What you need to know

Every Open Ice camp is free. There is nothing to pay, ever, and nothing to buy.

Our camps are for children aged five to ten.

Your child is given a full set of equipment to keep, fitted in person before they skate.

The next camp is Christmas Camp 2026, planned at four arenas across Toronto.

Your child does not need to know how to skate. Every child who joins Open Ice is new to hockey, and we teach skating from the very first step.

Bring your child, water and warm socks. We provide everything else, including lunch.

To apply, fill in the form on the Apply page, or send us an email. We reply to every family.

If English is difficult for you, write to us in your own language. We will find someone to translate.

Email openiceinitiative@gmail.com.

Inside our camps

One hundred and four photographs from inside our free camps, organized by camp. Every one is a real moment from the ice, the dressing room or the lunch table. Choose a camp below, or open any photo to see it full size.

Leaside Memorial Community Gardens, 4 to 7 August 2026

Summer Camp 2026

Four days at the Leaside rink in August: new gear on the first morning, three hours on the ice a day, pizza at lunch, and a lot of kids who were skating far more steadily by Friday than when they arrived.

50photographsAbout Summer Camp 2026

Ted Reeve Arena, Monday 16 March 2026

Media Day

The Monday of March Break was our Media Day: arrival and registration, new equipment handed out at the boards, a camera crew on the bench, and the whole camp together on the ice.

16photographsWhat Media Day is

Ted Reeve Arena, 16 to 20 March 2026

March Break 2026

On the ice that first day of March Break. Many of these campers had never stood on skates before, and the coaching here is close, patient and one to one.

38photographsAbout March Break 2026

If you would like a photo of your child taken down, email openiceinitiative@gmail.com and we will remove it.