Child’s Play NY

Child’s Play NY offers acting classes, after-school classes, summer camps, vacation and holiday camps, in-home classes, birthday parties, and productions for kids. The program also provides residencies, assemblies, professional development, teacher training, private vocal coaching, and audition prep. Class and camp options include Theater Adventures – 3K-PreK, Make-a-Musical – PreK – 2nd Grade, Musical Players Grades 1-6, Scene Study – 1st-5th Grades, Improvisation, Shakespeare Players Grades 3-5, Middle School Ensemble Grades 5-8, Players Series – PreK-1st, Showmakers Series – Grades 2-5, Acting Ensemble – Grades 6-8, and camps at Berkeley Carroll and Carroll Kids.

• Ages: 3–14 years old
• Schedule: Week-long intensives in joyful theater creation for ages 3-11.

Since 2009, Child’s Play NY has been an award-winning theater education company that has offered high-quality programming to children and has touched the lives of thousands of students. The program has provided dynamic theater programs to thousands of students across 40 schools and is hired by dozens of top-tier schools. Child’s Play NY works hand-in-glove with dozens of NYC schools to create original theater curriculum that meets educational goals and learning outcomes, and partners with educators to connect social-emotional learning with academic goals through original curriculum and professional development.

Child’s Play NY was founded by professional actor and educator Jocelyn Greene, who serves as Founder and Executive Director. She has an MFA from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program, a BA from Wesleyan University, and is a member of Actor’s Equity Association. The faculty are professional performers with years of experience bringing their artistry to kids, and all classic ensemble teachers are trained professional actors with experience performing Shakespeare on Broadway and in regional productions across the country. Child’s Play NY teaching artists are working actors who bring their training and passion for education to the work.

The program’s mission is to inspire young people to explore the creative process in order to become engaged participants in their world, based on the belief that through the theatrical arts, children build confidence, compassion and creativity. Summer camps in July and August put imagination center stage as kids work to develop their own mini-plays in a week, and older children in the classic ensemble begin performing Shakespeare and studying Greek texts. All classes are staffed with a minimum of 2 teachers, and the Toddlers-to-Teens curriculum is designed to inspire at every stage of development. Play to Thrive curricula are backed by PhDs and boost executive functioning and social emotional skills, and theater games video guides are available for free on the Child’s Play in Action blog. Need-based and tuition-reduced scholarships are offered to students from historically marginalized backgrounds for summer and after school programs.

The program is helmed by teaching artists at the top of their field, and tiny thespians are offered a wide variety of experiences at this creative camp. Professionals guide young actors with tasks such as singing showtunes and waving wands. Mt. Sinai Parenting Center features Child’s Play NY games.

Time Out ranks Child’s Play NY as a top theater program. Testimonials from parents and professionals describe Child’s Play NY as beneficial for children’s rehearsal dedication and memorization, introducing kids to the magic of theater and building confidence, a sense of community, and fun. Families and professionals have called it the best theater group for kids in NYC, praised Jocelyn and her team as knowledgeable and creative, and noted that the program is process-focused rather than performance-focused. Other testimonials highlight structured play and learning, supportive relationships among kids and staff, and strong enjoyment of rehearsals and plays, as well as recommendations from a licensed social worker and professional actor.

Last updated April 17, 2026.