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Know Before You Go: Important information and helpful hints for your next visit
The Morton Arboretum Get tickets
Summer Science Camps

Fifth and Sixth Grade Summer Science Camps

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

Content Detail

Explore summer science camps for children entering fifth or sixth grade that offer opportunities to play, paint, explore, and learn. 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 Monday, June 5, through Friday, August 11.

Learn more about each camp below and find availability for each session:

For questions about registration, call 630-719-2468 Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

For parents requiring additional 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 if you need help, read the Supervised Play Registration Helpful Hints document.

Once your child is registered, you will be emailed a Welcome Letter, Registration Form, and a Medical Authorization Form if applicable, to send back before camp begins.

Waitlist

Due to an increase in demand, many of this year’s Summer Science Camps have already sold out. Please add your name to the Summer Science Camp waitlist to be contacted for the camp sections you are interested in, should additional seats or additional sections become available.

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.

Summer Science Camps are generously supported by:

Molex logo for Summer Science Camp sponsorship

A Week of Wetlands: full day camp

Enjoy hands-on investigations of all things aquatic. Experiment with water and its properties, trudge through the wetlands to gather water samples, and use scientific equipment to inspect plants and animals that call ponds, lakes, rivers, and marshes home.

  • Section A: June 19 to June 23, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Section B: July 10 to July 14, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Section C: July 24 to July 28, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

See camp availability >

Forest Forensics: full day camp

What does a tree have to say? Solve the case of the felled foliage as you examine tree rings, visit the Herbarium to view trees of the past and present, and discover the unique things trees have to tell us.

  • Section A: June 19 to June 23, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Section B: July 17 to July 21, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Section C: August 7 to August 11, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

See camp availability >

Kids vs. Wild: full day camp

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.

  • Section A: June 12 to June 16, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Section B: June 26 to June 30, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Section C: July 17 to July 21, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Section D: July 31 to August 4, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

See camp availability >

Nature Photography 1: full day camp

Use your nature observation skills and get creative with digital photography. Practice composition, subject placement, close-ups, moving targets, and more. With your classmates, create an Arboretum digital slideshow. Participants must bring their own digital camera.

  • Section A: June 12 to June 16, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Section B: July 10 to July 14, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Section C: July 31 to August 4, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

See camp availability >

New! STEM: Branching Out: full day camp

What can you build with branches? Challenge yourself to work as a team to tackle engineering and art activities. Celebrate art and engineering as we explore how natural materials can be used to create sculptures, or solve problems.

  • Section A: June 5 to June 9, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Section B: June 26 to June 30, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Section C: July 24 to July 28, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

See camp availability >

Registration, Cancelation, 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 Medication Authorization Forms with doctors’ signatures, must be in 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 $15 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 the submission of 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.

Cancelations

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

Transfers

We are unable to do transfers within three weeks of the start of the registered camp. Given current registration, and limited availability of camp openings, transfers will be limited for 2023. Transfers will only be applicable from a camp of equivalent pricing. A $10 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 $365 (nonmembers $410)
  • Two-Week Full-Day Camps $720 (nonmembers $810)
  • Half-Day Camps $210 (nonmembers $245)
  • Morning Supervised Play (8:00 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
  • 30-Minute Afternoon Supervised Play (3:00 to 3:30 p.m.)
    $15 (nonmembers $20)
  • Afternoon Supervised Play (3:00 to 5:30 p.m.)
    $90 (nonmembers $106)

For parents requiring additional 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. If your child is already registered for summer camp and need to add Supervised Play, follow the links below.

Register here for Supervised Play, or if you need help, read the Supervised Play Registration Helpful Hints document.

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