Things to do on Winter Vacation: Five Winter Break Camps

Got a note from Emmanuel who wanted to know about Winter Vacation Camps so we rounded up some cool ones. There are vacation camps for every kid from preschoolers to teenagers with lots of variety; science camps, arts camps, sports camps, even a week-long skiing and sleep away camp in the Berkshires. Cool.

American Museum of Natural History Winter Camps - Grades 2-7
Feb 16-20 9am-4pm $450

The Museum of Natural History offers vacation camps that give kids a fun science experience at the Museum. Each session includes hands-on investigations, behind-the-scenes tours, and visits with Museum scientists. Sessions include Space and Astrophysics, Fossil and DNA, and Climate Change.

BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange - Grades K-5
Feb 16-20, 8:30-3 (late pick up available) $300 per week or $70 per day

BAX offers a performing arts program that gets kids tumbling, singing, dancing, acting and performing musical theater. In the afternoon they will do workshops and activities including  garage band, comic book making, video scavenger hunt, kamikaze juggling and more. Sounds fun. Sign me up!

Guggenheim Museum - Winter Break Young Artist Mini-Camp - Ages 11- 14
$400($300 for members), includes 5 sessions, all art materials, snacks, a family pass, and a CD-ROM with photos documenting the program. FEB 16-20, 10am-4pm

Children explore masterworks of art through a variety of drawing exercises in museum galleries and are introduced to new approaches and techniques to enhance their painting skills and personal artistic style in the Sackler Center studio art lab. To register, call 212 423 3637.

Chelsea Piers - Ages 3-12
Mon, Feb 16-Fri , Feb 20, 8:45am-3:30pm: $250 for 2 days, $500 for 5 days

With a multi-sport camp, gymnastics camp (ages 5-12) and a holiday preschool gymnastics camp (ages 3-5), Chelsea Piers can keep your your whole troop busy and throughly exhausted during the winter break. The Multi-Sport Camp includes soccer, basketball, baseball, team handball, ice-skating, bowling and more. In addition to each camp's core curriculum, campers participate in other activities around the Piers, including ice skating, rock climbing and bowling.

NY Hall of Science Innovation Camps -Grades 1-4, 7-8
Feb 17 - 20 / half-day, Fee: $125

The New York Hall of Science in Queens offers a variety of themes for different grades throughout the year. Students explore concepts in science, technology and engineering through carefully designed curriculum and exhibit investigations. Programs offered explore color, astronomy and a new program for 7th and 8th graders gives kids the opportunity to explore digital game and simulation design.

Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA Winter Camp - Grades 2-9
Winter Camp runs from 3:00pm Sunday, February 15th, 2009 to 11:00am Saturday, February 21st, 2009 / tuition $480 per child.

A great way to find out if your kid is ready for sleep away camp while enjoying the beautiful Berkshires and all its winter wonder! While the focus of the camp is on character development, the activities include things such as cross country skiing and ice skating, winter ecology/nature studies and winter survival skills - but they also include the more subtle skills also learned at summer camp - how to reason with cabin mates, how to lead peers, how to cooperate and communicate well, and how to respect one another.