about local wildlife.
- Egg Drop Challenge: An introduction to the engineering process with preparations for the egg drop experiment.
- Material Gathering: Kids collect materials for protecting their eggs.
- Testing & Reflection: Egg drop testing followed by group discussions on the outcomes.
Sustainability & Adventure Hike
Main Activities:
- Seed Planting (9:00 am – 11:00 am): Introduction to gardening with an emphasis on plant life cycles.
- Rainwater Collection (11:00 am – 12:00 pm): Building water collection systems to highlight environmental responsibility.
- Animal Food Chain Tag (12:45 pm – 1:45 pm): A game simulating the natural food chain, followed by preparations for a hike.
- Adventure Hike (2:00 pm – 3:45 pm): A hike through scenic trails emphasizing teamwork, physical activity, and exploration.
March 17-21, 2025
Welcome and Nature Activities
Main Activities:
- Icebreaker: ‘The Wind Blows’ game to ease everyone into camp and mitigate any anxieties.
- Nature Scavenger Hunt : Children explore and search for listed items in nature, fostering teamwork and observational skills.
Creativity and Outdoor Skills
Main Activities:
- Outdoor Craft: A session focused on creating art from natural elements and encouraging creative expression.
- Environmental Education: An informative and interactive segment on local flora and fauna, aiming to increase ecological awareness and respect.
Science Discovery
Main Activities
- Discovery Hike: Embark on a guided hike focusing on environmental discovery and the importance of conservation.
- Science Workshop: Hands-on activities to explore basic scientific principles related to nature and the outdoors.
Exploring Natural Dyes and the Environment
Main Activities:
- Tie-Dye Workshop: Exploring natural dyes through kitchen scrap tie-dyeing, including an educational component on composting and soil health.
- Nature Walk: A guided exploration of local trails with discussions on natural dyes from different vegetation, integrating a sense of discovery and environmental education.
Discovering Insects
Main Activities:
- Crafting Session: Participants engage in making Maple Key dragonflies, including a nature walk for material collection.
- Nature Walk and Insect Study: After lunch, a walk dedicated to exploring local fauna, followed by an educational discussion on insects.
Meet our New Elementary Camp Counsellor…
Jaden Jeske!
I am excited to take on the role of Camp Counsellor at Westmont Montessori where I once attended as a student! With experience managing camps for different organizations and teaching high school, I am ecstatic to offer a dynamic, fun, educational, and hands-on outdoor curriculum with my team.
Born and raised in Colwood, now 24 years old, I have pursued a passion for outdoor education my whole life. After graduating from Westmont, then Happy Valley, Dunsmuir, Royal Bay, and UVic with a double major in History and English with a minor in Climate Change, and now, teaching in many schools while I complete an Education degree, I have seen such a diverse range of teaching strategies. Taking the best pieces from all I have seen, I am happy to bring my wisdom in facilitation back to where I began my educational journey.
Despite all the schools I have been, Westmont and Montessori values continue to hold the top spot for quality of education in my opinion. I am honoured to be a part of the school and its high standards. My hobbies include soccer, marathon running, camping, hiking, and anything that allows me to indulge in the outdoors. That is why I have decided to devote my life to ensuring the next generations of children get to experience all aspects of nature and physical literacy in a modern world that has become digital and stagnant. Furthermore, as an author on the topic of eco-anxiety in youth who has worked with UVic, the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS), Synergy Foundation, Parks Canada, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), it is my personal goal to help kids from a young age gain knowledge, resilience, and peace in nature, laying the foundation to composure, and positive forward thinking grounded in happiness.
In summary, I bring together my love for humanities, ecology, physical activity, and education to make sure the happiness of childhood is ever-growing, with high hopes and reaching arms. After completing the Westmont camp with my curriculum, kids will understand a little more about how the world works, why it is worth growing for, and how to enjoy everyday life to the fullest.
