Even if your family's swimming in money like Uncle Scrooge (and if you are, congrats), we all appreciate a good bargain. Summer camp is an especially stressful financial issue because while we want our children to have a fun, rewarding and safe experience, we don't want to dig into our 401Ks to pay for it. One thing we've learned is that cost and quality don't always correlate. Some wonderful programs are subsidized by arts and education funding so that all children can experience the rich and amazing resources of this city.

Although there seem to be fewer completely free New York City summer camps than in years past, our list of excellent inexpensive camps keeps growing. One of those programs—the NYC Parks Experience Summer Day Camp, which costs $500 for the entire summer—holds its online lottery for spots this week! Read on to find out how to vie for a space and for info on many other free and bargain summer camps for NYC kids.

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