After School

Kids lead. Adults follow.

After school @ GaragePod

GaragePod®, located at 127 Main Street in Dobbs Ferry, is a place for children to have meaningful interactions with one another and with nature. We are a mixed age recreational program and welcome Kindergartners up until 5th grade. We are rooted in a child-led philosophy where children choose which recreational activity they would like to participate in. These activities (especially after a day of school) are intended to provide children with fun, relaxing and leisurely experiences. Indoor play includes arts and crafts, games, movement, building, library, social interaction and imaginary play. We also offer daily teacher guided activities and crafts.

At our mud kitchen, children have the opportunity to exercise, engage with nature and build or create with loose parts. We thrive on a democratic approach to decision-making where each child's input is essential to our foundation. Our after school program is a good fit for your family if you're comfortable with our philosophy, and you're ok with your child getting a little muddy, adventurous, or silly! 

For more information about our after school program please see the FAQs below.

Enrollment

We have rolling admission at GaragePod®. We encourage you to reach out for availability. It’s best to reserve your child’s spot early on as capacity becomes limited throughout the year.

Please email Sam at sam@garagepodx.com with the following information: child's first name, current grade at school, preferred days and your availability to schedule a visit to GaragePod®. It's important we meet all interested participants to see if GaragePod® is the right fit for your child. 

FAQs

  • Bus transportation to GaragePod is designated for Springhurst Elementary students only. Children ride assigned buses from Springhurst to 127 Main Street in Dobbs Ferry. However, this program is open to all children from other districts. If you are interested in signing up your child and live in a neighboring town, you are responsible for providing transportation to GaragePod.

  • We are open Mon-Fri from 3:15-6:15PM. At this location, we are aligned with the Springhurst Elementary School Year Calendar. Our after school program is closed on all federal holidays and vacations as per Springhurst. We close for the summer but offer camp at the end of August.

  • Yes - we have another location adjacent to 127 Main that is specifically designed for 4th and 5th graders. At this space, upper elementary school children have a quiet space to do their HW and programming is tailored to meet their developmental needs.

  • Many different types of children flourish at GaragePod - imaginative, creative, playful, observational, kind and inquisitive - we have them all! 

    We have a robust arts and crafts section that is set up for children to engage in freely. We have movable parts in our backyard where children can build forts and obstacle courses and engage in sensory play. We have loose parts (random objects) throughout the space that children can use to construct new creations with. For older children (4th and 5th grade) we have a quiet space where they could decompress and complete their HW. We have multiple libraries and games throughout out spaces that children of all ages use.

    Children who need a steady stream of sports activities (basketball, soccer, football, etc) might not vibe with the pace of things at GaragePod. We like to infuse our day with a balance of interactions, movement and activities for the purpose of enjoyment, recreation and relationship-building amongst the children.

  • Yes we do! We offer a kindergarten Club led by an experienced teacher. For the first part of the day, the K kids are together eating snack and playing. They have their own room and supplies. Since Kindergartners are transitioning from preschool, our K Club is built with their needs in mind. They also get a chance to play with all the other children (1st-3rd grade) as well.

  • After School @ GaragePod is a 10-month program that follows the Dobbs Ferry Springhurst Elementary school year calendar. We do not offer drop-ins. Registered families can cancel at any time, although you are not guaranteed a spot should you wish to return. Our most important goal is to encourage children to form healthy bonds with one another. In order to do so, we have found that a regular schedule of no less than 2 days, allows children to assimilate comfortably and make new friends. 

    We do our best to maintain high quality staff and programming while staying as affordable to as many families as possible. We hope that this will also encourage giving back to help others experience GaragePod who would otherwise be unable to do so. Rates are designed to be comparable to a sitter and allow parents to choose GaragePod for its social- emotional benefits and recreational opportunities. We have a partnership with SPRING Community Partners and offer flexible tuition rates for those who qualify.

    Monthly Rates

    5 days/6:15 pick up - $880 ($825 sibling discount)

    5 days/5:15 pick up - $645  ($605 sibling discount)

    4 days - $700  ($660 sibling discount)

    3 days - $530 ($495 sibling discount)

    2 days - $350 ($330 sibling discount)