Explorers Camp: 1st – 3rd Grade
What does it take to be a real explorer? Come to camp and find out! Explore wildlife at the Nature Center all day long with no parents, new friends, and cool counselors. Discover the wonders of prairie, forest, and wetland habitats. Be a nature detective to dig for fossils in the Gravel Pits and search out artifacts for the Camp Museum. Swim at Markin Glen Park on Wednesday afternoon. Play games, create art, sing songs, AND take a hike each day.
$210 Member, $235 Non-member
Explorers Camp runs 9 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday
Session 1: June 20-24 ~ Amazing Animals
Animals are wonderful: with their amazing speed, strength, and senses that help them survive. In this action-filled camp we’ll search out the superheroes of the animal world! The super swimmers in the stream, the fast running, high-flying animals of the woods and prairie, then search the gravel pits for fossil evidence of awesome ancient animals. Explore the night-time world of nocturnal animals like bats and owls and meet the real “X-Men of the Wild!”
Session 2: June 27 - July 1 ~ Awesome Amphibians & Rockin’ Reptiles
Take an adventure into the world of slime and scales! If you think turtles are terrific and frogs are fun, then you will be “hoppy” this week. Explore the amphibians and reptiles of the past. Learn how amphibians and reptiles reproduce and survive the winter. Get up close and personal with the snakes of KNC at their their dinner time and enjoy a visit from LIVE reptiles and amphibians!
Session 3: July 11-15 ~ Working with Wildlife
What is it like to work on a farm, be a wildlife biologist, or take care of animals on display? Go behind the scenes at KNC and learn what it takes to work with wildlife. Take care of the animals at the Family Farm. Study birds with KNC’s Research Staff-- see wild birds up close! Help care for our exhibit and camp animals and meet LIVE Birds of Prey. Learn how to help the wildlife in your own backyard.
Session 4: July 18-22 ~ Sky Heroes
How do bees fly? What makes a hawk glide? How do bats hunt at night? Can fish fly? There are so many cool creatures that glide, flap, and soar. Search the sky, water and fields to find these answers and more! Meet live bugs, bees, and birds of prey and then visit your favorite places at camp-- what could be better?
Session 5: July 25-29 ~ Animals of the Past
Travel with us back into the distant past as we explore the animals that lived long ago. Go on a fossil hunt at the Gravel Pits. Learn about dinosaurs and enjoy a visit from their modern cousins. Grab your shovel and dig into the truth about animals of long ago.
Session 6: August 1-5 ~ Survival Sense
Run, jump, and use all of your senses to discover the tricks that animals use to survive in the wild world. After you become an expert in animal survival, try your hand a starting a fire, using a compass, and building your own survival shelter. This week you will really get the chance to discover your wild side!
Session 7: August 8-12 ~ Creepy Crawly Critters
The world is full of small things that some people think are gross. But if you love our creepy crawly neighbors, come with us to explore high and low for our small and slimy friends. Discover how scientists study insects in a prairie, pond, and forest. Learn what makes insects and bugs tick and get ready to go crazy for creatures who aren’t so creepy after all!
Session 8: August 15-19 ~ Water Beasts
Dive into the amazing world of ponds, streams, and rivers! Explore the adaptations of muskrats, beavers, ducks, and swans. Study watersheds and learn how scientists find healthy waterways. Go buggy with aquatic insects and think deep about the lives of fish and sharks. Prepare for an out of this world adventure as we search for the animals that call the water their home.