New York City summer camps.
573+ camps in New York City, with a typical week running $650. Here's what things cost, which weeks fill first, and how to put a summer together without losing a Saturday to spreadsheets.
573 active camps. A typical week runs $650. Browse the directory →
For most New York City families, the right strategy is: pick 2–3 day camps, one specialty week (STEM, sports, or arts), and leave 1–2 weeks for family travel. Sign up for top-rated specialty camps by February; rec and community camps fill later. A typical New York City week runs $650 — above the US norm of around $402, because specialty programs cluster here. Use our planner to avoid double-booking across kids and weeks.
Prices by camp type
A week of camp in New York City can swing wildly depending on what kind. Here's the shape of it — the cheap end, the middle, and the high end, across the camps that publish their prices.
| Camp type | Camps priced | Low end | Typical week | High end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day Camp | 64 | $71 | $82 | $82 |
| Traditional | 64 | $71 | $82 | $82 |
| Drop-in | 32 | $71 | $71 | $82 |
| Performing Arts | 25 | $725 | $849 | $995 |
| STEM / Tech | 21 | $949 | $949 | $949 |
| Specialty | 19 | $400 | $400 | $690 |
| Arts | 17 | $1,100 | $1,248 | $1,498 |
| Language | 12 | $550 | $700 | $800 |
Tap any camp type to see New York City camps in that category.
By category
By age
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Ten reads for New York City parents
The planning writing we keep going back to — what camps cost, what questions actually matter, how to pick one that fits your kid. Written for families anywhere, with New York City numbers where the numbers matter.
- How to choose a summer camp — The nine questions that tell you whether a camp is actually good.
- Safety + ACA accreditation — The ten safety questions every parent should ask before sending a check.
- 2026 pricing report — What a week actually costs, broken out by city and camp type.
- Day camp vs overnight — Is your kid ready? A simple read, plus a three-year glide path.
- STEM camps guide — What a good STEM week looks like at ages 5, 9, and 13 — and how to tell real programs from expensive day-care.
- Sports camps guide — Multi-sport weeks vs single-sport intensives, and how to tell rec camps from the serious stuff.
- Arts + performing-arts — Visual art vs performing, and what to expect from audition-based programs.
- Neurodiversity-friendly camps — Mainstream camps that do inclusion well, and when a specialty program is the better call.
- Financial aid + scholarships — Where the money actually is, plus the deadlines that trip families up.
- Packing list + prep checklist — Day camp and overnight lists, what NOT to bring, and the pre-camp talk.
Questions New York City parents ask us
When should I sign up for New York City camps?
Top specialty camps (STEM, overnight, scholarship-heavy, the popular city-run programs) fill by January-February. Traditional day camps usually have capacity into April. Rec-center drop-ins often take May sign-ups. For best selection, start researching in November.
How much should I budget for New York City camps?
A typical week in New York City runs about $650. Most families land between $82 and $949 per week, depending on the kind of camp. An eight-week summer for one kid usually works out to $5,200-$7,592 before any aid or discounts. City rec programs land well below that; specialty and overnight stuff runs above it. See the pricing report for the full breakdown, and financial aid for ways to bring the bill down.
Are New York City camps mostly day camps or overnight?
Mostly day camps — the national split is roughly 85% day to 15% overnight, and New York City tracks that with slightly more day-camp concentration because of residential density. Browse New York City overnight camps to see the local options.
How do I find New York City camps with financial aid?
We flag camps that publicly offer need-based aid. Start with New York City camps with financial aid, then look at rec-center programs (most run sliding-scale fees) and outside scholarships. The full playbook lives in our financial aid guide.
Where the prices come from. Every camp count and dollar figure on this page is pulled from camps currently running in New York City that publish their prices. Camps that don't list a price aren't part of the averages. Our New York City numbers cover 13 neighboring cities.
What counts. Camps with 2026 sessions on the books.
Who wrote this. Parents. We don't take money to move a camp up the list — the only sponsored stuff on the site is clearly labeled where it shows.
Last updated. April 2026. Prices and camp counts refresh as we confirm them.
- New York City camps directory — full list with filters
- All planning guides
- Open the planner — shortlist + compare + assign kids to weeks