play:groundNYC camp programs take place at The Yard, located on Governors Island - NYC’s only adventure playground. Our programs are guided by playwork principles. We create a kids-only space to allow young people to play freely, and our playworkers support them as they make their own decisions about risk-taking. To see pictures of the space, check out our Instagram. To read more about our organization’s history and approach, please click here. To experience our approach, visit us on one of our free weekends.

Mandatory Health Forms:
We reserve the right to cancel registration without refund for any camper who does not submit required paperwork including mandatory immunization acknowledgment as required by the NY City Department of Health for the following vaccines: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease and haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). SEE MANDATORY PAPERWORK

Age Requirements:
We reserve the right to cancel registration without refund for any camper who does not meet the minimum 6-year-old age requirement for camp.

Restrictions to Accommodation:
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. . Please communicate with our team before registration if you feel that this may be a concern.

Read our Capacity & Support Section for more details.

We offer tiered pricing for all of our camps to reflect household income levels. We may ask for proof of income.

Please remember that your tuition helps make it possible for play:groundNYC to provide free access to The Yard every weekend for thousands of children, and to organize play pop-ups all over the city - thank you!

2026 Summer Camp Pricing (based on family income level)

$60,000 and below - $400.00
$60,000-$120,000 - $620.00
$120,000-$200,000 - $850.00
$200,000 and above - $980.00

If you can pay with the Electronic Check option rather than a credit card, it would help us significantly to reduce fees. We are a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, and every dollar counts. Thank you in advance!

If you would prefer to pay by check or cash, please reach out to us directly at play@play-ground.nyc

We offer a Payment Plan option for families who register before March 1st. An initial installment of 40% will hold your spot. Two additional payments of 30% each will be automatically charged to you on March 31st and April 30th.

Please reach out to play@play-ground.nyc if you need additional assistance.

Summer Camp Cancellation Policy:
If you choose to cancel your child's Summer Camp session prior to April 1, you will receive a full refund (minus 5% processing fee) so long as we can fill your child's spot. If you choose to cancel prior to June 1, you will receive a 50% refund (minus a 5% processing fee) so long as we can fill your child's spot. After June 1, the camp fee is nonrefundable.

Transfer Policy:
We will consider requests to change sessions depending on space available. We reserve the right to charge a $10 administrative fee.

If using the Payment Plan option (Summer Camp Only):
If for any reason the full payment is not completed by May 1, 2026, we maintain the right to cancel registration and offer a refund of 50% (minus a 5% processing fee) of the total camp session price.

Grace Period:
If you register between April 1st and May 31st and you cancel within 24 hours of registration, we can offer a full refund minus a 5% processing fee.

Girls Week– July 27th – 31st:
Girls Week is designated for campers who self-identify as female, transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming.

If your child is male and you register for this week by mistake, we will work with you to find an alternate week if possible based on our Transfer Policy. If an alternate week is unavailable, refunds will be handled based on our Cancellation Policy. Reminder that registration after June 1st is nonrefundable.

UPDATE 3/10/26: As of today, all of our scholarship spots are filled. Please reach out if you are interested and we will add you to the waitlist.

We are proud to once again offer a limited number of scholarships to low-income families for our Summer Camp. We are only able to accommodate one camp week per qualifying family.

Qualifying families are those who receive SNAP benefits. A registration fee of $25 will be collected, and we will need qualifying families to confirm plans to attend camp one month in advance.

We will also offer a wait-list in case anyone who receives a scholarship is unable to join.

Feel free to reach out with questions: play@play-ground.nyc

Unstructured play is wonderful, but it also has its tough moments. Campers will struggle with challenges both physical and social. We encourage families to talk to campers about their time, to listen, and to offer support for big feelings that come up.

We do not allow actions involving bullying, harassment, hitting, cursing at people, offensive language, throwing heavy things, claiming part of the playground (restricting access for others), and threatening. If these actions take place, we will address the issue. We encourage campers to listen to each other and respect others, including peers, team members, other visitors on the Island, families, and animals.

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. 

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 an additional fee, after-care is available until 5pm for our Summer Camp program. Please note after-care does NOT take place at The Yard, but at a public playground in Manhattan (Typically the Battery Playscape or, in inclement weather, the National Museum of the American Indian, both near the ferry terminal).

You can pay a flat fee for each week or add individual days for $35 each at any time. After-care can be added at any time. Email play@play-ground.nyc

After Care Pickup Policy:
We offer ONE grace period of 15 minutes for delays past 5:00 PM for the camp season. Families will be charged $30 for each 15-minute interval (rounded up) that you are late.

Please be especially careful of the time for After-Care pickups as the day will already exceed 8 hours for staff. Thank you!

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.

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.

Pick-up Policy:
Pick up is between 3:10 and 3:20 PM. At 3:20, the group will move to our aftercare location (typically the Battery Playscape). The designated pick-up person will need to coordinate with the playworker team to arrange to meet us in transit or at the aftercare location. If pick-up is after 3:30pm, families will be charged $30 for each 15-minute interval (rounded up) that you are late. We can offer one 15-minute grace period for the week. Please plan accordingly.

After Care:
We offer ONE grace period of 15 minutes for delays past 5:00 PM for the camp season. Families will be charged $30 for each 15-minute interval (rounded up) that you are late.

Please be especially careful of the time for After-Care pickups as the day will already exceed 8 hours for staff. Thank you!

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.

What Happens at Camp?
People often ask what happens at camp. The answer is “play!”. Our camp programs are self-directed by the campers. Much of your child’s day will be (wonderfully) up to them! They will have opportunities to play with others, spend time alone, build things, take apart things, paint, splash, imagine, dig, sing, joke, read a book, relax, write, daydream; anything they can come up with!

Campers are given reminders about self-care like bathroom breaks, lunch/snack breaks, sunscreen, etc., but each camper will have the autonomy to choose when and if they will do so. We only mandate regulatory fire drills and water breaks (particularly on hot days). We may also mandate breaks from the space to mitigate hazards.

Campers also have the option (accompanied by playworkers) to walk around, explore other programs and areas of Governors Island.

Your child will get dirty and/or wet and may get small bumps, bruises, or scratches, as is the nature of play. We recommend packing clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, and a change of clothes. Closed-toe shoes are mandatory inside The Yard.

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

Camp Daily Schedule

8:30-8:50 AM: Drop Off at Citi Bike Station
9:00-9:10 AM: Ferry to Governors Island
9:10-9:30 AM: Walk to The Yard
9:30-2:20 PM: Play!
2:30-2:50 PM: Walk to ferry/reflect on day
3:00-3:10 PM: Ferry to Manhattan
3:10-3:20 PM: Pick up at Citi Bike Station
3:20-3:30 PM: Walk to After-care
3:30-5:00 PM: After-care

Here is our packing list for 2026. An updated list will be emailed to you as part of your registration.

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.

Inclement Weather:
We operate rain or shine. In the event of extreme weather or high AQI, the camp will be held at the Harbor School on Governors Island at 550 Wheeler Avenue, on Governors Island. Indoor activities are limited and may require more structure than what we offer outside, but we find ways to have fun.

Hazardous Conditions Cancellations:
We do our best to operate camp regardless of any situation. However, if we deem the weather, environmental conditions, or an unforeseeable situation to be too hazardous for the young people or for our staff and are unable to find an alternative offer, we will notify you as soon as possible and cancel. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to offer a refund in whole or in part as we are committed to paying our staff.

Ferry Interruptions/Cancellations:
Due to the unique location of Governors Island, we are beholden to the ferry service provided by the Trust for Governors Island. If the ferry service is cancelled or interrupted, we will do our best to provide an alternate play option in the area near South Ferry for the scheduled camp hours. We will do our best to communicate with families as soon as we are aware of any ferry disruption.