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Is being home every day driving your kids (and you) crazy? County day camps reopen July 6. Here’s what you need to know.
Calling all campers! County Executive George Latimer announced last week the opening of Westchester County Parks’ outdoor summer camps starting July 6, with modifications for operating safely under New York State’s COVID-19 guidelines.
“Because of the state’s structuring of summer camps, we are able to open some of our county day camp programs,” says Latimer. “While the camps have certain parameters that may be a little different, we are opening them and that is the important part.”
Various camps will be opening at a number of locations across the county, including nature camps, golf camps, and even a new family camp concept.
Camps that typically are located in nature centers will now operate outdoors due to limited indoor space and close on inclement weather days, with some exceptions such as Muscoot Farm Summer Camp which can support social distancing inside the farm’s large activity building.
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Muscoot’s curriculum, which serves ages 4 to up through grade 12, will be modified due to State and county health department guidelines. Registration is currently full, but waitlisted. Tuition is $250 per camper, per week.
In order to achieve proper social distancing, camp groups at Cranberry Lake Preserve in northern White Plains and Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers will be smaller than in typical years, with just eight campers per session. These camps will run in six five-day sessions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting July 6, and tuition is $350 per camper per week. Make-up days will be scheduled at the end of camp for any missed days due to bad weather.
Camp at Marshlands Conservancy in Rye also opens on Monday, July 6 and runs for six, five-day sessions as well. Camp days will be split into two daily sessions: 9 a.m. to noon for children in grades 1-3 and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for children in grades 4-6. Tuition is $175 per camper per week. Camp will be cancelled on days with heavy rain or thunderstorm forecasts and a weather make-up day will be available at the end of camp.
The Westchester County Parks Department’s Hole-in-One Junior Golf Camp will take place at the six county-owned golf courses: Mohansic in Yorktown Heights, Hudson Hills in Ossining, Maple Moor in White Plains, Saxon Woods in Scarsdale, and Dunwoodie and Sprain Lake, both in Yonkers. Catering to ages 10 to 17, these camps will have various start dates depending on location and tuition is $75 per participant. Camp groups will be limited to 10 participants per session to assure social distancing.
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At the Trailside Nature Museum at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, a new family camp concept is being introduced throughout seven five-week sessions starting on July 6. Families will pick up a “Family Camp Box” that contains materials and supplies for their week of on-site activities prior to their session.
Each day at camp will consist of a couple hours of self-guided activities combined with one naturalist-led activity. Heavy rain and thunderstorms will cancel camp.
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Registration and waitlisting for all camps is currently open; find camp details and registration at parks.westchestergov.com.
