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 children over 12, we welcome back former campers who know the program and are still interested in joining. Email us at play@play-ground.nyc for help with registration.

At Summer Camp, we also offer an option for older campers (13+) to participate in our Playworker-In-Training (PIT) program. More details here.

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

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.

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.

Families must submit a camp release waiver, camp policy agreement, trip consent form (all included in registration), and a recent health form for each participant at least two weeks before the first day of camp attended by your child.

Children must be immunized according to DOH guidelines with supporting documents.

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! 

We maintain a ratio of at least 1 playworker to 6 children at The Yard for all camp programs. Our Summer Camp is capped at 25-30 children per day (depending on staffing). Mini Camps may be small groups (5-10 campers) or they may include up to 20 campers.

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.

To ensure that we can provide a hazard-free space, we are unable to provide continual 1-on-1 support to individual campers.

Camp at The Yard is a dynamic setting with lots of freedom for young people to explore. Handling freedom well in community is a skill that we hope to support your child in developing and do not wish to overwhelm them with. Our staffing ratio is such that we are unable to provide one-on-one attention to any young person for extended periods of time. Be it due to anxiety, impulse control, or illness, if you think that your child may need such close support and/or receives it at school, please get in touch before registering by emailing play@play-ground.nyc. A conversation will help us determine if:

• Your child is likely to succeed at summer camp within our 1 adult to 6 child ratio

• We may be able to work with your family to provide accommodation

• Your child would benefit from developing some skills before joining our camp.

We are committed to being a welcoming space for all children, and we have successfully accommodated a variety of children with various support needs across our programming.

Again, if you feel that your camper may need any extra support, please contact us at play@play-ground.nyc before registering for camp.

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.

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.