Camp Corlears: The 3s Program | Corlears School

About the 3s Program

Every day at Camp Corlears is a chance for our littlest campers to learn, explore, and grow. In the 3s, campers love sprinkler time in our beautiful backyard, in addition to engaging art, literacy, and music activities led by head counselors with deep expertise in early childhood.

Alongside the daily activities designed to be responsive to the campers' emerging interests, your child will also enjoy the following:

Music and movement classes 2x/week
Soccer classes 2x/week
Daily sprinkler time in the backyard, weather permitting
Increased support from early childhood professionals

Eligibility Children must be 3 years old — or turning 3 by October 1 — to be eligible for the 3s program at Camp Corlears. We also ask that all campers be potty-trained.

Hours, Dates, and Pricing

The standard camp day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

In the 3s, we also offer a half-day option that ends at noon.

After-camp is available from 3 to 5:00 p.m. to all full-day campers for an additional daily fee, with no full-week commitments required.

Camp Corlears takes place over six weeks from mid-June through July. Each camp session is one week long; families can register for one or multiple sessions, and multiple sessions do not need to be consecutive.

The most up-to-date pricing can be found on our main camp page, or through our registration platform (ActiveNetwork).

Sample Schedule

While programming is always evolving to meet our campers' emerging interests, the below schedules give you an idea of what your child can expect at camp!

Half-day sample schedule

Full-day sample schedule

Staffing Ratio

One of the best parts about Camp Corlears is our head counselors. Primarily full-time Corlears School teachers, all of our head counselors have extensive experience facilitating growth through play for children of all ages.

In the 3s, children are supported by a 6:1 camper-to-counselor ratio, with a head counselor and assistant counselor in each group. An early childhood camp coordinator — also an experienced Corlears School teacher — is on staff to serve as extra support for all 3s and 4s campers, counselors, and families.

Family Communication

Counselors maintain regular communication with our campers' grown-ups, because we know how important it is for families to know their child is in safe hands.

During the 8:30–9:00 a.m. arrival window, families are welcome to drop into their child's classroom quarters; counselors are available to chat, answer questions, or share what's planned for that day or week.

Our counselors also send two newsletters per camp week:

1. The Lookout

Each Thursday, before the next camp session begins, keep an eye on your inbox for "The Lookout." This welcome letter comes from your child's counselors, and it's packed with everything you need to know about the week ahead. The Lookout contains information about planned activities, weekly themes, and general logistical information.

2. Greetings from Camp

On Friday afternoons, our counselors send the "Greetings from Camp" newsletter to each camp group. Think of it like the digital version of an old-school postcard! This newsletter includes photos and an overview of the activities our campers enjoyed that week.

In addition to the counselors ensuring your child is having a great time at camp, multiple Corlears School administrators are on-site at all times to ensure safe and smooth operations; during camp hours, families can reach the full team by emailing camp@corlearsschool.org or by calling the front desk at 212-741-2800.

Frequently Asked Questions

Even more information can be found on our main camp page.

For any questions not answered by our website, connect with the team at camp@corlearsschool.org.

Does my child need to be potty-trained?

Yes, we ask that all campers are potty-trained. Children in the 3s and 4s will be asked to bring a change of clothes along for the occasional accident. Bathroom breaks are built into the schedule by our counselors, with children proactively encouraged to use the bathroom.

For families enrolled at Corlears School, please note that the level of potty training support that exists in the Seedlings classrooms during the school year is not a feature of Camp Corlears.

What if my child is new to a separation-based program?

For children who are new to separation, our counselors will provide resources and guidance for how to make separation successful in the lead-up to camp. Counselors will greet children when they arrive at camp each morning, either in front of the school or in our natural playground, helping to ease their transition to camp.

Counselors will be in touch as the summer approaches with guidance on how to successfully separate each morning. For now, we have some resources that might help: Top Tips for Helping Toddlers with Separation Anxiety, written by one of Corlears School's early childhood head teachers, offers tips on separation. Be sure to take a look at the video at the bottom of the page!

Plus, check out Corlears School's Guide to Early Childhood, which is provided to families enrolled in the Early Childhood division. Page 19 outlines helpful separation strategies for families, but please note that our resources and staffing picture is slightly different for Camp Corlears than it is for Corlears School.

Does my child need to be enrolled at Corlears School to attend Camp Corlears? Nope! Camp Corlears is open to all families.

Can I request that my child be placed in a camp group with their friends? From the 3s through first grade, camp programs are composed of multiple camp groups. During the registration process, families will have the opportunity to request two children they would like to be placed in their child's camp group. We will do our best to accommodate these requests, with the goal of accommodating at least one, although we can't make any guarantees. Please note that even if children are not in the same camp group, there will be plenty of group overlap and connection throughout the day, either in the backyard or through special activities like swim, soccer, field trips, and more.

Are meals or snacks included?

No. Children should arrive at camp each day with a water bottle, nut-free snack, and, for full-day campers, a nut-free lunch that does not need to be heated up or refrigerated.

However, please note that children attending after-camp will receive a complimentary snack.

What if my child is unable to attend a registered camp week?

Families should notify camp@corlearsschool.org if they need to make any changes to their camp registration. Up until March 31, a 50% refund will be granted to families. After March 31, no refunds will be granted.

A child’s inability to attend a camp week for any reason, including due to illness, will not result in a refund.

Where possible, Corlears will consider requests to switch a child’s registered camp week to a week later in the summer. These requests will be considered against camp group availability and programmatic needs, and may not always be granted. Corlears is unable to grant credits towards future summers if children are not able to attend their registered sessions.

Will my child receive a Camp Corlears T-shirt?

They sure will! All children receive one camp T-shirt on their first day of camp, and families can purchase extras via our school store.

While we encourage that campers wear their T-shirts on field trip days, there is no expectation they wear a Camp Corlears shirt every day. Generally, campers can wear whatever summer clothing is comfortable for them — just know that on some days they'll probably get a little messy!

My family is based internationally. Is there anything we should know before registering for Camp Corlears?

Thank you for interest in Camp Corlears! In past years, we've welcomed many families who are visiting NYC for the summer! Our priority is ensuring that all campers are welcomed, loved, and made to feel comfortable in an environment where they can have a fun and memorable time at camp.

The main thing to be mindful of is health and safety guidelines. New York State requires that any camper participating in our program has completed a series of vaccinations, and also that their family has submitted a medical form that attests to a physical examination by a physician within the past year. This physical exam must be conducted by a doctor within New York State.

However, there is some leeway with families who are visiting from abroad:

Prior to the first day of camp, you would be required to submit a record of physical examination of your child from within the past year. This could be from a doctor wherever you are based. Of particular importance would be a record of any allergies your child has, and the treatment plan for an allergic reaction.
Also prior to the first day of camp, you would be required to submit a record of your child's vaccinations.
If the initial record of physical exam is from a physician outside of New York State, by 30 days following your child's first day of camp, you would need to submit a physical exam record from a doctor within New York State.

For any other health-related questions, we encourage you to connect with our school nurse at nurse@corlearsschool.org.

If you have any other questions about Camp Corlears — or if there's anything we need to know that would make your child feel most welcome here — connect with the team anytime at camp@corlearsschool.org and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Do you offer financial aid?

We are unfortunately not able to provide financial aid for Camp Corlears.

That said, families enrolled at Corlears School do receive a discount on camp that is scaled to their equitable TEAM tuition level.