February break 2012 mini-camps for NYC kids
Treat the brood to a week of fun during their midwinter break.
For public-school kids, February's weeklong vacation (Sat Feb 18–Sun Feb 26) offers a reprieve from spelling tests and math exams. But it can also serve as an opportunity for students to focus on the subjects they like best—and have a blast to boot. Whether your child loves to sing and dance, experiment in a science lab or explore the city, we've found a program she'll adore.
Arts
Center for Architecture Foundation February Vacation Programs
Tue Feb 21–Thu Feb 23, 9am–4pm. The Center for Architecture. $250; need-based scholarships are available.
The downtown cultural center offers kids the chance to explore architecture through building activities, design projects and field trips with its two three-day-long offerings. In Design Your Own Island, children in grades 3 to 5 conceive, design and build their own resort island. Older kids learn how to generate 3-D architectural designs using the program Google Sketch-Up in the Digital Design with Google Sketch-Up class, limited to ten students to allow for individualized instruction.
City Sculpting Midwinter Recess Program
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24, 9am–3pm. City Sculpting, Sixth Street Community Center, 638 E 6th St between Aves B and C (646-221-8450, citysculpting.com). $425, drop-in rate $85 per day before Feb 6, thereafter $525, drop-in rate $105 per day. Extended-day options are available.
Among the cool 3-D projects on tap for City Sculpting campers are papier mâché, life casting, relief tile sculpting and mosaics. Regular painting and drawing are in the mix as well. The day is divided into three art-making sessions, punctuated by lunch (kids bring their own) and a snack. Ages 5 to 17.
Crazie Mazie Holiday Art Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24, 9:30am–3pm. Hi Art!. $800, one day $175. Early drop-off and late pickup available for an additional fee.
If you have a petite Picasso or a miniature Michelangelo in your household, get her over to Hi Art! for February break. Appealing to kids of all ages and abilities, this mini-camp offers art lessons in disciplines ranging from manga and anime to painting, mixed media and sculpture. Gallery hopping and special appearances by guest artists are on tap as well. Ages 5 to 14.
Guggenheim Midwinter-Break Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24 9:30am–4pm. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. $500.
Finger painting is so three years ago: Now that your child has at least a few years of elementary school under his belt, it's time he tried more exciting mediums. In addition to working with watercolors, modeling clay, charcoal and other materials, Guggenheim campers tour the permanent collection to study works by the likes of Picasso, Kandinsky and Cézanne. Ages 8 to 11.
Scribble Press Winter Vacation Camps
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24, 9:30am–noon (Story Art for Scribblers and Scribble Authors) or 1–4pm (Comic Conundrums). •1624 First Ave between 84th and 85th Sts (212-288-2928, scribblepress.com). •217 W 84th St between Amsterdam Ave and Broadway (212-362-2555). $275, one day $60. Ages 3½ to 10.
Young literary types dive into story art, creating illustrations for some of their favorite tales. In Comic Conundrums, older kids bring art and words together in a week focused on honing their storytelling skills.
Spring Art Colony Camps
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24, 9am–5pm (instruction 10am–4pm; free play 9–10am and 4–5pm). Children's Museum of the Arts. $595. Ages 6 to 12.
Artistic kids ready to immerse themselves in a week of concentrated creativity are bound to thrive in the CMA's two spring-break classes. In "Mixed Media Collage & Assemblage," students explore two- and three-dimensional aspects of collage and trace its art historical development by looking at the work of such figures as Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp. "Radio Podcast" lets kids write, perform and edit their own radio podcasts, which may take the form of mysteries, science fiction, comedies or dramas. Budding storytellers learn to record and edit on Garage Band and develop their creative writing and vocal performance skills.
Tada! Youth Theater School-Break Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24 9:30am–2:30pm. TADA! Youth Theater. $450.
Budding thespians create and star in an original mini-musical. Campers collaborate on a wintry plot, then add songs from past Tada! productions and Broadway tuners such as Wicked and Hairspray. At the end of the week, the kids perform the show for family and friends. Ages 6 to 13.
Cooking
Astor Center Kids' Cooking Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24 9am–noon. Astor Center, 399 Lafayette St between Astor Pl and E 4th St (212-337-6057, astorcenternyc.com). $495.
Designed for tweens, this five-day morning camp gives kids hands-on instruction in a different cuisine each day: French, Indian, Moroccan, Japanese and Italian. Among the dishes planned are fresh pasta, tagines and soufflés. Proceeds from the class benefit the Sylvia Center, which provides free cooking and "food literacy" classes for at-risk kids and teens. Ages 9 to 12.
Taste Buds Chocolate Lover’s Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24, noon–3pm. Taste Buds. $395, one day $100.
Your sweet-tooth sweetie will have a blast at this camp, which, in addition to a whole lot of fun, offers kitchen etiquette, mixing and measuring techniques, and teaches independence in the kitchen. Ages 4 to 8.
Young Chefs Academy Mini-Camp for Mid-Winter Recess
Mon Feb 20–Wed Feb 22 9am–noon or 1–4pm. 108-10 72nd Ave between Austin St and Queens Blvd, second floor, Forest Hills, Queens (718-268-0343, youngchefsacademy.com). Three days $199, one day $75.
In the spirit of Presidents Day, this spot is offering the class "Party at Pennsylvania Avenue." The three-hour-a-day mini camp, loaded with presidential recipes, not only develops your culinary cuties' kitchen skills but also teaches them how to greet global guests and how to prepare table service for 200. Ages 6 to 18.
Culture
Intrepid Camp SOSI: School’s Out, Ship’s In
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24, 9am–5pm. Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. $500, one day $90. Early drop-off and late pickup available for an additional fee.
All hands on deck for Kids Week! While aboard the Intrepid, campers can explore life at sea through interactive hands-on fun. Each day has its own theme, with activities to support it. On Space and Aviation Day, kids have a live bird-flight demonstration and visits from Star Wars characters. Ages 5 to 13.
Junior Police Academy Midwinter Recess Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24, 1–3:30pm. New York City Police Museum. $30 a day.
Drop your kids off at the downtown museum for an afternoon of investigation and speculation as they explore museum exhibits and participate in science and art activities. Participants can test their CSI skills with fingerprinting and invisible-ink experiments and try to solve a mystery. Registration is required. Ages 6 to 10.
New York City Explorers Midwinter Recess Day Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24 8am–3:30pm. New York City Explorers. $425, one day $100. Late pickup available for an additional fee.
In the span of a week, youngsters visit all five boroughs. Destinations include the New York Hall of Science, Central Park (for a walking tour and snowman-making contest), the Museum of the City of New York, the Guggenheim Museum and the New-York Historical Society. Ages 3 to 10.
WorldPlay Holiday Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24, 8am–7pm. 7734 Austin St, Forest Hills, Queens (917-300-6109, world-play.org). $300, one day $65.
This multicultural center whisks kids to a different country each day, teaching them about native customs, languages and foods. Among the "stops" are Japan, with a class in that country's cuisine; India, by way of Bollywood dancing; and Mexico, with an in-depth look at our neighboring country's pottery. Ages 5 to 12.
General interest
A.C.T. Vacation Camp
Tue Feb 21–Fri Feb 24, 9:30am–4pm. Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. $40 per day, plus additional fees for materials and field trips. Early drop-off and late pickup available for an additional fee.
At this neighborhood program, campers enjoy a new theme every day. Wednesday the theme is a Top Chef challenge, in which younger kids make their own chef hat and recipe book, then prepare a sweet treat for all to eat. Older kids join a team of chefs in a cook-off challenge. Ages 5 to 13.
The Art Farm in the City
Mon Feb 20–Thu Feb 23, 12:30–3:30pm. The Art Farm in the City. $55 per day. Late pickup (until 5pm) available for an additional fee.
Campers cozy up to a number of creatures at this urban animal kingdom—think bunnies and guinea pigs—while also playing games and taking part in activities like music making and cooking. Ages 3 to 8.
Central Queens Y Mini-Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24, 9am–5pm. Central Queens Y. $55 per day. Early drop-off and late pickup available for an additional fee.
In addition to taking advantage of the Y’s regular “swim and gym time,” kids have their pick of small-group activities like cooking and bingo. In addition to their two days on-site, campers will spend three days taking part in off-site activities, such as seeing a show, bowling and paying a visit to the New York Hall of Science. Ages 5 to 12.
Super Kickers Winter Break Day Mini-Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24, 9am–5pm. 7702 37th Ave between 77th and 78th Sts, Jackson Heights, Queens (718-350-1535, superkickers.com). Full day $60, half day $35.
Based in Queens, this camp offers a mix of music, arts and crafts, yoga, soccer and other fun games. Lunch is included for full-day participants. Ages 2½ to 10.
Nature
New York Hall of Science Dirt Diggers Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24 9am–3pm. New York Hall of Science. $200; enroll before Jan 15 for $50 discount.
Soon-to-be third- and fourth-graders will relish this hands-on crash course in geology and archaeology, in which participants discover how rocks are formed and how archaeologists search for fossils. Ages 8 to 10.
NYBG Winter Science Camp: Plant Pioneers
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24, 9am–4pm. New York Botanical Garden. $225. Early drop-off and late pickup available for an additional fee.
As "plant pioneers," kids explore the grounds and discover fascinating plants, in addition to participating in exciting experiments, hand-on activities, fun science games and crafts. Ages 8 to 10.
Sports
Aviator Sports Break Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24, 9am–4pm. Aviator Sports. $385, one day $88. Early drop-off and late pickup available for an additional fee.
Campers ice-skate on the center’s two rinks, scale Aviator Rock (a 35-foot climbing wall), practice gymnastics, and hit the basketball court and artificial turf for other indoor sports. Ages 3 to 15.
The JCC Tennis and Basketball Mini Camp Intensives
Tue Feb 21–Fri Feb 24. Tennis and basketball camp 9am–4pm, tennis camp 9am–noon, basketball camp 1–4pm. Tennis and basketball camp $890, tennis camp $520, basketball camp $520.
Mini tennis aficionados work on groundstrokes, volleys and overhead shots in a noncompetitive atmosphere at this four-day morning camp. Afternoons are reserved for aspiring b-ball players, who'll learn the fundamentals of the game—dribbling, passing, shooting, defense and game play—through drills, all conducted in a nurturing, positive environment. Kids with a knack for both sports can stay for the entire day. Ages 6 to 9.
Presidents Week Holiday Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24 8:45am–3:30pm. The Field House at Chelsea Piers. $590, two days (Feb 20, 21) $270. Early drop-off and/or late pickup available for an additional fee.
Young jocks can get moving in the multisport camp, where basketball, soccer, volleyball and baseball take up most of the day. For junior tumblers, the organization offers an alternative: a program focused on bars, trampoline, beam and vault. After a break for lunch, kids spend an hour ice-skating, bowling or rock climbing before returning to their regular activities. Ages 5 to 12.
SLAM Winter Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24 9am–3pm. Streb Lab for Action Mechanics, 51 North 1st St between Kent and Wythe Aves, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-384-6491, streb.org). $550, sibling discount 10 percent.
This unique city treasure imparts a combination of athletics, circus skills, stuntwork, gymnastics and dance moves to its students, with work on the flying trapeze, German wheel and trampoline. STREB promotes a system it calls "personal best," using a method that suits all skill sets, body types and age levels. Ages 6 to 12.
Super Soccer Stars Mini Camp and Kick it! Camp
Mon Feb 20–Fri Feb 24. Mini Camp (ages 2½ to 5) 9:30am–noon (9:15am–11:45pm at Tribeca location). Kick It! (ages 6 to 12) 1–5pm (available at Park Slope and Upper West Side locations only). Various locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn (212-877-7171, supersoccerstars.com). Mini Camp: Tue–Fri $240–$280, Mon only $70–$80. Kick It!: Tue–Fri $260–$295, Mon only $75–$85.
Hope Solo wanna-bes work with coaches to hone their soccer skills. Your little football star will participate in soccer-themed games, as well as daily arts-and-crafts sessions. Older kids get four hours of soccer-technique instruction each day. Ages 2½ to 12.
Winter Camp at Trail Blazers
Wed Feb 22–Thu Feb 23 or Thu Feb 23–Fri 24. 210 Deckertown Tpke, Montague, NJ (212-529-5113, trailblazers.org). Two days and one night $250; includes transportation from NYC, food, lodging and activities.
Not only is this the rare overnight winter-holiday camp but it is also one of the few that embraces the chilly season. On the camp's forested, 1,100-acre site, snowkids ice-skate on Lake Mashipakong, hike through the wintry terrain, make snowshoes, build snow shelters and learn winter astronomy, plus roast smores over a campfire. Campers must come equipped with adequate winter clothing; consult the website's checklist for more information. Time Out Kids readers get a 50 percent discount when they mention TOK when registering. Ages 7 to 13.
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