Westfield Area YMCA Youth Programs and Camps

Westfield Area YMCA Youth Programs and Camps includes Summer Camp, Intro to Chess, Level 2-3 Chess, Level 4 Chess, Level 5 Chess, Teen Chess, Model United Nations, Youth & Government, Achievers, Leaders Club, Middle School Initiative, and Friday Night Teen Events. Summer Camp is for children ages 3-15 and includes enriching activities, fitness, and social and emotional learning. Chess offerings include Monday, Wednesday, and Friday classes for ages 6-12, plus Teen Chess for ages 13-17.

Programs

• Summer Camp — children ages 3-15 · Westfield Area YMCA Summer Day Camps provide safe, engaging, fun and meaningful camp experiences with enriching activities, fitness, and social and emotional learning.
• Intro to Chess — Age 6-10 · Monday, 4:00-4:45pm
• Level 2-3 Chess — Age 6-12 · Wednesday, 4:00-4:45pm · Participant must have completed the Intro to Chess class or receive instructor recommendation.
• Level 4 Chess — Age 6-12 · Friday, 4:00-4:45pm · Participant must have completed the Level 3 Chess class and/or receive instructor recommendation.
• Level 5 Chess — Age 6-12 · Friday, 5:00-5:45pm · Must have completed Level 4 Chess and/or receive instructor approval
• Teen Chess — 13-17 yr · Wednesday, 5:00-5:45pm · 45 minutes of supervised gameplay for experienced players.
• Model United Nations — grades 9-12
• Youth & Government — grades 9-12 · Modeled after state government; delegates research policies and current state issues and initiate legislation for the annual 3-day conference in April.
• Achievers — grade 6-12 · Wednesdays 7:00-8:30pm · College readiness, career development, leadership, mentoring and life skills program offered at no cost to minority middle school and high school students in Union County.
• Leaders Club — grade 6-12 · alternate Wednesdays 7:00-8:00pm · A leadership-development community service program that helps teens discover their full potential while making a difference.
• Middle School Initiative — Grades 6-8 · Registered participants receive select programs for free, including Leaders Club and Friday Night Teen Events.
• Friday Night Teen Events — Grades 6-12 · 7:45-9:45pm · A fun night for teens featuring various activities.

At a glance

• Ages: 3–17 years old
• Current session: Fall 1 2026 Session (Sep 8–Oct 31, 2026); Fall 2 2026 Session (Nov 1–Dec 23, 2026)

About the provider

The Westfield Area YMCA is a nonprofit human service organization dedicated to developing the full potential of every individual and family in the communities it serves through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. The Westfield Area YMCA has met the changing needs of its community for over 100 years and has strengthened the communities of Cranford, Garwood, Mountainside and Westfield since 1923. Its camps are accredited by the American Camp Association and meet up to 300 standards for health, safety and program quality.

Early Bird Registration begins Thursday, January 8 at 10am for Family Members; Tuesday, January 13 at 10am for Program Members; deposit-only and Non-Member registration begins Monday, February 2 at 10am. Multi-Child Discount: 10% discount for additional children in the same family registered for the same week(s) of any camp, with exceptions noted on the page.

Last updated October 19, 2026.