Design Camp at the Design Exchange (Dx) in Toronto

Every year as parents we scramble to find interesting stuff to engage our kids with over the summer holidays. For the lucky ones, its the trek to the cottage, for others it is a week or two away from the heat of the city up North attending a luxe summer camp at Camp Ooochi Goochi in Cottage country. For the rest of us, who may be lucky to get a week or two away from the office, we have to find some good stuff for our kids to do so they can have some fun and unique experiences to help them learn, grow as individuals and maybe even make some new friends.

Here in Toronto, everywhere in Ontario, right across Canada, all over the United States, and in practically every major urban centre all over the developed world, there are a ton of great options out there. Everything from sailing, swimming, music camps, art camps, drama camps, dance camps, science camps, math camps (seriously—isn’t summer holidays supposed to be fun?) and even the YMCA offers summer day camps for that perfect mix of everything a kid could ever want to do in a week or two. It is important to get your kids engaged in a summer camp if you can swing it. It is an excellent opportunity to get off the couch, away from the computers and video games, out of the house, out of your hair and into something new. A wonderful time to learn a new skill, meet new friends, gain some independance and try something completely different than the every day routine throughout the school year.

I hope to showcase over the next few weeks a random sampling of some of the excellent options available to parents with kids of all ages. If you have not made plans yet, you might be running out of time, so you may want to get right on it before it is too late. Many camps sell out fast and you don’t want to be the Dumb Ass Dad that has to break it to your kids that they won’t be going to camp this year because you left it to the last possible minute and everything is sold out.

While summer camp conjures up traditional images of campfires, tents, arts and crafts, canoe trips and the like, today we are going to focus on some of the more unique urban adventures that many kids would really enjoy, if only their parents knew they were out there. With so many options here in this great city, it is difficult to choose just one, so I am going to focus on one super cool summer camp that my 6 year old daughter attended in Toronto last year. She and her girlfriends absolutely loved it. So much so that we are doing it again this year and want to share it with you. We think your kids would love it and so if you live and work in Toronto, and are looking for a great summer camp idea for your kids, be sure to check this one out.

Design Camp is a real gem that is conveniently located right downtown. Hosted by the Design Exchange, the facility is situated at the base of the TD Financial towers on the ground floor of the old Toronto Stock Exchange. If you work in the downtown core, and even if you don’t, they make it really easy for you to pick up and drop off the kids right out front without even having to get out of the car which is a big plus in the morning when you are battling traffic to get to work on time.

Design Camp at the DX in Toronto is an amazing summer camp experience available to kids between the ages of 6 and 14. If you are lucky enough to live in Toronto and commute  to work every day downtown, this might be just right for you. There are at least 8 or 10 different camps held here every summer and each camp is offered at one or two separate time slots—you should be able to find at least one designed to fit your kid’s interest and your summer holiday schedule.

All projects are very hands-on and creative, using top quality materials. Each camp session generally goes on one field trip to a local design studio or other related site and will also be visited here at the DX by a guest speaker (dependent on scheduling).  These are both great opportunities for campers to meet real working designers and ask them questions. This list is by no means complete. There are more offered than I have listed here including Jewellery Design, Creatures and Comics and a bunch of other unique and original summer camp ideas all based around kids and design. If you are interested in seeing the complete list, as well as time and dates each of these are available, check out the DX Summer Camp website for further details.

Rock Star – ages 7 to 9 SOLD OUT!
Young designers will learn how to create band t-shirts, album covers and rock star accessories for their ultra-hip, fictitious music group, as well as film rock star interviews for DX TV.  We will also have a chance to meet a cool local designer and talk about design careers in the music industry. It sounds like a lot of fun, and I am really sorry that I missed this one for my kids this year. They would have loved it. It is now sold out.I am telling you this now so you can bookmark to remind yourself to get in early and pay for next year so you don’t miss it.

Fashion Basics – ages 10 to 12
The basics of illustration, patterns, and stitching will be covered in this camp, through hands-on projects that will include an a-line skirt, fashion tote, and a host of accessories.  An opportunity to meet a local designer and visit a working studio will also be included in this exciting week.

Retro Cool – ages 10 to 12
This blast-from-the-past design camp will look at some iconic pieces from yesterday as inspiration for super cool designs today!  Projects include terrariums, groovy lamps, old-school radios and much more!

Fashion TV – ages 10 to 12
This exciting week will focus on fashion for TV and film, including costumes and red-carpet glamour.  Participants will design and construct a garment inspired by their favorite TV personality and create a short segment for DX Fashion TV.

Superstructures – ages 8 to 10
From buildings to bridges and boats, participants will learn what it takes to design these amazing structures while building and testing their own models.  Campers will meet a Superstructure designer and visit some local marvels for inspiration.

Dine Design – ages 7 to 9
In today’s world of celebrity chefs, restaurant design is big business.  Young designers will create their own mock-bistro, from the graphics on the menu to the décor and layout of the space.  A visit to a local restaurant and a chat with the designer will round out the week.

Costume Design – ages 12 to 14
Working with the Drama + Design camp, participants will be the official wardrobe designers and work directly with the Canadian Stage crew and the cast to develop costume designs and then see them through construction and onto the stage.  We will meet with a visiting costume designer to hear about careers in this exciting field.

Drama + Design – ages 7 to 14
In partnership with The Canadian Stage Company, participants in this one-week camp will develop a performance, from staging to costumes, props, sets and makeup.  All enrolled campers will be treated to a performance on the Wednesday evening of the camp, for themselves and their parents to attend the Canadian Stage TD Dream in High Park, including a backstage tour.  Participants will perform their masterpiece for family and friends on Friday July 8th.

Where is the Design Exchange located?
The DX is located in the historic former Toronto Stock Exchange building at 234 Bay Street.  The building is situated on the west side of Bay Street, between King and Wellington.

When does Camp start?
Summer camps run for one week commencing July 4, 2011 and running right through until August 26, 2011. Please check the calendar for specific dates for each program.

What are the hours for Design Camp?
Camp activities run from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm each day. They offer complimentary before-care beginning at 8.30 am and After-care from 4.00 pm to 5.30 pm each day.  After-care is an additional $10.00 per day.

Who are the Design Camp instructors?
The Design Exchange hires post-secondary students studying design, who have at least 2 years experience teaching and working with children, who are CPR and First Aid certified and who have passed a criminal record check.  In addition, they also recruit student volunteers that have a passion for design, have experience working with children and have First Aid training to support the day to day delivery of the programs throughout the summer.

Questions??
Please refer to the Design Exchange DX FAQ website for more information or contact the camp director, Katie Weber at 416.216.2138 or katie[at]dx.org. She’s lovely and amazing and she is only too happy to help.

Do you have any amazing Summer Camp experiences or recommendations you would like to share with us?

Post a comment or get in touch!