Thank you for your interest in Summer Explorer’s Camp! At this time, registration for camp is closed. We are so excited by the overwhelming interest in camp. Please be on the lookout for other opportunities to explore Stony Kill Farm with us throughout the year, through our community festivals, workshops and outings, Homeschool on the Farm, Open Barn program, and other exciting activities.
If you are currently registered for a Summer Explorers session, read below for more information!
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.
A typical camp day may include:
- Icebreaker, yoga on the lawn, garden or forest time
- Morning chores in the barn and veggie garden
- Dipping nets in the farm pond and identifying macro invertebrates
- Enjoying snack time in the shady corn crib
- Hiking the Farm trail and picking wild raspberries along the way
- Lunch back at camp homebase and playtime in the forts
- Nature game for all campers
- Free time: story time, games, and crafts!
- Pick up
AGE: Summer Explorers Camp is for ages 4-12. Campers must be at least 4 years old before their first day of camp. 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. **Drop offs before 8:50 am and pick ups after 3:15 pm will be charged for Extended Care.** Campers bring their own snack, lunch and refillable water bottle.
EXTENDED CARE: Extended Care costs $25 as a flat rate per day for before and/or after care. Before Care starts at 8:30 am and After Care runs until 5:00 pm. **Drop offs before 8:50 am and pick ups after 3:15 pm will be charged for Extended Care.**
Registration for Extended Care can be found below. Please be sure to register for all weeks your campers will require Extended Care. *PLEASE NOTE: Extended Care is only available to Campers who are already registered for Summer Explorer’s Camp, and is only available for the camp weeks in which they are registered.
Week Three: July 1st – 5th (No camp July 4th)
Week Seven: July 29th – August 2nd
REFUND POLICY: Our Refund Deadline has now passed, and all registrations are final at this point in time. Children absent from any day of camp will not be entitled to a refund, credit or exchange of dates unless COVID related. If you require a refund because of unforeseen circumstances or any other cancellation policy/ inquiries, please contact our Program Director.
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.
LATE POLICY: Late pick-ups are NOT permitted. After 2 late pick-ups at 10 minutes late or more, there will be an additional Extended Care fee of $25 each time.
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 2024 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.
WEEKLY CAMP THEMES
Project Discovery, June 17 – 21 FULL, WAIT LIST – 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.
Life on the Farm 1, June 24 – 28 FULL, WAIT LIST – 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.
Life on the Farm 2, July 1 – 5 (no camp on July 4th) FULL, WAIT LIST– Campers will explore aspects of farming and caring for the farm animals, this week learning about the history of Stony Kill and how early farmers lived and worked on the farm. Campers will spend time with livestock in the barn, and learn animal husbandry skills. This week will have a reduced rate of $260.
Farm to Forest, July 8 – 12 FULL, WAIT LIST– We’ll explore the similarities and differences between our domestic livestock and the wild animals that call Stony Kill Farm home. Learn the important connections our farm, fields and gardens have to our forest ecosystem and how they sometimes compete and work together.
Young Naturalist, July 15 – 19 FULL, WAIT LIST- 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!
Outdoor Adventurer, July 22 – 26 FULL, WAIT LIST- 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.
Junior Environmentalist, July 29 – August 2 FULL, WAIT LIST- 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.
Nature Makers, Aug 5 – 9 FULL, WAIT LIST- Finish out the summer 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.
Have Questions? Contact our Program Director, Sinead at: sinead@stonykill.org or 845.827.3410 (camp number is separate from general Foundation phone number)
Have Questions? Contact our Program Director, Sinead at: sinead@stonykill.org or 845.831.3800