Camp Corlears: The 5/6s Program | Corlears School

About the 5/6s Program

At Camp Corlears, rising Kindergarteners and first graders enjoy art, play, and investigation activities based around fun weekly themes.

Alongside the daily activities led by expert head counselors, the 5s and 6s also enjoy the following:

Swim lessons 2x/week with British Swim School
Soccer classes 2x/week
Local field trip 1x/week aligned with that week's theme; past trips include visits to the Central Park Zoo, Intrepid Space Museum, and the American Museum of Natural History

Eligibility

Designed for children entering Kindergarten or first grade in the coming school year.

Hours, Dates, and Pricing

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

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, this sample schedule will give you an idea of what your child can expect at camp!

♦NEW: Math and Literacy Clubs

Minimize summer slide while keeping the joy of summer alive! Designed and taught by Corlears educators, our new after-camp math and literacy clubs give children the chance to explore math and literacy concepts through hands-on activities that are as engaging as they are enriching. Like the Corlears School curriculum, our academic after-camps are play-based and thoughtfully crafted to be responsive to children's interests and differentiated to meet the unique needs of each child.

How it works:

Math Club (Tuesdays): Our young mathematicians will strengthen their critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and number fluency through age-appropriate, hands-on activities. These experiences encourage curiosity and creativity, helping students see the real-world applications of mathematical concepts.
Literacy Club (Thursdays): Campers will focus on building and reinforcing a variety of literacy skills in ways that make learning feel like play. Depending on the age level and the child's needs, focus areas may include phonemic awareness, decoding, word recognition, and reading comprehension.

Activities are divided by age group, with the 5/6s, 7/8s, and 9/10s meeting separately. Clubs take place from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m. and seamlessly transition into our standard after-camp programming, which runs until 5 p.m., although families may choose to pick up their child earlier. Snack is also provided.

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 5/6s, children are supported at all times by a 7:1 camper-to-counselor ratio, with a head counselor and assistant counselor in each group.

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 enrolled at Corlears School to attend Camp Corlears? Nope! Camp Corlears is open to all families.

How does swim work? And what if my child can't swim?

Beginning in the 5s, all campers swim 2x/week with British Swim School. Swim takes place at a nearby pool in a school or apartment building, to be specified as we get closer to the summer. Children will travel to the pool either by foot or chartered bus.

Swimmers of all abilities are welcome, with lessons taught by British Swim School's Red Cross-certified swim instructors.

If your child does not know how to swim, the instructors will teach them about water safety and beginner swimming skills. Campers who can't swim will keep both hands on the wall and await a swim instructor's directions before swimming in the pool. During registration, you will have the opportunity to share your child's skill level with the BSS instructors.

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.