Long Island summer camp 2025 season: What's new
Genevive Philogene, of Freeport, celebrates a fun day at Coleman Country Day Camp in Merrick. Credit: Coleman Country Day Camp/Jasmine Ramlotan
A five-day cruise to the Bahamas. A week focused on kindness. Trapeze lessons. Two weeks focusing on nail, skin and hair care.
Campers return to day and overnight camps on Long Island each summer to experience the traditional swim lessons, archery, crafts and camaraderie. But camps don’t just rely on the tried-and-true — owners and directors say they’re always adding new activities, special events and other creative options to keep families coming back.
"Camps like to keep up with the trends and the times of what kids are into these days," says Marissa Allaben, director of Rolling River Day Camp in East Rockaway and president of the Long Island Camps and Private Schools association, an umbrella group commonly known as LICAPS. "It’s important to give the kids and the staff new exciting activities to look forward to every year."
As parents nail down their summer choices for their children, camps are gearing up for another season. Here’s a sampling of new additions to Long Island camps this summer:
Kindness week
Member camps of LICAPS will join together this year on the third camp week of July to simultaneously emphasize the importance of kindness, Allaben says. In addition to Rolling River, participating camps will include, for instance, Crestwood Country Day Camp in Melville, Ivy League Day Camp in Smithtown and Pierce Country Day Camp in Roslyn.
A camp photographer captures Piper Udell and Nellie Stern, both 6, performing in a camp show at Pierce Country Day Camp in Roslyn. PHOTO CREDIT: Erica Burns Credit: Erica Burns
"The purpose is to unite all the camps as an industry," Allaben says, offering still-being-developed kindness components to the camp week across Long Island.
Trapeze
A trapeze and circus program is new at Mid Island Y JCC of Plainview’s camp in Wheatley Heights, being added because it was often requested in end-of-the-summer surveys of families. "We finally were able to get enough funds together," says camp director Josh Henkel. All campers will experience the trapeze, and lessons will be available to registered campers before and after the camp day for an additional fee, he says.
More ways to play
A camp photographer captures Ryan Waxman, 6, tackling a treetop trail at Pierce Country Day Camp in Roslyn. PHOTO CREDIT: Erica Burns Credit: Erica Burns
Rolling River Day Camp is adding an augmented reality playground, Allaben says. Coleman Country Day Camp in Merrick is adding a jumping pillow, an inflatable surface kids can bounce on. "It’s a safer version of a trampoline," says owner Ross Coleman. At Pierce Country Day Camp, a new greenhouse will offer more hands-on gardening options for campers, says co-owner Will Pierce. Ivy League Day Camp has added a fishing option on-site to their smorgasbord of sporting activities, says owner Noah Cooper. Park Shore Day Camp in Dix Hills, which is under new ownership this summer, is adding an additional Sky Trail ropes course, pedal carts for 2 to 5 year olds and electric carts for ages 6 and older, says Robyn Costa, general manager.
Summer learning
Hofstra Summer Camps is working with Nassau BOCES to offer a two-week camp for grades 7 to 11 that focuses on nail, skin and hair care that will run from June 30 to July 11 at the BOCES campus in Westbury. Over at Usdan Center for the Performing Arts in Wheatley Heights, new class options will include Composition for Musical Theater, Intro to DJ and History of Hip Hop and Found Sound (during which campers will record sounds occurring around campus and use them to inspire musical compositions).
Travel options
Campers in seventh through 10th grade at Kenwal Day Camp in Melville can look forward to going on a five-day, four-night cruise to the Bahamas for the first time included in their program fee, says owner Howard Feinstein. Camps R Us is introducing a new hybrid camp option at all 10 of its Long Island locations this summer blending local travel with traditional camp. Campers will take field trips three days of the week and be at the traditional camp locations the other two days, say co-owners Jason and Cheryl Turnier. The option is available to fifth through eighth graders. Camps R Us is also adding a new location at St. Rose of Lima Church in Massapequa.
What’s old is new again
Crestwood Country Day Camp is implementing a new program teaching campers of any age how to ride a bicycle. The camp has put in an oval course and is starting children out on balance bikes, then with training wheels and finally riding on their own, says co-owner Mark Transport. "Parents are thrilled," Transport says.
Cowboy hats, everyone!
Camps are always dreaming up special event days to make camp fun. Camp Kehilla, held at the Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds in Wheatley Heights, is adding a Wild West Day, encouraging campers to dress in cowboy and cowgirl attire and offering line dancing, says camp public relations and communications manager Ian Schraier. There will also be a Candy Land Day, with candy-themed game show activities, he says. Camp Kehilla is a camp for neurodivergent campers ages 5 to 21.
Beth Whitehouse writes about families, parenting and great things to do with the kids on Long Island. She’s been a Newsday editor and shared a 1997 Newsday staff Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800.
Top Stories
