February break is the right time to plan what your children will be doing during the warmer, balmy days of summer. Where to start? Check out our guide to free and low cost programs offered throughout the city. Launched last year, our listings highlight more than 100 free and low-cost programs for children and teens, and include summer and school-year programs in math, science, art, humanities, and academic prep.

To help you get started, here's a sampling of free programs you'll find in our guide :

  • Seventh-graders who like math and the outdoors should take a look at the Summer Program for Mathematical Problem Solving. Students spend three weeks upstate living on a college campus where they study new and interesting mathematics and participate in more traditional camp activiites including games, sports and hiking.
  • The Weil Cornell Youth Scholars Program offers a three-week summer intensive for 11th and 12th-graders interested in science and medicine. Students take classes taught by medical students and doctors, learn about the inner-workings of research labs and hospitals, and get help preparing college applications.
  • At the NY City Council Sports and Arts Camps children ages 6-13 can play sports and enjoy arts instruction at several sites throughout the city. Participants also enjoy field trips to Yankees and Mets games, museums and theatre performances.
  • The Superstars Summer Leadership Academy @ Powerplay runs a girls-only summer program that combines introductory sports and fitness with college prep, personal and professional development, educational activities and field trips.

There are plenty more in our guide. See the complete listing of programs here.

Our tips:

Don't wait to the last minute to apply! Some application deadlines already have passed and others are coming up soon.

Take some time to browse the listings. The sooner, the better. Some programs are highly competitive and ask applicants to submit an essay, grades or a teacher recommendation. These take time to complete, so get started now.

Consider one-day workshops and special events being offered this spring that accept students on a first come, first served basis.

Have paper and a pen handy so you can jot down notes as you browse through the free programs. Insideschools provides direct links to each program's website where you can download or complete an application, confirm submission deadlines and get more information to help you decide whether to apply. 

Call or e-mail the program directly with specific questions.

And, if you're looking for things to do over the break, consider some of NYC's great museums, including the Museum of Mathematics. You'll find other good ideas in our Parents guide to math and science.