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Where to Find Summer Activities and Camps for Your Kids in Bed-Stuy

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — When school lets out for summer, kids don’t have to leave the city to find a good time.

Bedford-Stuyvesant offers a bevy of camps and activities for children and teens, ranging from beginner’s basketball clinics to science fiction and STEM workshops.

If you’re looking for summer fun for your little one, check out DNAinfo’s roundup of neighborhood choices.

Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA, 1121 Bedford Ave.

Bed-Stuy’s YMCA offers an eight-week kids program from July 5 through Aug. 26, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Extended day hours are also available at an additional cost.

Children ages 5 and 6 can enroll in Explorers Camp and attend swimming lessons, local outings and trips and arts and crafts.

Kids 7 through 12 can get an introduction to the world of performance with classes in dance, theater, voice and diction. The performing arts camp also provides traditional camp experiences like sports, arts and crafts and trips. Other camps offered include sports and recreation.

Get your kids’ feet wet at swim camp, which is offered to children ages 7 through 12. Teens can participate in activities for high school students with cultural, arts, and sports programs.

Camp prices start at $299 for members and $343 for non-members. For more information, visit the YMCA website.

Pipsqueak Programs, 1124 Bedford Ave.

Family-owned Pipsqueak Children’s Shoppe doesn’t just sell children’s accessories and toys. The boutique also hosts daily activities for babies and toddlers.

Monday through Friday, bring your child for musical yoga, open play time, sing-alongs, movement classes, and more. Some sessions take suggested donations, while others start at just $5.

Check out Pipsqueak’s website for activity schedules and details.

The Octavia Project, Flatbush Public Library, 22 Linden Blvd.

Sci-fi fans can flex their imaginations at this free summer program for high school girls.

The Octavia Project uses science fiction and fantasy to teach STEM, art and writing skills. Participants will work with college-aged mentors, women in science and technology, and have access to internships and online publishing opportunities.

The four-week long program runs from July 1-July 29 hosts workshops from Tuesday through Fridays, 2 to 5:30 p.m.

Organizers prioritize applications from girls living in Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York, Brownsville, Canarsie, East Flatbush, Crown Heights and Cypress Hills.

For more information or to submit an application, visit the Octavia Project website.

Good Shepherd Summer Camp, Roosevelt II Cornerstone Community Center; P.S. 297; Madiba Prep Middle School; Brooklyn Excelsior Charter School

Nonprofit Good Shepherd Services runs free camps throughout the borough with fun, educational programs. Activities and age requirements vary by site.

Contact the location nearest you for more information.

Police Athletic League Summer Day Camp, Wynn Center, 495 Gates Ave.

PAL programs promote cultural diversity, with a curriculum focusing on a specific culture or historical subject every year.

Each camp is assigned a nation, region, culture, or historical period to study, and kids can work together on dance routines, costumes, art displays, skits, and more.

Children also take trips to city institutions, parks, and sports venues, including the Museum of Natural History, Central Park, and Citi Field.

The camp hosts a Cultural Day Festival, which showcases a parade, interactive exhibit, “Knowledge Bowl,” and “Sportsmanship Competition.”

Check out the full list of locations near you at the PAL website.

Game Over Summer Camp at The Stuy Dome, 312 Kosciuszko St.

Aspiring basketball players can improve their skills at the Stuy Dome, which hosts workshops to instruct boys and girls ages 6 through 16 on all aspects of the game.

Weekly sessions cost $225 and run from the first week of July to the beginning of August.

See the Game Over website for additional details and dates.

Dwana Smallwood Summer Intensive Dance Program, Dwana Smallwood Performing Arts Center, 857 Lexington Ave.

Bed-Stuy’s newest performing arts center is offering a dance-training program for kids and teens ages 7 through 18.

Attendees will develop balance, improve agility and coordination, learn choreography in groups, read, and participate in ballet, modern, gumboot, jazz, and African dance.

The program will also host guest speakers and provide children the opportunity to perform in front of audiences.

For prices and registration, visit the Dwana Smallwood PAC website.

Kings County Tennis League, various locations

Future tennis pros can work on their serves at this summer youth club.

The Kings County Tennis League provides tennis lessons and mentorship for children from five public housing developments across Bed-Stuy.

Aside from coaching kids in the sport, volunteers also teach new vocabulary and geography facts to participants through games and drills.

Lessons are located at courts near the Tompkins Houses, Sumner Houses, Lafayette Gardens Houses, Marcy Houses, Brevoort Houses, and Weeksville Gardens Houses.

Free classes are held Saturdays from 1 to 3 p.m. Youth residing in Bed-Stuy’s NYCHA housing have first preference for available spots.

Register online at the Kings County Tennis League website.

Camp Bed-Stuy, various pick-up and drop-off locations

Kids ages 4 through 14 can celebrate the summer with sports, performing arts, field trips and more at Camp Bed-Stuy.

While the organization is based in central Brooklyn, trips take campers to areas like Washington D.C. and LEGOLAND in Westchester, according to organizers.

Activities include arts and crafts, fencing, skateboarding, and horseback riding. Sessions start at $450. Visit the Camp Bed-Stuy website for more details.

Creative Achievement Success Test Prep Program, Cornerstone Baptist Church, 574 Madison St.

If you want your children to hit the books this summer, Creative Achievement Success is hosting test prep for specialized high schools from July to August.

Seventh and eighth graders meet four days a week for practice assessments to study for the Specialized High School Admissions Test. Other enrichment programs are available for kids in first through sixth grade, focusing on ELA and math.  

The intensive program costs $450 for six weeks.

The Noel Pointer Foundation Summer Strings, 1368 Fulton St.

Choose from the violin, viola, cello, double bass, classical guitar, or piano during this five-week music program.

Children participate in intensive workshops and show off their skills at a recital at the end of the summer. Each Friday, participants go on field trips, including spots like the Bronx Zoo, Louis Armstrong House Museum, and Adventure Land.

TurnUp Internship Program, NEBHDCo, 376 Throop Ave.

This paid internship from the Northeast Brooklyn Housing Development Corporation teaches teens how to grow food in Bed-Stuy’s urban farms, explore the food system, and prep for jobs with resumes, sample cover letters, and more.

An advanced session focuses on peer mentoring and leadership. Teens can earn between $500 and $1500, and must submit an application to participate.