Some camps treat the pool as a once-a-week treat; others are built around getting kids genuinely comfortable — and skilled — in the water. If swimming instruction is what you're after, here are seven options at specific locations in and around Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, and Carroll Gardens — ordered from the most swim-intensive programs down to traditional camps that fold swim into the week. Prices and weeks below are pulled from each camp's latest listing; tap through to the location page for live availability.
Dodge YMCA — a dedicated Swim Camp
Right in Boerum Hill at 225 Atlantic Avenue, the Dodge YMCA runs a dedicated Swim Camp for ages 7–12 in two-week blocks — extended, in-pool instruction for kids ready to make real progress, and the closest swim-focused program to BoCoCa. $985 per two-week session, late June through late August. (The Park Slope Armory YMCA runs the same two-week Swim Camp — about $987 a session — a little deeper into the Slope if that branch is closer for you.)
Chelsea Piers Brooklyn — Summer Swimtensive
At the Field House in Prospect Heights, Chelsea Piers runs a Summer Swimtensive — a swim-first week for ages 2–6 that's small and instruction-dense, a strong pick for younger kids who need real pool time rather than swim-as-an-afterthought. Weekly, $425, with sessions running June 15 into early September. (Older kids can still get swim through the full-day Camp Chelsea.)
Imagine Swimming — two swim sessions a day
A swim school first and a camp second: at the Crown Heights Armory, Imagine Swimming's Camp Imagine gives ages 6–12 two one-hour swim sessions every day — one at 9am and one at 2pm, ten hours of pool time a week — with kids grouped by ability and field sports and park trips filling out the rest of the day. If steady, rapid progress is the goal, that frequency is hard to beat. Weekly, from $899, the weeks of July 6 through August 28.
Berkeley Carroll — daily instructional swim
A short hop from Carroll Gardens in Park Slope, Berkeley Carroll's Classic Camp puts every camper in its indoor pool 30 minutes a day, with Red Cross–certified water-safety instructors teaching strokes by level — daily progress folded into a traditional camp of arts, sports, and field trips. Weekly rates from about $495 to $825 depending on the week, late June through early August.
Oasis Day Camp — swim a few times a week
In Park Slope (at St. Saviour), Oasis Day Camp folds instructional swim two to three times a week — certified instructors and lifeguards at a nearby pool — into its full signature day-camp program for ages 3–15. A good fit if you want steady water skills alongside a classic, enrichment-packed camp day. Day Camp runs about $875 a week, late June through late August.
Beansprouts Day Camp — weekly swim
Also in Park Slope, Beansprouts pairs a nurturing, traditional-camp day with weekly swim — a gentler cadence that suits younger or more tentative swimmers who want consistency without the intensity. Weeks from about $672, mid-June through late August.
Kids in the Game — swim as an add-on
The Kids in the Game camp at Saint Saviour in Park Slope is active and sports-forward, with swim offered as an add-on — handy if you want one camp for general activity with a little pool time layered in. Weekly, $785 for grades K–7, late June through late August.
How to choose
- Most swim progress, fastest: a swim school or swim-first program — Imagine Swimming, Chelsea Piers' Swimtensive, or the Dodge YMCA Swim Camp.
- Daily pool time inside a full camp: Berkeley Carroll.
- A few swims a week in a classic camp: Oasis Day Camp.
- A gentler, weekly cadence: Beansprouts.
- General camp with optional swim: Kids in the Game.
- Book early — swim-focused weeks are small and fill first. Tap any camp's location page above for current availability and exact dates before you commit.