Thousands of children attended summer camps in twentieth-century Ontario. Did parents simply want a break, or were broader developments at play? "The Nurture of Nature" explores how competing cultural tendencies - anti modern nostalgia and modern sensibilities about the landscape, child rearing, and identity - shaped the development of summer camps and, consequently, modern social life in North America. A valuable resource for those interested in the connections between the history of childhood, the natural environment, and recreation, this book will also appeal to anyone who has been packed off to camp and wants to explore why.