Dear Tranquillity-ites,
Greetings! As the summer approaches, we are thrilled to extend a warm welcome back to our returning campers and are excited to have those new campers join the Tranquillity Family. 2024 will be a wonderful blend of cherished traditions and new experiences.
Our dedicated team has been working tirelessly to ensure a summer filled with laughter, friendship, and unforgettable memories. To our returning campers, your enthusiasm and spirit have always been the heartbeat of our camp community. We can’t wait to create more magical moments together.
To our newcomers, get ready for an incredible journey where lifelong friendships are formed, and each day brings a new opportunity for discovery. We have an array of exciting activities and themed days that promise to spark creativity, build confidence, and foster a sense of camaraderie.
From swimming, arts and crafts to sports tournaments, theater, Olympics, to hikes through the woods, and everything in- between, there’s something for every child to explore and enjoy. As we share this adventure together, the safety and well-being of our campers remain our top priority. We are committed to providing a nurturing environment where children can thrive and create memories that last a lifetime.
Thank you for entrusting us with the privilege of being part of your child’s summer. Get ready for a season of joy, growth, and endless fun.
Let the countdown to an unforgettable Tranquillity summer begin!
Warm regards,
Richard, Sherrie & Ira
FAQs
Camp is divided into 2 sessions: 4 weeks and 3 weeks for a total of 7 weeks. Children can attend 7, 4 or 3 weeks. We function as a 7 week camp, so the schedule is not redundant for those who stay for the full summer (1 Carnival, 1 Banquet, 1 Visiting Day, 1 Olympics, etc).
Yes. Groups travel together to activities, which are scheduled by our head-counselors and tailored toward specific age groups. There are 3 activity periods per day as well as a general swim for the entire camp. After dinner we have free play that allows a child to choose any activity he/she wants.
The children live in a variety of houses (depending on their age). All houses have large porches, screened windows, electricity and have their own bathrooms with sinks, stall toilets, stall showers with hot and cold running water. Counselors live in separate rooms (without doors) attached to the campers rooms.
We have a 2 pools. A deep pool and a shallow pool for non-swimmers and swim instruction. Weather permitting, we swim at least once per day. We have American Red Cross certified lifeguards and Water Safety Swim Instructors. We also have a lake just for fishing and boating.
Brothers, sisters and friends have numerous opportunities to see each other. 3 times daily we gather prior to meals as an entire camp. During free play, children can be with whomever they choose. We have many camp-wide activities: dances, Carnival, Olympics, Thursday and Sunday BBQ/picnics, etc.)
We do not take trips out of camp. We have over 1000 acres of land and plenty of activities to keep the children occupied in a safe and happy controlled environment.
Private tours of camp can be scheduled at your convenience throughout the year. We have several “Open Houses” in the New York area as well as Florida during the year to meet interested campers and parents. We also conduct private interviews in your home.
An average group has 10 children the same age. Each group has 3 or 4 staff members.
The majority of our staff is home grown. Our counselors are former campers who have graduated through our CIT (Counselor-in-Training) program. We are able to choose and groom those who we feel will best take care of your children. All staff participate in several pre-season orientations as well as a 5 day pre-camp orientation.
Yes. As long as they are the same age (we don’t differentiate between someone born before or after the summer)
Groups are balanced to include both new and returning campers to avoid any disadvantage to newly arriving campers.
We have an air-conditioned infirmary overseen by our Health Director who is a registered nurse. A local pediatrician’s office as well as an urgent-care facility are located 6 miles from camp. Albany Medical Center is 22 miles away. If your child needs to be seen by one of the above or needs to spend the night in the infirmary, you will be contacted.
Not only is the food at Tranquillity nutritious and plentiful, but children actually love our food! Meals are prepared from scratch by our kitchen staff, led by our culinary trained Chef in our modern state-of-the-art kitchen. Campers sit with their group and counselors in our beautiful dining room. Food is served family style and is unlimited. There are always baskets of bread (white & wheat) on the table and pitchers of ice water. Lunch and dinner are always full course meals: juice or soup, a protein, rice, pasta or potato, vegetable, as well as salad. Fruit juice for meat meals, milk (2%) and chocolate milk for dairy meals. We only use kosher meat. There is always peanut butter & jelly on the tables, but we are careful not to cook with any nut products and we are sensitive to those with nut allergies. We also offer gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan options, as well as other dietary needs. Of course there’s always dessert; ice cream sundaes, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, chocolate or vanilla pudding, jello, lots of fresh fruit. Breakfast? – orange juice, bananas, yogurt, cereal, hot chocolate and either pancakes, french toast, waffles, bagels, muffins, and more.
Tranquillity is able to accommodate many allergies and dietary needs. Please contact the camp director to discuss your child’s specific needs.
Laundry is done weekly. We do not recommend delicates or colors that have never been washed and may bleed, or very expensive items.
We provide pillows, blankets, sheets and pillowcases which are laundered weekly. Some campers bring their own pillows and comforters. Please note that we do not have facilities to wash personal linens.
No, except for Visiting Day. We feel that calls and visits can be disruptive to our program and does not give the camper an opportunity to acclimate to camp. We encourage parents to write frequent letters, children love to receive mail! Campers are required to write home as well.
There is one Visiting Day.
Packages are OK, but food is prohibited. Food in the bunk attracts insects and animals. Non-food packages are always welcome.
There are no additional charges. You can send $10 to $20 that can be put into the camp safe for such items as stamps, toothpaste, soap, etc.
Lots of activities! Tranquillity has numerous indoor spaces: Arts & Crafts House, Sports Center, Theater, Playrooms and 3 movie rooms with large projection screens.
We have approximately 275 campers. Boys and girls ages 7-15. The majority of our campers come from the New York metropolitan area as well as New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida and from all over the US.
Tranquillity is not a uniform camp. There are some occasions for wearing nice casual clothes, such as dances and Saturday night shows. We do dress up for Friday night Shabbat services and end of the summer Banquet, boys wear jackets and ties, girls wear dresses, sundresses, or pantsuits. A suggested clothing list is included in the Parent Handbook for registered campers.
We provide coach bus transportation to and from Queens, New York. You do have the option to drop off and pick up your child at camp by car. We can also arrange camper pick up at Albany International Airport.
Click here to download our suggested packing list.
