SkillBuilders Therapeutic Camps

See Full List of the 2026-2027 Programming (kids & teens)

Learning only happens when kids have a basic foundation of safety, emotional regulation, and ideally, joyful engagement. Our team of champions loves helping children with learning and social-emotional differences find ways to meaningfully participate, engage, and grow – and celebrate just being themselves!

Our SkillBuilders Camps for kids (JK to grade 6) provide a full range of quality supports and guided skills practice delivered by our creative, multi-disciplinary team, all cleverly disguised as FUN! The day is spent largely in the fresh air and sunshine in our beautiful Ancaster back garden, shaded by mature trees, and on the local forest trails, parks, library and splash pad. Staff and kids dress for the weather, enjoy seasonal activities, and are immersed in nature for a large part of each day. Lunch and snacks are included.

Everything we do, from eating together to transitioning between activities to tidying up, is done with a focus on developing skills and strategies that support:

Emotion regulation
Social fluency
Building focus and attention (mindfulness)
Executive function
Distress tolerance
Connection & safety for minds of all kinds

Placements are offered based on an assessment of your child’s support needs. There are a limited number of placements available each week in each program. We keep our ratios low and our quality of care high.

Contact us to come through our intake process for camp enrollment.

Meet our Children’s Team, so we can get to know your child and your family, ensure your child has the right support level, and set you up for success!

2026-2027 Camps & Hamilton School PA Days

Upcoming 2027 HWDSB PA Days:

(9am-12pm &/or 12pm-3pm)
$150/half day
$275/full day

Monday, October 26, 2026
Friday, November 27, 2026
Friday, January 22, 2027
Monday, March 29, 2027 (Easter Monday)
Friday, June 4, 2027

Christmas Break Camp 2026

Monday, December 21, 2026
Tuesday, December 22, 2026
Wednesday, December 23, 2026
Monday, December 28, 2026
Tuesday, December 29, 2026
Wednesday, December 30, 2026
Thursday, December 31, 2026

March Break Camp 2027

Monday, March 15, 2027
Tuesday, March 16, 2027
Wednesday, March 17, 2027
Thursday, March 18, 2027
Friday, March 19, 2027

Summer Camp 2027:

Monday, July 5 – Friday, September 3, 2027
*NOTE* There will not be camp Thursday, July 1, 2027

*We take names for camp waitlists year-round; please contact us and ask to be added to the list!

Expect More from Our Camp Programs

Our Professionally Led Camp Team

Experienced Social Workers
Ontario Certified Teachers
Registered Early Childhood Educators
Executive Function Specialists
Behavior Coaches
Supporting staff of trained senior university students studying in relevant developmental fields

Camp Programming

Social skills theory and practice
Sensory & motor skills development
Language and communication practice
Literacy and numeracy-based activities
Arts, crafts, and creative pursuits
Music and movement
Stress & anxiety management strategies
Mindful forest exploration
Gardening & nature immersion
Interacting with the various NowWhat therapy pets! **Please let us know if your child has animal allergies or difficulties with dogs, as we have a therapy dog in training on-site.

Supporting Your Child

Build and maintain positive relationships
Develop resilience & flexibility
Cope with stress & change
Manage anxiety
Learn about our brain-body connections
Work on fine/gross motor skills (handwriting, beading, obstacle courses, etc)
Keep our brains engaged, curious, and learning
Regulate big emotions
Identify and express emotions in a healthy way
Take another perspective
Interact with their peers in a safe, supported environment

Camp Location:

NowWhat Supports, 144 Wilson St E, Ancaster L9G 2B7 (Get Directions)
We also make use of the surrounding forest trails, parks, and community facilities

Contact us to register for the next school break camp today and help your child build skills for life!

Register ahead of time to ensure your spot – spaces are limited!

We offer PA Day programming for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board for kids from JK – Gr 6 at our clinic at 144 Wilson St E in Ancaster.

The therapeutic content varies but is always based on the five pillars of our children’s programming: mindfulness, distress tolerance, self-regulation, executive functioning, and skilled socialization. We spend as much time as possible outdoors and in the nearby forest, and our enthusiastic therapeutic team incorporates literacy, numeracy, arts, crafts, story, and song into a fun-filled, positive day.

Please talk to us if your child may need extra support to participate.

Dress for the weather, whatever the time of year – we spend lots of time outside and on our local forest trails!

Programs are supervised by our professional staff of children’s Social Workers and run by our skilled Therapeutic Coaches.

Full-day program runs from 9:00 am-3:00 pm (lunch included with full-day program)
All clients wishing to participate in summer programming must come through our standard clinic intake process for initial assessment & treatment planning
Covered by many private benefit plans under MSW
OAP Core Funding can also be used for this program if you have access to these funds – ask about OAP sibling placements
Questions about using your insurance at NowWhat? Check out our Insurance FAQs