Suggestions for free kids summer camps/activities in NYC?

[Anonymous]

My spouse will be in NYC for work for a month in July and I'll be joining with kids (11 and 6). I'm looking for free kids camps. In the DMV area we have done the Rock Creek Park camps and the ones offered through the library science program. City of Cambridge, MA also had some great free summer camps when we lived there. I'm wondering if there are any similar options in NYC. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Basically looking for a week long or few days worth of activities. Most likely we will be staying in Brooklyn but we have flexibility on location.

[Anonymous]

OP, you are about 2 months to late for this stuff.

https://www.nycgovparks.org/reg/summercamp

[Anonymous]

Ha, I live in NYC and I know of no free summer camps. I think even the parks dept requires a small fee? Anything free/low cost has probably filled up months ago.

As for free activities, the Met is pay what you wish. Parks and playgrounds are free and NYC has some nice ones. We like going to Governor's Island and that is free.

[Anonymous]

I would imagine any free camps would be income/need based and would only be available to NYC residents who already enrolled in other need based programs. Why would free camp be offered to tourists?

[Anonymous]

No free camps in NYC that I know of. But there are less expensive ones (for NYC). If you can stay in Harlem/UWS, I like the ACT camp. Act fast though, camp signup season is over. If you have time off yourself, you guys won’t be bored at all. There is SO MUCH free stuff to do in the city during the summers. It’s my favorite time here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My spouse will be in NYC for work for a month in July and I'll be joining with kids (11 and 6). I'm looking for free kids camps. In the DMV area we have done the Rock Creek Park camps and the ones offered through the library science program. City of Cambridge, MA also had some great free summer camps when we lived there. I'm wondering if there are any similar options in NYC. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Basically looking for a week long or few days worth of activities. Most likely we will be staying in Brooklyn but we have flexibility on location.

I don't know about actual free camps, but the parks offer plenty of free and cheap things to do. Brooklyn probably has lots of kid paradises of its own, but I'm more familiar with Battery Park City, the World Trade Center area, which is easy to reach from Brooklyn.

For general ideas, see: https://mommypoppins.com/battery-park-city-kids-play-playgrounds-parks-indoor-play-spaces

For Battery Park City, start here (and note the part about getting a membership at Stuyvesant, which is a gorgeous, recently built high school that's the equivalent of Thomas Jefferson):

http://bpcparks.org

http://bpcparks.org/events/2018-07/