Kids in the Game is excited to officially announce our 5th summer camp location is opening for Summer 2018! We will be expanding to the Upper East Side and hosting camp out of Saint Stephen of Hungary School. This camp will join our other 4 locations (Inwood, Upper West Side, Park Slope and Riverdale) offering sports, arts and crafts, STEM, field trips, swimming and much more for boys and girls entering pre-k 4 to 8th grade.

Our Upper East Side camp will run for 6 weeks from July 2nd until August 10th. Each of the 6 weeks will feature a special theme week that will get the kids excited and engaged. These weeks will range from World Cup Week and Olympics to Through the Decades and Community Carnival.

Kids in the Game prides itself on offering the highest of quality day camps in New York City at an affordable rate. Our Upper East Side camp is $500 per week and that covers early drop off at 8am to pickup 4pm (Pre-K 4 kids day ends at 2:30). For an additional $15 a day campers can participate in out after-care program and stay until 6pm.

Sign up before March 1st and enjoy $50 off per week at any of our sites and we always offer a 10% discount for siblings!

Give your kids the summer experience that they deserve and sign up for Kids in the Game Summer Camp!

It isn’t easy to summarize a year at Kids in the Game – there are so many small victories that go unseen with the children we work with. Measuring confidence, friendships, perseverance, and just plain fun are not always possible. However, we close out 2017 knowing that those are the wins that we are most proud of. Our organization’s purpose is to change the way New York City children are growing up and this year was a huge step towards reaching our goals. Reading through our 2015 and 2016 reviews, we continue to make tremendous progress and find ourselves more and more excited about what is yet to come. Here are some of the highlights from the year and what you can expect to see from KING in 2018:

1. We continue to expand and serve more schools and families across Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx – we worked with over 16,000 children this year across summer camps, school programming, and our travel teams. Our team has approached ~100 talented coaches, yet we still feel like a family in our approach.

2. We had our best summer yet! Our 4 summer camps served ~700 families from June to August as we continued to add new and creative programming for the kids. We had an emphasis on improving our swimming program, adding lessons and better facilities. There was also more interaction between our camps, as we had days that our older camps went to other sites to meet new friends and have some healthy competition. We had fun building out our theme weeks (ie Camp Olympics, Through the Decades, Spirit Week, Superhero Week, etc) and have some creative ideas for 2018 in the works. Our newest location was opened in Park Slope, and look forward to announcing our 5th location for 2018 here shortly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvGsjrPjuiI

3. Although we have a team full of active, energetic, sports lovers, we also consciously opened our mind in 2017 to how technology can enhance what we do. We grew our partnership with CodingKidz, providing after-school and summer camp programs in Robotics, Coding, and Video Game Design, as well as made November ‘Sports Technology’ month across all our schools. Our kids collectively walked to Australia in November (measured by our Fitbits), we had SportsTechie cover our Virtual Reality event at Corpus Christi School, and started meeting as a team to talk about other technology and innovation that will help engage more children and enhance our sports programs. It certainly won’t replace what we do at the core, but always looking for ways to improve!

4. Our travel teams continued to make us oh so proud. KING Hoops had 5 teams playing this fall between middle school and high school, with kids coming from many of our schools and communities we work in throughout the year. We won our first tournament this year in Connecticut, and almost all age groups made tournament runs more regularly. Winning isn’t everything, but we’re a competitive group! KING Spikes, our volleyball program, continued to grow and is primed for a big year in 2018. We launched KING Speed, our track and field program, led by Suzie Clinchy who joined our team this year. We are so proud of the programs we’ve run in schools (PS 188M, Blessed Sacrament, Rebecca School, Leman Manhattan) and of our kids that are starting to run in competitive meets around the city. We take a lot of pride in wearing KING on our jersey and the way our players represent us and continue to grow.

5. Furthering our mission to reach all children in NYC, our non-profit KING Kids has made tremendous progress in bridging the opportunity gap. In our first full year of operation, we were humbled by the amount of support and empathy people have for making sure all schools and families have access to positive coaches and opportunities to play sports. We built a junior board of talented young professionals that have helped us drive the movement and fundraise for scholarships and new programming. Our team hosted our first large fundraising event, a 3 on 3 tournament at St Francis, with over 20 teams. We ran our first corporate volunteer day with VML Foundation, donating sports equipment to 3 public schools across Harlem and the Bronx. We’ve added life skills workshops and academic support opportunities for all our travel teams. We built a website. Tons of good work, and the best part is that we are just getting started! So much to do in 2018 in our community and we appreciate everyone’s willingness to help our cause!

6. Not always apparent to our families or schools, but we have turned inward to make staff development and training a top priority as an organization. Both personal and professional development is a big part of working at KING, which ultimately helps us grow together and run better and better programs in the community. That will continue to be the case in 2018!

Our team continues to believe in the power of sports and positive coaching to help kids grow. Although not something we typically share with our following, our internal core values are what continues to drive our decision making and what we truly believe in while we work with youth. We wanted to share them with you below to give you some insight into what we are all about and our team’s daily focus as we continue strengthening our programs.

1. Radiate positivity and a family spirit
2. Lead by example through healthy habits
3. Embrace individual strengths and diverse backgrounds
4. Present solutions, not problems
5. Be resourceful and creative – do more with less
6. Constant pursuit of personal growth and learning
7. See the big picture
8. Be a world-class communicator
9. Work as a team, play as a team, grow as a team
10. Strive to always be the best part of our kids’ day

Thank you to everyone that has made 2017 such a year to remember. The support we get from principals, parents, coaches, partners, friends, and family is what keeps us energized and healthy. More to come from KING!

Each year we are privileged to work with interns from all over New York City, the United States and even the world. This summer is no exception. Our summer class is full of ladies making their names be known. Our organization may be called KING but this year’s summer interns are the Queens of King and are already making a huge impact on summer camp and beyond! Get to know them a little better!

Stephanie

1. Hometown: Barrington, RI
2. Place of Education: Fordham University
3. What clubs/ sports/ activities are you involved with in college?: Track & Field team, tutoring at the Rosedale Center, Fordham Dance Marathon
4. What brought you to Kids in the Game?: At KING, I am able to be involved in both coaching kids and working on marketing/communications

5. What is your favorite physical activity/sport?: Track & Field
6. What is your favorite part about New York City? There is always something to do (and lots of good food)
7. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? South Africa
8. Favorite part of Working at KING: I get to do something different everyday.
9. If you were an animal, which one would you be? Cat!

Karen

1. Hometown: Yinchuan, China
2. Place of Education: Fordham University
3. What clubs/ sports/ activities are you involved with in college?: Swimming, biking, hiking

4. What brought you to Kids in the Game?: The business and finance internship position fits my field of study and I enjoy the part that we can work with kids!
5. What is your favorite physical activity/sport?: Favorite physical activity definitely hiking!

6. What is your favorite part about New York City? The city has so many opportunities and possibilities. You can always find something to explore and the charming part is that you don’t know what you are getting yourself into.
7. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? : I would like to go Tanzania. I’ve been seen Animal Worlds (a popular documentary in China) and National Geographic for too many years since I was a little girl. Always always want to go Serengeti National Park and climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
8. Favorite part of Working at KING: My favorite part is that I can give a lot of my own thoughts into the projects that I’m working on. I’ve been interned for quite a long time and accumulated a deep understanding of the business. I can be more creative and relate the current project to the knowledge that I have learned at school. Also, I enjoy working together and getting to know the whole team. I feel that I’m developing my soft skills every day in the company.
9. If you were an animal, which one would you be and why?: I want to be a panda. Climbing the trees, eating a lot of healthy bamboos and sleeping ~14 hours per day. Then the whole world thinks you’re cute!!

Maxine Law

1. Hometown: Hong Kong
2. Place of Education: Hong Kong Polytechnic University
3. What clubs/ sports/ activities are you involved with in college?: Swimming!! I was in the swimming team and won lots of medals for my school:) also I played badminton during the PE lesson with my friends too (because they only know badminton).

4. What brought you to Kids in the Game?: My dream of being a teacher and an inspiration to kids brought me here. I want to be a teacher since I was young, to teach kids knowledge and guide the way to be an upright person to the next generation. Yet, in Hong Kong most schools are scores-and-exams-oriented and neglect to provide kids or students a proper experience of growing up and have a happy childhood. Students in Hong Kong lack physical activities and all they know is to do exercise to get high marks in exam. I want to learn the way how KING put knowledge and personal growth into activities and games, and bring it back to HK:)
5. What is your favorite physical activity/sport?: Swimming and badminton, also other sports (not really good at, but so eager to try)
6. What is your favorite part about New York City? My favorite part of New York City must be the Statue of Liberty. When people talk about the USA, the first thing to think of is the Statue of Liberty. To me, it represents the country, the American culture and also the American Dream.
7. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? I have been lots of places and there are still lots of places in the world that I want to visit.
For example, Rome in Italy to see the statues of ancient Roman Empire, Finland to see northern lights, Easter Island to see the stone statues, France to visit the Palace of Versailles and Mesopotamia to explore the lost civilization.

8. Favorite part of working at KING: My favorite part of working at KING is that I can get along with kids and play with them. Sometimes kids are the teachers for us the adults, to remind us what we should behave and our own aspiration. We teach them knowledge but actually they are also our teachers. Getting along with them is to let us learn from each other.
9. If you were an animal, which one would you be and why? I would like to choose wolf. In Chinese society, wolf is always viewed as cunning. BUT I totally don’t agree with it!!

Wolves are always live with a pack. We never see a wolf kept in zoo and that because wolf pack is strong when wolves are together, and I believe that we will be stronger when we stay together and united. Also, wolf is loyal to their pack and that fits my personality.

Jamie Ross

1. Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona

2. Place of Education: Grand Canyon University

3. What clubs/ sports/ activities are you involved with in college?: I’ve worked at Starbucks while I have been in college, and my roommate is on the women’s Rugby team so I always go and support them!
4. What brought you to Kids in the Game? The opportunity came for me to move out to NYC, and I began looking for internships. My sister is good friends with one of the employees at KING so she introduced me to the company.
5. What is your favorite physical activity/sport? Swimming! I love being in the water!
6. What is your favorite part about New York City? My favorite part about New York City is the atmosphere! There is always something going on, and I love that I am able to see so many different things during my time here. I would definitely go to Europe. I have always wanted to go the Italy, France and Spain. They’re on my bucket list!

8. Favorite part of Working at KING: My favorite part of working at KING is that each day presents something new, and I am able to work with kids. I love that I can come into work and have a new project and adventure for the day.
9. If you were an animal, which one would you be and why?: A cat, because they are calm but can also have an edge.

The day has finally arrived. Your lunch box is packed full. Your outfit is ready. Your sunscreen is prepped (thanks mom and dad!). Today is the day that you don’t mind that your alarm clock (do kids still use alarm clocks?) is ringing for the first time since school got out. You have excited butterflies in your stomach anticipating the new friends you will meet and the new experiences you will have. Today is the day. Today is the first day of Kids in the Game SUMMER CAMP!

By design, a day at a summer camp run by Kids in the Game looks a little bit different everyday of the week. The general structure, of course, has consistency and fluidity to ensure that our campers and counselors alike know the general routine of camp. However, we want our campers to wake up every morning with the same excitement they feel on day one of camp as they do on day 27 of camp. To insure this we have made it a priority to put detailed thought into activities, themes, projects, and field-trips.

Here is what a one day at KING Summer Camp looks like:

8:00-9:00 Early dropoff begins with main camp festivities beginning at 9am. The most prepared camper will come with a refillable water bottle, a lunch with extra snacks for throughout the day and a ready-to-go attitude!

9:00-9:15- Camp Rally! This an important time of the day to welcome all the kids and give them a run down of what the day will look like.

9:15-10:30- First sports/movement activity of the day. This section could be tennis, basketball, soccer, baseball… you name it we probably do it. We keep our instructional blocks to small groups so our campers will have fun but also learn the fundamentals of that day’s sport. Our staff includes sport specialists that have the highest knowledge in their particular sport.

10:30-10:45- Snack time! With our campers being active for most of the day, it is key to stay hydrated (water bottles are a MUST!) and fueled up on snacks. We will have a snack shop full of nutritious snacks if you want to send your camper with a couple extra bucks or pack some extras into their lunch box.

10:45-11:45- Each of our camps is located next to a beautiful outdoor park. We get special permits at each location to use these parks to their fullest extent. At this time during the day, we will be playing special, larger grouped activities. These activities will be geared towards the weekly theme.

11:45-12:30- For this time frame, we will split the groups into a couple different stations. This could be arts and crafts, a STEM project, or a specialized movement group. We have specialists working with each of these groups and again the activities will directly correlate to the weekly theme. Let’s think about through the decades theme for a second… the kids will travel back in time and learn different dance movements (sock hop, the twist, etc) and explore decade-old, classic craft activities (flower crowns, pet rocks, making play-dough etc). Our activities in these sections are design to cater to specific age groups, so every camper will get the most out their camp experience.

12:30-1:00 – Lunch! Time to sit back, relax and refuel. All our campsites have refrigerators to store lunches from home.

1:00-1:30 – Camps days are go-go-go so it is important to have a little downtime. Our youngest campers might use this time to nap, older kids to read a book or work with a counselor on some academic work.

1:30-2:30- If you were in the arts group in the morning then it is your time to do STEM or creative movement and vice versa. No need to fret, all campers will get to participate in all planned activities.

2:30-3:30- This will be our second stop for a large group activity. This activity will be different than the morning, but no less fun! We have 100+ games in our pockets, so we promise no kid will get bored playing the same thing over and over again.

3:30-4:00- End of day rally with a special treat to boot! Don’t fret that the day has come to an end. There is always tomorrow for more camp adventures. The best questions we get asked at the end of the day are the “what are we doing tomorrow….Can we do this tomorrow?” type of questions. And we can confidently answer… tomorrow will bring new adventures, new friends and new experiences.

4:30-6:00- For those needing a little extra time to come pick up your camper we do offer extended after care from 4:30-6. This is an additional $15 per day and can be added at an at-need basis.

A couple of extra notes: Like we said, we like to keep everyday a little bit different and this schedule will change here and there to accommodate special trips, activities and projects.

Wednesdays will always be our field trip days. Whether you are a Mets fan or a Yankees fan, don’t worry, we got you covered and go to a game of each. We will also be going to Luna park, museums, and a Liberty basketball game.

This year we are also offering swim lessons. Lessons are an additional $45 per week for a 40-minute lesson. Highly trained swim specific instructors teach our lessons.
Already know how to swim? No problem, we take the 1st grade and up campers to the pool for open swim once a week as well!

We truly believe that communication is key to our success. Camp families will receive weekly communication on how camp is going, what to expect and if there is any special items that your camper need to bring (i.e. White t-shirt for tye-dye, swim suit for lessons, wear your camp t-shirt for field trip etc…)

For more detailed information on our summer camps please visit https://www.kidsinthegame.com/summer-camps/ and let’s all get pumped for the BEST SUMMER EVER WITH KING!