Families in New York City have more than enough options to provide their children with STEM learning. Science, technology, engineering, and math are some of the most important subjects your child can learn throughout their school journey and are bound to make an impact in their future career.
You’ll find plenty of top STEM camps in New York City where your children can spend time learning about some truly fascinating subjects. This ranges from coding to science and the natural world to architectural design and robotics, so there’s something for every single child’s interests.
Whether you’re looking for a week-long or a whole summer camp, there are lots of options in NYC for kids to develop a passion for STEM.
Stem Camps in NYC For Kids
1. iCAMP
Summer camps at iCAMP typically run from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm and are usually held within independent schools that have a park next to them. Kids spend time learning in the classroom as well as playing outdoors.
Open to children aged 3-13, children are split into groups depending on their age range and what they will learn about.
Younger children’s topics include science, art, and preschool subjects. Older children will be able to learn about video game design, robotics, coding, and graphic art, among others from their certified teachers. Summer camp games are part of the fun for everyone.
iCAMP runs from early June to August, and they offer extended days. They are partnered with almost 70+ schools in NYC, which shows you the quality level of their programs.
2. Steve & Kate’s Camp
Located in the Upper West Side of New York City, Steve & Kate’s Camp has over 40 years of experience running programs all over the U.S.
It runs from mid-late June through August, although the dates differ each year. Camp runs from 8 am to 6 pm with lunch and snacks included, and it caters to campers ages 4-12 years old.
Purchase day passes or summer passes, and get a refund for any day that goes unused. Each day is something different, so it stays interesting and non-repetitive.
The highlight of Steve & Kate’s Camp has to be the variety of fun camp activities. Your children can get involved with baking, science, sports, sewing, and coding.
3. Launch Math + Science Centers
Launch Math + Science Centers offers STEM camps to students in K-7th. These one-week programs let students dive deep into concepts like coding, animation, aviation, anatomy, and more.
Their 4 to 1 staff to camper ratio provides each student with all the help and supervision they need to learn effectively in class. Although camps last a week, you can sign children up for multiple weeks since they rotate different themes and projects.
The days are filled with exciting activities that involve STEM projects, math lessons, and board/card games for late pick-ups.
Campers will be assigned to one of three groups based on their grade levels, where they learn subjects appropriate to their grade.
If you have more than one child or plan to enroll kids in more than one week, you can enjoy generous discounts.
4. Girls Rise Up
Girls Rise Up is STEM From Dance’s free 3-week summer camp. Girls Rise Up allows students to dive into STEM principles while learning different dance styles and techniques.
Through the program, girls learn about various STEM careers, increase their confidence, and master STEM skills, all while surrounded by a supportive group of women and girls.
If you’re interested in dance styles like Hip Hop and contemporary or would love to learn topics like engineering and circuitry, this program is for you. Girls Rise Up is open to girls 8 to 18 years old.
Programming takes place in July and runs Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 3 pm. Snacks and lunches are included.
5. Avenues
Located within The World School in Manhattan, Avenues runs an awesome day camp for children in nursery up to 5th grade. They have the Avenues Language Immersion Camp and NORY@Avenues.
The latter is more STEM-focused and provides campers with plenty of hands-on experience. NORY@Avenues is partnered with NORY which is a software company to teach STEM skills.
These sessions run weekly and cover robotics and innovations for children who are curious and eager to learn. Their online language learning program for K-12th grade students covers Mandarin and Spanish languages.
6. The WaterFront Center
Kids can explore the outdoors at The WaterFront Center! Located within The Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge, campers can take to the water and explore the local area.
Their camps are open to kids 6-18 years old. There are two main camp options: the ‘Youth Sailors’ program and the ‘Marine Explorers’, which is more STEM-based.
The day-to-day differs depending on the age of the camper. Youth Sailors offers kids an introduction to sailing, while Marine Explorers focuses on the ocean, nature, and immersive activities like kayaking.
The WaterFront Center runs an 8-week camp and the classes are scheduled into each of their weekly sessions. You have the choice to split your children’s schedule between the two, so they can learn how to sail while learning about the ocean and marine life and wildlife.
In addition, don’t forget to explore our STEM summer camps in Boston guide.
7. Hofstra Summer Camps
Hofstra Summer Camps run various specialty camps for children in every grade level between 2 and 10. This includes travel, sports, aquatics, art, and of course, a STEM Workshop Camp.
Located in Long Island, this workshop aims to improve a child’s problem-solving skills and creativity. They learn all about science, technology, engineering, and math.
For those specifically interested in Science, there are a couple of specialty sessions including the Science Discovery Lab, Marine Biology, and The Science Experiment.
Sessions can run for up to four weeks, covering all the summer months and run each weekday from 9 am to 4 pm.
8. iD Tech
While iD Tech has locations in states across the U.S., their location in New York City at Washington Square at NYU stands out. The camp is for those 7-17 years interested in STEM education.
There are two specialized STEM summer camps available. The iD Tech Camps for 7-17 is a and iD Teen Academy which is 2 weeks long and is for older children 13-18.
Campers can learn about a whole host of STEM topics, including coding, robotics, game development, and video production.
The carefully selected instructors are all from the U.S. and recruited from NYU and other top universities. The small class size and learning with the latest tech guarantee a good experience for students in New York City.
9. American Museum of Natural History
A favorite in New York City that books up quickly, the Adventures in Science Camps are run by the American Museum of Natural History. Focusing on the natural world and science, these week-long camps are suitable for students in 2nd through 5th grade.
Within these science camps, campers explore the museum and its exhibits, study specimens, and meet scientists, so they’re in for an action-packed week. Kids even get to see live animals, ideal for nature lovers.
There are typically four types of camp available: GeoAdventures and MuseumAdventures (grades 2-3), and MuseumExplorers and AstroExplorers (grades 4-5).
Spots for these camps fill up fast so reserve a session for your child as soon as possible.
10. Maker State
The Maker State has summer camp locations for several neighborhoods in New York City: the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, the Lower East Side, Park Slope, and West Village.
Maker State is a good option for children who want to get involved with a variety of creative projects. Whether they’re interested in rocket science, coding, engineering, or arts and crafts, your youngster is bound to find something they like.
You can opt for a day (or several) at the camp or pay per week, with the total camp length being 6 weeks. This camp is suitable for children ages 6-12 years and they even often after-camp care until 5:30 pm. Outdoor games are also part of the fun and keep children energetic.
While you’re here, also read our Chicago STEM Summer Camps page.
11. Center For Architecture
These weeklong summer programs are run by the Center For Architecture that cater to students in 2nd – 12th. There are 2-week architectural design studio courses available too.
The camps differ based on your child’s age, but each group has 8 to 9 choices. Students can learn everything from drawing techniques to designing 3D models of cities.
They include digital design, building model treehouses, animal architecture, and skyscrapers among others. Camp hours are from 9 am – 4 pm, and there are several need-based scholarships available.
Like many of the other STEM opportunities in NYC, these camps get booked up quickly.