There is a unique connection between children and animals.

The Art Farm runs programs where children meet live animals up close and learn through supervised handling, barn visits, and outdoor time that stays age appropriate from toddlers through school age. New to scheduling programs on both campuses? Start with our Planning your visit page for mailing addresses, parking notes, and what to pack before your first day.

The Bridgehampton camp roots go back to 1995. The Art Farm in the City opened on Manhattan Upper East Side in 2001. Both locations stress eco conscious routines: recycling in classrooms, projects built from reclaimed materials when it fits the lesson, and everyday habits that show kids how daily choices affect animals and the outdoors. The Green School in Bridgehampton serves two and three year olds in a solar powered building. Families can plan birthday parties in the city with farm animals such as pigs, goats, and chickens as part of the celebration.

What families can expect

Staff structure each day so animal time stays calm and predictable. Children wash hands before and after contact, work in small groups, and hear clear rules about gentle touch and quiet voices around sensitive species. Art and cooking blocks tie back to seasonal themes and often reuse scrap paper or safe kitchen leftovers so the environmental message stays concrete rather than abstract.

• Morning or afternoon sessions with movement, story, and animal rotation so no single activity runs too long for young attention spans.
• Open communication about allergies and comfort levels around fur, hay dust, and outdoor pollen before the first visit.
• Pathways for progression from parent attended play groups toward drop off camp days when the child is ready.

New York City or the Hamptons

Manhattan families often begin with classes, twos groups, weekend programs, or birthday packages at the East 91st Street location. Outreach and field trip information also lives under the city site when schools or community groups want a structured visit. In the Hamptons cluster, visitors pick among sports camp, seasonal camp sessions, water sports with The Riders, riding and petting farm weekends, or The Green School for the youngest children. Membership style part time pet programs appear on the NYC side for households that want repeated access without committing to a full summer. Each region keeps its own calendar and pricing, so the fastest path is to open the matching Hamptons or NYC link in the rows below, note the season, then call or email the desk that covers that campus. Employment and press links in the top bar apply organization wide.