What ages is The Nature Place Day Camp for?

The Nature Place welcomes campers ages 4 through 16. Our youngest campers (rising Pre-K and Kindergarteners) thrive in our gentle, nature-rich environment, while our oldest campers take on leadership roles and more challenging adventures like high ropes and multi-day hiking trips. Groups are organized by age and grade, so every camper is with peers at a similar stage.

How is The Nature Place different from other day camps near New York City?

Most day camps pack the day with scheduled activities, team sports, and structured programming. The Nature Place is built around a different idea: that kids thrive when they have real time in nature, freedom to explore, time to transition, and a community that isn’t built on competition. On 200 acres in Rockland County, campers hike Harriman State Park, tend a working farm, muck around in streams, canoe, do archery, garden, cook, and make things with their hands — all in a cooperative, non-competitive environment where no one is keeping score. There are no devices, no pressure to perform, and no rushing. We’ve been doing this since 1985, and families come from Manhattan, Bergen County, Westchester, and beyond because there aren’t many places left that offer this kind of summer.

Do you provide transportation from Manhattan, Astoria, Bergen County, Westchester, and other places from NYC or New Jersey?

Yes. We run buses from Manhattan, Astoria, Hoboken, Bergen County, Westchester County. Most campers spend the bus ride building friendships that last all summer; it’s genuinely part of the camp experience. More information and a sample bus map are available on our Transportation page. Rockland County campers typically come to us by car.

Helpful Information

4 Reasons Every Camper Should Play in the Dirt

November 8, 2025

The Best Summers Involve Dirt and Stories

It’s funny how something as simple as dirt can make parents hesitate… and make campers come alive. At The Nature Place, we’ve seen it for decades: once campers step off the pavement and really dig in, something magical happens. Whether they are exploring the woods or working in the garden, kids and teenagers reconnect with what’s real—with the earth, with each other, and with the joy of a day well-spent outdoors.

And it’s not just fun (though it most definitely IS that). Playing in the dirt is good for campers’ bodies, minds, and spirits. Here’s why mud-caked sneakers and earthy fingernails are signs of a summer well spent.

1. Dirt Sparks Curiosity and Creativity

When you hand a camper a pan to mine for gold or creatures, they uncover stories. Will they find a salamander? A fairy house? Start a mud bakery? Make up a backstory for a tadpole? Talk to a frog? Dirt is endlessly imaginative. It invites kids and teens to think, create, and explore in ways that screens cannot.²

2. Dirt Grounds Us, Emotionally

There’s something deeply calming about feeling the stream bed beneath your mucking shoes. Walking through the woods or playing in soil has been shown to reduce stress and increase happiness.³ For campers who spend much of the year indoors, those moments outside are grounding in every sense of the word.

3. Dirt Brings Campers Together

You can’t stay clean AND work as a team in the garden, search through the Fairy Stream, or ring the bell at the top of the climbing tree. But that’s the beauty of it — shared messes become shared memories. Campers learn collaboration, laughter, and acceptance in the most natural way possible, through play.⁴

4. Dirt Reminds Us of Our Place in the World

Every handful of soil holds life — roots, insects, minerals, and magic. When campers play in the dirt, they begin to understand that they’re part of something larger. They learn care and respect for the world beneath their feet, developing empathy for our planet — lessons that will last long after camp ends.⁵

Added Bonus: Dirt Contributes to a Strong Immune System

Studies show that campers who play in soil are exposed to to beneficial microbes that help strengthen the immune system and boost overall well-being including mental health benefits and a lowered risk of asthma and allergies.¹

Summer Camp at The Nature Place

Here, campers spend 4, 5, or 6 weeks outdoors in a socially nourishing and non-competitive environment. Every experience—whether hiking a trail, wading through a stream, learning to swim, or enjoying a campout—builds confidence, connection, and joy. Our non-rushed schedule gives campers time to slow down, unwind from a busy school year, and have a real summer break.

Learn About a Typical Day at Camp

Next Steps