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Best Art Summer Camps near NYC: Performing Art Camps, Theater Camps, Sleepaway Art Camps

Get creative at Barking Cat Studio, which offers in-person programming all year long. Photo courtesy of the studio
Get creative at Barking Cat Studio, which offers in-person programming all year long. Photo courtesy of the studio
2/17/22 - By Drew Kristofik

New York City is the epicenter for the arts, so of course, it's home to a diverse and amazing selection of art summer camps. With many world-class professional artists teaching here, NYC offers a huge selection of art summer camps ranging from visual art camps to performing art camps and filmmaking summer camps. From Brooklyn to Midtown to the Bronx and beyond, you can find the perfect art summer camp from our list below for your budding artist.

For more summer camps in New York City, including free and cheap summer camps for NYC Kids and popular preschool camps in NYC, be sure to bookmark our NYC Summer Camp Guide and our Camp Directory where you can search for summer camps by type, age, and neighborhood.

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Visual Art Summer Camps for New York City Kids

Creatively Wild Art Studio

Dumbo, Brooklyn
Ages 4-8
Creatively Wild's summer camps cater to little creators ages 4-8 and can be booked by the day, week, or the entire summer. Kids spend their time immersed in a pair of projects daily, and every day is different so repeat campers are always welcome! Sandwiched in between the projects, they'll hit the great outdoors for fresh air and playtime.  READ MORE

Children's Museum of the Arts Summer Art Camps

Hudson Square, and Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Ages 5-11
The beloved Children's Museum of the Arts runs a pair of arts summer camps at two different city locations. Kids participate in a diverse range of art practices, take field trips to neighboring museums and galleries, and enjoy fun outdoor activities. READ MORE

Brooklyn Museum Summer Camp

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Ages 8-13
The Brooklyn Museum offers campers a chance to experience a variety of mediums, including photography, sculpture, mixed media, drawing, painting, animation, and more. Kids explore the museum's collection, try out new techniques, and share their creations during Open Studio time on Fridays. READ MORE

Center for Architecture Summer Camps

Ages 7-17
The Center for Architecture's summer camps cater to kids entering grades 3-12 and get them dreaming about the possibilities of design, form, and building. Past week-long programs have included building bridges, theater design, store design, fairytale architecture, and more. READ MORE

Claire's Creative Adventures

Upper East Side
Ages 3 1/2-15
Campers at Claire's Creative Adventures can choose from a variety of part-time programs. Get creative in the hands-on Art Adventures camps, which introduce kids to a variety of mediums and techniques from the traditional to more modern endeavors. In its Art & Museum Adventures program, campers combine a creative project with an in-depth look at an artist's work through museum and gallery visits.  READ MORE

Barking Cat Studio Arts & Crafts for Everyone!

Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn
Ages 8-13
Art and adventure is the focus at Barking Cat Art Studio's summer camp, which offers a variety of themes in one-week sessions. In these small-group sessions, campers can study subjects like mixed-media, collage, clay, fiber crafts, and more.  READ MORE

The Painted Cloud - Camp

Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Ages 4-10
The Painted Cloud offers in-person sessions on a weekly basis that include community-minded art projects, drawing, and outdoor play with sprinklers. Campers are divided into two groups depending on age. READ MORE

The Art Farm NYC Camps

Upper East Side
Ages 2-11
The folks behind this innovative, animal-focused play space offers full- and half-day camps for kids as young as 3 split between two Trevor Day School locations. Campers participate in art-making, animal care, gardening, and more. Full-day campers take swimming lessons at the 92nd Street Y. READ MORE
Piper Theatre's summer program stages outdoor productions at the Old Stone House. Photo courtesy of the program
Piper Theatre's summer program stages outdoor productions at the Old Stone House. Photo courtesy of the program

Dance and Performing Arts Summer Camps for NYC Kids

BOLD Arts

Multiple Locations
Ages 6-10
BOLD Arts offers week-long summer camps. A different, thought-provoking theme centers each week's activities, including dance, music, and art projects. Every session ends with a child-centered performance where kids are the stars and the costumes, scenery, and performances are their own creations. READ MORE

New York Theatre Ballet School

East Village
Ages 5-11
New York Theatre Ballet School is the official training academy of NYTB, offering classes for ages 4 and up. Since 1978, the NYTB School has developed its young dancers by following the Cecchetti syllabus, a method that emphasizes musicality, theatricality, gesture, and style. READ MORE

CinemaKidz

Lower Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, and Park Slope
Ages 5-15
Kids ages 5-15 learn the fundamentals of storytelling, cinematography, editing, costume design, and other media arts in a hands-on creative environment. Choose from four camp locations with safety protocols in place, including one outdoor-only option in Prospect Park. READ MORE

Piper Theatre Summer Programs

Park Slope, Brooklyn
Ages 7-17
Piper Theatre Productions offers a variety of performing arts summer camps. Young "Starlings" can enjoy 1-2 week programs, while the most dedicated actors ages 15-17 can enroll in four-week intensives. No matter your child's age, an end-of-camp performance shares what they learned.  READ MORE

TADA! Youth Theater

Flatiron
Ages 7-10
At this well-known performing arts program, seasoned theater pros teach kids the core elements of musical theater, including singing, dancing, and acting their way through popular Broadway hits and TADA's original productions. School break camps, summer camps, and classes are also available.  READ MORE

Atlantic Acting School - Summer Camps

Chelsea
Ages 4-18
Atlantic Acting School's excellent performing arts programs return to in-person programming this summer. Children ages 4-15 can participate in a performing arts camp, while older kids ages 15-18 can hone their skills in the Teen Ensemble. READ MORE

Riverdale Children's Theatre Summer Lights

Riverdale, the Bronx
Ages 7-14
At Riverdale's Summer Lights program, kids explore the magic of theater and participate in a fully staged production with professional production values. Campers receive training in acting, theater, and dance. Every child receives personalized, one-on-one, voice lessons. When they're not on stage, kids can enjoy traditional summer camp fun, and a field trip to a Broadway play is part of this summer-long program. READ MORE

A Class Act NY - Camps

Midtown West
Ages 8-19
A Class Act offers in-studio musical theatre, on-camera, voice-over, and dramatic arts programs taught by amazing Broadway veterans, Los Angeles casting directors, and television and film directors. READ MORE

Child's Play NY - Classes

Fort Greene, Brooklyn Heights, and Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Ages 3-11
This Brooklyn-based company offers a wide variety of theater classes and camps for young performers. Week-long camps are broken up by age and offer themes ranging from "Pride Rock," for little performers, up to "Descendents Drama" and "Hogwarts Magic" for tweens. No matter your child's age or interest, they're bound to find a match here. READ MORE
French Woods campers perform the final moment of The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time. Photo courtesy of the camp
French Woods campers perform the final moment of The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time. Photo courtesy of the camp

Sleepaway Arts Summer Camps for New York City Kids

Performing Arts Camp at French Woods

Hancock, New York
Ages 7-17
Internationally recognized as a premier program in the performing arts, French Woods features options in music, art, theater, dance, circus, magic, and horseback riding. In addition to core activities, traditional summer camp programs are also offered. READ MORE

Interlochen

Interlochen, Michigan
Ages 8-18
Interlochen's exceptional summer programs run the gamut from creative writing to musical theater, dance, film, and visual arts. In addition to top-of-the-line instruction in the arts, Interlochen campers enjoy traditional summer camp fun on the 120-acre, lakefront campus.  READ MORE

Long Lake Camp for the Arts

Dobbs Ferry, New York
Ages 8-16
Long Lake offers three- or six-week overnight sessions for girls and boys from all around the world. Kids can create their own schedule, with offerings that include circus, theatre, music, dance, magic, and more. READ MORE

Camp Ballibay

Wyalusing, Pennsylvania
Ages 8-16
Camp Ballibay offers deep, engaging programs for young artists at all levels in a traditional summer arts camp setting. The 174-acre campus boasts outstanding facilities for theater, fine art, dance, and rock music. READ MORE

Maine Arts Camp

Waterville, Maine
Ages 9-17
Located on the campus of Thomas College, Maine Arts Camp limits its enrollment to just 90 campers per session. Kids can choose to attend for two- and four-week sessions and take classes like still life painting, metal jewelry, fiction writing, musical theater, tennis, and fusion cuisine. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Barking Cat Studio Arts & Crafts for Everyone • Windsor Terrace