Stony Kill Foundation Summer Explorers Camp is a place where kids are empowered to explore the outdoors and experience a sense of curiosity and appreciation for the natural world. Camp is held on the grounds of the beautiful and historic Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center in Wappingers Falls, NY.
Summer Explorers Camp provides a balance of structured and free play with environmental exploration, enjoyment of arts and crafts experiences, and age-appropriate learning activities. These experiences encourage kids to be curious and appreciate the outdoors while building social and life skills.
Scholarship Applications are now Open!
We are now accepting scholarship applications for camp! A limited number of need-based scholarships are available to help reduce the cost of attending camp. If receiving discounted camp registration would help relieve financial stress for your family, please complete the information below. Your information will be kept confidential. Applications must be complete to be considered. Scholarship application deadline is 10 am, Friday, February 20.
Registration Information & Important Dates
NEW THIS YEAR – IMPROVED REGISTRATION: We are introducing an updated registration process designed to streamline camp enrollment. If you are familiar with Common Ground Farm’s registration process from last year, we will be mirroring their process.
Step 1 – Join the Registration Queue on Saturday, Feb 21 at 10 am: Families complete the online queue form on our website to receive a camp registration time slot. The queue form asks for parent/guardian name, phone number, email and children’s names that you are planning to register. Time slots are allocated based on the timestamp your queue form is received. Families will receive an email with their 2-hour registration time slot based on their spot in the queue. There are no fees charged to enter the camp lottery.
Step 2 – Register for Camp starting Monday, Feb 23: Families will receive an email prior to their time slot with a link to our online camp registration form and must register their camper(s) within their 2-hour time slot. Time slots are limited to a certain number of families at a time. Registration form links should not be shared.
ENROLLMENT INFO: Campers can enroll in 1 – 4 weeks of camp. This will allow us to give as many kids as possible the opportunity to experience camp! Unfortunately, our registration system does not allow us to officially limit enrollment to up to 4 weeks per camper. Campers who register for more than 4 weeks will have weeks chosen at the discretion of our director with additional weeks refunded minus the service fees.
CAMP FEES: $50 non refundable application fee plus $375 per child per week. SKF Family and Patron-level memberships receive a $25 discount from their application fee. (Click here for membership info)
WAIT LIST POLICY: If a spot becomes available in a camp week and you are next in line on the wait list, we will reach out by email to the address provided on your application. After you are notified, we require notice of acceptance and payment for the additional week(s) within 3 business days. If you do not respond by day 3, we will reach out to the next family on the wait list and your wait list spot will be removed.
REFUND POLICY: Refunds, minus service fees will be granted if we are notified by May 15, 2026 in writing via email to debbie@stonykill.org. This also applies to scholarship recipients. Application fees of $50 are non-refundable. Children absent from any day of camp will not be entitled to a refund, credit or exchange of dates.
Important Dates to Save:
- Feb 9 – Scholarship applications accepted
- Feb 16 – Preview Week begins – View the schedule, weekly themes and fees at stonykill.org
- Feb 20 – Scholarship application closes at 10 am
- Feb 21 – Registration Queue Opens – Join the queue by completing our online form and receive your camp registration time slot
- Feb 23 – Camp Registration Day – Sign up for your camp weeks during your assigned time slot
Questions about our registration process? Email our Program Director or call 845-831-3800.
Camp Information
AGE: Summer Explorers Camp is for ages 4-12. Campers must be at least 4 years old and potty trained before their first day of camp. Sorry, no exceptions. Campers will be placed in groups by age. We will do our best to accommodate moving campers within groups if requested.
CAMP SCHEDULE: Camp takes place from 9 am – 3 pm, Monday through Friday. Campers bring their own snack, lunch and refillable water bottle.
EXTENDED CARE: Before Care starts at 8:30 am and After Care runs until 5:00 pm. There is a $25 flat rate per day for before and/or after care. Please indicate any possible before/after care needs on your form. Our Program Director will be in touch as camp time approaches to determine your needs.
LATE POLICY: Late pick-ups are NOT permitted. After 2 late pick-ups at 10 minutes late or more, there will be an additional aftercare fee of $25 each time.
2026 WEEKLY CAMP DATES & THEMES
Project Discovery, June 15 – 19 – During our first week of camp, campers will discover Stony Kill Farm starting with our barnyard and livestock. Each day, campers will discover various ecosystems throughout the property by hiking our trails and searching for birds and insects and visiting the pond to collect specimens for observation. Our diverse land offers campers an opportunity to learn about our local surroundings.
Young Naturalist, June 22 – 26 – Campers will learn what it means to be a naturalist by observing, recording and caring for our surroundings. We’ll explore our creative side by expressing our appreciation of the natural world through artistic practices. We’ll practice mindfulness to fully appreciate our surroundings!
Homestead on the Farm, June 29 – July 3 – Campers will learn practical skills that are beneficial throughout life, such as gardening, foraging, composting, recycling, DIY projects, cooking and animal care. They will engage in outdoor activities to foster their love of nature and instill a sense of environmental stewardship.
Life on the Farm, July 6 – 10 – Campers will learn how to care for our farm animals and discover our historic big red barn and tractor. Each day will focus on aspects of farm life through observation, creation and exploration. Campers will sample different foods that come from our farm, explore the greenhouse and start their own seeds while learning about the importance of composting and our friends the decomposers. If your child has a love of farm life, this is the camp for them.
Nature Makers, July 13 – 17 – Campers will get their creativity blooming with a week of creating things related to or using the natural resources in our environment. We’ll be foraging, cooking, creating, building, imagining and appreciating all the beauty that nature provides.
Little Critters on the Farm, July 20 – 24 – Campers will explore the variety of “little critters” including insects, small mammals, birds and beneficial organisms that contribute to the ecosystem, pest control, and soil health. We will understand how small predators and prey maintain the ecological balance on the farm and what management considerations farmers take to help maintain a healthy, balanced farm environment.
Junior Environmentalist, July 27 – 31 – Join us for an important week of camp that will boost our environmental awareness through conservation and exploration of our surroundings. Campers will learn to appreciate our environment and its fragile ecosystem by exploring our forests and trails, fields, and gardens. We’ll learn the best practices for taking care of our earth by reducing, re-using and recycling and what it means to be an environmentalist.
Outdoor Adventurer, August 3 – 7 – Spend the week outside in nature exploring and investigating the outdoors! We’ll learn some survival skills and use our senses to appreciate nature and our surroundings. We’ll check out how animals survive in the outdoors during all seasons and spend our days hiking, running and playing. If mother nature brings the rain, we’ll adapt just like our animal friends.
A typical camp day may include:
- Icebreaker, yoga on the lawn, garden or forest time
- Morning chores in the barn and education garden
- Dipping nets in the farm pond and identifying macroinvertebrates
- Enjoying snack time in the shady corn crib
- Hiking the farm’s many trails and picking wild raspberries along the way
- Lunch back at camp homebase and time to explore the summer forts
- Nature game for all campers
- Free time: story time, games, and crafts!
Camp Policies and Procedures
BEHAVIORAL POLICY: We want all campers to enjoy their time at summer camp and feel that this is a safe environment. As such, we have a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying. We will discuss any perceived bullying of another camper with parents/guardians, but if the behavior continues your child will not be permitted to return to camp. Physical violence towards another camper may result in immediate expulsion. Dismissals from camp due to behavior issues are not subject to a refund.
NYSDOH POLICY: NYS Department of Health requires a current immunization record from your pediatrician for all registered campers. Forms must be submitted by email or snail mail by June 1 or a camper may not be able to attend camp. Any camp registrations made less than a week before the start date must have health and immunization forms submitted within 48 hours of your registration.
COVID SAFETY POLICY: To read about our COVID-19 safety guidelines for 2026 camp, click here. A list of COVID-19 symptoms can be found here.
AIR QUALITY POLICY: SKF monitors the air quality throughout camp and follows the school guidelines as posted at airnow.gov. If the air quality indicator is orange or higher (above 100 PP) we will modify camp activities as necessary and possibly eliminate outdoor activities and provide masks for all campers. We will notify camp families by email if changes will be made for a camp day due to air quality.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION POLICY: If your child has a birthday which will take place during their registered camp week, you may choose to celebrate by supplying ICE POPS for ALL the campers registered that week (typically 50 campers per week.) No other snacks or treats will be permitted or substituted. We will celebrate your child by singing Happy Birthday during our lunch break and each camper will receive an ice pop. The entire camp will celebrate together.
CIT OPPORTUNITIES: The Summer Explorers Volunteer CIT program offers opportunities for teens ages 14-17 to play a part in our summer fun. CITs, or “Counselors In Training,” work closely with our Head Counselors to play a role in making a memorable summer. CITs serve as a role model for our campers, gain experience in leadership, and enjoy all the fun Summer Explorers has to offer! CITs must commit to at least one full week of camp, and attend camp training on Saturday, June 6.
Have Questions about Camp? Contact our Program Director at: debbie@stonykill.org or (845) 831-3800.