Finding an engaging and enriching summer camp that's right for your kid always takes a bit of work. Finding one that's a good fit for your first-time, preschool-age camper can be downright nerve-racking. You want their initial camp experience to be fun, safe, and memorable, but not over-stimulating or overwhelming. With so many high-quality camps for NYC preschoolers, it's hard to figure out which one to choose.

That's why we turned to the experts: our friends at the American Camp Association of New York and New Jersey. They've selected a handful of excellent New York City preschool summer camps offering a well-rounded summer experience filled with games, arts, sports, socializing, and plenty of outdoor time. Through the years, we've added more kid-tested, parent-approved picks of our own. Best of all, many of these preschool summer camps grow with your child, accepting kids in elementary school and beyond.

Keep in mind: Every camp has its own philosophy and program, so check out the website, call the director, and, if possible, attend an open house to get all the information you need before registering. Check out our Summer Camp Guide for more ideas, or these Brooklyn and Queens preschool summer camps for more outer-borough options.

Summer camp can be an awesome way to introduce preschool-aged kids to a school-like setting. They're old enough to want (and need) some mental and social stimulation during those long summer days, but not so mature that you can plant them at any old camp and trust they'll make do. The good news is that Boston and the surrounding Massachusetts 'burbs offer lots of great summer day camps to suit the many different types of preschoolers out there—from sporty to outdoorsy to tech-y!

We have the scoop on art camps, science camps, theater camps, and farm camps, too. Find more great summer camp options for your Massachusetts kids in our Boston Camp Guide and camp directory, which is searchable by interest, age, or location.

When children are ready to start earning extra pocket money, babysitting can be a great first job. There are numerous babysitting classes available for Long Island kids to become trustworthy and reliable babysitters. To better prepare for the responsibility of looking after little ones, tweens and teens can take classes to learn babysitting business skills, CPR and First Aid as well as childcare skills from potty training to creative play. Babysitters will feel more confident and competent and parents will feel more at ease leaving their little ones in the care of a well-trained sitter. Whether you’re the parent of a teenager who’s ready to start babysitting or you want to suggest that your current babysitter enhance their skills, here is a roundup of babysitting courses on Long Island for kids.   

If you’re looking for other children’s classes offered on Long Island, check out Mommy Poppins’ Guide to Classes for Long Island Kids. And if you need drop-in childcare and babysitting services, you won’t want to miss Mommy Poppins’ Drop-In Childcare and Babysitting Services for Parents on Long Island.

When you think "summer camp," you might picture canoeing on a lake, playing capture the flag, and eating s'mores by a campfire. But camp can also be about coding, constructing robots, and building with Lego. We've rounded up more than 20 New Jersey STEM camps that promise a summer of fun for budding scientists, engineers, and computer programmers. Find more New Jersey summer camps in our Camp Guide and Full Directory of Listings.