92nd St. Y will Stage Its First Summer Camp in Hamptons in Two Week Pilot Program
A popular summer program for 3-to-5-year olds that has been held at the 92nd St Y’s Manhattan location for nearly five decades will head East to the Hamptons for the first time in mid-June with a new two week pilot program in collaboration with the Hampton’s Jewish Center.
| 10 Mar 2023 | 05:02
The 92nd St. Y, which has held summer camp for preschoolers at its UES loction for nearly 50 years, says it is adding a two week pilot program in the Hamptons this summer for the first time. Photo: 92nd St. Y
The 92nd Street Y, New York, which has run day programs for preschoolers for on its UES home for nearly 50 years, said it is responding to requests from parents and taking the show to the Hamptons this summer.
From June 12th to June 23rd New York City families spending time in the Hamptons can now have their littlest ones enjoy everything they love at Camp K’Ton Ton at the 92nd Street Y’s Upper East Side location–but outdoors.
K’Ton Ton is the longtime, popular summer day camp program for young children three to five years old that takes place at The 92nd Street Y (92NY), the nearly 150-year-old cultural arts center located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
The idea for the pilot program “came from feedback from families who are out east during the summer and felt they were missing out on K’Ton Ton,” said Lauren Wexler, Director of Children’s Enrichment and Engagement at 92NY. “[They] wanted to have the opportunity to experience K’Ton Ton out there,” she said of the pre-school summer program that has been “a part of the fabric” of the 92nd Street Y, and the lives of New York City families, for close to 50 years.
“We had the unique opportunity to collaborate with the Jewish Center of the Hamptons,” Wexler said of the camp’s location for the two-week program. “They have this amazing outdoor space with a pool and a garden and basketball court” and many other amenities that the children and camp staff will make full use of for what promises to be wonderful, activity-filled time for young children during the early part of summer.
“We’re really excited about it,” Wexler said.
The Director of K’Ton Ton and Early Childhood Afterschool programs at 92NY, Melissa Cole, also cannot wait to get started at the “abundant amount of space” available at the East Hampton location.
“Unlike the city where we are in a classroom, I have much more space and able to grow the program,” Cole said of the many daily activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, a variety of sports and movement classes, even gardening, that will be offered by her team to the 3 to 5-year-olds who will participate in the five-days-a-week program during the weeks of June 12 and June 19.
The children will be dropped off by their parents or caregivers every morning for the start of the 9:00 am weekdays program that will go through 12pm or 1pm depending on the child’s age. They will then be with a “team of five amazing early childhood educators per group of about 15 kids...really enjoying the best of the Hamptons and the best of K’Ton Ton,” Cole said of the highly anticipated new program.
Lauren Wexler added that they are also exploring the option with the Jewish Center of the Hamptons of having coffee meetups for parents after drop-off, where they can meet with the clergy and leadership – getting to know each other a bit - while the children are off having fun.
Back at the 92nd Street Y campus on Lexington Avenue and 91st Street, Camp K’Ton Ton will continue its normal summer programming for young children from June 27 – August 4. Additional summer camps at 92NY include a general day camp located in Pearl River, upstate in Rockland County, among others.
Families interested in registering for K’Ton Ton in the Hamptons, or who have questions, can visit www.92ny.org/camps/k-ton-ton-in-the-hamptons or email the camp team directly at: campmail@92ny.org.