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, Who We Are

4 Reasons NYC Parents Send Their Kids Out of the City for Day Camp

October 8, 2025

Campers wading ankle deep into a stream in the forest

A Summer That Feels Like a Deep Breath

For many New York City parents, summer is a chance to exhale — to give their children what city life can’t always offer: room to run, trees to climb, and quiet moments to discover themselves. A growing number of families from Manhattan, Astoria, Hoboken, and beyond are looking toward nature-based day camps that give kids a true taste of freedom — unplugged, unhurried, and full of discovery. The best part: nature is a short, daily bus ride away.

Below are four reasons parents are excited for their campers to make the short journey from the city to the woods each summer — and why it’s worth every mile.

1. Space to Breathe, Grow, and Get Dirty

City kids are used to sidewalks, structure, and sound. At camp, they find something different: open fields, mud puddles, and the soft quiet of trees. When a child can dig their hands into the dirt, follow a frog’s leap, or learn to tie a prusik knot, they’re not just playing — they’re learning what slowing down feels like.

2. A Break from Screens, Not from Connection

As parents, we worry about too much screen time. Nature-based camps offer a reset — no devices, no filters, no rush. Instead, campers find connection in new places: in the laughter that echoes through the forest, in the teamwork of climbing a high ropes element together, in sharing a laugh beneath a shady tree.

3. Confidence Grown from Real-World Wonder

Out in nature, confidence doesn’t come from grades or achievements — it grows quietly, like moss on a rock. Kids who climb a hill, build a fire, or gently hold a chicken discover what they’re capable of. They learn to listen to the world around them, and to themselves.

4. The Journey Is Part of the Adventure

Many families worry that traveling for camp might be inconvenient. But the bus ride — shared with friends, counselors, and songs — becomes a joyful part of the day. It’s where friendships form and laughter spills down the aisles, where the city fades behind and the woods begin to whisper ahead.

Finding Your Place in Nature

Each summer, more New York City families are realizing that the best gift they can give their children isn’t a packed schedule — it’s space to grow, play, and be. For many, that place is just a bus ride away.

Learn more about our day camp programs and discover what a summer outside the city can mean for your family.

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

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