“You want me to put my 5-year-old on a bus from the city to Long Island every day next summer, are you crazy?”
We often hear these words or see the wheels spinning in parents’ heads when we talk about campers coming to Shibley Day Camp from Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens. In fact, a large percentage of our campers do come from the east side of Manhattan; areas in Queens like Forest Hills, Long Island City & Astoria; and parts of Brooklyn including Park Slope, Greenpoint & Williamsburg.
So why do parents send their children in droves from the city every day to camps on Long Island?
“I feel so grateful to have found a camp for my daughter. I’m so glad that I can give her the perfect summer camp for a city kid; one where she is outdoors in the sunshine, swimming in the pool and running in the grass every day. She comes home exhausted with dirty knees and crazy hair. Most importantly, she comes home happy.” – Mrs. Grillo
“Sending our children out of the city for summer camp was the best decision we could have made. We love our city living most of the year, but the amazing landscape at Shibley provides a true camp experience and the ability to be outdoors for activities as much as possible – a luxury no local camp could provide. While the bus ride to and from was my greatest hesitation, this was actually one of their daily highlights. They made friends outside of their groups and age bracket which made them feel even more connected to their camp community.” – Mrs. Shah
“We knew it was time to give our child a taste of suburban life when he saw the camp promotional video and said “look, it’s in the jungle!” There’s more to life than steaming hot sidewalks and fenced-in city parks. We wanted to give him the opportunity to spend his summers running around in fresh air and green grass, and swimming in a beautiful outdoor pool.”-Mrs. Singh
“…imagine not hearing the shrill of car horns and emergency vehicles for days on end. Instead, imagine the magical sound of kids having fun in a truly natural setting. My daughter loves escaping the noise of the city and enjoying full days filled with the sounds of nature…” – Mr. McLaughlin
“Sending our daughter to camp on Long Island from NYC was one of the best decisions we have ever made! Our daughter gets the opportunity to be active in the outdoors on a beautiful large suburban property while participating in so many activities including; swimming, ropes course, playgrounds, sports,…the list is endless. Shibley provides convenient busing, which is amazing especially for working parents.” – Mrs. Chan
“This will be my daughter’s second summer at camp, and the excitement in our home is at a whole new level! ‘When is camp starting mom? Living in NYC is an amazing experience for my daughter and our family, but like every New Yorker and especially my child who is born in and being raised in NYC, you need a break every once in a while. The activities were beyond her imagination and the staff and counselors were just amazing… even the bus ride home was an exciting adventure for her filled with fun and appropriate songs and games. City kids have benefits like no other children, but you should not pass up an opportunity to send them to a camp outside the hustle and bustle of the jungle of NYC.” – Mrs. Sticco
“I love sending my daughter to camp in the suburbs for so many reasons. First and foremost is getting her to spend time outside surrounded by large lawns of green grass and giant shady trees. She learns about nature and escapes the concrete jungle. My daughter finally learned to put her head under water and started to swim last year and now she runs and jumps into the water with no fear. This year she will work to pass the deep water test. I feel like my daughter grew up on the bus, gained independence, developed patience and made great friendships with boys and girls of different ages.” – Mrs. Ng
“Every day is spent in a beautiful wooded sanctuary that gives my children the feel of a upstate sleep-away camp. I get the added bonus of seeing them at the end of every day, exhausted and relaxed as they regale me with the stories of their adventures. They don’t have to compete with neighborhood kids for a hot swing on a blacktop playground. They don’t have to wonder how they will fill their hot summer days in a concrete jungle. Over the many years I have realized it is a different kind of friendship that forms over the summers, when you only see each other for a few months. They will have these camp friends for a lifetime.“ – Mrs. Kohn
It’s time to think about how your children will spend next summer! Don’t miss out on an excellent camp experience at Shibley Day Camp in 2026!
