Berkeley Carroll Children's Day Camp
- North Slope
181 Lincoln Pl, Brooklyn 11217, NY
See Map | Get Directions - www.berkeleycarroll.org
Categories
Description
In this program, children explore their interests, stretch their imaginations, and nurture their talents by participating in a wide array of camp activities, including music, art, movement and field trips. Open to children ages three and up, the camp takes place in Berkeley Carroll's top-notch facilities, including its 75-foot swimming pool.
Reviews (37)
Review from the 2024 Summer Camp Survey
Location: Lower school REVIEW: My children attended 2-3 summers. My daughter enjoyed all the creative activities and craft options. My preschool aged son did not enjoy it and seemed to think it was overly structured, but it is very convenient for us. This was our last summer. We won’t return because they’re showing the kids tv daily and don’t seem to have a plan to stop. CHANGES: They seem to play tv everyday at lunch and need to stop. Tv also seems to be a problem in after care. I was very frustrated and spoke to the director, but this was very disappointing. I was especially upset because my 8 year old’s counselor was just searching YouTube for things to watch and a kid had suggested something inappropriate. I shouldn’t have to worry about what my kid is watching on tv during camp at these prices. DETAILS: Age of child; My two children attended at ages 4-8 … Weeks attended: Each child attended for 2 weeksReview from the 2024 Summer Camp Survey
Location: Park Slope REVIEW: Our five year old had a great time at Berkeley Carroll. She did two specialty camps, one more successful than the other, but overall was happy with her counselors and the other kids. She loved the free swim especially. This is our second kid and 4th year at Berkeley Carroll. Having done both the general camp and the specialty camps, at least for younger kids, the specialty camps offer a little more in the way of daily activities. We’ll go back again next year, we’ve been happy each summer. The swimming is definitely the big motivator! CHANGES: Drop off and pick up are insane. In a perfect world they close Carroll Street so there’s less chaos and congestion on the sidewalks. The camps are great, the logistics on pick up and drop off are not so much. DETAILS: Age of child; 5 … Weeks attended: 4Review from the 2023 Summer Camp Survey
Location: Park Slope (712 Carroll Street) How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 5 and 3.5 Review: Both kids really enjoyed camp and consistently came back feeling happy and/or excited about something they did. Counselors and staff were warm and well-organized. Field trips were a real plus! Swimming was also terrific. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? Drop off was often hectic. It was better than last year, as they added barriers for campers to stand behind once dropped (rather than just milking around in a crowd). Also, the Classic Camp fills up quickly so they have some fun “specialty” camps. If you’re in those, you don’t go on the field trips (or at least my son didn’t), and that would be a nice change since the field trips were a plus.Review from the 2023 Summer Camp Survey
Location: 181 Lincoln Pl How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 6y & 8y (2 kids) Review: Both kids enjoyed it. The 6 year old had younger kids in her class which impacted the level of the swimming lessons and other things. She had signed up with a friend her age so she still had a good time. The 8 year old really liked his MIT scratch specialty camp. Well organized. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? Try to keep similar ages in each class. Offer a change to parents if the class ages vary.Review from the 2023 Summer Camp Survey
Location: 712 Carroll St How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 5 (incoming 1st) Review: My daughter did the “special” performing arts camp offered through Child’s Play NY. She enjoyed the special and the daily swimming. However, this special had no field trips which she was disappointed about. Overall the camp is very organized but registration is a mad rush to get a spot. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? understanding in advance which specials have field trips offered. Would you like to add anything related to COVID and how the camp handled it? No comments on covid but she attended during the peak of the Smokey wild fires and I was impressed with the camp’s clear communication and procedures based on the day’s air quality.Review from the 2023 Summer Camp Survey
Location: 701 Carroll St Brooklyn, NY How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 6 years old Review: She really enjoyed it. It was very low key with lots of art, music and movement. Low and sports and only 1 day trip a week which she liked.Review from the 2023 Summer Camp Survey
Location: 712 Carroll Street How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 5 and 3 Review: One of our children attended Berkeley Carroll's specialty camps and one of our children attended Berkeley Carroll's standard day camp. Our older child enjoyed attending Berkeley Carroll's specialty camps (for rising Kindergarteners) this summer (2023). She was able to swim every day for 30 minutes, which was amazing. By the end of the summer, she was swimming independently. She also enjoyed the variety of activities. She bonded with many of the kids who attended, as well as her camp counselors. Some of the groups were quite small (7-8 campers), and some were larger (12-15 campers), but all of the groups had a great counselor to student ratio. The counselors typically send some photo updates at the end of the session. The counselors are very responsive via email. Our daughter had one incident where she ended up with the school nurse and I got a prompt call from the nurse with all relevant details. Our younger child enjoyed attending Berkeley Carroll's standard day camp. He had great counselors who were very communicative. On days when he had a difficult drop-off, the head counselor emailed within a few minutes afterward with a picture of his happy face in the classroom. Other than a few instances during the first session, he looked forward to attending camp every day. He made great friends, as the group for his class tended to stay the same through all four sessions this summer. His class was able to swim every day except field trip days (total four times per week). The standard day camps had a great variety of field trips (AMNH, zoo, aquarium, science hall, puppet show, etc.) all summer. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? The drop-off and pick-up was a bit chaotic due to the number of different groups being dropped off/picked up in a relatively small area.Review from the 2023 Summer Camp Survey
Location: North Slope, Berkeley Carroll school How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 9 and 10.5 years respectively Review: Excellent programming, wide variety of activities which appeal to different interests, fun CITs. The school is a private organization and has excellent facilities What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? Nothing!!Review from the 2023 Summer Camp Survey
Location: Berkeley Carroll How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 4 Review: Likes: -field trips -swimming offering -level of organization & communication -my daughter loved this camp - she felt like she was at school and was excited to go every day and wanted to go back when she switched to her outdoor camp -themes of the weeks and the crafts they did Dislikes: -they were great at communicating general camp information but we never got pictures or anything which was a bummer What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? See dislikes. I would simply add pictures once a week, if possible. Or a short summary. Would you like to add anything related to COVID and how the camp handled it? No specific handlingReview from the 2022 Summer Camp Survey
Location: 701 Carroll St How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 8 Review: My child loved getting to swim almost every day. She also enjoyed the field trips, especially bowling. She really like the counselors, too.Review from the 2022 Summer Camp Survey
Location: Berkeley Carroll How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 4 Review: My kid really loved this camp. Swim 4x/week was super fun for him and he adored his counselors. The counselors were young but really loving, sweet and energetic. My kid was excited to go every day and often came home raving about it. They had a lot of different activities to keep them engaged and weekly field trips around Brooklyn that were enjoyable for the kids. As far as I’m concerned, he had a great time (and started to learn to swim, to boot) so it was a success. He honestly seemed to get more out of this than his preschool. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? I definitely have some qualms as the adult, although I will say that they were annoyances and not deal breakers for me. First off, they had quiet time for the pre-k kids where in theory they could have a nap, but at week two the counselors started playing “stories” on the classroom screen every quiet time. My son complained to me that he was too distracted to ever nap. I don’t know that he would have napped anyway, frankly, but I was a little disappointed that he didn’t even have the opportunity. Second, I was a little surprised by the snack choice - just one bag of Goldfish or one serving of some animal or Graham crackers per kid each day. I guess I thought somewhere like Berkeley Carroll would have more healthy snack offerings (some apple slices, anyone?!). I also wish this ran for another week or two, as it ends the second week of August like many other camps. Finally…there was a massive covid outbreak in my kid’s group, so that wasn’t great. Would you like to add anything related to COVID and how the camp handled it? Yeah, this was by far my biggest issue with the camp. Because the CDC isn’t really requiring any covid protocols, the camp didn’t require them either. Naturally, someone came down with covid and exposed the whole group because no one ever wore masks. They tested positive on the weekend and the camp didn’t alert the families until the day was almost over on Monday, so a big bunch of infected kids were hanging out at the camp all day. Our family caught it and it passed to our baby, and it seemed to cycle through many of the campers over multiple weeks as we were continually receiving exposure emails. My son’s preschool went an entire year without any outbreaks by following very minimal and basic protocols, so this was extremely frustrating to experience as it seems like it could’ve been avoidable. It’s more my fault than the camp’s though—I wish I’d done more research into what kind of protocols they were following.Review from the 2022 Summer Camp Survey
Location: BCS- North Slope How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 5 Review: Our daughter loved her 2 week experience at this camp. Her favorite parts were the swimming and field trips (her weeks were to the Zoo and bowling). The counselor did a great job communicating at the start of the week and as needed. We got some photos on Friday! What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? While there was a theme each week, I didn’t really get a sense of how it was tied into the day to day. Our daughter brought home a lot of coloring sheets that she was proud of, but the arts piece didn’t feel very substantial.Review from the 2022 Summer Camp Survey
Location: 702 Carroll Street How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? entering 1st grade Review: We loved every week that we signed up for. My daughter did a variety of arts-themed camps and each was better than the next! I also loved that they had daily time in the pool (with some instruction!) and had time outside. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? nothingReview from the 2021 Summer Camp Survey
Name of camp: Berkeley Carroll Location: Carroll Street - Lower Building How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 5 Review: We thought this camp was so well organized and included daily swimming, outdoor play as well as structured learning through the theme of the camp. The weekly recaps and photos were really great to see and read. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? This camp fills up so quickly! Would you like to add anything related to COVID and how the camp handled it? They followed all COVID protocols and it felt very safe yet fun.Review from the 2021 Summer Camp Survey
Name of camp: Berkeley Carroll Summer Camp Location: Carroll Street How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 4 turning 5 Review: The BC pool is the big draw here. Kids get to swim daily. They also have themes for each 2 weeks of camp session. They bring in speciality teachers for some of the themes (paper/book making, theatre, etc.). Indoor time got a bit repetitive for my child but that could be an age thing (4 turning 5). Overall it seemed like standard camp schedule plus the pool time. I liked that some/several of the camp counselors are teachers throughout the year so they have educational and social/emotional child background. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? Due to Covid, and drop off/pick up being outside, parents didn't have a lot of interaction with the camp counselors so depending on which counselors your child has, you may not get any details of what's going on in a daily basis. They sent some pictures at the end of the 2 week session. Would you like to add anything related to COVID and how the camp handled it? We filled out a health screening app prior to drop off each morning. Kids had to wear masks all day with exception of lunch and while in the pool. Counselors wore masks (to varying degrees of efficiency - some down around the nose) and many were vaccinated according to what BC told us.2019 Summer Camp Review
My daughter had a fantastic time at Berkeley Carroll traditional day camp. We found the entire camp to be extremely well organized, with good communication and a supportive environment. The school campus is beautiful, clean and welcoming. Her classroom was organized, well-supervised and so much fun. She was exhausted (in a good way) at the end of every day, and cannot wait to go back next summer. What would you change? They don't do enough to encourage the kids to swim every day--some well-placed persuasion would have gotten my daughter in the pool more often (they swim 4x per week, and the pricing reflects same!)2019 Summer Camp Review
The two selling points for us for this camp were daily instructional swim and that the kids are mainly on campus. A lot of the camps I researched had kids shuttling around the City on a daily basis, which for me, felt like too much for a 4 year old. I appreciated that this camp was contained to the Park Slope campus (except for a weekly field trip) for my daughter’s first day camp experience this was important to me. She absolutely loved the daily swim as well and has grown in confidence with the water and her swimming skills. The camp counselors were very communicative via weekly emails and responsive when I emailed directly. There are both specialty camps offered (we did one week of Spanish camp which my daughter really loved) and then the “classic day camp” for the rest of the summer, which she has been happily going to each day (no complaints which is a first!). What would you change? Pick up and drop off often get bottle necked with so many caregivers and parents trying to pick up at the same time. If they staggered pick up times by either age range or even by building floor it would cut down on the chaos.2019 Summer Camp Review
Age: 7 Review: Very well organised and great communication. Good group sizes. The classic camp has been great with daily swim and a weekly excursion. But disappointed in the “specialty” outdoor adventure camp that we paid extra for. They basically just went to the park each day, and didn’t do a proper excursion. For both camps there seems to be a lot of yard/free time instead of actual organised activities. What would you change? I think they need to have more organised activities rather than just letting the kids to their own thing. Also swim lessons rather than just letting them play in the pool would be good.ISO: summer day camps for a 5 year old
I highly recommend Berkeley Carroll's summer day camp. They offer specialized options (e.g. Outdoor Explorers, Spanish, Ceramics) as well as Classic. The kids swim daily, with instruction 4 days per week--Friday is free swim time. Also, Court 16 for non-competitive tennis...Review from the 2017 PSP Summer Camp Survey
My 4yo LOVED junior camp at Berkeley Carroll. She attended 5 full days and had so much fun doing crafts, swimming, movement class, music class, playing, and going on field trips. The teachers are super-attentive and interactive and there were 4 (!) teachers for her classroom so everyone got the attention they needed. She made lots of friends who do and don't go to the school, too. If you could change anything, what would it be? Age of child: 4 Based on a Summer 2017 experienceReview from the 2017 PSP Summer Camp Survey
Berkeley Carroll specialty camps Review: Loved that there was swimming in the Berkeley Carroll pool everyday. Age of child: 7 Based on a Summer 2017 experienceReview from the 2017 PSP Summer Camp Survey
This was my son's first year at Berkeley Carroll CAP camp. He got all of his first choice activities and enjoyed some more than others. Massive maze building and swimming were his favorites and jazz band and soapstone carving were less so. Some of this was due to poor choices on his part and some due to the teachers. Overall, it was a positive experience and he seemed to enjoy himself. The camp is pretty laid back and friendly but the communication from the directors was lacking. If you could change anything, what would it be? The 5 week camp was really just 4.5 weeks and the last day was a half day. Age of child: 10 Based on a Summer 2017 experienceReview from the 2017 PSP Summer Camp Survey
There were a lot of kids per group- maybe 20ish. My son is used to a lower student/teacher ratio in a 2s program during the school year and found this experience a bit overwhelming. It didn't help there were a different sets of kids from week to week. He also refused to go into the swimming pool after the first week for unknown reasons, so that took away the main draw of the camp for us. Overall a nice program, but perhaps better next year when he is 4, when we find friends for him to go with, and when he is better at dealing with larger groups. Age of child: 3 Based on a Summer 2017 experienceReview from the 2017 PSP Summer Camp Survey
My daughter did two weeks of specialty camps: Lego Robotics and Multi-Sport. I am very happy -- the counselors were older than typical camp counselors (actual teachers), the days were really filled with different activities, and an hour of indoor swimming every single day was AMAZING. And the counselors were responsive to emails, which was fabulous. I will consider putting her her the entire summer next year! Age of child: 7 Based on a Summer 2017 experienceSummer Camp Survey 2016
Name of program: Berkeley Carroll Outdoor Science Camp Age of child: 7 Review: FantasticSummer Camp Survey 2016
Age of child: 4 Review: My son had a great time. He went to after-camp every day and came home happy and exhausted. What would you change about the program, if anything? The counsellors didn't seem to help him pack up his belongings. Things were rarely in his bag at the end of his day and I'd have to hunt in other kids' cubbies for his things. If he were older I'd understand it but at 4 he needed help.Summer Camp Survey 2016
Age of child: 6 Review: Very good experience. Well organized with fun activities each day. What would you change about the program, if anything? Classrooms are tightly packed together, so at drop off and pick up time, it's like a cattle call and gets very crowded. Better crowd control would be ideal. Process of swim suit and towel situation each day could have been better organized as well. On the first few days, the counselors seemed to be a bit disorganized, but this cleared up quickly.Review from 2015 Summer Camp Survey
Age of Child: 5 Likes: Nice facility, well thought out programs. My daughter did a Spanish immersion camp which was a bit tough for her but I think good to learn Spanish and all. She loved the musical theater camp and the staff at that was great, from Child's Play NY, and then did a week of regular day camp. Swimming program is good and in a real pool. The staff is all professional, mostly regular teachers and some more junior assistants. What would you change? My daughter found the "specialty" camps more engaging than the general camp but those fill up early. Would you send your child(ren) again? Yes Do you recommend? Highly recommend Do you have any other information to add? My daughter goes to the school so there was less of a transition which didn't seem to matter to her as much as I had thought.Review from 2015 Summer Camp Survey
Age of Child: 6 Likes: Alex Gelman, the counselor, is fantastic! He takes a real interest in every kid and fosters a fun, nurturing environment. My son loved his week there. What would you change? Would you send your child(ren) again? Yes Do you recommend? Highly recommendReview from 2013 Summer Camp Experience
Program: Young Campers Age of Child: 4 Likes: Daily Swim in the School Pool Theme Days Trips Air Conditioned Brand New Facility What would you change? Making sure the teenagers from BC (they hire student camp counselors) are well trained and selected. Our class had one warm counselor out of four. The others just didn't have the personality to be a camp counselor---either too timid, cold or disinterested. I hear this is not typical of BC's camp but we seem have gotten stuck with this crew. Other parents felt the same way, but because they too were starting the BC school in the fall, no one wanted to say anything to administration. Would you send your child(ren) again? Yes Do you recommend? Recommend Do you have any other information to add? Wish the camp was longer then 5 weeks...the camp also closes for the last day of the camp calendar. We found this odd. The camp should be 7-8 weeks long.2012 Summer Camp Survey
Camp Creative Arts Program at Berkeley Carroll Park Slope Day Care or Sleep Away-- DC Program: Age of Child: 13 Likes: My daughter does not attend Berkeley Carroll (although many of the campers do) and is new to PS, so I was somewhat concerned that she would have trouble making friends. She did not. She really loved everything about the camp -- no complaints over the entire summer (and that is saying a lot for a 13-yuear-old girl). The kids were great, the counselors were faulous, and she loved the variety and content of the classes that she took (both arts and sports). She's already making her course selections for next year. What would you change? Nothing! Would you send your child(ren) again? Yes Do you recommend? Highly recommend Do you have any other information to add? Review from 2012 Summer Camp Experience2012 Summer Camp Survey
Camp Berkeley Carroll Berkeley Carroll Day Care or Sleep Away-- Day Camp Program: Hands on Science Camp Age of Child: 6 Likes: This camp is AMAZING for kids that love to learn and especially enjoy science. Every day the campers did three science experiments. At the end of the day, each camper brought home some sort of science project or craft that they worked on during the day. They kept science journals of their findings, learned new words and vocabulary and had a great time. In addition to all the science, campers went swimming twice a week and had the opportunity to play outside once a day and inside in the gym once a day. What would you change? This is only a two week camp. I would change it to at least a 4 week camp. I would also include more swimming. Would you send your child(ren) again? Yes Do you recommend? Highly recommend Do you have any other information to add? I am hesitant to give this review because I want to make sure my child gets a spot next year. But I couldn't resist "bragging" about this wonderful program and especially the head counselor Barbara! Review from 2012 Summer Camp Experience2012 Summer Camp Survey
Camp Berkeley Carroll Park Slope Day Care or Sleep Away-- Day Camp Program: Theatre Age of Child: 8 Likes: The musical they prepared for two weeks What would you change? Add swimming everyday. BC has several camp programs that come from outside - such as this one from Child's Play. The outside programs don't swim everyday - and the swimming is a plus for BC campers!! Would you send your child(ren) again? No Do you recommend? Recommend Do you have any other information to add? Just not sending her back because she has outgrown it. Review from 2012 Summer Camp Experience2012 Summer Camp Survey
Camp Berkeley Carroll Park Slope Day Care or Sleep Away-- DC Program: Studio Arts Age of Child: 5 Likes: The diversified art activities and additional games and swimming everyday What would you change? Nothing Would you send your child(ren) again? Yes Do you recommend? Recommend Do you have any other information to add? Review from 2012 Summer Camp Experience(no subject)
Explorations-Hands On Science Location - Berkeley Carroll How old is your child? (or the age when he/she attended camp) Age: - 5 What did you/your child like about the summer camp? Doing experiments and projects, getting to "be" a paleontologist (during Dinosaur Week) and a scientist. Playing outside in the school yard and sprinklers. My son is very agreeable and enjoyed himself, but he didn't give it two thumbs up. What would you change about the program? More swimming! The science camp seemed to be the only group that only swam once a week. Will you send your child back to this summer camp program next year? (Or would you if you could?) No Would you recommend this program to other parents for their child in the future? Recommend with reservationsReview from Summer Camps Survey, 2010
Age of Child: 4 Likes: Making friends Field trips to firehouse & zoo Warm, professional staff What would you change? Day felt over-scheduled, and thus just like school and not like camp Rooms felt crowded -- not a lot of space for running around and spreading out Swimming was pushed too hard most every day -- hard for the little ones to always want to do Would you send your child(ren) again? No Do you recommend? Recommend with reservations(no subject)
Summer Camp/Name of Business - Berkeley Carroll Day Camp Specific Camp Program (if applicable) - Day Camp and Hands on Science Location - President St. & Carroll St. buildings 2. How old is your child? (or the age when he/she attended camp) Age: - 6 3. What did you/your child like about the summer camp? Loved the counselors, activities, especially swimming and the playground 4. What would you change about the program? Information from the camp director was often confusing 5. Will you send your child back to this summer camp program next year? (Or would you if you could?) Yes 6. Would you recommend this program to other parents for their child in the future? Highly recommend 7. If there is any other information you want to provide, let us know here: Hands on Science camp for the last two weeks was great. My son learned a lot and was really excited when he came home everyday about what he had learned.
