Summer Days in the Park at School #13 • Register • View Cart •

July 6 – August 14, 2026

Monday through Friday
(Please Note: There are optional field trips taken on select Tuesdays & Wednesdays, however any participant not registered for a trip will have to remain home for the day as all staff are needed for supervision).

9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Session 1: July 6th - July 24th - Weekly Themes: America 250; World Cup; & Leaping Lizards
Session 2: July 27th - August 14th - Weekly Themes: Dino-Mite; Rock N Roll ; & Squishy Stuff

Participants must be 5 as of October 1, 2025 through 13 as of October 1, 2025. Children completing 9th grade or who are 15 years of age or older, should apply for the Future Leaders Program.

Summer Days in the Park participants will be divided into four age groups based on birthdate and enrollment at each site (Ponies, Colts, Stallions and Mustangs). Participants may be placed by the Recreation Department in different groups from one session to another based on that session's enrollment.

Pre-registration is required. There are 2 sessions. Each session lasts three weeks and is limited to 180 participants. During each session, each week will have a specific theme. Activities and special events will be geared toward these themes. Summer Program registration will be conducted online including trips. If you do not have access to a computer at home, you can come into the Recreation Department and we will assist you. Visit www.cliftonrec.com/info/dept/details.aspx?DeptInfoID=1082 for registration procedures. Both residents and non-residents will be able to register at this time. Registration closes for each session on the Friday before the session begins at 3:30 p.m. or earlier if the program has reached capacity.

Please make sure to sign-up for mobile notifications under your account to be kept aware of any program changes, updates, or emergency information via text.

$185.00 resident / $275.00 non-resident per session (additional costs for trips & T-shirts).

School #13 – 782 Van Houten Ave. & School #3 - 365 Washington Ave
Please note that the majority of the day is spent outdoors for program activities.
School locations may be combined due to lack of enrollment at a particular facility before the summer program starts. In the event of a change, participants enrolled in an affected school will be contacted by the Recreation Department for re-location by June 12th.

Pre-registration is required for all trips. There are only 150 spaces available for each trip and are on a first come, first served basis. Participants may only go on trips that take place during the sessions they are registered for. Trips can be paid online, with credit or debit card, up until 12:00 midnight, Monday the week before each trip. See registration deadlines below. Due to trip facility current guidelines and safety policies these are firm registration deadlines. Payments can also be made with cash or check at the Recreation Office following the same registration deadlines below. Special events are included in the session registration fee. Participants may attend any special event that occurs during the session they are enrolled for. No additional registration is necessary.

Once you pay for the trip you are registered. If you miss the pre-registration deadline or the trip is full, please put your child on the waiting list online. Participants will be notified if a spot becomes available, in the order in which they registered on the wait list.

T-shirts are required for all trips and may only be purchased at the Recreation Office for $8.00 each. Trips leave from and return to Anzaldi Park - 38 John Samra Way. Calendars will be available to inform parents of upcoming events and additional information can be found in the Parent Information Guide, which can be found online below under links. Below is a list of trips/ special events for each session. Prices are available online.

Session 1:
Week 1: Legoland, NY - Registration Deadline is 6/29/26
Week 2: Camp Hope (School #3 only) - Registration Deadline is 7/6/26
Week 3: Camp Hope (School #13 only) - Registration Deadline is 7/13/26

Session 2:
Week 1: Funplex/Splashplex - Registration Deadline is 7/20/26
Week 2: Camp Hope (School #3 only)- Registration Deadline is 7/27/26
Week 3: Camp Hope (School #13 only) - Registration Deadline is 8/3/26

SPECIAL EVENTS
Summer Luau: Thursday, July 16th at School #3 - 365 Washington Ave. The luau will be part of the regular program day but will be conducted at School #3 for all participants and includes lunch and entertainment. All participants are to be dropped off and picked up at School #3 by parents for regular program hours 9:00 am - 3:30 pm.

Summer Olympics: Thursday, July 23rd at Anzaldi Park-38 John Samra Way. The olympics will be part of the regular program day but will be conducted at Anzaldi Park for all participants and includes lunch and field day events. All participants are to be dropped off and picked up at Anzaldi Park by parents for regular program hours 9:00 am - 3:30 pm.

Summer Shows/Entertainers: This summer we have two special shows. One per session. Session 1: NJ Snakeman - Friday, July 24th. Session 2: Hoop Wizard - Friday, August 7th. The shows will be part of the regular program day but will be conducted at School #3 - 365 Washington Ave. All participants are to be dropped off at School #3 however, School #13 participants will be transported by bus back to School #13 at the shows conclusion to be picked up by parents at the end of the day.

NEW EVENT -Summer Water Tag Battle: Friday, July 31st at School #3 -365 Washington Ave. The water tag battle will be part of the regular program day but will be conducted at School #3 for all participants. Participants should bring a towel to dry off and a brown bagged lunch. All participants are to be dropped off and picked up at School #3 by parents for regular program hours 9:00 am-3:30 pm.

NEW EVENT -Summer Roller Skating Party : Thursday, August 6th at Anzaldi Park -38 John Samra Way. The event includes lunch, music and roller skating (skates and safety gear will be provided for use). All participants are to be dropped off and picked up at Anzaldi Park by parents for regular program hours 9:00 am - 3:30 pm.

End of Summer Picnic: Friday, August 14th at Main Memorial Park - 1395 Main Ave from 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Registration is included for all session #2 participants. The event includes lunch, activities, talent show and rides. Individuals from session #1 interested in attending the picnic can register at the event on the morning of and pay $10.00 cash at the park (please bring exact change). Participants are to be dropped off and picked up at Main Memorial Park by parents.

Camp Hope Trips:
Located in West Milford activities may include crafts, swimming, athletics, nature and hiking. There is no camp available for individuals not attending the Camp Hope trip on the day your school site is scheduled to go. Participants must bring long pants, sneakers or hiking shoes (no sandals or crocs), bathing suit (no jeans or cut-offs), and towel. Pre-registration is required. The cost is $10.00 per person (includes lunch and transportation). Trips leave from and return to Anzaldi Park - 38 John Samra Way.

Trips take place on Tuesdays according to the following schedule:
July 14th-Session 1 participants from School #3 Only. Registration deadline is July 6, 2026.
July 21st-Session 1 participants from School #13 Only. Registration deadline is July 13, 2026.
August 4th-Session 2 participants from School #3 Only. Registration deadline is July 27, 2026.
August 11th-Session 2 participants from School #13 Only. Registration deadline is August 3, 2026.

If you feel your child is in need of an aide to assist/shadow them at the summer programs, you must make a request through the Recreation Department. Request should be submitted no later than June 1st. At the time of request you must submit a copy of your child’s I.E.P. Report (if you also have a 504 Plan please submit with your I.E.P.). Assignments will be made based on a review of your child’s documents and results of an interview. This will help determine the best strategy to assist your child in having a memorable and safe summer. After June 1st we will contact you to set up an interview. Once the summer program begins, aides cannot be hired.

The Clifton Recreation Department Summer Scholarship Program (CRDSSP) was established to assist the Clifton youth residents, who without financial assistance, would not be able to attend summer programs and to assure that no child is turned away. Our department believes that youth need a summer program experience to enrich their lives. The funds used for the summer program scholarships are raised through our annual specialty camp programs. A small portion of that registration fee goes toward helping those less fortunate and is advertised on all registration information for those programs. Funds are also donated by individual and/or companies /organizations specifically to send youth to the summer program.

CRDSSP – is only available to Clifton Residents and cannot be used for extended family whose primary residence is elsewhere. The children, for which the scholarship is requested, must be claimed as dependents. The scholarships are only for the department sponsored summer program (Summer Days in the Park) and not eligible for specialty camps, summer classes, special events, trips or T-shirts. Requests are approved by the Board of Recreation Scholarship Committee. Requests must be made by May 29, 2026. Scholarships are for one session and one year only and for a portion of the program costs. Once approved the balance must be paid to secure a place in the program.

Parents interested in applying for financial assistance for their child's summer program must email the Clifton Recreation Department at doliver@cliftonnj.org to request an application.