Choosing a summer camp for your kids strictly on the basis of price might not be the best idea. Other factors to consider: How cute are the t-shirts? How cute are the counselors? And is there a bus that adds immeasurable convenience while magically extending your kid’s day by an hour at each end? We’re kidding of course (except for the bus part), but the point is that we’re not TripAdvisor here—we don’t review the camps, we just check how much they charge. And these five came up as the least expensive in our price survey of dozens of Brooklyn day camps, including every one listed on the Park Slope Parents web site or advertised in Brooklyn Family magazine.
Cheapest: Camp Olympia
Sports are the thing at Camp Olympia, where campers ages 5 to 15 split their time between the soccer fields of Prospect Park and the gyms and pool at Park Slope’s John Jay High School.
Rates: $170 a week
Dates: June 29 to August 21
237 7th Ave. at Fifth Street, 718-748-7084, www.campolympiany.com/camp.html
Kamp 4 Kidz Day Camp & Musical Theater Camp
A summer camp for kids ages 5-15 held in P.S. 321. Activities include sports, dance, drama, arts and crafts and various field trips to amusement parks, zoos and the aquarium.
Rates:
Kids Ages 5-11, $200 per week or $300 per session (2 weeks)
Kids Ages 12-13, $150 per week or $220 per session (2 weeks)
Dates: June 29 to August 28
511 7th Ave., 718-232-6794, www.kamp4kidz.com
Prospect Park YMCA
Offers six different day camps, for kids entering kindergarten in September up to age 15. There are programs specifically for swimming, sports, teens, and kids with disabilities—each with its own rate scale—but basic day camp, for kids ages 6 to 11, offers sports, theme-based arts and crafts, field trips and environmental projects.
Rates: $350 per 11-day session for members; $400 for non-members.
Dates: June 29 to August 21
357 9th St., 718-768-7100, www.ymcanyc.org/index.php?id=1088
Dodge YMCA
At Dodge YMCA kids get a mix of both indoor and outdoor activities, including swimming, art, reading, baseball, soccer, tennis and basketball.
Rates: From $190 a week for Y members, $240, non-members. 10 percent discount for siblings and scholarships available.
Dates: June 29 to August 21
225 Atlantic Ave., 718-625-3136, www.ymcanyc.org/index.php?id=1079
Marine Park Day School
This camp, where kids ages 3 to 12 split their time between the school itself and nearby Marine Park, offers swimming, arts and crafts, drama, music, gymnastics, and karate, as well as field trips for older campers.
Rates: 4-week session is $1,250 and the full 8 weeks is $1,750. This includes 2 meals, snacks, and the price of the trips.
Dates: June 29 to August 21
1972 East 34th St., 718-376-5280, http://marineparkdayschool.com
