As the end of the school year nears, many parents are seeking summer activities for their children. In Westchester County, we are lucky to have a wide range of camps, both half and full-day, that fit children’s diverse interests. Among the camp choices are those focusing on art, language, music, sewing, and, of course, various sports. For more information about any of the camps described here, please see the camp’s ad in this guide.

A-Game Sports in New Rochelle has a variety of sports camps. Children as young as 3-5 years old can start learning sports in a safe, indoor environment with a 5:1 camper/counselor ratio. There is also a sports and academics option. Camps offered for older kids include ones focusing on baseball and softball, field hockey, flag football, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball, as well as multiple sports options. Parents are impressed with A-Game Sports. As one parent commented, “The young men and women that work with the kids are amazing as well. My son looks forward to going to camp each day. I am truly grateful and humbled by the wonderful treatment we have been getting at A Game Sports. Not only do the kids have a wonderful time, they also are learning universal skills related to sports!” 

At GymCats Gymnastics Summer Camp in Yonkers, mornings are filled with instruction in beginner through advanced gymnastics in a fully air-conditioned facility. In the afternoon, children participate in special-themed events, such as CARNIVAL, color wars, and intrasquad competitions. Fridays throughout summer will be designated theme days such as Pajama Day, Tie Dye Day, Superhero Day, and more! Additionally, creativity is enhanced with arts & crafts. Kids will enjoy dodgeball, capture the flag, and, new this year, an obstacle course! One of their happy parents shared, “If you want a safe, positive, supportive place for your kids to get all their energy out and come home happy, tired and calm, I can’t recommend GymCats Camp enough! It’s everything I would want for my money.”

Since its inception in 1994, MVP Basketball Camp has had more than 28.000 campers, 8000 of which have received full scholarships as MVP, a nonprofit organization helping children build baseball and life skills, has never turned away a deserving child simply due to an inability to afford camp tuition. MVP uses basketball to teach goal setting, fair play, leadership, perseverance, and hard work to make the most of each camper’s talents. This is another camp parents love, as attested by this parent, “By far the most fun your kids will have at any sports camp!!”

For those interested in rock climbing or tennis, Pine Brook Fitness Center offers both. The Rock Club (TRC), for ages 6-13, offers rock climbing and a full range of activities such as arts and crafts, low rope activities, gaga ball, and kickball. The Rock on Camp, for ages 10-16, is a week-long program in which young climbers will learn all the skills they need to start climbing indoors while also learning and practicing the skills and techniques applicable to outdoor climbing.  As one parent commented, this is a truly positive experience, “We love The Rock Club! Super inclusive, never have to wait and everyone cheers everyone else on, regardless of level. Every person who works there is very kind and super knowledgeable. Love it!!”

If tennis is your child’s preferred sport, Pine Brook Fitness Center’s Tennis Camp at The New Rochelle Racquet Club provides kids with a fun and engaging environment where they can excel at the sport of tennis, whether they have been playing for many years or are new to the game. They offer three camp options, grouping kids according to age and skill level. Each camp session will be 2 hours long. Parents are impressed with the tennis instruction here. One of many testimonials includes the following, “This is a great local tennis school for kids. Mine have made so much progress already! The coaches are absolutely wonderful and make up a lot of games to make the lessons fun. There is a wide selection of classes for different levels of instruction and lots of available time slots to choose from.” 

If your child is interested in sports but wants to participate in other activities as well, Squire Camp, operating on the campus of Maria Regina High School in Hartsdale, has four different camping experiences, all of which include hot lunches that are nut-free; gluten-free and vegetarian options are also available. At two of the camps, for those entering Grades K-3 or Grades 4-9 in September, campers choose sets of courses for each session; those who attend for the full summer may choose two different schedules. Squire Camp also has an all-sports camp and a tennis camp. Your child is sure to have a good time at Squire Camp. As one happy camper exclaimed, “I expected Squire Camp to be great, but not this great! I want to come here for the next 70 years, or more!”

Songcatchers, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in New Rochelle, is celebrating 44 years of offering a one-week residential sleep-away camp Choir Camp: Music and Beyond, for children who love to sing and perform, at a beautiful facility in Warwick, NY. This year, the camp will operate from July 23-29. New campers, ages 7-14, and returning campers, ages 7-17, are welcome. Many who attended now send their children, including this parent and former camper who remarked, “I never imagined that after my first summer at Choir Camp, when I was all but 7 or 8 years old, that it would be something that I would still be a part of and now share with my daughters.  I remember how much I looked forward to going and spending time with friends that for the most part, I only saw for that 1 week each year, but that I shared some of my best childhood memories with. I know that the knowledge about music, exposure to the dramatic arts, and the general spirit that camp teaches is something that every child would benefit from.”

Stepinac High School in White Plains runs several different camps each summer including a STEAM Camp (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) and TACHS prep, in which campers will be exposed to robotics, engineering, video game design, Scratch animation, art and digital design, 3D printing, computer programming, Math, gaming, Physics and mechanics, and much more. The program includes field trips, recreational sports, and non-sports activities. Stepinac’s Sports Camps include Baseball, Basketball, Football, Youth Non-Contact Football, and Soccer options.

A variety of camp options for ages 2-14 are available at the YMCA in Rye. Their Kinder Care Camp, with half and full-day options, introduces children ages 2-6 to the camp experience. Their Discovery Camp, for ages 4-11, is a full-day camp, with a variety of activities packed into each week, including STEM, sports, crafts, music, swimming lessons, performing arts, and special guests. They also have STEAM, Sports, and Gymnastics Camps. For older kids, those in grades 6-9, there is the Adventure Camp, which takes place mostly off-site with trips to water and amusement parks, baseball games, NYC attractions, science centers, and more. Finally, their CIT/LIT (Counselors in Training/Leaders in Training) Camp is for teens who have completed grades 9 or 10 (CIT) or those who have completed grades 6-8 (LIT). Whichever of these YMCA camps you choose,  your child is sure to have a great experience. As one parent commented, “My son was surrounded by caring staff and encouraged to do his best! He was acknowledged for his efforts. We loved this camp!!”

For the Francophile, the French American School of New York (FASNY) offers two summer camp options, one on its Larchmont campus for children ages 3 to 11 and one on its Mamaroneck campus for those entering grades 6-9, which are both open to FASNY and non-FASNY students. Campers will acquire language skills through fun, age-appropriate, and theme-based activities. At the Larchmont-based camp, it is achieved using music, science, arts and crafts, cooking, and the outdoors. The camp in Mamaroneck covers a variety of different sports and activities with a different theme each week and two weekly, off-campus trips. Registration is ongoing until the sessions are filled.

At One River School in Larchmont, teens and kids who are artists or interested in exploring art may select from a wide range of studio art and digital art & design experiences that cater to all ages and levels. Half and full-day options are available. Jenn Gomes, the Director at One River Larchmont says, “Summer camp season is our favorite time of year here at One River School! Our innovative curriculum hosts projects in a variety of mediums ranging from painting, sculpture, cartooning, animation, and more. There is something for everyone with 90+ camp options for kids and teens pre-K up to 12th grade. Students come from all backgrounds and experience and we have a ton of fun making art with new friends, exploring our creativity, and exhibiting our projects at the end of the week. Don’t miss out on transforming your summer by creating with us at One River!” 

Sew Happy Studios in Mamaroneck has been teaching kids the life skill of sewing since 2011, and its camps include Fashion Design, Hand Sewing, Machine Sewing, and Me & My Doll. The camps are half-day and take place from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., but anyone who attends both morning and afternoon camps may bring their lunch, and early drop-off is available. 

If your child’s interest leans towards the arts, is ages 4-8, but is not interested in or ready for a full-day camp, Premier Music Studio will be offering a Mini Camp each weekday from June 26-August 25 from 1:00-3:15 p.m. that will concentrate on music, dance, and arts. One parent said, “Our four-year-old daughter has been taking group piano lessons at Premier and lesson days are her favorite days!  I wasn’t sure what to expect at such a young age, but she is advancing at a joyous rate, thrilling herself and us.  Attending music and arts camp and being able to go to Premier multiple days in a row is her dream come true!”

School of Rock in Mamaroneck is proud to offer music camps to help teach eager young musicians how to play instruments with skill and confidence in a group setting. They teach everything from keyboard, vocals,  guitar/bass guitar, drums, songwriting, vocals, and even ukulele for all levels. They offer 3-4 day music camps for children 5-7 and 5-day camps for ages 7-18. All camp sessions begin at 10am and end at 3pm.

Sportime NY offers tennis camps for children at two Westchester locations. At Sportime Lake Isle/JMTA (John McEnroe Tennis Academy) in Eastchester, an intensive camp for ages 5 and up is designed for those who compete or hope to compete in Sectional, National, and ITF tournaments, for those intending to play in high school, college, or beyond, or for players at any level who want to play at their best. At Sportime Harbor Island in Mamaroneck, their experienced counselors and tennis professionals provide tennis and sports programming for ages 5-17.