Brooklyn Trails

Nuestros profesores

Sydney is the founder and lead educator of Brooklyn Trails, an outdoor, art-based program rooted in creativity, curiosity, and connection. With over a decade of experience in early childhood education, she creates calm, child-centered environments where children can explore, create, and build confidence.

Her background includes teaching parent-child classes at Union Square Play, working in private homes across New York City, and leading Waldorf-inspired outdoor classes with Brooklyn Forest in Central Park. She founded Brooklyn Trails in 2020, inspired by the power of nature-based, imaginative learning.

Sydney’s approach emphasizes process over product. She works with natural and low-waste materials, encouraging open-ended exploration, collaboration, and problem-solving.

She believes art is a powerful tool for expression and emotional growth, and supports children in developing trust in their ideas and abilities.

Outside of teaching, Sydney enjoys working with clay, spending time in nature, and reading in cozy cafés. ​

Filosofía

Connection Through Collaborative Art-Making
Brooklyn Trails offers nature-based, art-centered summer camp programming nestled in the woodlands and meadows of Prospect Park. Our program is built on a foundation of respectful, child-centered education where every activity supports social-emotional learning, autonomy, self-reliance, collaboration, and healthy conflict resolution. We believe deeply in the rights of all children to be informed, consulted, and genuinely included in building their learning environment.

As we move through Prospect Park together, our goal extends beyond exploration. We are building trails that connect people, fostering a sense of community, belonging, and shared wonder. It is our responsibility as educators to create learning environments rooted in inclusive, anti-bias thinking, and we are committed to continuously expanding our own understanding in the ongoing pursuit of justice for all.

By weaving together the natural world and the power of creative expression, we nurture the whole child, supporting their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. We cultivate a love of nature, encourage artistic risk taking, and inspire a genuine sense of curiosity and kindness for all living creatures. Our deepest hope is that every child who spends a summer with us leaves with a lifelong passion for art, nature, and community.

Ubicación

Brooklyn Trails is located in Prospect Park at the Lincoln and Ocean entrance. We meet in rain or shine and spend the full day outdoors.

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Acerca de nuestro programa

A Nature-Based Art Camp for Kids Ages 3–8 in Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn Trails is an outdoor summer art camp for children ages 3–8 held in Prospect Park and designed for Brooklyn families seeking a creative, nurturing, and nature-immersive camp experience.

A Slower, Richer Summer

Our program prioritizes depth over busyness. Rather than fast-paced rotations, children engage in sustained creative work, collaborative storytelling, and exploratory park adventures that build independence and genuine connection. This process-rich, unhurried rhythm helps children feel grounded and fully present in the magic of summer.

Nature as Our Canvas

With Prospect Park as our classroom, Brooklyn Trails is a playful outdoor sanctuary where young artists explore creative expression, nature play, and environmental stewardship. Through open-ended art projects and daily nature adventures, children develop confidence, curiosity, and a lasting connection to the natural world.

Child-Led, Process-Based Learning

Each day blends open-ended art-making, imaginative storytelling, and outdoor exploration within a community rooted in kindness and cooperation. We honor big questions, creative problem-solving, and each child’s unique learning style, making Brooklyn Trails summer camp an ideal fit for curious, imaginative kids who thrive in calm, collaborative environments.

Beyond Traditional Art Classes

Brooklyn Trails goes further than a typical kids’ art class or summer camp. Days unfold at a gentle pace, with space for observation, pretend play, and creative work that often spans multiple sessions, letting children revisit ideas and experience the joy of process over product.

Join Us This Summer in Prospect Park

We welcome children into a Brooklyn nature camp community where art-making, outdoor exploration, and whimsical Prospect Park adventures spark creativity, confidence, and a deep sense of belonging.

Brooklyn Trails, Prospect Park’s outdoor art camp for little naturalists and big imaginations.

Admisiones

Join the Brooklyn Trails community in four easy steps:

1. Explore the Brooklyn Trails website

We’ve provided information about our philosophies and offerings to help you decide if our program may be right for your family. Please see our website at: https://brooklyntrails.org/

2. Schedule a Zoom interview

I would love to meet you and learn more about your family! Please email me to schedule a Zoom call.

3. Submit an Enrollment Application

If you would like to enroll, please submit an application at www.wonderschool.com/brooklyn-trails-5896/apply – note that we require Zoom interviews for all prospective families. Please do not submit an application if you have not completed your virtual interview.

4. Enroll

After reviewing all applications, we’ll send an enrollment invitation for the families who are accepted into the program. Upon accepting your enrollment invitation you’ll pay your enrollment fee, fill out enrollment documents and review our Parent Handbook.