Child’s Play NY offers one-day kids camps in NYC when schools are closed, including:
Our school-holiday camps give children ages 3-10 a creative, active day of theater games, improvisation, storytelling, and play.
Child’s Play NY runs holiday camps on:
Holiday Camps are located at:
Students in PreK-4th grades (typically ages 4-10) can attend Child’s Play NY holiday camps.
Students who are in PreK in the 2026-27 school year can join our holiday camps at 75 3rd Street.
Yes, camps run 9a-3p.
No. At this time, we are unable to offer early dropoff or extended day hours. Please contact us with any questions.
There is no after camp. If you think you are running late for pickup at any point, please text our office and let us know (347-759-6313). Our team will need to plan accordingly!
Child’s Play NY understands the unpredictable nature of commuting around Brooklyn, and as such, there is a 10 minute grace period for late pickups.
These fees cover the cost of our teachers staying late to ensure your child’s safety, and the delay in their clean up and wrap-up work.
Yes! Holiday camps are open for drop-ins, or enrolling for multiple days based on your schedule. Each day is a new adventure!
A typical day balances acting, theater games, and outdoor time. While schedules vary by age group, a standard day includes:
Morning: vocal warm ups, character-building exercises, choreography or rehearsal.
Midday: lunch and outdoor time at a local park, weather permitting.
Afternoon: crafts, theater games and rehearsal.
An example schedule is:
9a: Drop-off (at studio), Arrival activity
9:15a: Welcome games, physical and vocal warm-ups, creative movement exercises
9:45a Play theater games and develop original stories
10:30a Story time (for younger campers) and snack break
10:45a Singing and choreography, continue story creation
11:45a Lunch
12:10p Transition to park (weather permitting), free play
12:40p Gross motor games
1p Return to studio, craft
1:30p Play theater games using our crafts
2p Story time (and snack, if needed)
2:15p Play theater games
2:45p Closing circle and pack up
3p Dismissal
No, all lunch and snacks should be brought from home. Child’s Play NY is a nut-free facility. If you are sending your child with seed-butter please label it accordingly.
Registration opens in August for camps running September-November.
Registration opens in November for camps running January-March.
Registration opens in January for camps running April-June.
Professional teaching artists lead all Child’s Play NY camp sessions. The same team that runs our after school classes during the year directs and teaches our summer programs. We pride ourselves working in small groups to give each camper dedicated time to grow within the ensemble.
Teaching artists are CPR & first aid certified.
We have a long history of supporting many kinds of learners in our programs, and we are committed to creating an inclusive, joyful environment for all children. To do this well, we rely on families to share as much information as possible about how their child learns, what supports are helpful, and any challenges we should be aware of.
Communicating this information benefits your child most of all. For example, if your child has dyslexia, we may use auditory and repetition-based techniques to support line memorization. If your child has ADHD, we may incorporate movement breaks and collaborate with you on strategies that help them focus and feel successful. There is space on the registration form to share details, and we strongly encourage you to be as thorough as possible, including any diagnoses, learning plans (IEPs/504s), or effective tools and supports.
Our staff is made up of professional actors who are also experienced teaching artists. While they are trained in positive discipline and strategies that support focus, engagement, and group dynamics, they are not special education teachers, behavioral specialists, or one-on-one aides, and may not be equipped to support all learning or behavioral needs within a group setting.
We are always happy to connect with you to discuss how best to support your child and determine whether our program is an appropriate fit, including whether additional support (such as a one-on-one aide provided by the family) may be needed. Even with advance communication and planning, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet every child’s needs.
If, at any point during the program, we determine that we are unable to safely or effectively support your child – particularly if they are unable to work within our Community Agreements (see #12) – we will communicate with you promptly and work together to find a fair and appropriate next step.
Our goal is that each child find their unique abilities and be honored as an individual. We celebrate inclusivity and individuality and we work together on challenging things. In order for campers and staff to feel respected and safe, we establish Community Agreements at the start of each session.
First, we talk about being Kind and being Brave. From there, the campers add on agreements that they want to uphold. Finally, they create a unique chant to honor to the pact and/or add their signature to the document when appropriate.
While the pacts differ slightly from session to session, we always have a central goals that the children know and agree to. Here are the basic points that groups will speak about as they make their community agreements:
1) Participate in camp activities to the best of your abilities: Try things! Be brave!
2) Be respectful of teachers and follow directions
3) Be kind and inclusive toward fellow campers. Support and celebrate everyone’s efforts.
4) Be respectful of the spaces we are in, both outside & in our studios.
5) Be safe with your body, including staying with the group outside and adhering to protocols.
Our goal is to help each camper have a successful session and positive camp experience. If a camper’s behavior is negatively affecting the rest of the group and/or if there is any kind of safety concern, the following consequences will be implemented.
Each incident will be looked at individually and in terms of the degree of seriousness.
– First Time – Camp staff will talk to the child, write up an incident report to share with camp administration, and an email will be sent home to families.
– Second Time – Camp administration will have a phone call with families.
– Third time – The camper will miss at least one day of camp in order to understand that there were better behavioral choices to be made relative to the incident. A second phone call will be had with camp administration to determine if the child can continue.
Thank you for helping us make a safe and nurturing environment for the Child’s Play NY community.
Our Tax-ID number is 45-3252442.