The best art camps 2020 has in store for NYC kids

Your kids’ imaginations will get electrified by Okabaloo’s weekly art programs. Each themed session—think classes like Rainbow Engineers and Art History or, say, Broadway Stars and Superheros—includes crafting, music performances, storytelling, free play and other fun stuff. Grades K-5. 

No need for markers or crayons here: UrbanGlass offers a unique take on art projects for little creators looking to experiment with glass. During the weeklong summer courses, teachers carefully guide campers as they learn about glassblowing and how to make neon signs. After this experience, perhaps a successful Etsy shop will be in your child’s future! This year, take a gander at "Text Destroyers: Intro to Neon" an Instagram-worthy offering for tweens and teens. Campers learn how to design luminous neon decals that comprise funky alphabets to create a quirky, text- basedmasterpiece.Yes,your artists will (safely) play with fire. Ages 11–18.

If your youngsters are feeling inspired by their favorite shows on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, they can design a cool character of their very own! Launch Math teaches coding, offscreen animation and other tricks, so aspiring illustrators can make their visions a reality. Ages 5–6. 

Sign your kids up for an amazing week-long art summer program led by Children's Museum of the Arts' talented Teaching Artists! Choose from one of two locations (SoHo and Governors Island) and let your kids dive into cool concentrations like photograpy, painting, film, illustration, printmaking, fashion design and more. Classes also include supervised play from the start and end of the day. Ages 6–15.

Young New Yorkers who never cease to be amazed by skyscrapers can imagine and build their own models—after they’ve learned how to handle the design challenges of really tall structures. Similar five-day programs exist for treehouses and bridges, and other offerings allow future architects to study digital design using 3-D computer modeling or old-school freehand drawing. For the latter, campers explore the city to sketch various architectural wonders. In all sessions, participants take home the projects they create. Grades 3–12.

Where better to fine-tune your young creative’s skills than at one of the best museums in the country? Two educators guide each 25-kid class through a project that teaches design vocabulary and a four-step design process: defining problems, generating ideas, prototyping and testing. Visits to galleries and exhibitions are included, as are fun outdoor activities. At the end of each weeklong session, students display their work in an open exhibition. (Campers must bring their own lunch and snacks.) Ages 6–13.

Students choose between two concentrations: weaving, in which kids learn to use a loom and read patterns; and surface design, which allows them to experiment with a variety of fiber and textile arts like printing, dyeing, sewing, drawing, and felting. Most days are spent at the studio working on projects; some are devoted to a textile-related field trip, and other afternoons feature an Open House where campers can display their projects for family and friends. Completed projects may include bags, toys, fabrics and more. Ages 5–11.

Children who consider art their favorite subject will love this bright, colorful Brooklyn studio’s offerings. Campers spend their summer days creating masterpieces worthy of special display in their homes that go beyond basic projects. Each week has a different theme, including printmaking, collage, textile and sculptures. After working hard in the studio, they’ll cut loose at the nearby park to run through the sprinklers and put that creativity to use in the form of free-time games. Ages 4–10.

CoLab was started by CultureHub, a global community founded by La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club and the Seoul Institute of the Arts. These free summer workshops are ideal for young artists who are interested in combining art and technology; in a playful atmosphere, a professional artist will introduce your little ones to new methods and techniques. Ages 14–20. 

If your child would much rather spend time at the crafts table than playing sports or engaging in outdoor activities, send them to this weeklong arts-centric session. Future Frida Kahlos can discover different techniques and styles of art by studying the methods and works of famous artists who have come before them, such as Mark Rothko, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock. Then, they create their own pieces using a variety of media. Ages 5–9.

With NYC as its muse, Wet Paint teaches children to use printmaking, monoprinting, clay, plaster casting and other art forms to craft a stunning masterpiece. From drawing in Central Park to touring the Met and the MoMA, this experience is a great pick for future artists and architects alike. Ages 9–14. 

Make the most of the warm weather on Governors Island: Play:groundNYC offers 11 weeks of activities at the Yard, the island’s 50,000-square-foot playground that’s chock-full of cool materials (think cardboard, rope, wood planks and tires) for kids to tinker with. Budding engineers and artists will discover how to use new tools tobuildtheirvisions, both solo and with the help of friends. Not only that, they’ll get to explore the rest of NYC’s favorite summer spot! Ages 6–12.