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Best Summer Camps in Westchester and the Hudson Valley for Teens and Tweens

Frost Valley's offering for teens include extended overnights on the trail, sleeping under the stars, and adventure courses. Photo courtesy of the camp
Frost Valley's offering for teens include extended overnights on the trail, sleeping under the stars, and adventure courses. Photo courtesy of the camp
3/24/24 - By Katherine Dhurandhar

Looking for a summer camp for your teen or tween in Westchester or the Hudson Valley? It can be a challenge finding summer camps for the older set since many camps max out at age 12. That's why we have searched and rounded up 22 summer camps in Westchester and the Hudson Valley that have programs specifically for teens. 

Some of the traditional outdoors-focused camps on the list have programs for counselors in training, while others include teen travel camps or teen adventure camps where teens can spend the summer hiking, camping, and exploring. Our picks also include STEM summer camps for teens, art and theater camps, and even a rock band camp. 

Find more fun camps in our Camps Guide for Westchester and Hudson Valley Kids and Camp Directory. You can search the Directory by the type of camp you are looking for, your child's age, and the area you live in. 

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Top Summer Camps for Teens in Westchester

iD Tech Summer Programs

Purchase & Pleasantville
ages 7-18
Kids can explore this prestigious campus while making friends and mastering new tech skills. At iD Tech camps, students ages 7 to 18 learn to code, design video games, produce videos, mod Minecraft, create with Roblox, build laptops, learn about cybersecurity, and more! READ MORE

The Rock Club

New Rochelle
ages 6-16
The Rock Club offers weekly indoor and outdoor rock-climbing camps and classes, promoting strength, balance, flexibility, and focus. Camps and classes include all climbing equipment, team-building elements, ground games, and fun, with no experience necessary. READ MORE

Camp Pinebrook

New Rochelle
ages 6-15
At Camp Pinebrook, children make new friends, develop life skills, and have fun in a nurturing environment infused with Jewish values for campers from 3 years old through 9th grade, with a Counselor-in-Training program for 10th graders. Facilities include two heated pools, athletic fields, a gymnasium, an amphitheater, large indoor facilities, activity spaces, and 15 acres to explore.    READ MORE

Bach To Rock Mamaroneck - Camps

Mamaroneck
ages 3-16
Bach To Rock has weekly music camp programs for campers ages 3-16. Ages 3-6 learn and play music from all over the world in the Rock City World Tour camp, with half-day programs running all summer. Ages 7-16 learn to jam in Rock Band Camp or sing like pop stars in Glee Camp, with half- and full-day programs available all summer.  READ MORE

Clay Art Center

Port Chester
Ages 7-15
The Clay Art Center provides sculpting classes and activities, including summer camp for children ages 7 to 15. Ages 7-11 will focus on hand-built sculptural art, while ages 12-15 will learn wheel-throwing pottery with hand-building. A shop on-premises sells pottery. READ MORE

Future Stars Summer Camps - Westchester

Purchase
Ages 6-16
Located in the heart of Westchester, Future Stars Summer Camps at SUNY Purchase offer a variety of 21 different sports and specialty camp programs. With flexible weekly scheduling, campers can mix and match for the complete camp experience. Specialty programs include STEAM education, magic, and circus arts. READ MORE

iCAMP Holiday STEAM Camps

Mt. Kisco & Scarsdale
CIT Program for ages 14-15
iCAMP’s school break camps focus on teaching STEAM topics like coding, robotics, studio and graphic art, science, filmmaking, video game design, 3D printing, and more. Campers also spend time outdoors or in indoor movement spaces when the weather is cold. Camps are offered in the summer as well as on school holidays, including MLK Day, during Presidents week vacation, spring break, and on Memorial Day.  READ MORE

Katonah Art Center Camp

Katonah
grades 6-12
With classes divided by age group and activity, this camp caters to ages 3-17. Paint a mural, fuse glass, make a horror film, learn Flash animation, design jewelry, and more. Registration is by the week; choose full- or half-days. Extended days are also an option.  READ MORE

Purchase College Summer Arts Programs

Purchase
grades 7-12
Purchase College offers a summer exploring visual, performing, and digital arts guided by experienced instructors and practicing artists. Programs for grades 3-8 encourage exploration of artistic genres from creative writing, filmmaking, and photography to acting and virtual reality adventures. READ MORE

The Cliffs at Valhalla

Valhalla
ages 6-17
The Cliffs offers a climbing gym day pass as well as classes, teams, birthday parties, and summer camps with adventures indoors and out, including exhilarating high-adventure elements, urban exploration, and plenty of climbing. Optional add-ons provide even more opportunities to explore movement and the urban outdoors in new ways, including flying trapeze and parkour. Camp and teams are for ages 6-17. Family climbing classes are also available. READ MORE

The Play Group Theatre - Camps

White Plains
Ages 4-17
The Play Group Theatre's summer theater programs provide artistically dynamic and creatively challenging summer experiences for kids of all ages and levels of experience. Choose from multiple summer programs, including Little Theater for ages 4-6, Teen Co. for ages 14-17, Design/Tech for 12+, and Sketch Comedy for 12+. READ MORE

The Shames JCC on the Hudson - Summer Camp

Tarrytown
Ages 2-16
The Shames JCC summer camps transform summers into experiences of a lifetime. Children and teens ages 2-16 have various choices to keep them busy all summer long, including nature exploration, swimming, and basketball.  READ MORE

Westchester Art Studio

Pleasantville
Ages 5-17
Housed in a church, this art program offers year-round classes and sporadic camp sessions in summer. Teens can join a week-long drawing and painting camp offered in mid-July and again in late August, while kids ages 5-9 can close out the summer with a week of Art Explore camp. READ MORE

Westchester Circus Arts

Ardsley
Ages 5-18
Real circus artists inspire kids with exciting after-school classes, birthday parties, and summer camps. Campers ages 5-18 experience flying trapeze, aerial arts, acrobatics, trampoline, tightwire, juggling, clowning, and more. All ages and abilities are welcome and no experience is necessary. Every two-week session ends with a show for friends and families to attend. READ MORE

Best Camps for Teens in the Hudson Valley

Camp Ramaquois

Pomona
Grades 2-10
Campers ages 3-15 experience a variety of activities to amp up their summer. With a 5-acre lake, nine heated swimming pools, a splash park, tennis courts, a petting zoo, and more, there's no shortage of fun. Junior Camp for 3-6 year olds offers age-appropriate activities and facilities, while older kids have travel options. READ MORE

Deer Mountain Day Camp

Pomona
Ages 3-15, with CIT Program for grade 10
Campers aged 3 to 15 enjoy a diverse camp agenda, including swimming, sports, fine and performing arts, outdoor adventure, nature, STEM, lake activities, and special events. The Nursery program, for ages 3-4, features a 2:1 camper to adult ratio, with 4-6 children per group. Nursery kids have a designated lunch area and their own heated pool. READ MORE

Frost Valley YMCA Camp

Claryville
Grades 1-12
Frost Valley YMCA offers day camps as well as sleepaway camps with specialty camps including horse and farm camps, teen adventure camps, and camps for kids with special needs. Activities at the standard day camp include arts and crafts, sports and games, hiking, climbing, swimming, and soaring on the flying squirrel zip line. Bus transportation is available from several locations in Sullivan and Ulster Counties.   READ MORE

Green Chimneys

Carmel
age 4-15
Multiple scheduling options and two campuses in Putnam County are available, with camps for kids from age 4 to 15. The Carmel site offers a lake with boating and swimming, along with other outdoor recreation, while the Brewster location features a canoe launch on the Great Swamp, an Olympic-size indoor pool, and a farm center housing more than 300 animals. Programs are divided by age and include a Leaders in Training program for grade 9 and a Counselor in Training program for grade 10.  READ MORE

The Nature Place Day Camp

Chestnut Ridge
Ages 4-16
Camp at The Nature Place is about being in and connecting with the natural world: nature explorations, cooperative games, hiking, earth art, swimming lessons, mucking in the stream, camping, canoeing, climbing, gardening, meeting animals, storytelling, music, archery, drama, and more.  READ MORE

Timber Lake Summer Camp

Shandaken
Ages 5-18
Timber Lake Camp sits on a mountaintop surrounded by 500 acres in New York’s Catskill Mountains, just 2.5 hours from New York City. The traditional, co-ed camp features two private, spring-fed lakes, and tons of activities, including a wide selection of sports, watersports, hiking, climbing, STEM, and creative arts. The teen program includes trips, life skills, and leadership training. READ MORE

Camp Herrlich

Patterson
Ages 3-18
Situated on 156 acres of land with a 15-acre pond, Camp Herrlich offers nature, adventure, and water activities, plus dance and theater, arts, music, and more. Day camp is available for 10 weeks in the summer, featuring a different theme every week, and sleepaway camp is available in 3-week-long sessions. The Leader in Training (LIT) Program gives older campers the skills they need to become camp counselors while also letting them enjoy the fun of camp activities. READ MORE

Eden Village Camp

Putnam Valley
Ages 8-16
Eden Village Camp is an eco-conscious, Jewish faith sleepaway camp based on six core program areas – Farm to Table, Music, Culinary Arts, Survival Skills, Herbalism, and Yahadut (Jewish spirituality). Eden's summer camp is available for kids entering 3rd grade. Special camps are available for teens in 10th and 11th grades, including a Forest and Food Adirondack Adventure and an Eden Israel Experience.   READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

iD Tech Camps at Fairfield University
Harold & Elaine Shames JCC on the Hudson
Green Chimneys - Clearpool Campus