Applying for Summer Camp 

  

The NYC Parks Summer Day Camp program is an exciting chance for children ages 6 to 13 to have a fun-filled summer! Your child will engage in sports, fitness, and outdoor adventure with the NYC Parks’ Team.

About the Lottery

Our summer camp program is extremely popular, and in order to make sure that we can accommodate children as fairly as possible, registration is conducted through a random lottery.

You can enter the lottery any time from March 3 – March 22, 2025. Entering earlier will not increase your chances of getting in.

After the lottery is run, you’ll get an email stating whether you have been chosen or waitlisted. You will receive this email by March 24, 2025 and will have one week to make your decision.

Tips for registering 

  • Your child must be between the ages of 6 and 13 by the first day of camp. The first day of camp is Monday, July 7, 2025.
  • We only allow one registration at one site. Registering more than once will not increase your chances to win; it may disqualify your child from the lottery as a duplicate.
  • If you have more than one eligible child, you should register them together on a single application. This will allow your children to be selected for the same summer camp at the same location, together.

Register For The Lottery

The 2025 Summer Camp lottery period has ended. Please check our Summer Camp page or sign up for our newsletter for updates.

Enrolling in Summer Camp

If your child has been chosen by the lottery, you will receive these instructions by email.

Full camp fee, (Regular Day $500, Extended Day $575), can be paid online by accessing your account via the link provided in the selection email. You can pay by credit card, debit card with a credit card logo, postal money order, or a certified bank check (payable to City of New York Parks and Recreation). Personal checks are not accepted.

Payments are not refundable.

You may pay in person at limited NYC Parks locations. Please keep in mind that we are strict about payment deadline dates. People who do not make the required payment by March 28, 2025 will be removed from the process in order to give others a chance to enroll.

During the process, you will have to submit the following required paperwork in person: Copy of birth certificate, Medical Form (signed by a physician), Camp Application, and Virtual Programming Waiver.

Payment and Paperwork Deadlines

There are two options for payment. You can either pay at once, or pay in partial installments. The schedule and deadlines are as follows:

Payment in Full

Due Friday, March 28, 2025:

  • Full payment ($500 Regular Day, $575 Extended Day)
  • Copy of Birth Certificate
  • Registration/Participation Agreement
  • Virtual Programming Waiver
  • Completed Medical Form

Payment Plan

Due Friday, March 28, 2025:

  • $100 - 1st Payment
  • Copy of Birth Certificate
  • Registration/Participation Agreement
  • Virtual Programming Waiver

Due Monday, April 14, 2025:

  • $200 Regular Day, $237.50 Extended Day - 2nd payment
  • Completed Medical Form

Due Wednesday, May 14, 2025:

  • $200 Regular Day, $237.50 Extended Day - final payment

All documents must be received by June 2, 2025.

Commitment to Camp and Refunds

If your child is selected in the lottery drawing, it is important to decide whether your child will be attending. The payment(s) you submit is nonrefundable except for documented cases of medical excuse or required attendance of summer school. Summer school may be defined as a Department of Education mandated academic session for promotional reasons.

Refund requests based on acceptance into additional enrichment programs such as Summer Rising may or may not be accepted on a case-by-case basis and a full refund is not guaranteed.

If you need a refund on these grounds, you must submit your request in person to your camp’s borough office by Friday, June 27, 2025. Additionally, it would help us and your fellow New Yorkers greatly if you let us know if you decide not to attend after being selected. You may withdraw your child at any point during the payment period to easily communicate that your child is not attending camp.

Contact

For more information on making payments in person and submitting paperwork or any other Camp questions, please contact your borough’s Summer Camp Coordinator.

About Our Summer Camp

The NYC Parks Summer Day Camp program is an exciting chance for children ages 6 to 13 to have a fun-filled summer! Your child will engage in sports, fitness, and outdoor adventure and take part in many of New York City’s rich cultural and educational opportunities.

Learn more about our summer camp