Sylvester Manor runs a wide range of nature-based summer programs on 236 acres of historic land on Shelter Island for kids ages 2 to 15. Younger children can join gentle morning camps, while older kids can choose programs focused on wilderness skills, cooking, farm work, STEM, or theater. Each program runs for half a day, but families can combine morning and afternoon sessions for a full day.
Morning camps include Meadowlarks for ages 2 to 3½, Little Sprouts for ages 3½ to 5, and Young Farmers for ages 6 to 8. These programs run from June 29 to August 21 and center on daily time on the farm, in the forest, and in the garden. Fig & Forest, for ages 9 to 11, focuses on cooking, foraging, farm visits, and weekly guest chefs.
Older kids can also choose specialty programs such as STEM and O.W.L.S., which stands for Outdoor Wilderness Living Skills, for ages 8 to 12. Junior Farm Crew, for ages 10 to 14, gives participants a chance to work alongside the farm crew during two sessions. Forest Theatre includes two tracks that end with live performances in the woods: Dancing Moths for ages 7 to 11 and Wing & Song for ages 12 to 15.
Afternoon options include DIRT Extended Day for ages 3½ to 5 and Endeavors in the Afternoon for ages 6 to 11, both running from 12:30 to 3:00 pm.
Morning programs range from $485 to $625 per week, depending on the program. Afternoon sessions start at $90 per day. Forest Theatre costs from $1,400 to $2,000 per session. Two additional weeks, Midsummer from June 22 to 26 and Quintessence from August 24 to 28, are each priced at $625 per week.