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Children and Family Programs

Summer Science Camps

This summer, unlock your child’s imagination with interactive outdoor adventures amid 1,700 acres of trees.

Content Detail

Through science experiments, STEM, art, and creative play, The Morton Arboretum’s innovative camps will inspire your child to become a Tree Champion.

Discover more than 100 camps for children in prekindergarten through eighth grade, designed by Arboretum experts. These camps provide a foundation for the next generation of young conservation and environmental scientists, artists, and outdoor enthusiasts. Week-long camps run during June, July, and August.

Registration

Registration for 2026 Summer Science Camps opens to Tree Advocate, Thornhill Society, and President’s Council donors on Tuesday, January 6, at 10:00 a.m. Registration opens to all Arboretum members on Wednesday, January 14, at 10:00 a.m. Registration opens to all on Tuesday, February 3, at 10:00 a.m.

View an electronic brochure of 2026 camp descriptions, registration details, and a schedule chart of camps.

For questions about registration, email registrar-ed@mortonarb.org or call 630-719-2468, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Find camp availability by age group and register online. Choose programs based on the age or grade your child will enter in the 2026–2027 school year:

Once your child is registered, you will be emailed a pre-camp information packet, a registration form, and a medication authorization form (if applicable), to submit before camp begins.

Supervised Play—Before or After Camp Options

For parents requiring schedule flexibility, after selecting the camp(s) your child will attend, be sure to select the option “add more to your cart” to review additional supervised play options that extend pick-up and drop-off times as needed. Already registered for summer camp and need to add Supervised Play? Register here for Supervised Play, or for more information, read the Supervised Play Registration Helpful Hints document.

Accessibility

The Arboretum strives to provide accessible experiences for all children. Contact the camp and scout supervisor at 630-719-4890 or kphelps@mortonarb.org to discuss your child’s needs prior to registration.

Waitlist

Is the camp you’re looking for sold out? Add your name to the Summer Science Camp waitlist to be contacted if a seat opens due to a cancellation.

 

Summer Science Camps are generously supported by:

Prekindergarten Camps

Children must be 4 years old by September 1, 2026 and must be fully potty trained.

Camp Offerings

Growing Up Green

Half day

How do animals and plants grow up with roots, scales, or tails? Dive into the life cycles of green creatures around the Arboretum and see them up close!

Hopping Through Habitats

Half day

Some animals dig, some fly, and some swim. Join this adventure in animal movements as we explore how animals move around the Arboretum.

Painting with Plants

Half day

Explore your artistic roots. Touch, explore, play, and paint with all the parts of a plant and discover what each part does.

Splashing Around with Science

Half day

Observe, guess, test, and splash your way through science experiments in this fun-filled outdoor lab adventure.

 

 

Summer Science Camps are generously supported by:

Molex logo for Summer Science Camp sponsorship

Kindergarten Camps

Children must be 5 years old by September 1, 2026.

Camp Offerings

Dinos, Ginkgos, and Me

Half day

Travel back to the dinosaur age and discover different dinosaurs. Learn what they ate, where they lived, and which trees grew when dinosaurs were alive.

Eric Carle’s Friends

Half day

Have you ever been as hungry as a caterpillar? Enter the whimsical world of Eric Carle as his characters come to life through stories, games, and crafts.

Leaf Zoo

Half day

Leaves come in all shapes, sizes, and colors! Let your imagination run wild as you discover what you can create with leaves.

Mud Buddies

Half day

Build, play, dig, and discover all the things that love mud! Explore life underground and what it takes to make a home in the mud—while playing muddy games, doing muddy crafts, and becoming a muddy scientist.

Pond Pals

Full day

How do tadpoles turn into frogs? How do turtles and fish grow up? Together we’ll search for croaking frogs, basking turtles, and swimming fish while we take a closer look at our friends that live in ponds.

Seed Scientists

Full day

What does it take to make seeds grow? Make the Arboretum your outdoor laboratory as you search for seeds, design experiments, and explore types of seeds and how they sprout!

Squishy, Squashy Art

Half day

Ready, set, paint! Paint and sculpt squishy frogs, textured turtles, and slippery fish. Learn about wetland creatures and play water games.

Where the Wild Things Are

Full day

Where do wild things hide at the Arboretum? Search for wildlife as you explore the woodlands. What type of wild thing will the woods inspire you to be?

 

 

Summer Science Camps are generously supported by:

Molex logo for Summer Science Camp sponsorship

First and Second Grade Camps

Camp Offerings

Camo Creatures

Full day

Stripes, spots, streaks, and stealth make animals experts at hide and seek. Uncover patterns in nature, create your own camouflage, and explore how both predators and prey use camouflage to their advantage.

Camping Out

Full day

Gear up for a daytime camping excursion. Learn how to pitch a tent, fish, and make s’mores. Enjoy nature games, hikes, and songs.

Eco-Investigators

Two-week full day

Put your detective skills to the test. Explore the habitats of the Arboretum, conduct nature experiments, and learn what it takes to be a nature sleuth.

Forest Fairy Friends

Half day

Follow your imagination into the forest! Discover forest fairies, and the plants and animals that make a forest magical.

Gotta Grow

Half day

Water your curiosity! With a microscope, get an up close look at seeds, leaves, and flowers.  Sprout seeds, decorate a flower pot, and explore the gardens of the Arboretum.

Hydro-Explorers

Full day

Rev up for a week of wetland explorations! Slosh buckets and dip nets into lakes and ponds to examine water-loving animals and plants. Play games, conduct experiments, and explore the depths of the waters at the Arboretum.

Magic Forest Adventures

Half day

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to dig underground with worms, sing in an insect chorus, or work in a factory inside a tree? Let your imagination run wild as you discover the Arboretum through interactive play, hands-on experiments, and hikes.

Modern Artist-tree

Half day

Use the art of science to explore trees! Mix, drip, bubble, and fizz your way through hands-on, tree-inspired creations.

Nature’s Lab

Full day

Explore nature through the eyes of a scientist. Catapult seeds, make sun prints, and experiment with leaves as you use the outdoors as your laboratory.

Prehistoric Pals

Two-week full day

What was the Arboretum like when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth? Dive into the past and explore the history of the plants and animals that call the forest home.

Slippery, Slimy, Scaly

Half day

Dive into the slippery, slimy, scaly world of reptiles and amphibians! From tadpoles to snakes, salamanders to toads, find out what these cold-blooded creatures are all about. Trek through the wetlands, play games, and become a reptile and amphibian detective.

STEM: Brilliant and Bold

Full day

The animal world is full of brilliant and bold colors. Explore the world of animal sight and coloration through experiments, games, and STEM builds!

 

 

Summer Science Camps are generously supported by:

Molex logo for Summer Science Camp sponsorship

Third and Fourth Grade Camps

Camp Offerings

Drawn to Nature

Half day

Can art come from trees? Use paper, pencils, wood, and leaves to capture the nature around you. Discover the artistic tools hidden within trees.

Forest Forts

Full day

Design and build forts inspired by trees. Study trees up close and uncover their characteristics. Build a mini tree fort village as a group. Each child takes home their own mini tree fort.

Growing Builders

Two-week full day

What do you find in a garden? Leaves, flowers, and STEM! Use your building skills to take on garden projects and see what you can construct to help things grow!

Leaf Laboratory

Two-week full day

Have you ever wondered WHY? Prepare your beakers and flasks as you explore the scientific method, design experiments, and investigate the natural world around you.

Nature Unframed

Full day

Paint, sculpt, and draw with nature as your muse! Create art pieces in the prairie, on the pond, and below the trees as you explore the Arboretum.

Scales to Feathers

Half day

What makes a snake scale tough and a feather light? Take a microscopic look at scales, feathers, shells, and more as you discover what animal adaptations are all about.

Slime Time

Full day

Stretch, squish, and squoosh some slime as you discover how plants and animals use slime, try out some recipes for slime, and put your slime to the test.

STEM: Brilliant and Bold

Full day

The animal world is full of brilliant and bold colors. Explore the world of animal sight and coloration through experiments, games, and STEM builds!

The Arb Rocks!

Half day

Rock out with an in-depth study of glaciers, soils, fossils, and rocks. Take a geological journey through Earth, uncovering the layers below, identifying hidden fossils, and investigate the three types of rocks.

Walk in the Wild

Half day

Walk in the wild parts of the Arboretum and explore nature. Discover the differences between bees and wasps, go birdwatching, and hunt for animal footprints. Hike, collect specimens, and make tools that help reveal the Arboretum’s wild side!

Wetland Wonders

Full day

Spend the week getting wet! Wallow through wetlands to collect water samples, play games, and conduct experiments. Examine critters that call ponds, lakes, rivers, and marshes home.

 

 

Summer Science Camps are generously supported by:

Molex logo for Summer Science Camp sponsorship

Fifth and Sixth Grade Camps

Camp Offerings

Eco-Challenge

Full day

What can you accomplish when you take on an eco-challenge? Build your leadership skills with team building and STEM challenges while exploring the natural world.

Grossology

Full day

Engross yourself in science as you investigate icky, sticky, slimy, and smelly experiments! Get an up close look at worms, bugs, slugs, and other gross parts of our Arboretum ecosystems.

Kids vs. Wild

Full day

Can you survive in the great outdoors? Explore native woodlands and wetlands, and gain the skills needed to survive in these ecosystems. Set up camp, learn navigation skills, build a shelter, fish, and make tools to explore and tame the wild.

Nature Photography I

Full day

Use your nature observation skills and get creative with digital photography. Practice composition, subject placement, closeups, and moving targets—then create an Arboretum digital slideshow with your classmates. Participants must bring their own digital cameras.

STEM: Brilliant and Bold

Full day

The animal world is full of brilliant and bold colors. Explore the world of animal sight and coloration through experiments, games, and STEM builds!

 

 

Summer Science Camps are generously supported by:

Molex logo for Summer Science Camp sponsorship

Sixth through Eighth Grade Camps

Camp Offerings

Amazing Race

Full day

Race through habitats, take on survival challenges, gather clues, and conquer obstacles to navigate through the Arboretum and cross the finish line.

Arboretum Invaders

Full day

Uncover alien species that have invaded the woodlands, prairies, and wetlands of Illinois. Learn why we consider these species invasive, how to remove them, and develop ways to prevent their return.

Nature Photography 2

Full day

Capture nature from a new angle! Take the time to play with mirrors, water, shadows, and light in this photography class. Participants must bring their own digital camera.

Tinkering with Trees

Full day

Do you like to build? Take on the challenge of building with natural items and simple machines and create your own nature-inspired Rube Goldberg machine!

 

 

Summer Science Camps are generously supported by:

Molex logo for Summer Science Camp sponsorship

Supervised Play

Supervised Play will be available to purchase when registration opens to Arboretum donors on Tuesday, January 6.

Week of June 1

Week of June 8

Week of June 15

Week of June 22

Week of July 6

Week of July 13

Week of July 20

Week of July 27

Week of August 3

Week of August 10

Registration, Cancellation, Transfer, Late Pickup, and Refund Policies

Registration

Space is limited. Preregistration is required and payment is due in full at the time of registration. Camp registration closes at 4:00 p.m. the Monday prior to the next camp’s week. All camp forms, including a medication authorization form with doctors’ signatures (if applicable), must be submitted before the start of camp.

Refunds

We are unable to give refunds for camp within three weeks of the start date of the camp. A $45 nonrefundable processing fee is included in each camp registration fee. We are unable to refund for missed days of camp, including if missing one week of a two-week camp session. If your child is unable to attend camp due to medical reasons or illness, you may receive a refund with a doctor’s note.

For questions regarding refunds or cancellations, please contact the registrar’s office by email at registrar-ed@mortonarb.org or by phone at 630-719-2468, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Cancellations

The Morton Arboretum reserves the right to cancel a camp due to low enrollment. Camp participants will be refunded in full for cancellations.

Transfers

We are unable to transfer students to a different camp within three weeks of the start of the registered camp. Given current registration and limited availability of camp openings, transfers will be limited for 2026. Transfers will only be applicable for a camp of equivalent pricing. A $15 transfer fee will be assessed at the time of transfer. Additionally, we are unable to accommodate transfers between identical camp titles in the same week.

Late Pickup

If a child is picked up late, parents/guardians will be assessed a $15 late fee per child for pickup 15 minutes late and $1 per minute thereafter.

Pricing

  • Full Day Camps $425 (nonmembers $470)
  • Two-Week Full Day Camps $820 (nonmembers $910)
  • Half Day Camps $235 (nonmembers $260)
  • Morning Supervised Play (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.)
    $60 (nonmembers $70)
  • Midday Supervised Play (noon to 12:30 p.m.)
    $15 (nonmembers $20)
    Free with purchase of two half-day camps per registrant within the same week
  • 30-Minute Afternoon Supervised Play (3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)
    $15 (nonmembers $20)
  • Afternoon Supervised Play (3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
    $90 (nonmembers $106)

Summer Science Camp Waitlist

Is the camp you’re looking for sold out? Add your name to the Summer Science Camp waitlist to be contacted if a seat opens due to a cancellation.

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