Enjoy Summer Camps at the Museum! Camps create lasting friendships and memories through hands-on, minds-on activities and exploration. Unearth fossils, learn about different cultures and meet fascinating members of the animal world.
Camps are designed for students enrolled in grades 1-4 for the 2018-2019 school year. Nature Photography is for grades 5-6. Lep Camp is for grades 5-8. Students should dress for outdoor activities and full-day students should bring a sack lunch.
Pre-registration is required. Registration for each week closes the Thursday before.
Drop-off
• 8-8:30 a.m. for morning and full-day sessions
• 12:30-1 p.m. for afternoon session Pickup
• noon-12:30 p.m. for morning sessions
• 4:30-5 p.m. for afternoon and full-day sessions
Registration
Registration for members begins March 1 and open registration begins March 15. Registration for each camp CLOSES the Thursday prior to the start of that camp.
For a member discount on camp fees and to be eligible for early registration, membership must be at the Household level or higher and current for this membership year. Please contact the membership coordinator at 352-273-2047 for more information.
Camps are filled in the order registration forms are received. You will be notified if your first choice(s) are not available. Waiting lists are available. Confirmation letters are emailed two weeks from receipt of registration.
A refund (minus a $25 administrative fee per child, per class) will be issued if written cancellation is received no less than 10 working days prior to the beginning of a class. Refunds will not be given for weather-related cancellations.
ONLY PARENTS OR LEGAL GUARDIANS MAY PROVIDE PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION THROUGH UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA WEBSITES
This camp is now FULL for first- and second-graders. A waitlist is available. Investigate arthropods – ants, beetles, crabs, lobsters and more. Compare and contrast their unique characteristics by examining specimens and learn about their environments. Identify and observe these creatures as we tread lightly on their habitats!
This camp is now FULL for first- and second-graders. A waitlist is available. Art and science are partners in exploring the world around us. Investigate the creative side of science and ways artists use science in their work. Then compare and contrast how art might be interpreted by artists and scientists, and the impact art has on both fields!
This camp is now FULL. A waitlist is available. Photography is a wonderful way to see nature in a new light. Campers in grades 5-6 learn basic photography skills to take amazing photos. (Please note: Students provide their own digital cameras. During the Field Camp students are transported by trained staff members in a Museum van.)
June 18–22
This camp is now FULL for first- and second-graders. A waitlist is available. Journey to the center of the Earth and examine our planet’s core. Investigate plate tectonics and volcanoes to learn how the Earth is shaped and changed by internal forces.
This camp is now FULL for first- and second-graders. A waitlist is available. Do you love looking for the critters screeching or chirping in your backyard? Join us for a BioBlitz to document and understand life around us. Share your experiences by connecting virtually with campers and museum scientists in Selva Verde Nature Reserve in Costa Rica.
June 25–29
This camp is now FULL for first- and second-graders. A waitlist is available. Sharks have been around for more than 400 million years! From the great white shark to the colorful fish inhabiting coral reefs, learn about fossils and living fish in ocean environments around the world.
This camp is now FULL for first- and second-graders. A waitlist is available. With more than 900 species of the only flying mammal, bats are almost everywhere! Find out more about these masters of the night.
July 9–13
This camp is now FULL for first-graders. A waitlist is available. Endangered species need our help! See what researchers and advocates are doing in our area to preserve animal and plant species. Then find out what you can do to help save wildlife and wild places.
This camp is now FULL. A waitlist is available. Discover why bridges don’t fall and pyramids stand. Some of the world’s greatest inventions are buildings we live in or see every day. Learn the basics for creating strong structures and design your own!
July 16-20
This camp is now FULL for first-, third- and fourth-graders. A waitlist is available.Did you know dolphins, manatees and whales are mammals? Learn about these amazing creatures while exploring their adaptations for aquatic environments.
Hide-and-seek is a game of survival for predators and prey. See the game in a whole new light and learn from the masters of disguise. Scour the globe to discover how animals hide in plain sight using color, patterns and sound!
July 23–27
This camp is now FULL. A waitlist is available. Step aboard a time machine and discover the world of dinosaurs. What was the largest dinosaur to roam the Earth? What did T. rex eat? Why is Stegosaurus known as the “roof lizard?” Travel back in time to explore the mysterious world of dinosaurs.
Ready to go outside and get dirty? Lep Camp is an opportunity for adventurous campers in grades 5-8 to experience field collection, specimen preparation and the conservation of butterfly and moth species. Join scientists from the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity for this hands-on science adventure.
This camp is now FULL for second-graders. A waitlist is available. What do chocolate, volcanic glass and jaguars have in common? Learn about their importance to the Mayan culture in the past and present. Explore Mayan contributions to your daily life and their impacts throughout the world.
July 30–Aug. 3
This camp is now FULL for first-, third- and fourth-graders. A waitlist is available. Discover different types of maps and how to read them! Explore ways maps are used to help predict environmental changes, investigate archaeological sites and more. Then create your own “treasure” map for others to follow.
This camp is now FULL for first-, third- and fourth-graders. A waitlist is available. You don’t need a laboratory to be a scientist! Every kitchen is a treasure trove of chemical reactions. Explore the chemistry in your kitchen while experimenting with familiar items.
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NEW! The Florida Museum has partnered with Holbrook Travel to offer a Costa Rica Family Rainforest Camp for families with children ages 5-17. Find out more below or visit http://holbrooktravel.com/flmnhcamp-18
Help a deserving child in our community attend a Museum program. The Florida Museum offers scholarships for children in need. These scholarships are funded by donations from Members, volunteers and Museum friends like you! To make a donation and enrich the life of a child in our community, contact Kara Schwartz, kschwartz@flmnh.ufl.edu or 352-273-2047. Learn more about supporting worthwhile programs at the Florida Museum.
Disclaimer: The Florida Museum of Natural History does not consider itself to be nor hold itself out as a dependent care center for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code.