Camp SoundWaters
Sailing and marine adventure on the shore of Long Island Sound.
Camp SoundWaters core principles of hands-on discovery, adventure, skill-building, and working as a team create the ultimate summer experience for your child.
Camp SoundWaters all-star staff includes certified sailing instructors, lifeguards, and American Red Cross CPR/First Aid certified counselors.
One-week sessions all have unique themes, activities, and experiments.
- Monday-Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.
- Extended hours and scholarships available
Camp SoundWaters is located on the shores of Holly Pond and Long Island Sound in beautiful Cove Island Park.
Campers entering 1st grade in fall 2025
Calling all water explorers! Encounter the world of Long Island Sound through science adventures, hunting for treasures, and discovering animals and habitats along the way! Each week hosts a new theme with endless adventure.
1:6 counselor/camper ratio
9 AM – 4 PM Monday – Friday
Price: $525/week – ($420 week 3, no camp 7/4)
Extended Hours: 8:30 am-9:00 am and 4:00 – 5:00 pm. Price: $100.00
| Session | Date | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | June 16 – June 20, 2025 | Experiment Escapades Calling all scientists! In this science-centered week, campers will enter our resident mad scientist’s lab and learn about the wonders of our natural world through hands-on biology, chemistry, and physics experiments. |
| Session 2 | June 23 – June 27, 2025 | ArtSea Week Appreciate all the beauty that our Long Island Sound has to offer! Exploring different artistic media can help us connect to our local environments in new and beautiful ways. During this week campers will explore their artSEA side and present all of their hard work at the end of the week with a SoundWaters ArtShow! |
| Session 3 | June 30 – July 4, 2025 (No camp on Friday, July 4) | Awesome Olympians Go for the gold this summer in an Olympic adventure! Unleash your inner Olympian as you sail, swim, jump, and run your way through team competitions throughout our week-long Camp Games. |
| Session 4 | July 7 – July 11, 2025 | Long Island Sound Survivor Our SoundWaters castaways will be put through rigorous challenges with their teams to compete for the ultimate prize. Bring your best game face, put on your thinking cap, and be prepared for twists and turns along the way! |
| Session 5 | July 14 – July 18, 2025 | Anything That Floats It’s time for the annual Camp SoundWaters Boat Race! Design and outfit your group’s boat and cheer on your team in our Holly Pond regatta! |
| Session 6 | July 21 – July 25, 2025 | Futuristic Inventors Embrace your inner engineer in our Futuristic Inventors week! Here at SoundWaters we want to challenge your camper to create a new and useful inventions for everyday life. Throughout the week, campers will collaborate with their teams to solve engineering challenges and design new innovations to solve real world dilemmas. |
| Session 7 | July 28 – August 1, 2025 | Camp SoundWaters Got Talent! Explore your creative side and share your talents with the world! In this inspiring week, campers will have the chance to learn new skills and take their talents to the stage! At the end of the week, campers will get to showcase their fabulous talents and applaud their friends at our annual talent show! |
| Session 8 | August 4 – August 8, 2025 | Pirate Island Avast ye mateys! SoundWaters has been invaded by pirates and it’s your mission to save the camp! Dress up as a pirate, decode secret messages, and follow hidden clues to a sunken treasure. |
| Session 9 | August 11 – August 15, 2025 | Camp SoundWaters Carnival Step right up to the SoundWaters Carnival! What better way to send off the summer than playing carnival games, dunking your counselors in the dunk tank, and posing with new and old friends in the photo booth! |
Sea Stars Typical Day
9:00 Welcome Campers!
Sign in at our Coastal Center in Cove Island Park
9:15 Morning Activity and Meeting
Build up your morning energy with some sharks and minnows, ship to shore or many other games in the backyard!
9:30 Animal Encounter
Up close with animals of the Long Island Sound! Feed, hold, and discover a new creature each day!
10:30 Swimming
Head to the beach for fun in the water and sun!
11:30 Lunch Time! (Bring a bagged lunch and reusable water bottle)
12:00 Sailing
Set sail with a Camp SoundWaters staff member aboard the Quest! Learn some basic sailing skills and take a ride on Holly Pond.
1:00 Art Activity
Get creative! Design creative costumes and projects that relate to each weeks new theme!
1:30 Science Experiment
Channel you inner scientist with water experiments, microscopes in the lab, sinking and floating experiments, build a “boat.”
2:30 Water Explorations
Check out some cool habitats, collect some animals, and learn all about the mysteries of the Long Island Sound!
3:30 Wrap up the day with a fun game or feed the aquarium!
4:00 Parent pick up at the Coastal Education Center.
Payment Information
$150 non-refundable deposit per camper per session will be required to complete registration. We accept major credit cards and e-check. The balance of tuition will be automatically charged to the payment method of your choice on May 1, 2025.
If camp tuition was paid in full, refunds are possible until May 1, 2025 less the non-refundable deposit of $150 per session per camper.
If you register after May 1, full tuition is due at the time of registration.
Sorry, no refunds after May 1, 2025.
Campers entering 2nd grade in fall 2025
Dive into exciting fun of Long Island Sound! Here you will fish, erupt volcanoes, ride the tide on a boogie board relay, and sail away on Holly Pond in our Dragon sailboats!
1:6 counselor/camper ratio
9 AM – 4 PM Monday – Friday.
Price: $550/week – ($440 week 3, no camp 7/4)
Extended Hours: 8:30 am-9:00 am and 4:00 – 5:00 pm. Price: $100.00
| Session | Date | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | June 16 – June 20, 2025 | Experiment Escapades Calling all scientists! In this science-centered week, campers will enter our resident mad scientist’s lab and learn about the wonders of our natural world through hands-on biology, chemistry, and physics experiments. |
| Session 2 | June 23 – June 27, 2025 | ArtSea Week Appreciate all the beauty that our Long Island Sound has to offer! Exploring different artistic media can help us connect to our local environments in new and beautiful ways. During this week campers will explore their artSEA side and present all of their hard work at the end of the week with a SoundWaters ArtShow! |
| Session 3 | June 30 – July 4, 2025 (No camp Friday, July 4) | Awesome Olympians Go for the gold this summer in an Olympic adventure! Unleash your inner Olympian as you sail, swim, jump, and run your way through team competitions throughout our week-long Camp Games. |
| Session 4 | July 7 – July 11, 2025 | Long Island Sound Survivor Our SoundWaters castaways will be put through rigorous challenges with their teams to compete for the ultimate prize. Bring your best game face, put on your thinking cap, and be prepared for twists and turns along the way! |
| Session 5 | July 14 – July 18, 2025 | Anything That Floats It’s time for the annual Camp SoundWaters Boat Race! Design and outfit your group’s boat and cheer on your team in our Holly Pond regatta! |
| Session 6 | July 21 – July 25, 2025 | Futuristic Inventors Embrace your inner engineer in our Futuristic Inventors week! Here at SoundWaters we want to challenge your camper to create a new and useful inventions for everyday life. Throughout the week, campers will collaborate with their teams to solve engineering challenges and design new innovations to solve real world dilemmas. |
| Session 7 | July 28 – August 1, 2025 | Camp SoundWaters Got Talent! Explore your creative side and share your talents with the world! In this inspiring week, campers will have the chance to learn new skills and take their talents to the stage! At the end of the week, campers will get to showcase their fabulous talents and applaud their friends at our annual talent show! |
| Session 8 | August 4 – August 8, 2025 | Pirate Island Avast ye mateys! SoundWaters has been invaded by pirates and it’s your mission to save the camp! Dress up as a pirate, decode secret messages, and follow hidden clues to a sunken treasure. |
| Session 9 | August 11 – August 15, 2025 | Camp SoundWaters Carnival Step right up to the SoundWaters Carnival! What better way to send off the summer than playing carnival games, dunking your counselors in the dunk tank, and posing with new and old friends in the photo booth! |
Terrapin Typical Day
9:00 Welcome Campers!
Sign in at our Coastal Center in Cove Island Park.
9:15 Morning Activity and Meeting.
Build up your morning energy with a game of sharks and minnows, ship-to-shore, or captain says in the backyard!
9:30 Sailing!
Sail away on Holly Pond in dragon boats. Learn the fundamentals of sailing, discover how to navigate currents & tides & explore the secret salt marsh!
Noon Lunch Time! (Bring a bagged lunch and reusable water bottle)
12:30 Swimming
Head to the beach for fun in the sun, sand & water!
1:30 Water Explorations/Experiments
Solve underwater mysteries, investigate habitats, and collect animals!
3:00 Animal Encounters
Get up close with animals of the Long Island Sound! Feed, hold, and discover a new creature each day!
4:00 Parent pick up at the Coastal Education Center.
Payment Information
$150 non-refundable deposit per camper per session will be required to complete registration. We accept major credit cards and e-check. The balance of tuition will be automatically charged to the payment method of your choice on May 1, 2025.
If camp tuition was paid in full, refunds are possible until May 1, 2025 less the non-refundable deposit of $150 per session per camper.
If you register after May 1, full tuition is due at the time of registration.
Sorry, no refunds after May 1, 2025.
Campers entering grades 3 and 4 in fall 2025
Time to become a water wizard! Here you will learn to sail on an Optimist beginner sail boat; canoe, explore the secret salt marsh, solve animal mysteries, swim, and much more!
1:6 counselor/camper ratio
9 AM – 4 PM Monday – Friday
Price: $550/week – ($440 week 3, no camp 7/4)
Extended Hours: 8:30 am-9:00 am and 4:00 – 5:00 pm. Price: $100.00
| Session | Date | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | June 16 – June 20, 2025 | Experiment Escapades Calling all scientists! In this science-centered week, campers will enter our resident mad scientist’s lab and learn about the wonders of our natural world through hands-on biology, chemistry, and physics experiments. |
| Session 2 | June 23 – June 27, 2025 | ArtSea Week Appreciate all the beauty that our Long Island Sound has to offer! Exploring different artistic media can help us connect to our local environments in new and beautiful ways. During this week campers will explore their artSEA side and present all of their hard work at the end of the week with a SoundWaters ArtShow! |
| Session 3 | June 30 – July 4, 2025 (No camp Friday, July 4) | Awesome Olympians Go for the gold this summer in an Olympic adventure! Unleash your inner Olympian as you sail, swim, jump, and run your way through team competitions throughout our week-long Camp Games. |
| Session 4 | July 7 – July 11, 2025 | The Sound Survivor Our SoundWaters castaways will be put through rigorous challenges with their teams to compete for the ultimate prize. Bring your best game face, put on your thinking cap, and be prepared for twists and turns along the way! |
| Session 5 | July 14 – July 18, 2025 | Anything That Floats It’s time for the annual Camp SoundWaters Boat Race! Design and outfit your group’s boat and cheer on your team in our Holly Pond regatta! |
| Session 6 | July 21 – July 25, 2025 | Futuristic Inventors Embrace your inner engineer in our Futuristic Inventors week! Here at SoundWaters we want to challenge your camper to create a new and useful inventions for everyday life. Throughout the week, campers will collaborate with their teams to solve engineering challenges and design new innovations to solve real world dilemmas. |
| Session 7 | July 28- August 1, 2025 | Camp SoundWaters Got Talent! Explore your creative side and share your talents with the world! In this inspiring week, campers will have the chance to learn new skills and take their talents to the stage! At the end of the week, campers will get to showcase their fabulous talents and applaud their friends at our annual talent show! |
| Session 8 | August 4 – August 8, 2025 | Pirate Island Avast ye mateys! SoundWaters has been invaded by pirates and it’s your mission to save the camp! Dress up as a pirate, decode secret messages, and follow hidden clues to a sunken treasure. |
| Session 9 | August 11 – August 15, 2025 | Camp SoundWaters Carnival Step right up to the SoundWaters Carnival! What better way to send off the summer than playing carnival games, dunking your counselors in the dunk tank, and posing with new and old friends in the photo booth! |
Bluefish Typical Day
**Bluefish campers will be split up into three groups. Each group alternates between sailing in the morning and afternoon.**
9:00 Welcome Campers
Sign in at our Coastal Center in Cove Island Park.
9:15 Morning Activity and Meeting.
Build up your morning energy with some sharks and minnows, ship-to-shore or many other games in the backyard!
9:30 Sailing Adventures
Sail away in Opti boats and navigate a course on the waters of Holly Pond. Learn the fundamentals of sailing and harness the wind in your sails!
12:00 Lunch Time! (Bring a bagged lunch and reusable water bottle)
1:30 Water Explorations/Experiments
Paddle your way to the secret salt marsh in a canoe! Solve underwater mysteries, investigate habitats, & collect fish, crabs and more from Long Island Sound!
2:30 Swimming
Head to the beach for fun in the water, sand and sun! Splash in the waves, build a sand castle or search for shells and animals!
4:00 Parent pick up at the Coastal Education Center.
Payment Information
$150 non-refundable deposit per camper per session will be required to complete registration. We accept major credit cards and e-check. The balance of tuition will be automatically charged to the payment method of your choice on May 1, 2025.
If camp tuition was paid in full, refunds are possible until May 1, 2025 less the non-refundable deposit of $150 per session per camper.
If you register after May 1, full tuition is due at the time of registration.
Sorry, no refunds after May 1, 2025.
Campers entering grades 5 and 6 in fall 2025
Each week learn new basic and advanced boat handling, sailing skills, rigging, and sail trimming along with points of sail. Build confidence to skipper and crew an RS Zest with a partner. The RS Zest is an easy handling boat that’s perfect for training all age and ability level sailors. Stingrays will be setting sail most days. There will be times during the week where they will meet new animals, perform experiments, and take part in the large camp events.
US Sailing Certified instructors
1:6 instructor/camper ratio
9:00 AM -4:00 PM Monday-Friday
Price: $675 per session – ($540 week 3, no camp 7/4)
Extended Hours: 8:30 am-9:00 am and 4:00 – 5:00 pm. Price: $100.00
| Session | Date | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | June 16 – June 20, 2025 | Experiment Escapades Calling all scientists! In this science-centered week, campers will enter our resident mad scientist’s lab and learn about the wonders of our natural world through hands-on biology, chemistry, and physics experiments. |
| Session 2 | June 23 – June 27, 2025 | ArtSea Week Appreciate all the beauty that our Long Island Sound has to offer! Exploring different artistic media can help us connect to our local environments in new and beautiful ways. During this week campers will explore their artSEA side and present all of their hard work at the end of the week with a SoundWaters ArtShow! |
| Session 3 | June 30 – July 4, 2025 (No camp Friday, July 4) | Awesome Olympians Go for the gold this summer in an Olympic adventure! Unleash your inner Olympian as you sail, swim, jump, and run your way through team competitions throughout our week-long Camp Games. |
| Session 4 | July 7 – July 11, 2025 | Long Island Sound Survivor Our SoundWaters castaways will be put through rigorous challenges with their teams to compete for the ultimate prize. Bring your best game face, put on your thinking cap, and be prepared for twists and turns along the way! |
| Session 5 | July 14 – July 18, 2025 | Anything That Floats It’s time for the annual Camp SoundWaters Boat Race! Design and outfit your group’s boat and cheer on your team in our Holly Pond regatta! |
| Session 6 | July 21 – July 25, 2024 | Futuristic Inventors Embrace your inner engineer in our Futuristic Inventors week! Here at SoundWaters we want to challenge your camper to create a new and useful inventions for everyday life. Throughout the week, campers will collaborate with their teams to solve engineering challenges and design new innovations to solve real world dilemmas. |
| Session 7 | July 28 – August 1, 2025 | Camp SoundWaters Got Talent! Explore your creative side and share your talents with the world! In this inspiring week, campers will have the chance to learn new skills and take their talents to the stage! At the end of the week, campers will get to showcase their fabulous talents and applaud their friends at our annual talent show! |
| Session 8 | August 4 – August 8, 2025 | Pirate Island Avast ye mateys! SoundWaters has been invaded by pirates and it’s your mission to save the camp! Dress up as a pirate, decode secret messages, and follow hidden clues to a sunken treasure. |
| Session 9 | August 11 – August 15, 2025 | Camp SoundWaters Carnival Step right up to the SoundWaters Carnival! What better way to send off the summer than playing carnival games, dunking your counselors in the dunk tank, and posing with new and old friends in the photo booth! |
Stingrays Typical Day
The activities vary depending on weather and session. Below you will find an example daily schedule: (If there is inclement weather, sailors will be moved indoors for another activity, i.e. science lesson, interacting with live animals, practicing knots)
9:00am: Welcome Sailors!!! Sign-in is in front of the SoundWaters Coastal Education Center in Cove Island Park.
9:15am: Chalk Talk! All sailors gather up and have a fun kick-off to your morning before you head out on the water. Record weather and temperature observations, knots, chart a course, parts of the boat!
9:30am: Ready boats for day (ex. Rig sails, learn lines, check boats)
10:15am: Launch boats
10:30am: Smooth Sailing – practice tacking and jibing, buoy course, point of sail, wind direction, races
12:00pm: Bring boats back to shore, lunch
12:45pm: Swim call
1:30pm: Afternoon Sailing – sail to Holly Pond salt marsh, look for horseshoe crabs, sailing drills
3:00pm: Arrive back on land. Ready boats for bed (clean up sails, wash boat, de-rig for night).
3:45pm: Closing Circle– discuss and share what you learned throughout day, what you would like to learn tomorrow!
4:00pm: Camp day ends – parents pick up campers and sign out with staff in front of the SoundWaters Coastal Education Center in Cove Island Park.
Payment Information
$150 non-refundable deposit per camper per session will be required to complete registration. We accept major credit cards and e-check. The balance of tuition will be automatically charged to the payment method of your choice on May 1, 2025.
If camp tuition was paid in full, refunds are possible until May 1, 2025 less the non-refundable deposit of $150 per session per camper.
If you register after May 1, full tuition is due at the time of registration.
Sorry, no refunds after May 1, 2025.
Campers entering grades 7 – 9 in fall 2025
Set sail on Long Island Sound aboard a two- sail 12’ RS Feva this summer! Sailors are coached daily in seamanship, on the water safety and fun organized sailing games. Learning to sail is an excellent way for campers to become self-reliant, learn a lifelong sport and make lasting friendships and memories! Sailors must be comfortable on the water for the full day and be proficient swimmers.
US Sailing Certified Instructors. 1:6 staff/camper ratio
9:00 am-4:00 pm Monday-Friday.
Price per session: $675 – ($540 week 3, no camp 7/4)
Extended Hours: 8:30 am-9:00 am and 4:00 – 5:00 pm. Price: $100.00
| Session | Date |
|---|---|
| Session 1 | June 16 – June 20, 2025 |
| Session 2 | June 23 – June 27, 2025 |
| Session 3 | June 30 – July 4, 2025 (No camp Friday, July 4) |
| Session 4 | July 7 – July 11, 2025 |
| Session 5 | July 14 – July 18, 2025 |
| Session 6 | July 21 – July 25, 2025 |
| Session 7 | July 28 – August 1, 2025 |
| Session 8 | August 4 – August 8, 2025 |
| Session 9 | August 11 – August 15, 2025 |
Sharks Typical Day
On fair weather days, the sharks spend the entire camp day out on Long Island Sound. In the event of unfavorable weather, they have a chance to explore many other activities, including science experiments, interacting with animals, exploring Cove Island Park, practicing knots, and engineering challenges.
**Boats will depart the Marina at 9:15am and not arrive back until 3:30pm.**
8:45-9:00am: Greet Sailors at the Cove Island Marina.
9:00am: Head onto the docks and prepare ourselves and our boats for a great day out on the Sound (put on lifejackets, tie towlines, check boats)
9:20am: Chalk talk! On the first day sailors will learn the parts of their boats and refresh their memory of how to sail and steer them. On subsequent days, we will discuss what they have accomplished so far, and any skills we should brush up on for today.
9:30am: Depart from docks and head out to the Sound.
9:45am: On the water rigging! Sailors rig their boats while rafting together, with the help of their instructors.
10:15am: Sailing! Activities vary by day, including learning to sail around courses, playing games to hone boat handling skills, introduction to racing, and distance sails to new locations around the coast of Stamford.
12:00pm: Tie up for lunch time. If it’s a hot day, a swim break too!
12:45pm: Afternoon sailing.
2:45pm: Start tying up to derig, re-tie towlines.
3:15pm: Head back in to the dock.
3:30pm: Clean up and debrief: what are we proud of ourselves for today? What do we want to work on for tomorrow?
4:00pm: Pickup at the Cove Island Marina. Please have your ID ready when you pick up your sailor.
Payment Information
$150 non-refundable deposit per camper per session will be required to complete registration. We accept major credit cards and e-check. The balance of tuition will be automatically charged to the payment method of your choice on May 1, 2025.
If camp tuition was paid in full, refunds are possible until May 1, 2025 less the non-refundable deposit of $150 per session per camper.
If you register after May 1, full tuition is due at the time of registration.
Sorry, no refunds after May 1, 2025.
Students ages 14 and 15
The CIT experience is designed to offer qualified young people leadership opportunities that prepare them for positions as camp counselors, sailing instructors and outdoor program leaders. The CIT program includes: On the job training in all aspects of a counselor’s job at camp, child development and behavior management training, counseling techniques and best practices, communication and leadership, environmental stewardship, and community service. The SoundWaters CIT program emphasizes developing leadership skills and program teaching skills. Participation in the CIT program is by selection. Those interested in the program must complete an application process, which includes an application and an interview. Whether you have been a camper before or this is your first experience with us, we believe you have the potential to succeed here at Camp SoundWaters.
Being a CIT is an important leadership role and requires a two-week commitment. There is a four-week maximum.
8:10 AM – 4:30 PM Monday – Friday. Price: $200/week
To Apply:
Send completed CIT Application Form to Kat Norton, Camp Director, knorton@soundwaters.org.
Returning CITs: Please email Kat Norton, Camp Director, directly.
Application Deadline: May 16, 2025
| Session | Date |
|---|---|
| Session 1 | June 16 – June 20, 2025 |
| Session 2 | June 23 – June 27, 2025 |
| Session 3 | June 30 – July 4, 2025 (No camp Friday, July 4) |
| Session 4 | July 7 – July 11, 2025 |
| Session 5 | July 14 – July 18, 2025 |
| Session 6 | July 21 – July 25, 2025 |
| Session 7 | July 28 – August 1, 2025 |
| Session 8 | August 4 – August 8, 2025 |
| Session 9 | August 11 – August 15, 2025 |
What They’re Saying
What an incredible experience for our two boys.
The squid dissection pushed them out of their comfort zone. This has now translated into Beau being a “nuclear scientist” at home.
And Noa explains the concepts behind the Physics of Motion he puts into practice when he sails. When I ask him how he knows this, he responds “because they taught us!”
I’m in awe of what the children experience joyfully while learning. They learn each day without knowing they’re learning.
– Beau & Noa’s Mom
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The boogie board relay is a favorite activity for the campers.
