Best summer camps in Forest Hills, Queens (2026 guide)
If you live anywhere from Austin Street to Yellowstone Boulevard, the summer-camp question shows up on Forest Hills Moms Facebook around January and doesn’t quiet down until June. Some families have been sending kids to the same Commonpoint program for three generations. Others are figuring it out for the first time and don’t know which programs are actually walkable from the E/F/M/R.
We’re Sheridan Fencing Academy. We’ve been running our Queens location inside Forest Hills Jewish Center on Queens Boulevard since the early years of the academy, and a lot of our coaches and families live in the neighborhood. So we spend a lot of time thinking about which Forest Hills camps are worth the money, which ones are coasting on reputation, and which ones quietly do an excellent job without much marketing.
Below are the 13 camps we’d actually recommend to a friend in the neighborhood for summer 2026. Real research, real verification, no sponsorships. Where we couldn’t confirm a 2026 detail, we’ve flagged it so you don’t get stuck.
What we looked for
To make this list, a camp had to:
Be based in Forest Hills, Forest Hills Gardens, or immediately adjacent (Rego Park, Kew Gardens, Middle Village if very close)
Have confirmed 2026 programming OR a multi-year track record of running annually (flagged where applicable)
Welcome kids in the 6–18 range (some camps span younger or older — we noted that)
Have a real, working registration link — no half-built websites
We left off camps with stale 2024 pages and no recent updates. We also left off other fencing and martial arts camps for obvious reasons.
1. Commonpoint Explorer Day Camp
Location: Forest Hills High School, 67-01 110th Street, with Bay Terrace Center programming
Ages: 4–14
2026 Dates: June 29 – August 18, 2026 (36 days; closed Friday, July 3)
Cost: Early-bird rates honored through October 1; full rate sheet on site. Extended-care add-ons available (Full-Summer AM+PM Extended Care $900)
Explorer Day is a travel-style enrichment camp where the kids genuinely help build the program — sports, art, music, science, and weekly local field trips, with daily swim at the exclusive Bay Terrace Pool Club. Returning-family registration opened back in September 2025 and these spots fill fast for a reason: it’s been a Queens institution for decades.
Why we like it: The “campers help shape the program” claim is real here, not marketing language. Counselors actually adjust weekly themes based on what the kids are into. That sounds small until your kid comes home actually wanting to talk about their day.
2. Commonpoint Summer of Arts & Sports Camp
Location: Commonpoint Central Queens, 67-09 108th Street, Forest Hills
Ages: Pre-K through middle school (GRADS leadership track for ages 12–14)
2026 Dates: Summer 2026 with 4-, 6-, and 8-week packages; rate sheet posted
Cost: Multiple tier rates; Extended Care add-ons (AM+PM weekly $150; full-summer AM+PM $900). Glatt-kosher lunch and snack included.
The Summer of Arts & Sports Camp is the more on-site of Commonpoint’s two summer programs. Mornings rotate through swim, basketball, soccer, baseball, gymnastics, yoga, and fitness games. Afternoons dive into education, art, music, dance, and drama. The GRADS track for 12–14-year-olds includes real MTA navigation training for kids who are about to start traveling on their own.
Why we like it: It’s been the default Forest Hills summer camp for over thirty years, and the kosher kitchen and accessible community-center setting make it work for a wide swath of families. The teen leadership track is genuinely useful prep for independence.
3. Summer at The Kew-Forest School
Location: The Kew-Forest School, 119-17 Union Turnpike, Forest Hills
Ages: Rising Kindergarten through Grade 6
2026 Dates: Monday, July 6 – Friday, August 14, 2026, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; offered as three 2-week sessions for 2-, 4-, or 6-week enrollment
Cost: Tiered by sessions; save $50 if enrolled by April 30; 5% sibling discount with code “siblingcamp26”
Website: kewforest.org/our-community/summer-camp-at-kew-forest
Kew-Forest is one of the only ACA-accredited camps in the neighborhood, which means it actually meets the American Camp Association’s standards for staff training, ratios, and safety. The program layers academic enrichment in reading, writing, and math with arts, dance, drama, STEM, field trips, and partnered DanSwim swim lessons at St. Bartholomew Church. Open houses scheduled for April 11 (9:30 a.m.) and May 21 (5:30 p.m.) 2026.
Why we like it: The ACA accreditation is the real differentiator. It’s the camp version of “this place actually runs background checks on counselors and trains them properly,” and it’s rarer in the city than parents realize.
4. ThinkingCAP Summer Program
Location: 85 Greenway South, Forest Hills
Ages: Roughly 4–12
2026 Dates: Summer 2026 multi-week sessions
Cost: Tuition not posted publicly — call (718) 261-2237. Early-bird and late-pickup add-ons listed at $50/week each.
Website: thinkingcapny.com/summerprogram
ThinkingCAP runs the rare half-academic, half-camp model that’s actually balanced. Mornings cover reading, creative writing, math, critical thinking, and public speaking. Afternoons are swim (twice weekly for ages 6+), outdoor fitness, dance, drama, sports, languages, and field trips to the Planetarium, Color Factory, Beast Boat, Legoland, Queens Zoo, NY Hall of Science, and Splish-Splash. Lunch, snacks, and a camp T-shirt included.
Why we like it: The weekly themes are genuinely well-designed — Interstellar Discoveries, Recycled Arts, Design & Build — not just rebrands of “art week.” For Forest Hills parents who want to keep some academic momentum without a pure tutoring program, this is the cleanest version.
5. Belle Arti Center for the Arts – Music Summer Camp
Location: Belle Arti Center for the Arts, near 108-50 Queens Boulevard, Forest Hills
Ages: Age 2 and up (toddler “Musical Aurora” track through advanced)
2026 Dates: July 7 – August 15, 2026 (6-week session, with vacation flexibility)
Cost: Tuition varies by package — call (718) 261-2237 for pricing
Website: belleartiny.com/post/music-summer-camp-in-queens-ny-summer-2026-at-belle-arti
Belle Arti’s six-week music camp is one of the only programs in Queens that takes children as young as age 2 (the “Musical Aurora” rhythm and movement track) and runs all the way up through advanced ensemble work for older kids. Private and small-group lessons in 30-, 40-, or 60-minute formats. Real music theory, real instruction, not a once-a-week novelty.
Why we like it: If your kid is genuinely into music — playing piano on the kitchen counter, taking apart your bluetooth speaker — this is where you go. The toddler track is unusually well-run for an age group most camps treat as an afterthought.
6. Further Music School Summer Camp
Location: Further Music School, Forest Hills (street address on enrollment)
Ages: 5–12 (all levels welcome)
2026 Dates: Weekly summer sessions, Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (early drop 8–9 a.m., extended care 3–5 p.m. available)
Cost: $750/week; 10% Early-Bird discount with code “2026SummerCamp” through March 31
Website: furthermusic.com/summer-camps
Further Music’s camp is structured around weekly performance — every kid picks a major (piano, band, acting, drums) and rotates through Music Labs in theater, songwriting, and ensemble. Friday cultural field trips to Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Juilliard are the closer, ending in a family showcase. Capped at 20 students per week, with five or six per major, so the per-kid attention is real.
Why we like it: The Friday field trips are unusually ambitious for a Queens-based program. Forest Hills kids don’t always get the steady exposure to Manhattan’s performance institutions that UES kids do — Further Music makes that part of the curriculum.
7. Sheridan Fencing Academy Summer Camp
Location: Forest Hills Jewish Center, 106-06 Queens Boulevard, 4th Floor (enter on 69th Road)
Ages: 7–17
2026 Dates: August 17–21 and August 24–28, 2026
Cost: $750 per week, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Website: sheridanfencing.com
This is us. We run our Forest Hills summer camp out of our Queens Boulevard facility inside Forest Hills Jewish Center, two blocks from the E/F/M/R and one from the Q23. Kids spend the day on bladework, footwork, conditioning games, and bouts, with newer fencers grouped separately from competitive-track kids. Our Forest Hills coach, Sal Centanni, was a 2017 Junior Olympic Champion and a 2013 National Champion himself — so the kids are training under someone who actually competed at the highest junior levels.
Why we like it: Bias acknowledged. What we’d honestly say: fencing tends to click with kids who like puzzles and don’t mind a little intensity. It’s mental as much as physical. Two weeks is a small commitment, and our free trial classes run year-round if you want to test before signing up.
8. World of Discovery Summer Day Camp
Location: Forest Hills branch (multiple Queens locations; serves Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens)
Ages: Roughly 3–13
2026 Dates: Summer 2026 — specific date range to be confirmed on the Forest Hills page. Verify directly.
Cost: Not posted on the public Forest Hills page — call to confirm
Website: worldofdiscovery.org/summer-day-camp/queens/forest-hills
World of Discovery has been a Queens day-camp option for over thirty years, blending arts and crafts, team-building games, swimming with certified lifeguards, themed days, and field trips to local museums and parks. Multiple Forest Hills neighborhood referrals over the years.
Why we like it: It’s the kind of camp where the staff have been there for a decade and a half and know your kid by their second day. Less programmed than Commonpoint, more relaxed than the academic camps. Good fit if your kid wants to make friends and not be scheduled to the minute.
9. Garden Players Musical Theater for Kids
Location: 50 Ascan Avenue, Forest Hills
Ages: 6–14
2026 Dates: Summer programming runs annually; specific 2026 summer-camp dates not posted on the public homepage. Verify directly.
Cost: Not posted publicly — verify
Website: gardenplayers.com
Garden Players has been a Forest Hills institution since 1902 (children’s program since 2002). The summer programming runs through acting improv, singing, songwriting, playwriting, audition prep, and original musical performance — Artistic Director Betina Hershey’s student musicals have actually been published and licensed for performance in 65+ countries.
Why we like it: A 120-year-old neighborhood theater that’s still publishing original kids’ musicals is not a normal thing. If your kid is theater-curious, this is where they should be — and they’ll perform original work, not a watered-down Annie.
10. New York Chess Academy – Forest Hills
Location: New York Chess Academy, Forest Hills branch
Ages: Roughly 5–17, grouped by skill (beginner through USCF-rated)
2026 Dates: Weekly summer sessions; specifics on the camps page
Cost: Not consistently posted on the Forest Hills page — verify
Website: newyorkchessacademy.us
NY Chess Academy’s Forest Hills program is a serious chess camp, not a kid-keeps-busy-with-board-games camp. Kids work on opening theory, puzzle solving, strategy, USCF rated games, post-game analysis, and blitz tournaments. Considered an academic enrichment program, which means it’s a fit for kids who want intellectual challenge without the social pressure of team sports.
Why we like it: Chess is one of the few activities where a quiet, analytical kid can find their tribe immediately. NY Chess Academy’s Forest Hills coaches actually compete at the tournament level themselves, which raises the ceiling for what a kid can learn in a week.
11. Mathnasium of Forest Hills – Summer Math Program
Location: 108-14 72nd Avenue, Forest Hills
Ages: K–12
2026 Dates: Flexible weekly summer scheduling
Cost: Monthly enrollment fee — call (718) 544-6284 for pricing
Mathnasium is the standard prevent-summer-slide option in Forest Hills, but it’s worth understanding what it actually is: personalized in-person math instruction tailored to each kid via a diagnostic assessment, combined with math games and STEM activities. Flexible scheduling around vacations. Not a camp in the day-camp sense — it’s a structured tutoring program that runs through the summer.
Why we like it: For a kid who’s behind, ahead, or just bored with school math, the diagnostic-driven model means they’re working on what they actually need, not a generic worksheet packet. Add it to a half-day arts or sports camp for a reasonable summer combo.
12. The Community House (CITG) Summer Program
Location: The Community House, Forest Hills Gardens, on the Greenway
Ages: Open to children of Forest Hills and surrounding neighborhoods (specific age range varies — confirm)
2026 Dates: Summer 2026 advertised on the homepage; details to be released
Cost: Not posted publicly — verify
Website: citgch.org
The Community House has been a Forest Hills Gardens fixture for ninety years — a nonsectarian, members-and-neighbors recreation facility. Summer programming has historically included pool time (currently in renovation per their site, so confirm), classes, and after-school-style activities. Hyperlocal in the truest sense.
Why we like it: It’s the version of “summer camp” your grandparents would recognize. If you’re a Forest Hills Gardens family and you want a camp where your kid runs into the same neighborhood faces all summer, this is the one. Confirm the 2026 dates and pool status before registering.
13. Camp Kid in Action at Forest Hills Jewish Center
Location: Forest Hills Jewish Center, 106-06 Queens Boulevard
Ages: 2–10 (age groups vary by program)
2026 Dates: Summer 2026 weekly sessions (specifics on FHJC site)
Cost: Posted per session — verify on the FHJC enrollment portal
Website: fhjc.org
FHJC’s in-house summer camp programs run out of the same Queens Boulevard building Sheridan operates in (different floors, different programs). The traditional camp blend includes arts and crafts, music, swim, sports, and weekly field trips, anchored in the community-center model that families in this part of Forest Hills know well.
Why we like it: It’s literally next door to the F train. For a working parent who needs morning drop-off without a long detour, the location alone is worth a serious look.
How to choose the right Forest Hills summer camp
A few honest things to think about before you register:
Walkability is its own form of value. Forest Hills is unusually pedestrian-friendly for NYC. A camp you can walk to from Austin Street or 71st Avenue saves your sanity over a summer in ways pricing won’t show on the bill. Factor it in.
Counselor ratios matter more than camp prestige. A 1:8 ratio at a no-name camp will give your kid a better week than 1:15 at a famous one. Ask explicitly about ratios for your kid’s age group, not the camp’s overall average.
“Specialty” should mean specialty. A real specialty camp has instructors who do that thing for a living — a working musician teaching music, a working coach teaching the sport, a working artist teaching art. Ask who’s teaching, not just what’s on the schedule.
Don’t underestimate kosher kitchens and dietary fit. Forest Hills has more kosher-keeping families than most NYC neighborhoods. Commonpoint, FHJC, and Sheridan’s host facility all run kosher kitchens. If that matters for your family, build it into the shortlist early.
Rolling admission is your friend. Most Forest Hills specialty camps (including ours) accept registrations year-round and don’t fill the way municipal camps do. If a perfect specialty camp has a wait, ask — they often have flexibility. The big day camps (Commonpoint Explorer especially) are the ones that genuinely sell out.
Frequently asked questions
When do summer camps in Forest Hills open registration?
Most Forest Hills camps open registration between September and January, with early-bird pricing typically expiring by February or March. Commonpoint Explorer’s returning-family registration opens in September the prior year. By April, the most popular weeks at the largest camps are usually full.
What’s the average cost of a Forest Hills summer camp?
Specialty weekly camps generally run $700–$900 per week. Traditional all-day day camps with bussing and swim are typically $400–$700 per week (Forest Hills runs noticeably cheaper than Manhattan equivalents). Music and arts intensives sit in the $700–$800 range. Mathnasium-style programs are billed monthly.
Are there free or low-cost camps in Forest Hills?
Some — NYC Parks runs free day programs at recreation centers, including options in nearby Queens neighborhoods. Mommy Poppins maintains a regularly updated list of free and cheap NYC summer camps that’s worth bookmarking. Commonpoint and FHJC both offer financial aid for qualifying families; ask early.
What’s the youngest age for Forest Hills day camps?
Belle Arti starts at 2 (toddler music track), and FHJC’s Camp Kid in Action starts at 2. Commonpoint Explorer starts at 4. Most other camps start at 5 or 6. For under-2, you’re looking at preschool-affiliated summer programs rather than traditional camps.
Can my kid get to camp on the train?
Yes — many Forest Hills camps are within a few blocks of the E/F/M/R at 71st-Continental. Sheridan, FHJC, Commonpoint Central Queens, and the Garden Players are all walkable from that station. Kew-Forest is closer to the Q23. Confirm with the camp before relying on a kid traveling solo.
One final thought
The Forest Hills camp list is shorter than the Upper East Side list, but the camps that are on it tend to be deeper-rooted in the neighborhood — programs your kid’s friends’ parents went to, run by people who live in the area. That’s a different kind of value than what you get from an institutional name.
The right camp for your kid is the one that fits their stamina, their interests, and your family’s logistics. We’ve sent kids on our team to most of the camps on this list at one point or another. The camp that was perfect for one family was wrong for another in the same building.
If you want to test fencing as part of your summer mix, we offer free trial classes for kids at our Forest Hills location year-round. No commitment, no sales pitch — just an hour to see if the sport clicks. We’d be glad to meet your family.