Teamwork. Friendship. A connection with nature. Self-esteem. Independence. Intellectual stimulation.
There are many, many reasons to send a youngster to summer camp. And luckily for Queens residents, the borough is overflowing with great opportunities.
They follow.
Queens County Farm Museum hosts Discover Summer Farm Camp from June 30 to Aug. 22 (bottom photo).
To run weekdays from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, the planned activities get youngsters into nature where they dig, plant, harvest, taste, build, maintain compost, churn butter, care for animals, and engage with wildlife.
Tuition is $475 per week, but a sibling can attend for $450 per week. (Because the opening week is only four days, it costs $375.) Queens Farm’s main entrance is at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park.
Meanwhile over at Flushing Meadows Corona Park’s World’s Fair Marina, Row New York is offering a Learn-to-Row Summer Camp.
Expert coaches teach the basics of rowing in a team-driven environment. No experience needed — just a willingness to try something new and have fun on the water.
Offered weekdays, the sessions are two hours each with age divisions. Rising seventh to ninth graders go from 9 am to 11 am, while rising tenth to eleventh graders go from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. There are also four one-week sessions: July 7-11; July 14-18; July 21-25; and July 28-Aug. 1.
Sessions are $495 each with a $50 registration fee that’s reimbursed at the end. Those from households with an annual income below $100,000 are eligible to row for free. The marina’s address is 30 Meadow Lake Trail, and transportation is available to and from the Mets-Willets Point Station on the 7 line.
Landlubbers and thespians might prefer Summer Camp By The Secret Academy in Woodside.
To run weekdays from 10 am to 5 pm, these sessions consist of rehearsals for a Friday show. Each camper has a part in the performance, and of course, parents are invited to the grand finale.
The price for one week is $549, but there are discounts for siblings and multiple-week signups. The camp runs from July to August with open registration on a weekly basis. The Secret Academy is located at 50-12 Skillman Ave. while the performance space is at 38-02 61st St.
Head even further west into Long Island City, and the Gantry Kids Summer Camp is open until Aug. 27.
Activities include various sports, weekly pool fun, plenty of wheeling, and ferry trips to Governors Island and Brooklyn Bridge Park.
The camp runs from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays with week-long sessions and the goal is to spend 90 of the time outdoors. It’s divided by age, too, with Elementary Camp for ages 5-11, Teen Summer Camp for ages 12-15, and a Counselor-In-Training program for ages 14-18.
The price is $855 per week with sibling discounts and the home base is at 10-19 46th Rd.
“Camp” might not be the correct word, but the Alley Pond Environmental Center is going to offer six distinct weeks of programs: Summer Science Squad (ages 6-8); Alley Pond Pioneers (ages 9-11); and Eco Investigators (ages 12-14).
Summer Science runs weekdays from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Each week varies, but activities include nature walks, hands-on activities, and plenty of time with animals. The general price is $325 with a few discount offers.
The Pioneers sessions are weekdays from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Activities are similar to the Summer Science program, but gardening, science projects, and explorations of flora and fauna are also on tap. Again, the price is $325.
The Eco Investigator slot runs weekdays from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Participants take deep dives into gardening, conservation, animal classification. The price is $225 per week. Programs take place throughout Alley Pond Park, but the headquarters is at 229-10 Northern Blvd. in Douglaston.
Queens Botanical Garden’s Summer Camp runs from July 7 to Aug. 1. It’s organized into three age divisions: Garden Buds (ages 2-3); Children’s Garden (ages 4-10); and Junior Naturalists (sixth-to-nighth graders).
Prices and activities vary tremendously, and some programs are continuing from spring. Click here to get all the information.
Last but nowhere near least, Queens Museum’s summer camp is open from July 7 to Aug. 1 (top photo). The format involves weekly camps with age divisions. The rates are $475 per week, $850 for two weeks, $1,275 for three weeks, and $1,650 for four weeks.
The information follows.
Week 1 (July 7-11)
Game Makers: Design, Build, Play! (ages 7-11)
Campers collaborate to invent, build, and play original games, wrapping up the week with an epic party where everyone gets to test and celebrate each other’s creations.
Unisphere Explorers: Imagine, Create, Discover (ages 7-11)
Morning sessions focus on map-inspired projects that spark creativity and critical thinking, while afternoons take a deep dive into the Unisphere itself, culminating in each camper designing and building a Unisphere model to take home.
Creative Threads: Creating Stories Through Quiltmaking (ages 5-7)
Through drawing, cutting, sewing, and assembling, campers create story quilts inspired by their lives, dreams, and imaginations.
Week 2 (July 14-18)
Scale It Up! Shrink It Down! A Week of Size & Scale (ages 7-11)
Campers choose their creative paths each day, using materials like cardboard, paper mache, and found objects.
Create Your Own World! From 2D to 3D (ages 7-11)
Campers explore how drawings evolve into 3D works using texture, layers, and simple materials to build colorful, dream-like environments.
Paper Play: Bookmaking + Collage Studio (ages 5-7)
Campers create books and collages using colorful paper, textures, and found materials.
Week 3 (July 21-25)
The Everything Art Lab: Art, STEM & Magic (ages 7-11)
From lenticular illusions and DIY pinball machines to old-school vinyl phonographs and Rammellzee-inspired action figures, campers tackle 10 wildly fun projects across five days.
Create Your Own World! From 2D to 3D (ages 5-7)
Campers explore how drawings evolve into 3D works using texture, layers, and simple materials to build colorful, dream-like environments.
Handmade Friends: Design-A-Doll Workshop (ages 5-7)
Campers dream up unique characters and bring them to life as dolls using fabric, yarn, and creativity.
Week 4 (July 28-Aug. 1)
Animation: Exploring Stop Motion (ages 7-11)
Campers explore early analog techniques such as Victorian-era thaumatropes and early stop-motion animation, and progress to creating simple films using tablets.
Style Studio: Fashion & Fabric Design (ages 7-11)
Kids sketch, sew, and experiment with fabric to create bold fashion statements and wearable art.
Create Your Own World! From 2D to 3D (ages 5-7)
Campers explore how drawings evolve into 3D works using texture, layers, and simple materials to build colorful, dream-like environments.
Queens Museum is located in the NYC Building inside Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
