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Top Traditional Summer Camps (with Modern Offerings) for NYC Kids

<i>Deer Mountain Day campers have a blast with swimming, sports, arts and outdoor adventure activities.</i>
Deer Mountain Day campers have a blast with swimming, sports, arts and outdoor adventure activities.
3/12/18 - By Jessica Laird

New York City has always been the best place on Earth to find uh-mazing summer camps, but the options for families looking for that traditional, all around camp experience have only gotten better over the years. Between city camps with tricked-out facilities, and lots of outdoor time, and accessible-by-bus destinations just outside the city, there are plenty of places that deliver those tried-and-true camp activities and then some, combining canoeing, arts and crafts, sports, and swimming with more modern camp curriculums and amenities.

If you'd like to stay within city limits, there are day camps across the five boroughs complete with 75-foot pools and outdoor ball fields, trips to amusement parks and adventure courses, fully-equipped air-conditioned gyms, and fun-filled days at the beach or the park. Meanwhile, if your kiddo is ready to travel, you'll find completely un-plugged media-free nature day camps, lush 27-acre campuses right nearby, lakes with boating and fishing, multiple-day overnight trips to state parks, and of course, that classic sleepaway camp experience.

We've rounded up some top-notch summer camp options in and around NYC, or you can check out our New York City Camp Guide for even more ideas.

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<i>Campers swim, laugh, and learn at Garden School Summer Camp.</i>
Campers swim, laugh, and learn at Garden School Summer Camp.

In the City

Garden School Summer Camp

Jackson Heights
Garden School Summer Camp is run by highly-trained staff, industry experts, and professional educators who are dedicated to ensuring that each camper has a safe and enriching experience. The camp has low camper-to-teacher ratios and is divided into different programs by age. Half-, full-, and extended-day options are available. READ MORE

Downtown Day Camp

Tribeca
Downtown Day Camp offers a complete day camp experience for kids ages 4 to 13, including aquatics, athletics, and arts and sciences. The program's facilities feature a 75-foot pool, outdoor ball fields, four arts and dance studios, gymnasiums, music rooms, science rooms, and more. READ MORE

Marks JCH Summer Day Camp

Bensonhurst
Summer has tons of fun in store for Marks JCH campers ages 2 to 14. There'll be trips to Sesame Place, Hershey Park, Dorney Park, outdoor adventure courses, museums, and zoos for the older kids. Meanwhile, younger campers will enjoy loads of on-site performances and activites. READ MORE

Park Slope Day Camp

Various NY Locations
Park Slope Day Camp provides kids entering pre-K to 8th grade with a wide variety of activities, including traditional day camp, circus camp, travel camp, and sports academies. Plenty of time is spent outdoors in local parks. School break mini-camps are offered. READ MORE

YMCA of Greater New York Summer Camps

Various NY Locations
With 70 sites throughout the five boroughs and summer programs for kids of all ages, there's a YMCA camp to fit your family. Choose from options like swim and specialty camps, traditional day camps, and sleepaway camps. School break camps are also offered. READ MORE
<i>Camp Awosting in CT thrills boys ages 6-16 with a first -time sleep away camp experience to remember.</i>
Camp Awosting in CT thrills boys ages 6-16 with a first -time sleep away camp experience to remember.

Outside the City

Camp Awosting

Morris, CT
Located on beautiful Bantam Lake near Litchfield, Connecticut, Camp Awosting is a boutique traditional overnight camp for boys ages 6 to 16 that emphasizes individual attention. Activities offered include waterskiing, high/low ropes, zip lining, arts and crafts, ceramics, laser tag, and more. READ MORE

Deer Mountain Day Camp

Pomona
At Deer Mountain Day Camp, campers ages 3 to 15 have a blast as they enjoy expert-taught activities including swimming (instructional and recreational), sports, fine and performing arts, outdoor adventure, nature, STEM, lake, and special events. READ MORE

The Nature Place Day Camp

Chestnut Ridge
Camp at The Nature Place focuses on being in and connecting with the natural world. Campers take part in cooperative games, hiking, earth art, mucking in the stream, camping, canoeing, farming and gardening, meeting animals, storytelling, music, archery, and more. READ MORE

92Y Camps

Rockland County
With convenient bus pickups in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Riverdale, and Northern New Jersey, campers can enjoy the 92Y Camp's 50-acre campground. Camps Tova and Bari Tov provide a range of diverse activities for campers ages 5-13 with learning and developmental disabilities. READ MORE

Pierce Country Day Camp

Roslyn
Four generations of the Pierce family have committed to creating magical summers for third-to-ninth graders. Pierce offers a range of sports, arts, aquatics, and adventure activities on a 27-acre campus with an interactive water park, seven pools, an aerial treehouse, and zip lines. READ MORE

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