Though frozen sidewalks and mismatched mittens may not hint at the upcoming summer, school is out in only a few months. Soon complaints of frostbitten fingers will become whines of overheating and dehydration and pleas to go to the pool, the park, and anywhere with air conditioning will certainly become rampant. Though controlling the New York City weather may be a little out of reach, planning your kids’ summers, to be exciting, social, educational, and memorable, is easily achievable. From the artist to the athlete to the all-around all-star, Park Slope and its surrounding neighborhoods have plenty of fun and affordable options for kids of all ages.
Brooklyn Arts Exchange
Artistic kids will enjoy Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX) Summer Arts Program, for kids entering grades K–6. Guests artists, specialists, and counselors will lead campers in daily classes explore art, media, theatre, music, circus arts, and much more. Each week culminates in an informal performance or gallery to show off to family and friends what busy, creative campers have been working on. An extended day program is also available, offering later pick-up for working parents.
youth.bax.org/general-information/school-breaks/summer-arts-program
Program Dates: June 30–August 15
Brooklyn Boulders
Kids who are climbing off the walls—or just in search of a bit of adventure—can attend Brooklyn Boulders Summer Adventures in Gowanus. Named one of ‘Time Out New York Kids: Best of 2013!’ this camp is an invigorating and adventurous experience for all kids! Brooklyn Boulders offers 22,000 square feet of rock climbing, complete with safety gear and strictly-enforced rules—a bit of reassurance for concerned parents! Climbing camp is dedicated to providing a fun and challenging experience for campers of all skill levels. This year, the camp will also partner up with Homage Brooklyn Skateboard Academy to offer a dual skate/climbing camp.
brooklynboulders.com
Program Dates: BKB Summer Adventures Session 1: June 30–July 3 Session 2: July 14–July 18 Session 3: July 28–August 1 Session 4: August 11– August 15 Session 5: August 25–August 29 BKB X Homage
Session 1: July–July 25 Session 2: August 18–August 22
Butterbeans
Get young cooks out of your kitchen and into someone else’s at ButterBeans Kitchen Food and Garden Summer Camp, which offers a complete farm-to-table summer experience for kids ages 6–10, and takes care of the mess! Food-focused activities include planting seed, harvesting fresh food, cooking seasonal summer lunches, and writing unique cookbooks. Kids will enjoy individual sessions with local food experts, getting hands-on with chickens and worms and learning the tricks to great composting. Fun “Top Chef ” challenges will help teams of kids create inventive lunches and snacks, and perhaps prep them for the next “MasterChef Junior.”
butterbeanskitchen.com
Program Dates:Session 1: July 7–July 18, Session 2: July 21– August 1, Session 3 : August 4–August 15, Session 4: August 18 –August 22
Park Slope Day Camp
For a traditional day camp experience, Brooklynites ages 31/2–14 can enjoy all the summer activities at Park Slope Day Camp. Those wanting a more specific experience can also register for the camps Sports Academy or Circus Camp programs. The camp also offers a free morning shuttle to local campers. Groups are split up by age. Camp activities include tennis, arts and crafts, music, theater, sports, nature, self-defense, climbing on the camp’s climbing wall, and field trips to locations like the beach or zoo. Instructional swimming as well as clubs for campers to join to suit their unique interests are also offered throughout the day.
parkslopedaycamp.com
Program Dates: June 30–August 22, selectable by week
Piper Theater
Acclaimed local theater Piper Theatre at Old Stone House offers kids ages 7–17 the opportunity to enter new worlds of imagination and wonder through their summer performance camps. Professional teachers will guide students in creating full-scale productions performed outdoors on the professional stage at the end of July. A new program this summer partnering with Off The Page offers a workshop for campers to create the show they will perform in! Specialized intensive workshops also include Shakespeare, Hands-on Film, an advanced workshop performing Amadeus, and an advanced musical workshop performing Hair.
pipertheatre.org
Program Dates: June 30–July 26
STREB
Brooklyn’s STREB Lab Camp offers a unique circus performance program, encouraging campers to engage with their surroundings and bodies in new and unique ways. Campers will build confidence and independence swinging from the trapeze, walking the tightrope, and goofing around in clowning gear. Kids can spend the summer performing in STREB’s circus for six one-week sessions, each of which culminate in a Friday performance and continue to build on practiced skills each consecutive week. Students who want to continue building on these skills can also continue with weekend and afterschool classes throughout the year.
streb.org
Program Dates: July 6–August 15, options for weekly sign-up
For kids ready to leave the house for a bit of time, several East Coast sleepaway camps are popular with Park Slope kids (and parents).
Beam Camp
Creative kids ages 7–17 learn to make their ideas a reality at Beam Camp, which specializes in fine and manual arts. Now in its tenth summer, the camp is celebrating a decade of innovation and community. Workshops are staffed by full-time and visiting professional architects, videographers, builders, engineers, designers, and other innovative makers from diverse backgrounds and skillsets. Campers will also collaborate on a commissioned, one-of-a-kind, large-scale Beam Project, unique to every summer. July’s project will be immersive mechanical light machines, and August will focus on a floating vessel combining the principles of Leonardo da Vinci with modern components. Future engineers, artists, and kids with curiosity will be happy to make this New Hampshire camp their summer home.
beamcamp.com
Program Dates: Session 1: July 2–27 Session 2: July 30–Aug 24
Camp Med-O-Lark
For over 50 years, Camp Med-O-Lark has been known throughout the country as a premiere summer arts institutions. Located in Washington, Maine, the lakefront property offers arts electives for kids 8-16. Unlike many traditional camps, Med-O-Lark does not host inter-camp sports competitions and tournaments but focuses on individual leadership and self-expression rather than competitiveness. Campers live in cozy cabins with bunk beds and participate in creative activities like dance, music, fine arts, circus arts, culinary arts, and performance arts. A skate park, sports field, and waterfront sports are also all available. Two, four, six, and eight week sessions are offered.
medolark.com
Program Dates: Session 1: June 27 –July 23 Session 2: July 25 –August 20
Camp Onas
Young Brooklynites ages 7–13 venture out to Bucks County, PA every summer to attend Camp Onas. The 72-acre property has been operating since 1922 and is accredited by the ACA. Onas offers a wide range of programs in arts, drama, sports, aquatics, and outdoors skills like hiking, gardening, and fishing. Overnight pioneer camping programs and day trips also allow campers to explore the world outside Onas. Camp Onas is rooted in the Quaker values of simplicity, peace, equality, and community, and aims to provide kids with a fun and memorable summer home and lifelong friends. Eight to nine campers live with counselors under the stars in the sleeping tents and pavilions, and boys and girls live on separate sides of camp, each with their own modern shower house. The rest of camp life is co-ed, including family style Dining Hall meals and camp-wide events. One-week sessions are also available to help ease younger campers into being away from home.
camponas.org
Program Dates:
Session 1: June 22 – July 5
Session 2: July 6 – July 19,
Session 3: July 20 – August 2,
Session 4: August 3 – August 16
Summer Camp Guide
Day Camps
14th Street Y
Manhattan, NY
14streety.org
Aviator Sports
Brooklyn, NY
aviatorcamps.com
Backpacks & Binoculars
Brooklyn, NY
backpacksandbinoculars.com
Beansprouts
Brooklyn, NY
beansproutsnurseryschool.com
Brainy Academy
Brooklyn, NY
brainyacademyny.com
Brooklyn Arts Exchange
Brooklyn, NY
youth.bax.org
Brooklyn Arts for Kids
Brooklyn, NY
brooklynartsforkids.com
Brooklyn Beanstalk
Brooklyn, NY
brooklynbeanstalk.com
Brooklyn Boulders
Brooklyn, NY
brooklynboulders.com
Brooklyn Conservatory of music
Brooklyn, NY
bqcm.org
Brooklyn Craft Farm
Brooklyn, NY
brooklyncraftfarm.com
Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program
Brooklyn, NY
bklynpubliclibrary.org/bcap
Brooklyn Dance Foundry
Brooklyn, NY
brooklyndanceproject.com
Brooklyn Game Lab
Brooklyn, NY
brooklyngamelab.com
Brooklyn Players
Brooklyn, NY
brooklynplayers.com
Brooklyn Robot Foundry
Brooklyn, NY
brooklynrobotfoundry.com
Brooklyn Stars
Brooklyn, NY
bk-stars.com
The Brooklyn Strategist
Brooklyn, NY
thebrooklynstrategist.com
Butter Beans Food & Garden Summer Camp
Brooklyn, NY
butterbeanskitchen.com
Camp Half-Blood
Brooklyn, NY
camphalfbloodbklyn.com
Camp Intrepid
Manhattan, NY
intrepidmuseum.org
Camp Olympia
Brooklyn, NY
campolympiany.com
CBE Congregation Beth Elohim
Brooklyn, NY
congregationbethelohim.org
Child’s Play NY
Brooklyn, NY
childsplayny.com
Choice Scholars Day School
Brooklyn, NY
choicescholars.com
Construction Kids
Brooklyn, NY
constructionkids.com
The Co-op School
Brooklyn, NY
thecoopschool.com
Dancewave
Brooklyn, NY
dancewave.org
Engineering for Kids
Brooklyn, NY
engineeringforkids.net
Fastrackids
Brooklyn, NY
fastrackids.com
Free Spirits music
Brooklyn, NY
freespiritsmusic.com
Food Art for Kids
Brooklyn, NY
foodartforkids.com
Homage Brooklyn
Brooklyn, NY
homagebrooklyn.com
International School of Brooklyn
Brooklyn, NY
isbrooklyn.org
Juguemos A Cantar
Brooklyn, NY
juguemos.org
Kim’s Kids Summer Camp
Brooklyn, NY
kimskidscamp.com
Kings Bay Y
Brooklyn, NY
kingsbayy.org
Lango
Brooklyn, NY
langokidsnyc.com
Liu Children’s Academy Summer Camp
Brooklyn, NY
liu.edu
Mark Morris Dance Group
Brooklyn, NY
markmorrisdancegroup.org
NY K!ds Club
Brooklyn, Queens, & Manhattan, NY
nykidsclub.com
Park Explorers
Brooklyn, NY
parkexplorers.com
The Park Slope Day Camp
Brooklyn, NY
parkslopedaycamp.com
Piper Theatre Productions
Brooklyn, NY
pipertheatre.org
Pixel Academy
Brooklyn, NY
pixelacademy.org
Prospect Park Zoo education
Brooklyn, NY
prospectparkzoo.com
Spoke the Hub
Brooklyn, NY
spokethehub.org
Streb
Brooklyn, NY
streb.org
Shibley Day Camp
Brooklyn, NY
shibleydaycamp.com
Textile Arts Center
Brooklyn, NY
textileartscenter.com
Tinkergarten
Brooklyn, NY
tinkergarten.com
urBan martial Arts
Brooklyn, NY
urbandojo.com
Overnight Camps
Beam Camp
Strafford, NY
beamcamp.com
Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp
Copake, NY
bhecamp.org
Camp Eagle Hill
Elizaville, NY
campeaglehill.com
Camp Kodiak
Ontario, CA
campkodiak.com
Camp med-o-lark
Washington, ME
medolark.com
Camp Onas
Bucks County, PA
camponas.org
Camp Wekeela
hartford, ME
campwekeela.com
Eden Village Camp
Putnam Valley, NY
edenvillagecamp.org
Pinemere Camp
Stroudsburg, PA
pinemere.com
Windsor Mountain International Summer Camp
Windsor, NH
windsormountain.org
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