Free and Affordable Summer Camps in Westchester and the Hudson Valley
Fun summer camp options abound in Westchester and the Hudson Valley, from traditional day camps to STEM-focused programs to a variety of sports camps. But no matter your child's interests, camp can be a pricey proposition. If you're looking for especially budget-friendly options, we’ve rounded up a selection of the most affordable day camps in the area.
For this 2024 list, we've capped the cost at $500 per week, but most of these are well below that. Many of these camps offer half-day sessions as well as early-bird or sibling discounts. Plus, there are often options for financial aid or scholarships. Even if you don’t see that information listed, you can always ask to see if it’s a possibility.
For even more options, check out our Summer Camps Guide for Westchester & Hudson Valley Kids, or search our Camp Directory.
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Reasonably Priced Summer Camps in Westchester and the Hudson Valley
MADE: My Art + Design Experience — Mamaroneck
Aspiring artists love the 3-hour workshops at MADE art studio in Mamaroneck, which run from 10am-1pm four days a week for $338 per session. There are 10 weekly options to choose from, all of which have a different theme, like “art Olympics,” "squishmallow camp," and "all about animals.” At each one, kids in first grade and older learn a variety of techniques and styles. There's a sibling discount—plus you can save $25 if you sign up by the end of February.
A-Game Sports — New Rochelle
There are a few different sports camps available at A-Game Sports, from flag football to field hockey. While the number of weeks and price vary per sport, the multisport camp for kids ages 6-12 is 9 weeks long and the earlier you sign up, the cheaper it is. If you sign up by March 18, 2024, it's $320 per week. (After May 20, 2024, it jumps to $425/week.) Kids can try their hands at a variety of sports at this camp, which runs from 9am-3pm. A similar program is offered for preschoolers at an even lower price.
Camp Addisone-Boyce — Tomkins Cove
Camp Addisone Boyce is a girls-only camp run by Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson. This all-day camp runs $450 per week and is offered in 1- and 2-week sessions throughout the summer for students entering first through 12th grade. The facility boasts a large lake, multiple trails for hiking, a low ropes course, a large game field, and outdoor program spaces.
Muscoot Young Farmers Camp — Somers
This Westchester County-run camp gives kids from first through eighth grade the chance to experience farm life—from cooking to tending to the animals. The camp runs from July through the middle of August, at $350 per week. (It's $400 for non-residents.) There is also a preschoolers option, which has two sessions in June. The prices for that one aren't out yet, but last year it cost just $175 per week.
RELATED: Popular Summer Day Camps for Westchester Kids
Performing and dance are the highlights of No Limits Performing Arts Studio Camp.
No Limits Performing Arts Studio — Elmsford
This studio offers its Dance and Play camp for students ages 4-6, as well as a performing arts camp for kids ages 7-10. The Dance and Play weekly camps focus on dance and creativity and the kids get to also play in the Play Place's facility, where the studio is located. The camp includes everything from dance to acting for the older kids, with both camps centering each week on a specific theme. (There is a Taylor Swift week for the older crew!) Camps are full-day programs and run $450 per week. There are early bird, sibling, and multi-week discounts, too.
Rye YMCA — Rye
The Rye YMCA offers a variety of summer camps with rates as low as $256 for the Mamaroneck Kinder Camp half-day option for 2- to 5-year-olds up to the full-day Teen Adventure Camp at $515 for members. (Not counting the week of July 4th, which is slightly lower.) It also offers STEAM, Discovery, Sports, and Gymnastics camps for varying prices, with the lowest being the Gymnastics half-day option at $312 for members and $431 for nonmembers.
Seed Song Farm Summer Camp — Kingston
Children with an interest in farming can have a unique nature-based experience at Seed Song Farm's summer camp program for kids ages 4 and up. Campers will learn various aspects of sustainable agriculture practiced on the farm, including caring for the farm animals and growing vegetables. The 10-week camp costs just $390 per week and runs from 9am-3pm.
The Vanaver Caravan — New Paltz
The Vanaver Caravaan holds summer dance camps for ages 4-18 at the outdoor, open-air dance studios of Stone Mountain Farm. The CaravanKids program, for ages 4 to 8, and the SummerDance program, for ages 9-18, are 2-week programs costing $400 for one week or $775 for both weeks. There are also scholarships available.
Choose from a variety of camps hosted by Westchester County Nature Camps.
Westchester County Nature Camps — Multiple Locations
Westchester County holds camps at several different nature centers and preserves throughout the area, including Cranberry Lake Preserve, Lenoir Preserve, Marshlands Conservancy, Read Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Trailside Nature Museum, with weekly sessions running $350 for kids entering grades 1-6. Most camps run from 9am-3pm, with some half-day options for preschoolers (these are also cheaper!).
Slam Dunk Basketball Camp — Ardsley
This Westchester County camp is for kids going into grades 3-9, and it centers on basketball, with four sessions offered in the summer. The camp runs from 9:30am-4pm and runs $375 per week.
Hole-in-One Golf Camp — Multiple Locations
This camp is also one of the most affordable on the list, at just $75 per four-day session. Sessions take place at golf courses throughout the county, including Dunwoodie and Sprain Lake in Yonkers, Saxon Woods in Scarsdale, Maple Moor in White Plains, Hudson Hills in Ossining, and Mohansic in Yorktown. Dates vary, but each course hosts two sessions, ranging from July to mid-August.
This post, originally published in 2019, was updated in February 2024.
Photos courtesy of the camps/studios
Places featured in this article:
Muscoot Farm
Rye YMCA
New Rochelle Racquet Club
A-Game Sports