The summer holidays are the holy grail of many elementary and high school students who pine for a time when homework is a thing of the past and sun and leisure reign supreme. But parents, well aware of how their child's idle time can turn to too many hours spent in front of the television and computer, have found it prudent to sign their children up for summer camp to help them fill that free time with rewarding, fun activities.

So, if your want-to-be Mozart or Beyoncé is musically inclined, L'ecole Vimont Musique provides an opportunity to keep your child busy throughout the summer with day camps for children aged 5-12. Vimont is an excellent opportunity to discover new musical instruments and enhance performance. It is the largest music school in Laval and activities include piano, guitar and violin lessons as well as singing and games.

A sports day camp is an excellent way to ensure that your child stays fit and active. The day camp at Laval's Tennis 13 provides a harmonious balance of play and sport. Their mandate is about having fun and enjoying life while providing youngsters between the age of 8 and 18 with a vast array of activities that includes tennis, badminton, soccer, kin-ball, aerobics, racquetball and volleyball. Their certified counselors ensure that camp is jam packed with the kind of fun and games kids adore.

Laval's Cosmodome is the final frontier every child dreams of exploring. Astronaut Alan Shepard described the Laval Cosmodome as the best space camp in the world. The multi-day programs provide youngsters between the ages of 9 and 15 an opportunity to simulate space/science experiments. The voyage to the “Red Planet” exposes kids to the challenges humans face visiting Mars. While other missions like “The Impossible Dream” explore mankind's technological advances and the “Outer Limits of the Cosmos” addresses the discovery of the solar system’s mysteries via space probes.

The robotics Camp hosted at Dawson College is the dream-child of elementary school teacher Avelino Morais. After integrating robotics into his curriculum to the delight of his students, he recognized how valuable an education tool the program is and set out to create Robotics Camp to inspire a wider audience of 7 to 14 year olds. Participants delight in the construction of robots and architectural structures. Youngsters are introduced to Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System and are instructed during weekly sessions that provide the budding engineers with basic robotic principles.

Laval's La Renaissance day camp is the ideal summer placement for parents seeking to advance their child's understanding of French as a second language. With a maximum of 12 children assigned per Francophone animator, the summer will be filled with sports, dance, yoga, singing, arts and numerous educational games arranged to improve your child's communication skills in French. Designed for children between the ages of 6 and 12, the program is personalized based on each child's language skills.

Camp Nominingue is a boys' camp located north of Mont-Tremblant. Boys aged 7 to 16 live in tents; with a 3 to 1 ratio of boys to supervisor. Your young camper will be instructed in the art of outdoor living as they set out on a wilderness canoe trip appropriate for the age and skill set of your child.

Lastly, check out OurKids.net. It is a trusted source on the best summer camps for kids of all ages in Canada. They will help you understand the camp landscape, assess your needs and find the right camp for your child.