Multiple locations in Prospect Park
and Brooklyn Bridge Park!
Outdoor Adventure Awaits!
Develop a love for the great outdoors every day right in your neighborhood. Our day camp programs help your camper develop an appreciation for the environment while making memories and learning skills to last a lifetime.
Curiosity and exploration take center stage at Trail Blazers Day Camp, where children are encouraged to play, climb, wander, and get dirty as they learn exciting new ways to engage with their neighborhood park. As our campers grow from summer to summer, Trail Blazers grows with your child!
Mini Blazers (Entering Pre-K & K): Join us while we sing camp songs, observe tadpoles and engage in lots of play in the park.
P.A.R.K. Rangers (Parkwide Adventures and Recreation for Kids) Entering 1st & 2nd Grade: Each week offers an environmentally focused theme and activities designed to use the park as the ultimate classroom.
E.C.O. Explorers (Every Child Outside) 3rd to 5th grades: Trail Blazing extends beyond the park with trips throughout Brooklyn. The highlight of this program is a one-night trip to Tail Blazers’ overnight camp in NJ. E.C.O. Explorers enjoy an elevated curriculum and weekly meet-ups with other E.C.O. Explorer smallcamps.
As a nature-loving adventure program, we operate almost entirely outdoors, seeking shelter within the park if needed and moving indoors only if absolutely necessary. We think Alfred Wainwright said it best, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing”. To learn how to prepare for your Trail Blazers adventure, see our FAQ section.
Day Camp 2025 Dates & Themes
You can find more details on our weekly themes HERE.
Day Camp 2025 Rates
We strive to make our programs affordable for all through a tiered pricing system. Please select the pricing tier which best suits your family’s situation. Limited additional scholarships are available for Tier 1 families. For further information, please contact our registration team.
Day Camp drop-off is 8:30-9:00am and pick-up is 3:30-4:00pm. We offer early drop-off beginning at 8am and aftercare available until 6pm, each for an additional fee:
Our outdoor day camp offers two convenient locations in Brooklyn Bridge Park and four locations in Prospect Park to choose from.
Brooklyn Bridge Park:
Prospect Park:
Each day includes a mix of the components below, which your child’s group leaders will customize in real-time response to the group’s needs, likes and dislikes. These building blocks include:
Every week our campers have the opportunity to visit a local community garden. There we engage in hands-on activities, learning all about how our food grows! With our Garden Specialist, campers plant seeds, water plants and harvest delicious vegetables and herbs. Our Prospect Park campers visit Maple Street Garden while our Brooklyn Bridge Park campers visit Poplar Street Community Garden.
Each week also includes a park based special event, local NYC field trip, or an excursion to Trail Blazers overnight campsite in Sussex County, NJ. Last summer campers participated in a parkwide scavenger hunt, the very popular Trashion Show (fashion show of recycled materials), and an All-Camp Carnival. Trail Blazer campers have taken trips to the American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, Prospect Park Zoo and City Growers at Brooklyn Grange. All special events and local NYC field trips take place during the regular camp day. If we are leaving the park, we walk, ride the subway or the ferry to reach our destination.
NJ Day Trips:
For excursions to NJ, we use buses, departing at 8am and returning between 5:30pm and 6:30pm. At our NJ Campsite, we get to boat and swim in Lake Mashipacong, try our hand at archery, explore the garden and build a campfire. These days include a special cookout lunch and s’mores!
ECO Explorers:
Our oldest campers will have the opportunity to spend a night at our NJ Campsite. In addition to the activities mentioned above, campers will sleep in a classic Trial Blazers hogan or tent, have a meal in the great hall and get a taste of overnight camp! All meals and snacks are provided.
Additionally, ECO Explorers will have day trips to the New Jersey School of Conservation (NJSOC). NJSOC educators will lead an exciting, hands-on science lesson, we’ll boat on the lake and explore the amazing property.
NJ Trip Dates:
For location specific schedules, click on the buttons below. These schedules are still being developed and are subject to change. We will update these throughout the spring.
We believe our program is the best but is it the best fit for your child?
At Trail Blazers, we are passionate about being outside and care deeply about providing high quality care and experiences for our campers and families. If you are new to Trail Blazers or new to our day camps, please watch our virtual info session.
Because we do things differently from most other camps, we hope that you will take time to consider the following in order to ensure that we are a good fit for you and your family:
LITTLE LEGS AND BATHROOMS: Being in the park means we may not be directly next to a bathroom at all times. Staff are trained to make regular visits to the restrooms and map the day’s activities around bathroom locations. Your camper should be able to recognize that they need to use the bathroom, tell their group leader, and then possibly walk a short distance to the closest restroom.
HEALTHY INDEPENDENCE: Throughout the day, our campers learn a lot about self-management: packing their own backpack, getting ready for lunch, hiking in the park, and telling their group leader what they need. Our caring staff are always there to help and support campers but campers should be ready to take on those challenges in increasingly more independent ways.
UNSTRUCTURED PLAY: We believe that children learn best through experiential play and that the creative process of figuring out an activity is of equal or greater value than the activity itself. Unstructured free play allows kids to learn more and learn differently than highly structured, instructor-led activities. Each day at camp has lots of play built in, during which we explicitly train staff to observe and facilitate as needed but allow our campers to take the lead.
OUTDOORS RAIN OR SHINE: As a nature-loving adventure program, we operate almost entirely outdoors, seeking shelter within the park if needed and moving indoors only if absolutely necessary.
LOUD SINGING: Your camper will come home singing camp songs incessantly, and will more than likely require you to sing along! Are you ready for that fun?
I’m the director of day camp programs and I’m here to help!
If you have more questions about any part of our Trail Blazers Day Camp program, schedule a virtual meeting and I’ll be happy to help in any way I can!
For registration, click the Enroll button at the top of the page or contact info@trailblazers.org
For everything else schedule time with Sage!
Please familiarize yourself with our Terms and Conditions, which includes our participation waiver. These documents will also be available on your CAMPIUM enrollment portal.
If you have have any questions, please contact our office.
What ages can attend day camp?
Our day camp at Brooklyn Bridge Park is designed for campers entering Kindergarten through Grade 5 (ages 5-10).
Our youngest campers must turn 5 years old by December 31st 2024. Please review the ‘Is Your Child Ready’ tab to make sure your camper is ready for our program.
Please contact our registration team at (212) 529-5113 if you have questions.
Do you accommodate requests for friends to be grouped together?
You will select your child’s group during the enrollment process. If you wish to be placed with a friend, simply coordinate to select and enroll into the same small camp group.
Do you offer payment plans?
A non-refundable down payment of 30% is required at the time of enrollment to secure your space into the program. Payment plans are available, as you enroll you can select a payment plan of either 2 or 3 installments. Full payment is due May 1st.
What do I need to pack?
Hiking backpack – all campers in our program will receive a hiking pack. Packs are fitted to campers and are a great way for campers to carry around their belongings. These hiking packs must be used each day.
Lunch and snacks – Pack enough for a full and active day.
Water bottle – Campers will need a refillable water bottle each day. We will refill our bottles often as we travel around the park. Our backpacks can also accommodate water bladders.
A change of clothes – We recommend packing a full change of clothes for all campers, including our older groups. We are outdoors all day and there is always the possibility that campers’ clothes will get wet or dirty.
Rain gear – We spend time outside every day – rain or shine. If the weather predicts light rain please pack a water-proof jacket and shoes. If there are extended periods of heavy rain or thunderstorms, we will move to our indoor locations.
Sunscreen – even on the cloudiest of days. A hat is also great for protection from the sun.
Sturdy, closed toe shoes – Comfort is key! We will be active throughout the day walking all over the park. We suggest something that is water resistant as well.
Layers – If the weather predicts cool temperatures in the morning or early evening we also recommend packing or wearing layers. Campers may get chilly and want a light sweater or long sleeve shirt.
Where and when is drop off and pick up?
Drop off is between 8:30 and 9 am each day, all groups will have a unique drop off and pick up location just inside the park at your selected location. Details of your group’s location will be communicated via email before beginning the program.
Regular pick up is between 3:30 and 4:00 pm each day to the same location as drop off. Aftercare is available for a flat fee of $65 per week to extend your child’s camp day as late as 6 pm. Aftercare will be in the same location as regular drop-off and pick-up, check your site’s tab for details. Pick up during aftercare is rolling, campers can be picked up anytime until 6:00 pm.
My cart is showing full tuition prices, how can I apply tier discounts?
Tier discounts are applied as a coupon. During the enrollment process you will receive a coupon code based on your selected tier. Apply this coupon code to your shopping cart to add the tier discount. Please reach out to our registration team if you are having trouble.
How can I apply for a scholarship?
We strive to make our programs affordable for all through a tiered pricing system – simply select the tier that best describes your household. Additional scholarships are available for families that identify as tier 1. To apply you must first enroll into the program, you will be provided a coupon code during the enrollment process that will allow you to register without making payment. Upon registering, you must complete the scholarship application and SFSP form in Active. Our staff will follow up about additional scholarship funds.
When and where can we pick up our hiking pack?
Hiking packs are available for pick up at our administrative office starting June 5th. Our office is located at 495a Flatbush Avenue and is open weekdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Packs are available at drop off each Monday.
Minimum Registration: 1 Week
Ages:
Campers who are age 3 must be entering Pre-K and turning by Dec 31st.
The Trail Blazers approach relies heavily on the social experience within the group – this is why sessions are a full week at a time, so your camper can get used to the group and get to know their group leader.
How to Register:
As you begin the registration process, you will be asked to provide information about your camper and your family. This will help to determine which group your camper is eligible for and which tier discounts will be automatically applied.
Select your desired location. Then you will select the weeks you wish to enroll.
Campers must enroll into the same small camp for all weeks.
Our program is designed to ensure that all small camps have an awesome (and consistent) experience – groups will engage in similar activities, team builders, and games throughout the season.
Once a small camp is full, a wait list for that week will begin. If you have questions about a wait list, please contact our registration team at info@trailblazers.org.
If you wish to be placed with a friend, simply select the same small camp when you enroll.
Registration for the 2025 season opens in December.
A non-refundable down payment of 30% is due at the time of enrollment to secure your space in the program.
We strive to make camp accessible to all! If you cannot access the registration system online, please call our registration team to enroll over the phone or to schedule an in-person appointment.
What Our Parents say
“This was the best decision of our summer. Our son truly flourished: when we dropped him off the first day my son was shy and timid, and when we picked him up the last day he was confidently making jokes, teaching us new songs, and showing us how to tie knots!! .”
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“My daughter just finished her last week at Trail Blazers. We originally signed up for one week, and she loved it so much that we ended up going to four weeks total. She had a blast! Made new friends, saw old friends, LOVED being outside in the beautiful park. I felt like she was safe and in good hands. It was a really amazing summer camp experience!!!”
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“Our son taught our family the Milkshake camp song, we loved it. His agency and confidence had only grown and the time in nature has been such a compliment to his love of animals and the outdoors. Trail Blazers has helped him with tenacity. He encourages me and others to ‘keep trying, you can do it’.”
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“Well done! Our daughter loved her experience thoroughly. The counselors were friendly and greeted her warmly every morning! The projects were creative and she loved learning about marine life, using the underwater cameras, playing fish bingo and more! I love how engaged she was and hearing about all she was learning about her environment. Thanks for a terrific experience!”
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