2026 Early Childhood Specialist - NY & NJ

Kids in the Game•New York, NY

20d•$650 - $800•Onsite

About The Position

TURN YOUR SUMMER INTO SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY – BECOME A SEASONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIALIST WITH KIDS IN THE GAME! Empower Staff, Inspire Campers, and Build a Summer That Matters. Kids in the Game provides unforgettable day camp experiences for hundreds of New York children across Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and now Westchester & Jersey City! When you join the Kids in the Game summer camp leadership cohort, you’ll be part of a dynamic team of Camp Directors, Assistant Directors, and 275+ coaches running outstanding programming at our 13 summer day camps. THE KIDS IN THE GAME SUMMER CAMP EXPERIENCE Kids in the Game camps are where sports, creativity, and community come together to shape confident, compassionate, and connected kids. Every summer, our camps across New York City, Westchester & Jersey City bring together diverse groups of children to explore new sports, build friendships, develop positive social skills, and learn how to be part of a team. Our camps offer kids a uniquely designed blend of sports and games, arts and crafts, STEM enrichment, field trips, swim activities, theme weeks, and all-camp special events to make every week the highlight of a child's summer. Each day is fueled by energy, laughter, and belonging. Our team of camp leaders, specialists, and counselors create an environment where every child feels seen, supported, and inspired to try something new. We believe camp is more than a summer activity — it’s a place where kids discover who they are and who they can become. As a Certified B Corporation, we're also on a mission to positively impact the lives of all of our stakeholders - campers, families, staff, community members, and our partners. We’re looking for Early Childhood Specialists who want to be positive role models, build emotional intelligence, boost confidence, create inclusive communities, and help bring high-quality camp experiences to kids across NYC, Westchester and Jersey City. Your Leadership Can Change the Game — Join Kids in the Game This Summer. EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIALIST ROLE & KEY TASKS As an Early Childhood Specialist, you will report to the Programming Assistant Director, Early Childhood Division Leader, and Camp Leadership Team and work collaboratively with counselors and fellow specialists to deliver daily programming for Pre-K and Kindergarten campers (ages 3–5). You are responsible for leading structured activity periods across creative movement, art, STEM, and gross motor play, supporting counselors with classroom and behavior management, and ensuring a safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate environment throughout the camp day. This role is highly hands-on, routine-driven, and leadership-focused, requiring strong communication, organization, patience, and a deep understanding of early childhood development and youth-centered care. We currently have 12 New York based camp locations and 1 Jersey City camp location. The sites and addresses are: Westchester & The Bronx: Westchester-Crestwood - 465 Westchester Ave, Tuckahoe, NY 10707 Riverdale - 3120 Corlear Ave, Bronx, NY 10463 Manhattan: Inwood - 532 W 215th St, New York, NY 10034 Upper West Side - 147 W 70th St, NY, NY 10023 West Village - 272 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014 Upper East Side (Carnegie Hill)- 4 E 90th St, NY, NY 10128 Upper East Side (Yorkville) - 540 East 76th Street, New York, NY 10021 East Village - 44 E 2nd St, NY, NY 10003 Brooklyn: Park Slope - 588 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 Greenpoint - 100 Dobbin St, Brooklyn, NY 11222 Fort Greene - 39 Adelphi St, Brooklyn, NY 11205 Jersey City: 118 Ferry St. Jersey City, NJ 07307 You must be able to arrive by 7:45am daily via public transportation or personal transportation (car) and stay on-site until 4:15pm daily (and until 5:30pm twice per week to support after care activities).

Requirements

A candidate who is truly Amazing with children!
Patience: The ability to adapt to work easily with people who have different personalities, backgrounds, cultures, lifestyles and learning styles — simultaneously — is critical.
Must have strong interpersonal skills to relate to the younger children at program
Creativity: It is crucial to knowing how to make the curriculum engaging and how to adapt to varying styles of learning among students
2+ years experience working with 2 to 5 year olds
Gross motor skills knowledge for younger age groups
Strong interpersonal skills
Strong classroom management and behavior management skill set

Nice To Haves

Being DOE or DOH fingerprinted is a plus
Being CPR, First Aid and AED certified is a plus

Responsibilities

Positivity: You bring warmth, consistency, and enthusiasm to each camp day, helping young campers feel excited, secure, and ready to explore. You use praise, encouragement, and positive reinforcement to build confidence, support independence, and celebrate effort. Your calm, upbeat presence helps create a joyful early childhood environment where campers feel safe to try new activities and routines.
Empathy: You demonstrate patience, compassion, and emotional awareness when working with young children who are still developing communication, self-regulation, and social skills. You listen closely to campers’ verbal and nonverbal cues and respond with care, reassurance, and understanding. You recognize that big emotions are part of early childhood development and support campers through transitions, frustration, separation anxiety, and peer interactions with empathy and consistency.
Commitment: You show up prepared, punctual, and dependable for all camp days, trainings, and responsibilities. You fully engage in required pre-summer virtual and on-site trainings and consistently apply early childhood best practices throughout the summer. You follow daily routines, lesson plans, safety procedures, and behavior management systems, and you communicate promptly with camp leadership about camper needs, behavioral concerns, or safety issues — knowing that no concern is too small when working with young children.
Ambition: You seek opportunities to grow as an early childhood educator and youth development professional. You are open to feedback, coaching, and collaboration, and you bring creativity and intention to your lesson planning and activity design. You continuously look for ways to improve engagement, adapt activities for developmental readiness, and create meaningful learning moments — striving to make each day supportive, enriching, and fun for every camper.
Inclusivity: You create a welcoming and inclusive environment where all young campers feel seen, supported, and valued. You adapt activities, routines, and expectations to meet a wide range of developmental stages, abilities, learning styles, and needs. You model inclusive language, gentle guidance, and respectful interactions, reinforcing that every child belongs and can succeed within the camp community.
Lead 45-minute early childhood activity periods throughout the camp day
Provide structured, age-appropriate instruction for Pre-K and Kindergarten campers (ages 3–5)
Prepare and facilitate activities across:
Creative movement and gross motor play
Art and sensory-based projects
Early STEM exploration and hands-on learning
Group games adapted specifically for early childhood development
Modify activities to support varying developmental levels, attention spans, and abilities
Align daily activities with weekly camp themes and early childhood curriculum goals
Support smooth transitions between activities, routines, and environments
Foster social-emotional development, independence, and confidence in young campers
Support the development of fine and gross motor skills, communication, and cooperation
Encourage curiosity, creativity, and positive peer interactions
Help campers learn routines, expectations, and appropriate behavior through positive reinforcement
Celebrate camper milestones, progress, and participation
Work closely with counselors to support classroom management and daily routines
Help counselors implement consistent behavior management strategies and positive reinforcement systems
Communicate clearly with Camp Directors, Assistant Directors, and Early Childhood leadership regarding camper needs, behavior, or safety concerns
Support all-camp events, theme days, and transitions as appropriate for early childhood groups
Contribute positively to staff collaboration, morale, and team culture
Prioritize camper safety at all times by following Department of Health regulations and camp safety protocols
Maintain constant supervision of young campers during activities, transitions, bathroom breaks, meals, and outdoor play
Set up, maintain, and clean early childhood activity areas and materials daily
Ensure all materials, equipment, and environments are developmentally appropriate and safe
Identify and respond to behavioral, emotional, or safety concerns promptly and calmly
Communicate incidents or concerns to leadership and assist with documentation as directed