Summer Camp

June 16–June 20: Discovering Dinosaurs

Go back in time to when dinosaurs ruled the world! Campers will get to explore the museum’s collection and discover the dinosaurs from Allosaurus to Velociraptor. Dig for your own fossil, learn what happened to the dinosaurs, and discover how you can still see dinosaurs today.

June 23–June 27: Lift Off! Engineering in Air & Space

Discover the world of flight and space exploration! Build and launch water rockets, and design your own paper airplane. Investigate how airplanes soar and rockets blast off, and learn all about the engineers that help make it happen!

June 30–July 3 (no camp on Friday, July 4): Try It! Science

Try a sampler of different science topics including chemistry, physics, and engineering. Activities are not repeated from other sessions, so campers enrolled in other weeks will have a great time, too!

July 7–July 11: I Dig Archaeology

Uncover clues from the past by examining ancient artifacts, using the techniques and tools of real archaeologists. Dig into the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and right here in Michigan.

July 14–July 18: Detective Academy

Can you crack the case? Learn some of the skills detectives use every day to solve mysteries. Decode messages, interview suspects, examine fingerprints, and more!

July 21–July 25: Fun with Physics

Have some fun with physics! Learn about energy, circuits, force, and motion. Design and build a roller coaster, make sculpture circuits, learn about the properties of oobleck, and explore the science of sound.

July 28–August 1: Paleo Party

Put on your sun hats and discover what it means to be a paleontologist! Learn about fossils, Earth's geologic record, dinosaurs, and other prehistoric life. Campers will get to participate in a “fossil dig,” touch real fossils, and learn more about the museum's exhibits of prehistoric life. Get ready for a dino-mite adventure!

August 4–August 8: Astronauts in Training

Calling all astronauts! Explore planets, build rovers, and launch “rockets” in an out-of-this-world adventure. Test your astronaut skills with our mental and physical challenges and visit the Planetarium.

August 11–August 15: Best of Camp Explorations

This week celebrates the best activities from Camp Explorations, bringing favorites from previous weeks and years. Campers will visit the dinosaurs, launch rockets, visit the Planetarium, and explore the Nichols Arboretum on campus.

June 16–June 20: Solar System Safari

Explore the planets and stars in our solar system, and discover the rest of our incredible Universe. Soar through the night sky in the Planetarium, discover a new planet, and launch your own “rockets.” Don’t miss this out-of-this world adventure!

June 23–June 27: Our Planet Rocks

Delve into the realm of Earth science to learn all about what makes our planet so dynamic. Discover fossils, explore erosion, and learn about the importance of water on our planet. Grab your magnifying glass and get ready to start your own rock collection!

June 30–July 3 (no camp on Friday, July 4): Natural Science Spectacular

The natural sciences are all about the world around us—and beyond! We’ll explore natural science topics including zoology, ecology, and astronomy in the museum’s exhibits, the Planetarium, and Nichols Arboretum.

July 7–July 11: Outdoor Explorers

Get outside and explore the spaces around you! Learn how to build shelters, tie knots, purify water, and track animals. Make your own compass and practice using it as you explore the university campus.

July 14–July 18: Inventor’s Workshop

Do you like to create, design, experiment, and build? This camp is for you! Solve engineering challenges with hands-on projects and bring your creations to life in this innovative camp. Do your best to build the most exciting roller coaster and the safest crash test car.

July 21–July 25: Animal Superheroes

Uncover the secrets behind these animal “heroes.” Learn about the masters of disguise, the champions of speed and agility, and other super skills that make animals real-life superheroes. Discover their amazing adaptations like super-sight, super-strength, and super-intelligence.

July 28–August 1: Digging Up the Past

Unearth different eras from the past, from dinosaurs to lost civilizations, fossils to ancient Greece and Rome, and more!

August 4–August 8: Fantastic Fossils

Travel back in time to discover the ancient world of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. How were their fossils formed and what do they tell us? Visit the museum’s Evolution: Life Through Time exhibit and dig for fossils.

August 11–August 15: “Ology” Camp

Come explore the worlds of geology (rocks and minerals), paleontology (ancient life), biology (living organisms), entomology (insects), and more. Each day we will tackle a new “ology” with real specimens, exploring exhibits and the University of Michigan campus.  

June 16–June 20: Dinosaur Explorers*

Calling all dinosaur lovers! Learn how to spot a dinosaur, dig for dinosaur bones, and be a paleontologist.

June 23–June 27: Science Explorers

Do you want to be a paleontologist?...A biologist?... An astronaut? This fun-filled camp is for you! Each day we will explore new science topics.

June 30–July 3 (no camp on Friday, July 4): Color Explorers

Explore the world of color through nature and different animals. From rainbows to color scavenger hunts, campers will discover the magic of color!

July 21–July 25: Animal Explorers

Get ready to learn all about animals! Campers will learn about all kinds of animals that have fur, scales and feathers.

July 28–August 1: Ice Age Explorers

Travel back in time to the Ice Age! Campers will learn about Ice Age animals including woolly mammoths, saber-toothed cats and giant sloths.

August 4–August 8: Space Explorers*

Blast off into space as we explore the night sky and planets! Become an astronaut as you complete training and learn about life in space.

* Space Explorers and Dinosaur Explorers will repeat their activities in the June 16–June 20 session (Dinosaur AM; Space PM) and the August 4–August 8 session (Space AM; Dinosaur PM).

June 16–June 20: Space Explorers*

Blast off into space as we explore the night sky and planets! Become an astronaut as you complete training and learn about life in space.

June 23–June 27: Water Explorers

Splash and play with water-based games, and learn about the water cycle and different animals that call water their home.

June 30-July 3: Nature Explorers

Explore the world around you by looking at leaves, trees, rocks, and animals found in nature around the museum and in your own backyard!  We will use binoculars and magnifying glasses to help us look more closely.

July 21–July 25: Bug Explorers

Discover the world of bugs as you crawl, fly, and wiggle through this camp. Campers will learn about the life cycles of bugs and explore the museum and museum specimens.

July 28–August 1: Ocean Explorers

Dive into ocean life to learn about fish, whales, and other sea creatures. Learn about prehistoric ocean animals, including some that lived in Michigan 400 million years ago!

August 4–August 8: Dinosaur Explorers*

Calling all dinosaur lovers! Learn how to spot a dinosaur, dig for dinosaur bones, and be a paleontologist.

* Space Explorers and Dinosaur Explorers will repeat their activities in the June 16–June 20 session (Dinosaur AM; Space PM) and the August 4–August 8 session (Space AM; Dinosaur PM).

June 23–June 27: STEMventures

Solve real-world problems through creative projects, experiments, and team-based challenges. Campers will explore topics like robotics, environmental science, and more, using cutting-edge tools and technology to build, create, and innovate.

July 7–July 11: Microbiology Camp

Discover a world invisible to the human eye and uncover the mystery of life around you. Learn about microbes, both harmful and beneficial. Build your own microscope, do a DNA extraction, and design your own experiment to see what you can discover hiding right in front of you.

July 14–July 18: “Ology” Camp

Dig deeper into the world of “ologies” at this camp. Explore the different fields of geology (rocks and minerals), paleontology, zoology, archaeology and more. Each day, we will tackle a new “ology” with real specimens, meeting with researchers and exploring museum exhibits as well as the University of Michigan campus.

August 4–August 8: Exploring the Cosmos

Explore the wonders of the universe at this camp and learn about planets, stars, and black holes. Build a water rocket to launch, stargaze in our Planetarium, and view the sun through special telescopes at the Detroit Observatory on campus!

This camp is supported in part by funding from the National Science Foundation.

The U-M Museum of Natural History has scholarships available for Washtenaw County campers in need of financial help. Scholarships are available for campers that qualify for free or reduced lunch at their school.

• Adventure Sessions Scholarship covers $200 of AM and $190 of PM session ($160 for Week 6/30-7/3 sessions) of the cost of the camp session and is limited to 2 sessions per child. After Camp Care fees are waived.
• Little Explorer Sessions Scholarship covers $155 of AM and $145 of PM session ($120 for Week 6/30-7/3) of the cost of the camp session and is limited to 2 sessions per child. After Camp Care fees are waived.
• Middle School STEM sessions covers $400 of the cost of the camp session and is limited to 1 session per child. Before Camp Care and After Camp Care fees are waived.
  

Please email ummnh.camp@umich.edu with the qualifying letter to apply for a scholarship.

A $40 cancellation fee is applied to all refunds. Refunds will be given if requested at least 14 days before your camp start date. No refunds will be given if requested within 14 days of your camp start date. Please notify the camp office in writing for any cancellation requests.

Camp Explorations reserves the right to remove any child from camp if the child's behavior is overly disruptive, inappropriate, or creates a safety hazard. In such cases, the child will be immediately removed from camp and asked not to return, possibly for the remainder of the camp and/or the remainder of the summer. In these cases, no refunds will be given.