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121 Turtle Lane, Ithaca, NY

1013 W State St, Ithaca, NY

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Summer Camp

Experience a Summer of Outdoor Adventures!

Uncover the joys of nature, friendship, and learning at Ithaca Children’s Garden’s Summer Camp.

Mark your calendar for our 2025 summer camp registration opening on February 7. The best way to ensure a summer of garden explorations is to request your favorite weeks February 7-14. Look out for more information coming soon!

2025 Summer Camp Overview

Acorns

Ages 3-5*

Dates: June 30 – August 22

Time: Half day, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM

(Complimentary early drop-off begins at 8:30 AM)

Cost: $220 for June 30 – July 3 | $275 for all other weeks

Acorns camp is truly child-led! To allow for flexibility each week, mentors will repeat daily themes with different activities offered week to week. Children will explore the entire Garden, build structures in the Anarchy Zone, garden among the herbs and vegetables, show off their artistic skills, get wet and muddy, and search for fairy houses. Come enjoy this Acorn experience where each week is exciting for new campers and experiences are built upon for repeat adventurers.

*Children must be 3 years old by June 1, 2025. 

Cornell Graduate Student shows ICG Willow campers insects hiding within the Garden

Willows

Ages 6-10*

Time: Full day, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

(Complimentary early drop-off begins at 8:30 AM)

Expand weekly themes below for details on dates and costs. 

Willows camp at ICG, designed for ages 6 to 10, combines eco-exploration with creative arts. Weekly themes range from habitat adventures and garden magic to artistry with natural materials. It’s a world of discovery and creativity for young minds, fostering environmental awareness and artistic expression. 

*5-year-olds who complete kindergarten in June 2025, and will be 6 years old by December 1, 2025, may register for Willows.

Weekly Themes

Dates: June 30 - July 3

Cost: $320

Description: Grab your gear! We’re off to explore the many habitats of ICG…. wade in the wetlands, wind through the meadow, and trek the forest. Discover the plants and animals that make these ecosystems their home. When not out on adventure, we’ll tinker, build, and create using recycled materials and what we can scavenge from nature.

Dates: July 7 - 11 & August 15

Cost: $400

Description: Potions and spells, fairies and elves — summer is a magical time at ICG. Let your imagination guide you through an enchanting week of small worlds and magical memory-making. Mix potions, build elf and fairy houses, and weave wands; explore majestic trees and magical herbs. Appropriate for all young wizards, witches, fairies, and elves. Wings and wands welcome. Please leave pet dragons at home.

Dates: July 14 - 18

Cost: $400

Description: Calling all of those with green thumbs! Come experience all stages of gardening, from planting seeds to harvesting vegetables, and all of the creatures that make it happen — from pollinators to decomposers. This week, we will plant, harvest, compost, and taste the delights of our very own Kitchen Garden. Learn to start a garden, tend to plants, and use fresh food to give your growing body the nutrients it needs. Smell the flowers from our Kitchen Garden and Wildflower Meadow while discovering the helpers they attract.

Dates: July 21 - 25

Cost: $400

Description: Come be your creative selves and explore the abundance of natural materials in the Garden! Collect inspiration and materials to make beautiful art in -and from- the Garden. Try your hand at creating land art, source natural resources for artistic creations, and use food to make delicious and beautiful masterpieces. Educators will share their knowledge in culinary mixings, fire making, and fine art skills. Campers will have an opportunity to discover their muse, find their inspiration, and take their projects, and delicacies, from concept to masterpiece.

Dates: July 28 - August 1

Cost: $400

Description: Exploring the stormy seas on a pirate ship, crawling through the mud to infiltrate the castle, staying cozy in a deep, dark wood… wait… is this happening at the Garden?! YES. Adventure week is coming to Ithaca Children’s Garden. Campers will design, perform, and play to the extent of their imaginations. Days of pirates, witches, astronauts, and theater will excite all those who love to join in other worlds.

Dates: August 4 - 8

Cost: $400

Description: Help Wanted! The Farmer’s Market at Ithaca Children’s Garden is requesting help from aspiring farmers, creators, and entrepreneurs. All week, campers will learn and participate in garden harvesting, creating wares, and setting up a booth at ICG’s very own kid farmer’s market. On the last hour of Friday, our kid’s farmer’s market will open! Children will sell wares in trade for their very own camp-created currency. Join us on the last day to see the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor!

Dates: August 18 - 22

Cost: $400

Description: The last week of summer camp is upon us and so much has been learned and created! Campers are going to be able to participate in a bit of everything from cardboard city to campfires to tea making. Campers will enjoy the height of harvest in the veggie garden and see how we prepare for the upcoming harvest season.

Maples

Ages 10-12*

Time: Full day, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

(Complimentary early drop-off begins at 8:30 AM)

Expand weekly themes below for details on dates and costs. 

Maples Camp at ICG, for ages 10 to 12, is a blend of outdoor skills, artistic expression, and garden stewardship. Campers engage in survival techniques, create with natural materials, and learn the cycle of gardening. Each week is a new journey in building, creating, and nurturing, as they connect deeply with the land and their creativity.

*Must have completed 4th grade

Weekly Themes

Dates: June 30 - July 3 | July 21 - 25 | August 11 - 15

Cost: June 30 - July 3, $340. All other weeks, $425.

Description: Jump in and try your hand at some outdoor survival skills while exploring the history of Ithaca Children’s Garden. Hone your fire building skills, use found parts to create shelters of your own design, and create natural remedies from plants commonly found in nature. Learn skills to harvest produce from the Kitchen Garden and sell in ICG’s farmstand each week. Form meaningful connections with the natural world through activities, reflection, journaling, and considering how to best steward the land on which we live.

Dates: July 7 - 11 | July 28 - August 1

Cost: $425

Description: Come view the Garden through the lens of an artist. Find natural materials to work with and beautify the space through building, painting, and planting. Learn new skills or build on your talents in a variety of innovative projects : try your hand at tools from a paintbrush to a knife. Take some of these skills to create items for ICG’s farmstand inventory each week! We will explore what the Garden has to offer and use all of our senses as inspiration in our creative endeavors.

Dates: July 14 - 18 | August 4 - 8

Cost: $425

Description: A garden cycle starts long before the first seed is planted and extends far beyond the last tomato picked. Learn what it takes to build and maintain a garden by getting your hands dirty and exploring what the veggie garden at Ithaca Children’s Garden has to offer. Investigate compost, get curious about weeds, and cook some delicious snacks. Start at the seed and go all the way to selling and sharing produce in ICG’s farmstand. Bring home these life-long skills to start a garden of your very own!

Counselors-in-Training (CIT)

Ages 12-16*

Dates: June 30-August 22, Monday – Friday

Time: Full day, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

(Complimentary early drop-off begins at 8:30 AM)

Cost: $365

Join our fun, creative, and collaborative CIT Crew! Practice your leadership skills as you role- model, help, play, and learn alongside campers and camp mentors! You’ll build relationships with your peers as you get silly with songs and stories, get dirty in the Garden and Anarchy Zone, and explore the camp themes each week! CITs get to spend some time each afternoon as a peer group, helping to prepare and serve camp snacks, hanging out, and reflecting on their experiences.

*Must have completed 6th grade. 

Additional program information and FAQs can be found in ICG’s 2025 Summer Camp Guide. Please contact register@ithacachildrensgarden.org with any questions.

Scholarships

At ICG, we believe in a summer of adventure, learning, and fun for every child, regardless of financial circumstances. The scholarship program ensures camp prices never stand in the way of an unforgettable experience, giving every child the chance to thrive, explore, and create lasting memories in nature for everyone.

  • Standard Scholarship:
    • 30% off for families who qualify for the Federal Reduced Lunch program.
    • 50% off for families who qualify for the Federal Free Lunch program (based on income and household size).
  • Flexible Scholarship:
    • We will work with you to determine a scholarship amount that suits your needs.

Testimonials

“Counselors are AMAZING! Seeing the same ones week after week was very comforting to our kids. The kids loved their outdoor time and all the activities. We love there is a theme every week and activities to go along with it!”

“We love the outdoor play and the ability to learn through play.”

“Child-led play at its best! ICG’s Summer Camp allows kids to engage in various ways, whether it’s a mellow exploration or more active adventures, and encourages children to embrace getting dirty and simply having a fantastic time.”

“Wonderful counselors, thoughtful protocol, communication, healthy and fun snacks. I never worried about our child’s well-being at ICG camp.”

Fan of Thematic Adventures
Fan of Thematic Adventures
Proponent of Play-Based Discovery
Proponent of Play-Based Discovery
Enthusiast of Unbridled Play
Enthusiast of Unbridled Play
Guardian of Wholesome Fun
Guardian of Wholesome Fun