Summer Camp
Registration for Summer Camp 2023 is now open!
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!
Summer Camp at the Bronx Zoo
Bronx Zoo is WILD about camp! Our summer camp allows campers to explore our 265-acre zoo and learn about animals and nature like never before! Campers will be engaged all week with fun activities, exhibit explorations and animal encounters.
Scroll down for our schedule and camp descriptions! These in-person camps run from 9:00a - 3:00p Monday - Friday each week unless otherwise noted.
2 - 4 year olds
Toddler Camp: Food for Thought
Each day of Food for Thought Toddler Camp gives your little ones the chance to explore the different things that animals eat in a child-centered learning space. In Toddler Camp we recognize that young children learn through play, so we encourage you and your toddler to engage together in hands-on activities that let early learners use all their senses and celebrate their natural curiosity. We will provide guidance and support for you, as an adult participant, to engage in and enhance your toddler’s learning.
One ticket covers one adult and one child. One additional adult ticket may be added on at time of purchase. Camper must be 2 - 4 years old at the time of the program.
Entering Kindergarten
Kinderzoo: Welcome to My Biome
From deserts and rainforests to ponds and polar regions, life can be found in even the harshest of climates. In Welcome to My Biome, rising Kindergarten campers will discover the places where animals live and how our human litter can impact them through games, dramatic play, sensory exploration, art play, exhibit visits, and up-close animal encounters.
This drop off camp is designed for those entering Kindergarten in the fall of 2023. Campers must be 4 years old on or before their first day of camp.
Entering 1st - 2nd Grade
Week of Wildlife: Wild Discoveries
Is your camper ready for a wild adventure at the zoo? Join us in "Wild Discoveries" camp where we will start each day asking the question, “What would happen if...?” During camp, they'll have the opportunity to meet some amazing animals, explore exhibits and natural areas, and conduct fun experiments. They will also get a chance to put their inquiry and problem solving skills to the test as they learn about conservation and the importance of protecting the environment.
Entering 3rd - 5th Grade
Wild Adventurers: Conservation Explorers
Is your camper curious about the environment and passionate about protecting animals and the places they call home? During camp, campers will have the opportunity to visit zoo exhibits, meet animals up close, and learn about the conservation challenges scientists face. They'll be inspired to create solutions to real-life conservation issues through fun activities and team projects. By the end of camp, they'll have a better understanding of the importance of conservation and their role in protecting wildlife and wild places.
Entering 3rd - 5th Grade
Wild Adventurers: Nature Adventures
Nature Adventures is perfect for your young naturalist! Campers will spend their days learning about local and zoo wildlife through free exploration, art, games, animal encounters and field research. Campers should come dressed and ready for a full day of outdoor exploration and adventure that will leave them with a new appreciation for wildlife and the natural world that surrounds the zoo!
Entering 6th - 8th Grade
Junior Scientists: Conservation Collaborators
When it comes to saving wildlife, generating solutions isn’t always easy! This summer, campers will take on conservation challenges through the perspective of key stakeholders in conservation, including scientists, local community members, and government officials. Through up-close animal encounters, exhibit visits, and science exploration, campers will learn what it takes to make environmental solutions come to life!
Entering 9th - 12th Grade
Natural New York
In this two-week experience, teens will explore the Bronx Zoo through the lens of the urban wildlife and the biodiversity that exists in New York City’s green spaces. Through up-close animal encounters, exhibit exploration, and field research, campers will discover how species exploit and adapt to their ecosystems. They'll also find out why having diverse green spaces is necessary to support urban biodiversity in New York and around the world.
Teen camp participants will receive two camp shirts with their registration.
Entering 3rd - 5th Grade
Little Zoo Vets
Ever wonder what it would be like to be a zoo veterinarian? What do you do when a tiger has a tooth ache or an elephant has a sore foot? How do you anesthetize a fish or an aardvark? Does a walrus say "ah"? In this after-camp class, students will learn about the different aspects of zoo veterinary medicine taught by WCS veterinarian Dr. John Sykes. Classes will involve real veterinary medicine equipment and supplies. Students will gain an appreciation of what zoo veterinarians do every day and how animals at the zoo are cared for.
This class is designed for students entering 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade in the fall of 2023. This is an after camp program that meets from 3pm-4:30pm with a very limited class size.
Entering 6th - 8th Grade
Zoo Vet Academy
Has your middle schooler ever thought about being a veterinarian? If so, this class is perfect. Taught by WCS zoo veterinarian Dr. John Sykes, we will explore veterinary medicine from a "wild" perspective! Using a combination of live animals, real veterinary equipment, and custom-designed models, we will learn about how the vets use medicine and surgery to help keep all the animals at the zoo healthy—from the fish to the elephants!
This class is designed for students entering 6th, 7th, or 8th grade in the fall of 2023. This is an after camp program that meets from 3-4:30pm with a very limited class size.
Schedule
| June 13 — June 16 4 day camp |
Toddler Camp: Food for Thought |
| June 20 — June 23 4 day camp |
Toddler Camp: Food for Thought |
| June 26 — June 30 5 day camp |
Week of Wildlife: Wild Discoveries Wild Adventurers: Nature Adventures Junior Scientists: Conservation Collaborators |
| July 5 — July 7 3 day camp |
Kinderzoo: Welcome to My Biome Wild Adventurers: Conservation Explorers Junior Scientists: Conservation Collaborators |
| July 10 — July 14 5 day camp |
Week of Wildlife: Wild Discoveries Wild Adventurers: Nature Adventures Junior Scientists: Conservation Collaborators Zoo Vet Academy (After camp program) |
| July 17 — July 28 2 week program |
Natural New York (Teen program) |
| July 17 — July 21 5 day camp |
Kinderzoo: Welcome to My Biome Wild Adventurers: Conservation Explorers |
| July 24 — July 28 5 day camp |
Week of Wildlife: Wild Discoveries Wild Adventurers: Nature Adventures Little Zoo Vets (After Camp program) |
| July 31 — August 4 5 day camp |
Week of Wildlife: Wild Discoveries Wild Adventurers: Conservation Explorers |
| August 7 — August 11 5 day camp |
Kinderzoo: Welcome to My Biome Junior Scientists: Conservation Collaborators |
| August 14 — August 18 5 day camp |
Week of Wildlife: Wild Discoveries Wild Adventurers: Conservation Explorers Junior Scientists: Conservation Collaborators |
| August 21 — August 25 5 day camp |
Week of Wildlife: Wild Discoveries Wild Adventurers: Nature Adventures Junior Scientists: Conservation Collaborators |
| August 28 — September 1 5 day camp |
Kinderzoo: Welcome to My Biome Wild Adventurers: Conservation Explorers Junior Scientists: Conservation Collaborators |
Price
$1130 members / $1250 regular (2 week program)
$590 members / $655 regular (5 day camp)
$369 members / $410 regular (3 day camp)*
$230 members / $250 regular (Toddler Camp)
*Prorated price the week of July 5 - July 7
Extended Care
Camp starts daily at 9:00am and ends at 3:00pm. Extended Care is available from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. Extended Care includes free play, exhibit visits, and nature play exploration. You can add on items such as Extended Care and additional camp t-shirts when adding your selected camp purchase to your cart. Minimum number required to run the program.