NYC Summer Camps 2026: Upper West Side & Midtown Guide (Ages 2–15)

If "summer camp" has started popping up in your parent group chats, take it as your cue — the best NYC camps fill quickly, and many early bird deadlines hit in April. Starting your search now can make the difference between settling and actually finding a camp that fits your child (and your schedule).

To make it easier, I've curated a list of standout summer camps across the Upper West Side and Midtown, covering ages 2–15 — from gentle toddler programs to full-scale day camps, and from sports and STEM to arts, language immersion, and flexible drop-in options.

All Camps at a Glance

Sports & All-Around Camps

West Side YMCA — 5 W 63rd St, between Broadway & Central Park West
Classic day camp with sports, swimming, and specialty options. Ages 3–12. June 29–Aug 21, 9am–5pm; extended care until 6pm. $1,136–$1,500/week. Early bird discount (10%) ends April 18 — sibling discounts stack.

Kids in the Game — W 70th St
Sports, arts, swimming, and field trips rolled into one. Ages 3.5–12. June 22–Aug 7. $785/week. Full day 9am–3:30pm; extended day 8:15am–5:30pm available.

Amazing Athletes — The Calhoun School, W 81st St
Multi-sport and enrichment camp for ages 3–12. June 22–Sep 4, 9am–4pm; aftercare 4–6pm available. $825/week.

FunFit Kids — 752 West End Ave (at W 97th St)
Active, play-based day camp for ages 3.5–8. June 15–Sep 4, 9am–4pm. $400–$700/week depending on age group. Early drop-off and extended day to 5pm available (+$25/day each).

NYC Elite — 200 Riverside Blvd
Gymnastics-focused camp for ages 3+. June 8–Sep 11. Coaching on Olympic events, trampoline, foam pit, and bounce house.

Language & Cultural Camps

Russian Children's Studio — 225 W 99th St, between Broadway & West End Ave
Russian language immersion with weekly themes, field trips, and outdoor activities. Ages 4–8. Runs June 29–July 31, 8:30am–3:30pm. $700/week.

La Petite Ecole — 159 W 82nd St
French immersion with cooking, art, and museum visits. Ages 2.5–5. June 15–July 10, 9am–3pm. $711–$855/week (early bird before May 1). Open to non-students — no prior French needed.

Arts & Creative Camps

CinemaKidz — BASIS Independent Manhattan, 795 Columbus Ave (at 99th St)
Film, animation, and digital storytelling. Ages 5–15. $750/week.

The Art Farm in the City — The Calhoun School, 325 W 85th St
Animals, arts and crafts, farm-to-table cooking, music, and outdoor play. Ages 3–10. 2026 UWS pricing: $1,025–$1,350/week; extended day (8am–6pm) available.

Day Camps at JCC — JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave (at 76th St)
Full day camp at the JCC. Ages 3–10. June 16–Aug 13, 8:30am–4pm. $1,333–$1,533/week; 3-week minimum. Daily swim for all ages.

Camp Swans & Songs (Little Swans Ballet) — Studio Maestro, 48 W 68th St
Dance and music half-day camp (9am–12pm) for ages 3+. Two sessions: June 22–26 ($500) and June 29–July 2 ($400). Single-day rate of $100 if space allows. Contact through their site to register.

Play On! Studios — Church of St Paul & St Andrew, 263 W 86th St
Theater camps for grades K–9 with professional NYC teaching artists. Three programs:

• Creative Drama (Grades K–4): June 15–Sep 4, 9am–3pm. $725/week. Extended day and sibling discounts available.
• Musical Theater Performance (Grades 4–9): July 6–31, 9:30am–4pm. $3,550 total. Full musical with a final show July 30.
• Musical Theater Revue (Grades 4–9): Aug 3–14, 9:30am–4pm. $1,650. Broadway-themed; final Friday performance.

NORY — W 97th St & W 76th St (two locations)
Cooking and food science with a STEM twist. Ages 3–12. Full day (9am–3pm) $890/week. Half day also available. Early drop-off from 8:15am; extended care until 5:30pm. Soccer and swimming available as add-ons.

Spark — 162 W 72nd St, 5th Floor
Small-group art and mindfulness camp — just 12 campers per week. Ages 5–12. June 1–Sep 4, 9am–4pm. $800/week. Hands-on art projects, yoga, museum field trips, and a water party every Friday. Extended day available.

Take Two Film Academy — 227 W 61st St, inside West End Secondary School
Filmmaking camp for ages 8–14. June 15–Aug 28, 8:30am–3pm. $795/week. Kids write scripts, storyboard, operate cameras, act, and edit — making their own films from start to finish.

STEM & Tech Camps

iCAMP — 1 W 88th St
STEAM camp for ages 5–10. June–Aug, 9am–3pm. $788/week. Hands-on projects in coding, robotics, 3D printing, drones, and video game design. Daily outdoor time included.

Intrepid All Access Maker Camp — Pier 86, 12th Ave & 46th St (Hell's Kitchen)
Engineering and making on the actual Intrepid aircraft carrier. Important: This program is specifically designed for children ages 8–14 with developmental disabilities, including autism. Two weeks only, Aug 24–Sep 4, 9am–3pm. Just $75/week.

School-Based Camps (Open to All Families!)

A few camps on this list — including La Petite Ecole — also welcome non-students. Here are two more:

Morningside Montessori — 251 W 100th St & West End Ave
Six week-long sessions June 15–July 24. Ages 3.5–5 open to all families ($50 registration fee for non-Morningside families). Full day (9am–3:30pm) $835/week. Note: the 2–3.5 age group is for enrolled Morningside students only.

Hopscotch Montessori — VIA 57 West campus, W 57th St & 11th Ave
Science, geology, and nature with a Montessori approach. Ages 2–12. 11 weeks, June 15–Aug 28. Full day $1,075–$1,225/week. Half day, full day, or extended day (8:30am–6pm) available. Open to all families.

Nature & Outdoor Camps

Central Park Zoo Camp — 64th St & 5th Ave (inside Central Park)
Animal-themed programming with zoo access. Toddlers through 9th graders. June 1–Sep 28. $280–$806/week depending on membership level. Note: As of now, all weeks are waitlisted — register to get on the list.

Flexible & Drop-In Options

NY Kids Club — West End Ave & 68th St
Gym, STEM, dance, and cooking. Ages 2.5–6. June 1–Sep 6, 8am–6pm. $900/week.

Wise Wonder Enrichment — 167 W 81st St (between Columbus & Amsterdam Ave) & 557 W 59th St
Music, art, books, and light academics. Ages 2–5. July 6–Aug 28. Morning program, three days a week. ~$175/half day — contact for accurate pricing. Formerly Book Nook Enrichment.

Steve & Kate's Camp — Trevor Day School — Lower School, 1 W 88th St
The no-commitment camp — drop in any day you want, no weekly minimum. Arts, cooking, coding, and sewing. Ages 4–12. June 15–Aug 21, 8am–6pm. $670–$735/week.

A Note on Timing

Summer camp enrollment in NYC moves quickly. Many programs offer early bird discounts through mid-April, and high-demand camps — particularly the Zoo Camp, JCC, and YMCA — often fill well before summer begins.

If something on this list feels like a fit, don't wait — many of these camps will be fully booked within the next few weeks.

One to Bookmark for Next Year: NYC Parks Summer Camp

The NYC Parks Summer Camp is one of the best-value programs in the city — and still relatively under the radar.

It runs across recreation centers for children ages 6–13 and includes sports, arts and crafts, STEAM activities, and field trips — all for a fraction of the cost of private camps.

The catch: registration is lottery-based and is only open in March.