While suburban kids have access to pools and lakes and campgrounds, we city folk make do with our own assets when it comes to summer camps for preschoolers–like museum trips and cooking classes and lots and lots of arts and crafts. And of course, we justify it by telling ourselves that the kids will be more comfortable out of the humidity anyway.

So I laughed to learn who else has thrown their hat into the day camp ring this year; it seems that NYC institution, Dylan’s Candy Bar, is introducing Manhattan tots to Dylan’s Candy Bar Camp.

Yes, it’s called Candy Bar Camp.

It probably sounds totally outrageous to anyone outside of New York–and, okay, maybe to us too.  But hey, the Gymboree type places do camps, so why not this party space? Their weekly program seems to be less about gummy bears and more about imagination-building activities, music and yoga, themed events, and crafts and games for kids 3-5, that all just happens to be in the Willie Wonka-esque midtown setting.

I suppose my hope would be that if kids have to enter and exit through the actual shop each morning, maybe it will become so ordinary that they won’t be begging for sugar every day. Blind optimism? -Liz

Check out Dylan’s Candy
Bar Camp and tell us – would you send your kids there?