Butterfield Acres' Summer Camps | Family Fun Calgary

This summer, it’s time to close the laptops, turn off the devices, and get outside! Calgary is a fabulous city, with many opportunities for families to stay active and get back to nature, but you might not have much of a connection to farms, animals, or country living. This summer, give your kids a week on the “farm” at Butterfield Acres’ summer camps! Your little animal lovers or outdoor enthusiasts will love to spend a week at Butterfield Acres; you’ll love all the fresh air they get and all the energy they use up on the farm!

Butterfield Acres is Calgary’s farmyard. Right on the NW edge of the city, it’s easy to bring your city kids to experience a taste of farm animal life from spring to fall. You can visit the animals every day from April to September for fresh air and family fun, or even have the animals come to you. They also host special events, according to the season. In the summer, you can send your kids for a wonderful week on the farm, with a wide variety of summer camps.

Summer Camps

Children ages 4 – 14 can enjoy summer camp at Butterfield Acres, nurturing a love for animals and the outdoors while they make new friends and fully engage in life. Each camp runs from Monday to Friday (except the July & August holiday weeks are 4 days and have a reduced rate). If you have multiple children in camps that start at different times, or you just need a longer day, you can make use of the before and aftercare that starts as early as 7:30 am and extends until 5 pm. With shorter day camps for 4 and 5-year-olds, plus full-day camps for kids ages 4 – 14, you will find a host of options, including Farmers in Training for ages 12 – 14. The littlest farmers can also get a head start on summer with a camp week during the last week of June. These camps all fill up quickly, so see the schedule for what works best for your family.

What to Expect

A typical day at Butterfield Acres includes all kinds of farming fun. Your kids can get up close and personal with the critters, learning many interesting things about animals. Maybe they will bottle-feed one of the babies or feed the animals hay, chop, or slop. There will be animal games, activities, crafts, and camp songs. Depending on their age group, your kids will get to ride on a pony, donkey, or even a horse. Of course, don’t forget a ride on the tractor or a chance to discover a whole new world in the pond! There will also be a camp “hoedown” on the last day, where you can see what your kids have been up to all week.

Every day at camp will highlight a farm animal, with a variety of hands-on activities tailored to each child’s stage of development, attention span, motor skill development, physical endurance, and social skills. Kids will learn how to care for the featured animal, including their habits and what they eat. Plus, kids will be outside, enjoying the fresh air and countryside and will come home at the end of the week with this year’s Farm T-shirt and a “Memory Photo” with one of their fuzzy farm friends.

Farmers in Training

The Farmers in Training camp is a unique opportunity for older kids, as they become increasingly knowledgeable and responsible, to become more involved in operating the farm. Kids ages 12 – 14 years will explore in-depth animal care, observing the animals, keeping records, and even observing elementary vet care, if necessary. Throw in some fun and leadership with the other campers, and it’s a week to remember. This camp experience can lead to the Junior Leader Development Program for kids who think they might want to eventually work for Butterfield Acres. In fact, many of the Butterfield Acres’ staff began as campers, some from when they were just preschoolers!

Other Info

Do you live in the south? For 2 weeks each summer, one week in July (starting July 17, 2023) and one in August (starting August 14, 2023), Butterfield Acres runs a bus service for a fee, as a convenience for those families who live in south Calgary. There are other conveniences, such as adding snacks, lunch, and before and aftercare, if that makes your life easier, so be sure to explore all your options.

The best summer memories are made outside … and on the farm! This year, show your city kids a little picture of what life on the farm is all about and register soon for Butterfield Acres’ summer camps.