7 Things to Do with Your Kids in NYC This Summer (That Aren’t Camp)

Not every kid is a camp kid. Some of them tried it and hated it. Some of them are done with camps but still have six weeks of summer left. And some parents just don’t want to pay $2,000 a week for their kid to make friendship bracelets and eat bad pizza. I get it.

I spend most of my days outside in this city, working with kids. I see what’s out there. And there’s a lot more than people realize, especially if you look past the obvious stuff. These are seven things I recommend to parents when they ask me what else their kids should be doing this summer. They’re all outdoors, they all involve real skills, and nobody’s sitting in a fluorescent-lit room watching a movie because it’s raining.

1. Can Kids Kayak on the Hudson for Free?

Yes. Manhattan Community Boathouse runs free walk-up kayaking at multiple Hudson River piers—no reservation, no cost. According to NYC Parks, community boathouses across the city serve tens of thousands of paddlers each summer. Kids under 16 share a tandem kayak with a parent, and all equipment is provided.

Most people who live here don’t know this, but you can kayak on the Hudson River for free. Manhattan Community Boathouse runs walk-up kayaking at Pier 26 and a few other locations along the west side. No reservation, no cost. You show up, sign a waiver, grab a paddle, and you’re on the water. They provide the kayaks and the life jackets. Kids need to be at least 16 to go solo, but younger kids can share a tandem kayak with a parent.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park boathouse does the same thing in Brooklyn. Weekends and some weekday evenings. Paddling around with the Manhattan skyline behind you is one of those experiences that makes you remember why you live here. Your kids will talk about it for weeks.

2. Are There Urban Farms for Kids in NYC?

NYC is home to over 550 community gardens and urban farms according to GreenThumb, the city’s community gardening program. Several run structured youth programs during summer. Brooklyn Grange, Battery Urban Farm, and Red Hook Farms all offer hands-on growing and cooking workshops, many of them free.

There are actual working farms in New York City. Not petting zoos. Farms. The Brooklyn Grange runs rooftop farms in Brooklyn and Queens, and they do youth programs during the summer where kids learn to grow vegetables, harvest them, and cook with what they picked. Battery Urban Farm in Lower Manhattan runs free youth workshops throughout July and August. Red Hook Farms in Brooklyn has a whole youth education program.

I like these programs because they teach kids where food comes from. Most city kids have genuinely never pulled a carrot out of the ground. Watching their face when they realize tomatoes grow on a plant and not in a plastic container is something else.

3. Why Is Skateboarding One of the Best Summer Activities for Kids?

Skateboarding is one of the most accessible outdoor activities a kid can pick up. NYC maintains free public skateparks across all five boroughs, and youth participation in skateboarding has grown steadily since its Olympic debut in 2021. A board, a helmet, and a flat surface—that’s all they need to get started.

Yeah, I’m biased. I teach skateboarding for a living. But I’m including it here because it honestly belongs on this list, not because it’s my thing. A kid with a skateboard and access to a park has an entire summer’s worth of activity. It’s individual (nobody gets benched, nobody gets cut), it’s physical without being exhausting in the way organized sports can be, and it teaches kids to set their own goals and work toward them at their own pace.

NYC has free skateparks in every borough. Your kid doesn’t need a membership or a uniform. They need a board, a helmet, pads, and flat-soled shoes. A few lessons with an instructor to get the fundamentals right, and then they can practice on their own whenever they want. I wrote a whole separate post about why summer is the best time to start skating if you want the full rundown. And if you’re anywhere in the NYC area, I teach private and small group lessons across all five boroughs. A skateboard birthday party is another great way to get a group of kids outside together.

4. Where Can Kids Take Sailing Lessons in NYC?

Several community boathouses across NYC offer free or low-cost youth sailing programs. Rocking the Boat in the Bronx has served over 4,000 young people since its founding, teaching boat building and sailing in the South Bronx. These are structured programs with real instruction, not just a ride around the harbor.

Another one that surprises people. Several community sailing programs operate around the city, and a lot of them are free or cheap. North Brooklyn Boat Club offers community sailing out of Bushwick Inlet. Hudson River Community Sailing runs youth programs on the west side. Rocking the Boat in the Bronx teaches boat building and sailing to teenagers. These are legit sailing programs, not just a ride around the harbor.

Your kid learns to read the wind, handle lines, work as a crew. It’s problem-solving in real time, on the water, with real consequences if you don’t pay attention. That kind of hands-on learning sticks with kids in a way that classroom stuff doesn’t.

5. Can Kids Go Rock Climbing Outdoors in NYC?

Outdoor bouldering is a natural fit for kids who struggle in traditional team sports. Central Park’s rock formations see climbers year-round, and DUMBO Boulders runs structured youth programs under the Manhattan Bridge. The Climbing Wall Association reports youth climbing participation has nearly doubled in the past decade.

Central Park has actual climbable rock formations, and you’ll see people bouldering on Rat Rock and Cat Rock year-round. For structured climbing, DUMBO Boulders runs an outdoor bouldering wall under the Manhattan Bridge with youth programs in the summer. It’s outside, it’s physical, and it scratches the same itch as skateboarding in some ways: you versus the wall, figure it out, try again.

Climbing is one of those activities where kids who struggle in team sports suddenly find something they’re good at. It rewards patience and problem-solving more than raw athleticism. I’ve sent a few of my skate students to climbing programs and the crossover is surprisingly natural. Balance, body awareness, managing fear. Same muscles, different direction.

6. What Free Nature Programs Does NYC Parks Offer in Summer?

NYC Parks Urban Rangers run free nature programs all summer across every borough—night hikes, fishing clinics, bird watching walks. NYC Parks reports hosting over 80,000 participants in ranger-led programs annually. Equipment is provided, registration is free, and your kid leaves knowing something real about the ecosystem they live in.

NYC Parks runs free ranger-led programs all summer. Night hikes. Bird watching walks. Fishing clinics. Nature exploration for little kids. They do them across all five boroughs, in parks you’ve probably walked past a hundred times without knowing what’s in there. The fishing clinics are especially good. They provide the rods, the bait, everything. Your kid just shows up. Prospect Park, Van Cortlandt Park, Flushing Meadows, they’re all on the schedule.

This is the most underrated thing on this entire list. These programs are completely free, well organized, and genuinely educational. Your kid can learn to identify birds, catch a fish, and hike through a forest, all without leaving the five boroughs. Check the NYC Parks website for the summer schedule. Events fill up, so sign up early for the popular ones.

7. Where Are the Free Outdoor Movies in NYC This Summer?

Free outdoor movie screenings are a New York summer tradition. NYC Parks’ Movies Under the Stars series runs screenings across all five boroughs from June through August. Most are free, family-friendly, and first-come-first-served. Bring a blanket and get there early—the popular screenings draw crowds of several hundred.

OK, this one is less of an “activity” and more of a summer tradition. But if you’ve never done an outdoor movie in the city with your kids, you’re missing out. Movies Under the Stars (NYC Parks) runs free screenings in parks across all boroughs. Rooftop Cinema Club does ticketed screenings in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Hudson River Park has movies on Pier 63 throughout the summer.

Bring a blanket, bring snacks, get there early for a good spot. The free ones draw big crowds, especially for family-friendly titles. Something about watching a movie outside with a hundred strangers on a warm night just feels like summer. Kids love it. Honestly, I love it too.

Do Kids Really Need Summer Camp?

Not every kid thrives in a five-day-a-week camp structure. According to the American Camp Association, about 26 million children attend summer camp annually—but that still leaves millions of families looking for alternatives. A mix of outdoor activities can be just as enriching, more flexible, and often far less expensive.

Summer camp is fine for kids who like it. But it’s not the only option, and it’s not always the best one. A lot of kids do better with a mix of activities instead of the same five-day-a-week routine. And plenty of families just want to try something different this year.

Whatever you pick from this list, the important part is that your kid is outside, moving, and learning something new. That’s what they’ll remember about this summer. Not the screen time. The real stuff.