child care

Roasting marshmallows by the campfire, rock climbing up a cliff, swimming in the lake, and building robots are just a few fond childhood memories I have from summer camp. Everyday held unlimited adventures: hiking, field trips, acting, art classes, science experiments… all of which allowed my imagination to run wild! At the end of each camp day, I couldn’t wait to ramble about my exciting day to my parents. It was gåratifying to see their elated faces as I showed off my projects, or sang camp songs, and talked about my new camp-besties. Summer camp was liberation. No worries about homework, teachers, or tests… just sunny days, exploration, and great friendships.

If I could relive those days again I would without hesitation. And, if I were growing up in Brooklyn, I would have a hard time choosing from the list of awesome, diverse, action-packed choices this borough offers. It would be terrific to test my bow and arrow aim at Gotham Archery, master the halfpipe while boarding at Skateyogi or even land a lead role in a stage production at the Piper Theater summer session. In fact, I would definitely take a chance and experience a sleep-away summer session at Hidden Valley Camp in Maine. There are so many options and exposure for Brooklynite youngsters’ summer plans. Although that’s a wonderful thing, it can be overwhelming for parents to sift through options and make decisions, which is why the summer camp list was created. Use it as a guide to cater to your child’s creative, energetic, and inquisitive being. It is my hope that your child will look back as an adult and smile when thinking about past summer adventures due to a camp included on the list.

Day Camps

Gotham Archery – It’s time for kids to nock their bows, aim, and release toward to target at Gotham Archery! Children can use their imagination while learning how to properly and safely become a master archer. The summer camp is available weekly and daily if preferred. During the day, campers will gain recurve and compound archery and participate in games, be involved with STEM projects, XBOX Kinect and receive homework /reading time opportunities, and of course celebrate their achievements during the Friday pizza parties!

Dates: Weekly and daily registration available for June 27 – August 26

Location: 2 locations – Gowanus and Lower East Side

Cost:

Early bird special: receive 10% refund if space is reserved by April 1
JOAD kids receive 10% refund
Siblings receive 5% off
Ranges from $225 – $600 based on daily or weekly registration
Early drop-off and late pick-up available for additional costs

Kim’s Kids Summer Camp – For kids who seem to last like the Energizer Bunny, well, we’ve found their summer camp match! Kim’s Kids Summer Camp offers daily trips within New York City and surrounding areas. Excursions allow kid to be kids through hiking, building sand castles, forging through streams, running, climbing, and more. The only thing your child will need at the end of each day is a restorative night’s sleep. Also, for parent’s convenience, flexible scheduling is available.

Dates: July 1st – August 9

Location: Park Slope

Cost: Depends on session and number of days selected

Ages: 4 ½ through 12 years old

Mill Basin Day Camp – Here is a camp which caters to all – from toddler to teen. Mill Basic Day Camp offers a wide range of fun, interactive activities- like crafts, athletics, games and music for the little ones as well as swimming, field trips (baseball games, Great Adventure, museums, etc.), computer explorations for the older youth. This is ideal for families with children of varying ages to enjoy the summer together and make new friends.

Dates: July 1 – August 23

Location: Mill Basin

Cost: depends on time length and age level

Registration available for 4 – 8 weeks OR 3,4, or 5 days per week
Early drop – off and late pick – up available for additional costs

Ages: 3 years old until those entering 9th grade

Skateyogi – If your child prefers to shred the Brooklyn sidewalks on a skateboard, all day every day, than Skateyogi is totally their speed. Whether your child is interested in skating or is it obsessed with the sport, this is a young border’s summer paradise. Nonstop days full of halfpipes, ollies, and more! Potential campers may enjoy a trail opportunity before committing to the summer sessions, as day camp sessions are available during school holidays. At Skateyogi, registration can be arranged for one week or more depending on level of interest. Plus, intermediate skaters can participate in the camp’s Urban Shredders program.

Dates: Sessions start June 17 – August 30, 2019

Location: East side of Prospect Park and Golconda Skate Park

Cost: Early Bird registration until March 16 2019 (save up to 20% off)

Early Bird special: $600 – $675/week
Regular price: $725/week

Ages: 6 – 14 years old

Spoke the Hub (Camp Gowanee) – Youth artists will explore a myriad of art forms such as dance, theater, and digital film making; instructed by master artists at Spoke the Hub’s Camp Gowanee. Daily outdoor play allows children to release energy and then focus their creativity in the all-day intensives. Their original work will be presented in performance or portfolios and the end of each session. Be sure to consider the additional intensives for those 3 – 5 year old creative minds.

Dates: July 8 – August 30

Location: Park Slope

Cost:

Varies based of selected program track
10% discount for registration before March 1
Members receive 10% off
Siblings receive

• 10% discount for registrants before March 1

• Members receive 10% off

• Siblings receive 15% off

Ages: 8 – 12

TechExplorersBK – Is it hard to separate your child from a touch-screen device? Here’s an opportunity for kids to have a different type of hands – on approach to the technology to which they’ve grown attached. TechExplorerBK helps shift kids from consuming to producing technology. Classes are expert lead who provide a transformative learning environment for campers to experience the latest in technology and mold critical thinking, literacy, and problem solving skills. Curriculum covers 3D animation, Lego robotics, game making, and much more!

Dates: June 17 – August 30th

Location: Park Slope

Cost: varies depending on the sessions

Ages: Ages in 3rd to 8th grade, depending on the class

The League of Young Inventors– All little engineers are welcomed to join The League of Young Inventors this summer. Weekly classes will allow children to unlock the mysteries and magic of how the world works. Children are encouraged to ask questions and use their wondrous minds to sketch, measure, cut, and glue their way to resolutions. Session topics include The Physics of Play, Spy Gadgets and Gizmos, music composition, and water inventions.

Dates: June 17 – August 26

Location: Park Slope ( multiple locations)

Cost: varying ranges for weekly or daily rates

Ages: kindergarten to fifth grade; each activity specifies specific age group

The Tiny Scientist – At The Tiny Scientist, campers learn about the wondrous world in which they live and beyond. Through hands-on exploration, design, questioning, and analysis kids will have a blast gaining understanding how the world works. Creative, fun, engaging sessions include: earth science, the solar system, kinetics, dinosaurs, and much more!

Dates: Multiple sessions spanning from late June until the end of August. Click here for details.

Location: South Slope and Prospect Heights

Cost:

0% off all summer sessions at the Prospect Heights location until April 1, 2019
$140/day OR $600/week; early drop-off and extended day care available for additional costs.
0% sibling discount offered

Ages: 5 – 10 years old

Piper Theater – A world of wonder awaits young thespians at the Piper Theater. The entire month of July is filled with dramatic workshops, musical rehearsals, and improv to develop budding theater skills! Under the direct of John P. McEneny, students will create full-scale productions and perform them either in the Old Stone House of Washington Park.

Dates: July 1 – 26, excluding July 4th

Location: Park Slope

Cost: Varies depending on program

Ages: 10 – 16 years old

Sleepaway Camps:

Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp – An action-packed, adventurous summer retreat awaits all who attend Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp. This beloved co-ed Jewish sleepaway camp upholds Jewish values (respect, charity, community, and volunteering) and welcomes children from all backgrounds. Located in the beautiful Berkshires, campers can participate in traditional or culinary camp programs. Traditional camp includes water activities, athletics, arts and crafts and nature pursuits. The culinary campers will gain confidence in the kitchen through gaining food knowledge, field trips to local farms, visiting purveyors, and the Culinary Institute of America.

Dates and Cost: varies according to sessions and activities. Visit this link for the traditional camping experience and here for the culinary camp.

Location: Berkshires, New York

Hidden Valley Camp – A fantastic option for children who want some independence and have an affinity for the performing arts and adventure! A leader in international sleepaway camps for over 65 years, Hidden Valley Camp offers a plethora of thrilling options such as horseback ridding (including llamas!), water sports, visual and theater arts, just to name a few. Camp days are spent 350 acres of land near the Maine coast and the owners of the camp, live at the camp year round.

Dates:

June 22 – August 15
Select 3 – 4 weeks or 7 – 8 weeks sessions

Location: Freedom, Maine

Cost:

Varies depending on number of weeks
Sibling discounts available
lus, discounts if parent is a public school teacher, police officer, or fire fighter

Ages: 8 – 14 years old

“It takes a whole village to raise a child”. This is what I had heard prior to having a child of my own. I knew the phrase, but really didn’t understand the meaning or it’s profound necessity. Its origins may be rooted in Africa and some believe it’s a Native American Proverb. Clearly, these wise women knew its value.

I figured as NYC transplants we had made it here successfully for ten years. We had our “family”- the friends we had chosen. We would gladly take this challenge of having a baby in a city with no immediate or extended family. We had our friends. Wasn’t this enough? Turns out in many ways it wasn’t. We found ourselves Googling “Baby grunting every morning at 5 am when pooping. Normal?” Or figuring out how not to pass out and drop baby at 3 am while sitting upright in the rocking chair trying to comfort baby. It was ridiculous. We needed to ask questions to others to decide what was normal and simply talk with others who have gone through this or were going through first time parenting angst. That sweet proverb, it takes a village, started to have the power of a warning. Seriously, we parents need help raising our babies. It’s not meant to be done alone.

Our friends were great individual supporters. We would see our friends for brunch or a cocktail, however, they had their own schedules and lives. Often, I would see a friend and my husband would care for our son and vice versa. However, the day-to-day support for me was nonexistent, and I found myself isolated and a bit sad. I found the beginning of my son’s infancy to be a bit challenging. I was alone a lot and unsure if what was happening in my feelings was “normal”. I had no one to talk to as many friends of mine did not have kids. As time passed, I found myself like many mom’s who stay at home: Lonely and in need of human connection. By choice, I took off a year. During that time, I found myself increasingly craving some adult interaction and conversation as well as a break. I just needed a moment to take for myself. However, I did not have anyone who could come watch my infant son while I took a shower, made dinner, cleaned up my nails or ran to the corner store. I was not seeking full-time childcare, but a few hours here and there I knew would be enough to bring relief. What’s more, because I took of a year from work, we didn’t have the finances to hire a “mother’s helper” on a regular basis. Finances were tight and I was keenly aware of this. I was a happy new mom, though I was suffering from isolation and lack of support that my husband could not provide as he was working during the week.

What’s a mom to do? I had to start to build my community. I was tired of the isolation, loneliness and lack of adult conversation. I wanted to get out, laugh and find more joy in my daily life. I craved community. I had a sudden realization that if I were feeling this then there must be other women who feel the exact same way! I wanted to find other stay-at-home, work-from-home, part-time working moms who too were seeking support emotionally as well as hands-on support. Other moms who craved adult conversation, wanted laughs and to share a meal together. I needed to find them and together we could build a support system with each other. Together we would build our community where we would bring together our love and compassion to create a system that supports and builds each of us up.

You don’t have to do this alone, and shouldn’t. You never know what lifelong friends are waiting to make a connection with you.

I’d like to share with you how I built my village. First, I started going to my local libraries and bookstores to attend the free baby/toddler story time events. These events we wonderful for my son, however, I found that I was mostly meeting the nannies of the children. I didn’t meet many moms that were in my situation. I’m sure they were there, but I didn’t meet them. While out seeking my village, I had noticed a mom in my neighborhood who was out in the mornings and afternoons who had a small child like mine. We exchanged smiles. We kept running into each other, and I finally spoke up! I said if we run into each other again, we must exchange information. Not much time passed, and we bumped into each other again. As suspected, she was a stay-at-home mom. We became fast friends assisting each other while one ran to the store or did laundry uninterrupted, worked a bit (me) or had lunch all together. Though she and I went back to work eventually, we built a friendship that still exists to this day. The take away here is that I spoke up and befriended her.

Feeling confident that there were other moms like me, I decided to take my quest online to expand my Mom Tribe. There are several Facebook groups dedicated to New Moms, Moms with Babies Born in January 2016, 17 etc., Crunchy Mom, Moms over 40, Breastfeeding moms, Moms who work part time, Homeschooling moms, the list goes on. Joining a Facebook group opens doors in your neighborhood and beyond. Often these groups will have a meet up weekly or monthly. I joined a group for parents in my and the adjoining two neighborhoods around me to meet moms with similar interests, schedules, and kids about the same ages. What’s great is that the moms I met were like-minded and we hit it off and so did our kids. In addition, there are several apps now that are like mom dating apps. You set up your profile and search for other moms that share common ground with you. You can be very specific with theses apps regarding your needs and what you are seeking. Hello Mamas has an algorithm that connects local mamas with similar interests, schedules, families, challenges, and personalities. Peanut is designed to create lasting relationships based on motherhood. Mama Leave is a great app for moms seeking a play date. You can post where you are going or to see where are other mamas. If you want to get out of the house now, this is a great app to join you with mamas out and about. There are also fantastic community groups such as: Babywearing groups, Le Leche League, Moms of Multiples, Attachment Parenting and so forth. If you are a sporty mom there are groups: Fit4Mom, No Excuse Mom, Mommy and Me Workout Groups on Meetup or Mommy and Me Yoga at various Yoga studios. There are open play studios like Kidville, Powerplay or Gymboree. Here you can take your little for an hour or two of romp, clap, and play while you soak up some human connection. Another good place to meet mamas are play cafes. South Slope has Good Day Play Café. Your baby can bounce around and you can relax, chat, and have a cup of joe. Another place to spot moms is Whole Foods on Third and Third. You can grab a bite and head upstairs to the designated baby/toddler play area. They have tables and high chairs so you can eat and when baby is done, she can play, and you can chat.

It is all about finding moms that are like-minded and you have a natural connection. Your village is meant to be supportive and joyful, comfortable and rewarding in friendship. Decide what you want. A large group or small. Do you want them to all know each other or does that not matter? Are you seeking a mom group focused on specific parenting fundamentals, do you want a mix of online mom support as well as local or just local? Let go of any insecurities you may have when meeting new moms. I know this may be a challenge. However, you are on a new adventure and you never know what kinds of new, beautiful friendships are waiting for you if you don’t say yes. You can’t always meet a mom and expect it to blossom. It really is like dating. If you want to develop a great friendship, then you must put in time and action!

My son is almost three now and we have fallen into a groove. Things lightened up as I gained more experience and knowledge. I must say this was one of the most wonderful intuitive decisions I made as a mama: Building My Village. I have made some lifelong friends who were there for me not only with support with my son, but with support for me – when I received unwanted news, had challenges, or felt homesick. I have felt great happiness when I have been able to step in for my mom friends when they were in a crunch for childcare or simply needed a break. I have had may laughs, great conversations and sparked inspired ideas with my community of moms. Remember, you don’t have to do this alone, and shouldn’t. You never know what lifelong friends are waiting to make a connection with you.

child care

School’s Out For The Summer: 2019 Summer Camp Preview

Day Camps

Sleepaway Camps:

Park Slope Life: How To Build Your Village