Summer Fun Guide: (Inter)Active Fun In Parks & Zoos

After-Hours Adventures

During the summer, your favorite parks aren’t just for daytime picnics—the Urban Park Rangers host Family Camping nights throughout the summer months at parks in all five boroughs. For one night, you’ll get a tent, cookout treats, and guided activities like stargazing at no cost.

Or there are the coveted zoo sleepovers like the Bronx Zoo’s Family Overnight Safari, a delightful affair for fervent animal lovers that includes a picnic dinner, hands-on animal experiences, scavenger hunts, a sea lion wake-up call, and more. If you’re unable to make reservations, don’t despair—we also love The Art Farm in the City, the Upper East Side eco and animal center that hosts weekend feeding and snuggling sessions.

Bike It

Looking to get active in the parks? Small kiddies can take an easy 1.3-mile loop around Staten Island’s Silver Lake Park, full of wildlife-viewing opps, or the breezy 4.5-mile round trip from Owl’s Head Park to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in Brooklyn.

For more experienced bikers, a 6.25-mile scenic route between Pelham Bay Park and Orchard Beach in the Bronx runs through five different types of landscapes; a 6.5-mile trail from Alley Pond Park to Fort Totten and Little Bay Park in Queens takes you around a Civil War fortress.

Fams looking for a manageable challenge can set out from 79th Street to the Little Red Lighthouse right in Manhattan, a moderate 10-mile round trip that parallels the Hudson River and takes you to the lighthouse immortalized in the 1942 children’s classic.

Aviator Sports Summer Day Camp

Aviator Sports Summer Day Camp offers five daily rotating activities such as swimming, ice skating gymnastics, rock climbing, parkour, indoor/outdoor turf, and courts plus more in its ample 175,000 sq. ft. facility and 35-acre outdoor area. Aviator Summer Camp also offers off-site and on-site field trips such as a day at Green Meadows Farm, Launch Trampoline Park, and a Brooklyn Cyclones game. The summer camp runs from 9 am-5 pm with early drop off and late stay available. Bus transportation is also available throughout Brooklyn. Lunch and an afternoon snack are included. Sign up by February 28th to receive up to $300 off camp with early bird discounts.

Brooklyn Robot Foundry - Virtual Classes

Brooklyn Robot Foundry offers super fun online robot-building classes for children 2-13 years old!&nbsp;&nbsp;Each week, students are introduced to new engineering concepts and components while building that day&rsquo;s robot in their own &ldquo;workshop&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;All classes maintain a very low student-to-teacher ratio, allowing for plenty of individualized instruction and socializing. The supplies are shipped in advance and classes are led by amazing instructors, taking all the pressure off parents.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Foundry&rsquo;s main focus however, is that kids have fun, get creative, and enjoy being part of this STEAM-loving community!&nbsp;

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.