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Centre for Philosophy for Children

Thinking Playground camps

Do you want your child to have the ‘thinking tools’ to solve problems? To make good decisions? To be open to exploring different ideas, and transform imagination into innovation? Then the Thinking Playground is just what you have been looking for!

Thinking is learning to: 

  • listen to each other
  • ask interesting questions
  • make connections between ideas
  • to build on each other’s ideas
  • see what counts as a reason
  • express your reasons
  • think before you act 

Thinking is essential: 

  • constructive communication
  • for healthy mental and emotional development
  • for dealing with the pressures of life
  • for good judgment
  • for self-growth

2024 Summer camps

Camp 1: July 2-5 | Wonderkids (age 6-9)

THIS CAMP IS NOW FULL

Welcome to a realm where capes and wisdom come together to create an extraordinary experience for your junior heroes. Of course, every hero needs a super identity! Our camp combines creativity with character-building through hero-themed arts and crafts. From designing emblems and capes to crafting heroic accessories, campers will bring their imaginative visions to life, reinforcing the power of self-expression. Each day will be filled with team-building activities, scavenger hunts, outdoor challenges and role-playing games that will keep the spirit of adventure alive, fostering a sense of responsibility and comradery. At the end of this epic journey, your wonder-kids will graduate with newfound wisdom, enhanced problem-solving skills, and a superhero spirit that will stay with them forever. It's time to unleash the extraordinary!

Camp 1: July 2-5 | Freedom Fighters (age 10-13)

REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

Join Freedom Fighters this summer as we travel the seven seas, loot treasure, and live in a world of complete Freedom! Or so we think... Through various crafts, activities, and games, our Freedom Fighters will embark on journeys to navigate the choppy waters of liberty. This will be accomplished through activities like designing your own crew society and rules, building ships to add to your fleet, and quests to find treasure and protect what your crew has found, and much more! Join us at this year’s Freedom Fighters camp for a week of fun, games, and exploration into what it means to be free.

Camp 2: July 8-12 | Pirate Rebels (age 6-9)

THIS CAMP IS NOW FULL

It’s a race against time and every person for themselves to find the ultimate treasure! This week, pirate rebels will learn the ways of the sea, and from none better than Captain Featherhead and his trusty mates! Pirates make their own rules and live by their own codes! How would you live your life on the vast horizons of the seven seas? How do we navigate through the seas of possibilities and through the oceans of freedom? Wait—is that really freedom? Well, what is freedom? That is the core question that pirate rebels will try to answer—in between craft making, outdoor activities, and custom designed board games. Come join us and your fellow rebels for a liberating experience!

Camp 2: July 8-12 | Mind Marvels (age 10-13)

REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

Embark on a thrilling adventure of the mind at our one-of-a-kind summer camp where superheroes meet philosophy! From heroic obstacle courses to mind-bending problems, our campers will discover their inner strength while developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Campers will get to create their very own superhero personas, complete with unique backstories and superpowers. This imaginative exercise fosters self-expression and encourages teamwork as they form alliances with fellow heroes and discover creative uses for their powers. Great power comes with great responsibility! In our immersive role-playing games, the super campers will decide the fate of the world, tackle tricky problems, and save those in trouble. Join us for a superpowered summer where kids don't just wear capes – they discover the hero within! 

Camp Fees

Registration type Fee
Domestic registration July 2-5/July 8-12 $280.00/$350.00 per week
Second registration (from the same family) $200.00/$250.00 per week 
International registration July 2-5/July 8-12 $320.00/$400.00 per week


NOTE: 10% discount for children of UFV employees; 20% discount for children of current UFV students

You may drop your campers off between 8:30-9:00 am and pick them up between 4:00-4:30 pm. Pick-up and drop-off location TBD.

University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford campus, Bldg E - Gym

Download UFV Abbotsford campus map »

Please pack a nutritious, nut-free lunch for your camper and 2 snacks — one for the morning and one for the afternoon. Please also include a bottle of water with the camper’s name on it.

“This camp was the funnest one yet. This camp made me really really super duper happy.“

  • – Camper
  •    Age 9

There are so many good things to say about camp this week. My children have never, I mean never, had this much fun. It is not a stretch to say that my husband and I think that they enjoyed the camp more than Disneyland!

  • – Mom of Jasaiah and Olivia
  •    (2020 campers)