play:groundNYC advocates for and practices age-mixing at our camp programs. Children of various ages have the opportunity to play together. For camp, we welcome children ages 6-12+ years old. Children must be 6 years old by the first day of their camp session.

For children over 12, we welcome back former campers who know the program and are still interested in joining. Email us at play@play-ground.nyc for help with registration.

At Summer Camp, we also offer an option for older campers (13+) to participate in our Playworker-In-Training (PIT) program. More details here.

Our Camps run from 8:30am to 3:15pm. Please note these times are subject to change, should the Governors Island ferry schedule change.

For all camp programs, drop off and pick up takes place at the Citi Bike station near the Battery Maritime Building (downtown Manhattan), unless otherwise indicated by our team.

Options to Drop Off and Pick up on Governors Island are also available. Please email play@play-ground.nyc to discuss

We do NOT provide food or snacks but we DO keep drinking water onsite. Please note that we allow children the freedom to choose when to eat, and while we will give reminders about lunchtime and offer to eat together, it is not a mandate.

All campers should pack a refillable water bottle.

Always pack plenty of foods that your camper will enjoy. We have very busy days and require lots of calories.

Your child must be potty-trained to attend camp. There are both gendered options and unisex bathrooms next to The Yard. Bathrooms are both heated and air conditioned for all seasons.

Playworkers can escort campers to the bathrooms, but cannot assist any camper inside the bathroom unless it is a medical emergency.

If your child is sick, we ask that you please keep them at home to protect our team and fellow campers. If your child is at camp and visibly unwell, we may call to ask you to pick them up.

Families must submit a camp release waiver, camp policy agreement, trip consent form (all included in registration), and a recent health formfor each participant at least two weeks before the first day of camp attended by your child.

Children must be immunized according to DOH guidelines (see 48.17 (b)with supporting documents. PLEASE NOTE - Proof of the following immunizations are required by the DOH: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease and haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). Refer to the DOH Guidelines for instructions regarding exemptions. This is a policy that play:groundNYC must follow to operate our camp.

We reserve the right to delay your child’s first day, with no reimbursement, if these documents are not submitted in time. Thank you for understanding! 

Our playworkers are trained to support children to make their own decisions around risk taking while being vigilant to remove hazards. Risks and hazards are not the same.
A risk involves a choice by an individual child, while a hazard is an unknown factor.

Summer camp at The Yard is a dynamic setting with lots of freedom for young people to explore, to experience independence, and to play in collaboration with others. We understand that children’s needs vary. 

Our staffing ratio is 1:6. For this reason we are unable to provide extended one-on-one support to campers that may need specialized attention. If you think your child may benefit from one-on-one support for extended periods of time during camp, or they already receive this kind of support in a school setting, please get in touch with us before registering by emailing play@play-ground.nyc. We want to ensure that our setting is the right fit for your child to thrive and you feel comfortable with the support that we can offer. 

Once you have registered for camp, play:groundNYC’s staff will provide consistent and honest communication with you about how your child is doing. If at any time your child is behaving in a way that harms or jeopardizes the safety of themselves or others, or disrespects others beyond a reasonable limit, we will notify you immediately so we can work together to support your child as they navigate these challenges. In the rare case of consistent disruptive or dangerous behavior, we reserve the right to refuse entry to your child for the remainder of the session. No refunds will be offered in this case. Our aim is to prevent this outcome, which is why we hope to communicate in advance about any extra needs your child may have. 

Our camps follow the DOH requirements for CPR and first aid training. Each camp session will have a trained Health Director on site. Governors Island also has EMT professionals who can respond to any major injury. 

Our staff are all able to administer basic first aid for the typical cuts, splinters, bumps, and bruises that happen during play.

Our staff cannot administer medications (with the exception being emergency EPI-pen administration), but our Health Director can supervise campers who self-administer any necessary medications. This includes sunscreen and bug spray.

Please notify us of any allergies and provide an allergy response plan if one is available.

Camp is outdoors. Stinging insects and a variety of pollens will be present.

We ask all families to avoid sending typical allergens (like nuts) to camp. We will do our best to notify families if any camper has a severe allergy to a food item at a camp session.