Summer Camp
Summer camp registration will open January 2025
WCS Education has your summer covered with fun, educational camp experiences! We provide unforgettable experiences for your camper including age-appropriate, hands-on activities, up-close animal experiences, time to explore the park and tons of educational fun that builds on campers' innate love for our wild planet.
Select a camp experience below for more information!
CENTRAL PARK ZOO SUMMER CAMP
Summer camp at the Central Park Zoo means fun-filled days packed with animals, zoo explorations, new friendships and amazing experiences. Book a week of camp for your child and let their wildest adventure begin! Camp session and pricing details below.
Ages 2 to 4 with a caregiver
Zoo Fledglings: Our Summer Zoo-cation
Is it furry, spikey, or scaley? Join us for a super sensory experience where we learn about animal textures! Discover a variety of animals in this hands-on, interactive 1-hour camp for toddlers and their caregivers. Up-close animal encounters, art experiences, hands-on investigations, and zoo exploration are part of this week-long mini-camp for toddlers and their caregivers.
One ticket covers one adult and one child. This camp is best suited for children ages 24 months to 48 months. Please note: Morning session is catered to 2-3 year olds, afternoon session is catered to 3 and 4 year olds!
Entering Kindergarten or 1st grade
KinderZoo: Who's Who at the Zoo
Calling all animal helpers! Do you want to work at a zoo one day? Come to Zoo Camp and see what it takes to run a zoo! We’ll get to meet people who work right here at the Central Park Zoo and learn about their wild jobs. We’ll also get to see some animals up close, play games and spend time exploring the zoo.
KinderZoo campers must be entering kindergarten or 1st grade in fall 2025.
Entering Grades 1st - 6th
Wild Safari Half Day: Backyard Biologists
Warning: this camp contains nature! Summer campers will get messy as they learn, play, and explore in the Zoo! They’ll meet animals up close, complete nature-based challenges and discover wildlife right here in our neighborhoods and around the world!
Entering 2nd and 3rd Grade
Week of Wildlife: Zoo-opoly
Surviving and thriving is the key to this game! This week, camper utilize critical thinking and teamwork in STEAM challenges and obstacles to complete Zoo-opoly and rule the zoo! Campers will investigate like scientists and engineers working to conserve wildlife and wild places in New York and around the world. Each day, campers will complete hands-on activities, meet animals up close and explore the zoo.
WOW campers must be entering 2nd or 3rd grade in fall 2025.
Entering 4th to 6th grade
Zoo Explorer: Critter Scene Investigation
Attention, Campers! We're looking for master animal trackers and zoo-per sleuths for a special assignment this week! Together, campers are immersed into a world of Zoo mystery and intrigue, with hands-on investigations, up-close animal encounters and solving peculiar puzzles. *cue suspenseful music!*
WOW campers must be entering 4th to 6th grade in fall 2025.
Entering 4th - 6th Grade
Zoo Explorer: Survivor
Throughout the animal kingdom and around the world, animals must outwit, outplay and outlast in order to survive every single day. This week, we'll put our own skills to the test as we explore the zoo, meet animals up close and complete team challenges, all while looking for the ultimate animal survivor!
Zoo Explorer campers must be entering 4th, 5th or 6th grade in fall 2024.
Entering 7th to 9th grade
Conservation in Action: Zookeeping 101
Do you think you've got what it takes to care for Zoo animals? Roll up your sleeves, get messy, and find out this week! During Zoo Keeping 101, we'll get up close to animals, meet zookeepers and see what it takes to care for the animals at the Central Park Zoo.
Conservation in Action campers must be entering 7th, 8th or 9th grade in fall 2025.
Schedule
All camps run 5 days per week with the exception of July 4th week, when camps run Monday to Wednesday. Full day camps run 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Half day camps run 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
| June 3 — June 7 |
Zoo Fledglings |
| June 17 — June 21 |
Kinderzoo Week of Wildlife |
| June 24 — June 28 |
Kinderzoo Wild Safari 1/2 Day Camp (grades 4-6) Week of Wildlife |
| July 1 — July 3 3 day camp* |
Kinderzoo Wild Safari 1/2 Day Camp (grades 4-6) Week of Wildlife |
| July 8 — July 12 |
Zoo Explorer Week of Wildlife |
| July 15 — July 19 |
Kinderzoo Zoo Explorer Wild Safari 1/2 Day Camp (grades 1-3) |
| July 22 — July 26 |
Zoo Explorer Wild Safari 1/2 Day Camp (grades 1-3) Conservation in Action |
| July 29 — August 2 |
Kinderzoo Conservation in Action |
| August 5 — August 9 |
Week of Wildlife Conservation in Action |
| August 12 — August 16 |
Week of Wildlife Zoo Explorer |
| August 19 — August 23 |
Kinderzoo Zoo Explorer |
| August 26 — August 30 |
Kinderzoo Week of Wildlife |
Price
$652.50 members / $725 regular (5 day camp)
$387 members / $430 regular(3 day camp)*
$441 members / $490 regular(5 day camp, half day)*
$261 members / $290 regular(3 day camp, half day)*
$225 members / $250 regular (Zoo Fledglings)**
*Prorated price the week of July 1 - July 3 only
Accessibility
Participants in this program will spend plenty of time outdoors during a range of weather conditions, including heat, humidity, and precipitation, as well as travel over uneven, natural surfaces. Accommodations may be available. Please contact us for more information.
Our office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
If you have any questions, please call 800-433-4149 or email cpzeducation@wcs.org
Please visit the Central Park Zoo Know Before You Go page to review park policies related to COVID-19.
