Beach Trip @ Sunken Meadow State Park
Groups: Explorers® (Grades 5-8)
Sun, sand, ocean waves, and beach days are a true summer staple. Ranked among the top beaches in all of New York State, Sunken Meadow is well regarded for its clean, calm waters, well-kept facilities, and wide open space that makes it an ideal destination for a large group. For our Explorers®, it’s more than just a trip to the beach. It’s one of the most anticipated days of the week.
- Location: Sunken Meadow State Park, Kings Park, NY
- Lunch: Campers should bring a brown bag lunch from home for our beach picnic, or cash/card for the boardwalk concession stands.
- What to Bring: swimsuit, water bottle, towel, and a change of clothes in your backpack. Sunscreen is provided and reapplied by staff throughout the day.
- Transportation: Camps ‘R’ Us provides transportation to and from this trip from your home campus only. Departure times, arrival times, and return times will be communicated through the CampMinder app, exclusively available to enrolled CRU families.
hIGHlights
- Supervised Swimming. All swimming takes place in designated areas with certified lifeguards on duty, giving campers the freedom to enjoy the water and parents the peace of mind they deserve.
- Calm, Clean Water. The Long Island Sound offers clean, calm waters that’s ideal for swimmers of all confidence levels, making it a welcoming environment for every camper in the group.
- Beach Games and Activities. Beyond the water, counselors set up organized beach games and group activities throughout the day, so there’s always something going on for campers who want to stay active on shore.
- Boardwalk Concessions. Two concession stands sit at either end of the boardwalk serving hot dogs, fries, pretzels, and ice cream. Everything a beach day calls for.
- Room to Explore. Campers aren’t confined to one spot. With open fields, and a beautiful shoreline, they travel as a group with their counselors, making discoveries along the way.
- A Weekly Summer Tradition. Explorers can look forward to a beach trip every week they attend camp, one of the many field trips included as part of the CRU summer experience.
Why We Love It
What we love most about Sunken Meadow isn’t just the scenery. It’s the setting it creates for our campers. The calm water is safe and accessible for every swimmer in the group. The space gives counselors room to run great programming while giving campers the freedom to make the day their own. For many of our Explorers, a day at Sunken Meadow is where some of their best summer friendships are built, away from screens, out in the open, doing exactly what summer is supposed to feel like. It’s a trip we’re proud to offer every summer.
FAQ
Yes, with supervision. All campers are treated as non-swimmers for safety purposes, meaning swimming is permitted in water up to chest depth only. All swimming takes place in designated areas with certified lifeguards on duty and CRU staff present throughout.
No problem at all. Less confident swimmers are fully supported by staff present on the shoreline and in the water. And for campers who prefer to stay dry entirely, there is plenty to enjoy: beach games, sports on the open field, seashell collecting, and time to explore the shoreline with their group.
Yes. Camps ‘R’ Us provides every camper with Coral Isles SPF 50 sunscreen, a reef-safe, fragrance-free, hypoallergenic formula that is water resistant for up to 80 minutes and safe for all skin types including sensitive skin. We recommend applying sunscreen at home before your camper boards the bus, and our staff will assist with reapplication throughout the day.
Campers should wear or bring an age-appropriate bathing suit. We also recommend water shoes or flip flops, as Sunken Meadow is a north shore beach with a naturally rocky shoreline.
Lunch is not provided on the beach trip. Campers should bring a brown bag lunch from home for our group picnic, or bring cash or a card to purchase food from the boardwalk concession stands, which offer hot dogs, French fries, pretzels, and ice cream. Campers will have a designated lunch period with their campus group.
Yes. Campers are welcome to bring spending money for the boardwalk concession stands. We recommend bringing a small, reasonable amount as CRU is not responsible for lost or misplaced cash.
No. Out of respect for the privacy and safety of all campers, personal phones and cameras are not permitted on beach trip days. All trip photography is handled exclusively by designated CRU staff members who have undergone extensive background checks.
If weather conditions prevent the beach trip from taking place, campers will enjoy a full day of on-campus activities. No one goes home early and no day is ever wasted at CRU.
The beach trip runs every week of the summer for our Explorer program. Campers who attend multiple weeks can look forward to this trip as a recurring highlight of their summer.
Trip dates vary by campus and are updated regularly throughout the summer. Please check your campus calendar or speak with your campus director for the most up to date scheduling information.
Camps ‘R’ Us provides transportation to and from every trip from your home campus only. All departure times, arrival times, and return times are communicated through the CampMinder app, which is exclusively available to enrolled Camps ‘R’ Us families. Please make sure your CampMinder notifications are turned on ahead of any trip day so you never miss an update.
The Beach Trip is just one of the many field trips included as part of the Camps ‘R’ Us Explorer program, one of Long Island’s most trusted day camp experiences for kids in grades 5 through 8. With campuses across Nassau and Suffolk County including Syosset, Farmingdale, Massapequa, Bellmore, Hicksville, East Rockaway, Saint James, Kings Park, Williston Park and soon to be more, CRU offers families a screen-free, activity-packed summer built around confidence, friendship, and adventure. All programs are ACA accredited, and transportation to and from every trip is included from your home campus.
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