The birds are singing and the sun has made an appearance this week, melting the snow and reminding us that spring is around the corner…and making me feel cautiously optimistic about the future. I know we’re not out of the woods (or winter) yet, but I’m choosing to stay positive as I look forward to happier and warmer days ahead. While we daydream about the approaching sunshine, it’s time to plan for the next school break: Spring Break.
As usual, we’ve tried to make things a little easier for you by rounding up our favorite Spring Break Camps for you to choose from. You’ll see a lot of familiar, local providers planning to offer virtual and in person (and hybrid) camps during spring break…and many of them have early bird discounts if you sign up soon.
If you’re looking even further ahead to the summer (look at you planning ahead!), Spring Break is a great opportunity to try out a camp that you’re considering for the summer as well. On that note, if you’re also ready to sign up for summer camp, don’t forget to check out all the new and updated camp listings in our Virtual Camp Expo and stay tuned for summer camp round ups coming soon.
CinemaKidz
IN PERSON + VIRTUAL – They will be offering an in-person “Survivor Kids” camp, where kids (ages 7-13) meet in Prospect Park to immerse themselves in nature and create their own Survivor Kids show. Campers will learn how to make shelters, build fires, and live in the wilderness from an NYC Park Ranger before they spend each day acting in, filming, and creating their own Survivor Show. Campers learn all about making short video projects from start to finish while having fun outside. Virtual camp options include Painting Production, where kids (ages 7-14) will make their own Bob Ross inspired painting show, as well as space-inspired stop motion animation and a cooking show camps (ages 8-15). All classes include a high quality materials kit. Ages: 7-15 / Dates: March 29 – April 2, 2021 / Location: In person (Prospect Park) + Online / Cost: $450 (in person); $280 (virtual)
Mark Morris Dance Center
VIRTUAL – The Spring Break Online Camp includes dance, music, and art. In daily 3-hour sessions, kids of all levels (ages 6-13) participate in multi-disciplinary activities including dance with live music and visual art. All online classes will be focused on elements from Mark Morris’ critically acclaimed dance L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato. Students will explore a variety of dance styles and techniques, including ballet, modern, hip-hop, jazz, West African, and more. Campers can enroll for the entire week or sign up for drop-in classes throughout the week. Ages: 6-13 / Dates: March 29 – April 2, 2021 / Location: Online / Cost: $275-300 full camp [3 classes for all 5 days of the week]; $20 for drop-in classes.
TREASURE TRUNK THEATRE
IN PERSON + VIRTUAL – Treasure Trunk will be offering an online and outdoor “Lion King” theater camp during Spring Break. Kids (ages 3-6) will explore favorite jungle animals through song, dance, acting, and artwork. Each day will include dramatic games to warm up their bodies and voices and get imaginations ready for theatrical exploration. Kids will engage in dramatic play, explore dance and movement, and create artwork in addition to learning essential theatre skills and terms. Ages: 3-6 / Dates: March 29 – April 2, 2021 / Location: Online + In Person Outdoor (Parks in Brooklyn Heights, Prospect Heights, Carroll Gardens, Fort Greene) / Cost: $375 for week or $80 per class
The Geek Forest
VIRTUAL – The maker space is offering remote Spring Break programs for kids (ages 6+) to explore DIY projects, collaborations, self-learning, making, exploring, sharing, and tinkering. They offer a variety of options during the morning session (9 AM – 12 PM) including “Python Coder for Game Design” (ages 8-12), “Music & Video Production Lab” (ages 8-12), and “Storytelling through Comics” (ages 6-10). Or you can choose from “Mini Sustainable City Design (ages 6-10), “Arcade! Javascript Game Design” (ages 8-12), “D&D: The Shrine of Lathander” (ages 8-12), or “D&D: Creator, Collector, Carnifex” (ages 12+) during the afternoon session (1-4 PM). Courses have a 1:6 teacher student ratio and will be conducted every day via Google Meet. Ages: 6+ years old / Dates: March 29 – April 2, 2021 / Location: Online / Cost: $300 for 5-day camp.
TRAIL BLAZERS
IN PERSON – The nature-oriented Brooklyn day camp engages kids in lots of outdoor play and learning while the weather warms up over Spring Break. Kids (grades PreK-5) will learn all about the signs of Spring and core values of care and respect for the environment while they participate in hikes through Prospect Park, nature scavenger hunts, and screen-free hands-on projects. There will also be arts and crafts activities in addition to outdoor play. Families must sign up for the full 5-day program. Registration closes March 24th but there is limited availability, so you might want to sign up soon. Ages: PreK-5th Grade / Dates: March 29-April 2, 2021 / Location: Prospect Park / Cost: $125 per day; $625 per week (they have tiered rates based on family income)
NORY
IN-PERSON + VIRTUAL – NORY is offering in-person and virtual camp during Spring Break. During in-person camps, innovator kids (ages 3-10) get to spend the day building and programming robots and learning about builder’s engineering, motion & matters physics, and blast chemistry all while having fun and playing with friends. Their virtual day camps give kids (ages 5-12) the opportunity to play and socialize with friends while building robots and engineering design challenges from home. Materials for the robotic and engineering projects will be mailed to your home in advance of camp. Ages: 3-10 (in person); 5-12 (virtual) / Dates: March 29th – April 2nd, 2021 / Location: UWS, Downtown Manhattan, Westchester, UES, Virtual / Cost: $140 per day (in person); $75 per day (virtual; materials included)
School of Rock Williamsburg
School of Rock Williamsburg
VIRTUAL + IN PERSON – The music school is offering an in person “90s Rock Camp” for kids (ages 8-18) to play 90s era music with a band. Kids will spend three hours every day learning and rehearsing songs from popular 90s bands such as Nirvana, Green Day, and more. The week-long camp will culminate in a live performance streamed on Facebook to friends and family. You can also sign up for a “5 day Immersion Pass” that will allow kids to focus on learning one or more instruments in a customized immersion (virtual or in person) program. Daily sessions are one-on-one and typically one hour long. They also create customized group camps. Call School of Rock Williamsburg (718-210-1720) for more information about camps or to create your own program. Ages: 8-18 years / Dates: March 29 – April 2, 2021 / Location: Online + In Person (Williamsburg)
Child’s Play NY – (VIRTUAL + IN PERSON) Virtual theater camps with a focus on dramatic play. The “Adventure Series” allows kids (ages 3-6) to expand their imaginations during magical travels, ocean adventures, fairy tales, animal improvisations and more. Children use their bodies, voices, and minds to reinterpret classic and contemporary children’s literature and create their own adventures. In the “Narnia Dream” series, older kids (ages 7-11) use scripted text from stage plays of The Chronicles of Narnia and devise their own material through improvisation and games. You can also create your own custom in-person camp to support social-emotional growth with the guidance of an experienced teacher and their unique curriculum. Ages: 3-11 / Dates: March 29 – April 2, 2021 / Location: Online + Location of your choice / Cost: $150 for full week or $30 per day (Virtual)
The Brooklyn Strategist – (IN PERSON + HYBRID) Full-day or half-day Spring Break Camps explore strategic thinking using board and card games. Kids (grades 1-10) will develop and articulate strategies for game play through socialization and learn good sportsmanship through cooperative and competitive play. You have the option of signing up for hybrid camp, where campers alternate between online and in person camp, or in person camp for all five days. Ages: grades 1-10 / Dates: March 29 – April 2, 2021 / Location: In person (Cobble Hill) + Online / Cost: $140 per full day ($700 for full week) or $70 per half day ($250 for full week) [Early bird discount available until 3/5/21]
SKATEYOGI – (IN PERSON) The skateboarding school is offering 2-day or 3-day camps school breaks this year to reduce variation between groups. School Break camps are designed for kids (ages 7-13) of all levels to try out skateboarding and develop new skills. After kids are placed in small groups based on levels, they spend most of the day skating in Prospect Park or other nearby parks (weather permitting) and in the SKATEYOGI indoor facility equipped with H13 HEPA air filtration. Skate park etiquette and other topics are introduced throughout the camp. Ages: 7-13 / Dates: March 29-March 31 (3-day camp) and April 1-2 (2-day camp) / Location: Prospect Lefferts Gardens / Cost: $485 per 3-day camp; $325 per 2-day camp
Camp Broadway – (VIRTUAL) Online musical theater enrichment program for kids (ages 10-17) taking place during Spring Break. Taught New York theater professionals, the camp includes interactive classes in singing, dancing, acting, and related activities. The Spring Break musical will be Guys & Dolls and the program includes at-home activities that enable campers to get involved in every aspect of the production. The week culminates in the “Family Finale,” which includes a professionally produced video of the camp ensemble performing songs and scenes from the musical, a downloadable Playbill, and more. Ages: 10-17 / Dates: March 29 – April 2, 2021 / Location: Online / Cost: $650 per week
PLAYDAY – (IN PERSON) Art camp inspired by the Spring Solstice, animal life, bright colors, weather, nature, and planet Earth. The full day program (9 AM – 5 PM) limits class size to 16 students and you can register for the full week or just for one day. Kids (ages 6+) all get their own workstation (6’ apart), sterilized tools, and materials to participate in new art projects each day that draw from PLAYDAY’s wide range of activities taught by trained art professionals. Ages: 6+ / Dates: March 29 – April 2, 2021 / Location: Cobble Hill and Long Island City / Cost: $20 per hour; $200 per day or $800 for full week (8 hours days)
Gotham Gymnastics – (IN PERSON) The gymnastics school offers flexible full-day or half-day Mini Camps when schools are closed for Spring Break. You can also sign up for daily or weekly or recurring daily (every Monday, for example) sessions throughout the spring semester. Kids (ages 3+) spend the day doing gymnastics and playing games that build strength, confidence and flexibility. Ages: 3 and up / Dates: March 29 – April 2, 2021 / Location: Gowanus / Cost: $450 per week (half days, 8:30-11:30 AM) or $650 per week (full day, 8:30 AM – 3 PM)
TechExplorersBK – (IN PERSON) Full-Day School Holiday Camps take place on all school breaks. Kids (PreK-8th Grade) participate in STEM activities and choose from the following options: Coding with Scratch (Kindergarten & up), Adventure Game Design (3rd & up), Animation / 3D Modeling (Kindergarten & up), Makers’ Workshop (3rd & up), Lego Robotics (Kindergarten & up), 3D Printing (3rd & up). Ages: Pre-K to 8th Grade / Dates: March 29 – April 2, 2021 / Location: Park Slope / Cost: $159 per day
Creatively Wild Art Studio – (IN PERSON) Holiday Spring Camps are offered in person at their art studio in DUMBO in for kids (ages 5-8) and teens (ages 9-16) to explore drawing, illustration, figure drawing, cartooning, superhero & cartoon character design, manga art, anime & doodling. painting, landscape, cityscape, portraiture & still life studies. In addition to the art camps, they also offer Stop Motion Animation Camps for kids and teens. Full-day, half day, and extended day options are available. Dates: March 24, 29, 30, 31 and April 1, 2, 7 (Spring School Breaks) / Ages: 5-16 / Location: DUMBO / Cost: $150 per day (full day, 9 AM – 4 PM) or $85 per day (half day, 9-12 or 1-4 PM
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THESE CAMPS WERE CHOSEN BY OUR EDITORS AND INCLUDED AT NO COST, BUT SOME CAMPS HAVE CHOSEN TO SPONSOR THEIR LISTINGS AFTER SELECTION.
Please note that A Child Grows does not certify or inspect these camps (we don’t have the ability or resources to do that) so parents must use their own best judgement. NYC licenses some camps but it doesn’t apply to all camps and we can’t check that or know all the details.