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Children and Family Programs

Summer Science Camps

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

Content Detail

This summer, unlock your child’s imagination with interactive outdoor adventures among 1,700 acres of trees at The Morton Arboretum’s Summer Science Camps.

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

View an electronic brochure of 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:

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.

Supervised Play—Before or After Camp Options

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.

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:

Molex logo for Summer Science Camp sponsorship

Prekindergarten Camps

Children must be 4 years old by September 1, 2024 and must be fully potty trained.

Camp Offerings

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.

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.

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, 2024.

Please note: Kindergarten Summer Science Camps are sold out.

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 all about the trees that 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 as a muddy scientist with muddy games and crafts.

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
Put on your artist hat. Paint and sculpt squishy frogs, textured turtles, and slippery fish. Learn about these wetland critters and develop artistic skills.

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 that live in ponds.

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

Please note: First and second grade Summer Science Camps are sold out.

Camp Offerings

Animal Engineers

Full day, two week
From intricate bird nests to astounding beaver dams, animals are engineering all around us. Take a closer look at the construction techniques used in the animal kingdom and take on wild STEM building challenges.

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.

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.

Forest Fairy Friends

Half day
Are fairies hidden in the forest? Discover woodland plants and animals, create your own fairy, and work together to build a fairy village.

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 wet, hydrodynamic explorations! Slosh buckets and dip nets into Arboretum lakes to examine water-loving insects and plants. Play games, conduct experiments, and understand water’s big role in our lives.

Magic Forest Adventures

Full day
Have you ever imagined you were part of a factory inside a tree, underground digging with worms, or part of an insect chorus? Let your imagination run wild as you take a closer look at the Arboretum through interactive play, hands-on experiments, and exploration hikes.

Modern Artist-Tree

Half day
Use the art of science to explore trees! Mix, spin, 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.

New! Prehistoric Pals

Full day, two week
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.

New! STEM: Sounds of Summer

Full day
From cicadas to frogs, the summer is a time for animals to sing loud and proud. Explore the science of sound through experiments, games, and exploration and get in tune with the nature noises of The Arboretum!

 

 

Summer Science Camps are generously supported by:

Molex logo for Summer Science Camp sponsorship

Third and Fourth Grade Camps

Please note: Third and fourth grade Summer Science Camps are sold out.

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 unique characteristics. Build a mini tree fort village as a group. Each child takes home their own mini tree fort.

New! Growing Builders

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!

Nature Unframed

Full day
Paint, sculpt, and draw while using 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.

New! STEM: Sounds of Summer

Full day
From cicadas to frogs, the summer is a time for animals to sing loud and proud. Explore the science of sound through experiments, games, and exploration and get in tune with the nature noises of The Arboretum!

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 bird watching, 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.

Wild Survival

Full day, two week
Do you have the skills of a squirrel, the techniques of a turtle, or the ability of an ant? Discover the survival skills of animals at the Arb and then put your survival skills to the test.

 

 

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 as you take on team building and STEM challenges in this camp, while exploring the natural world.

Gross-ology

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, close-ups, moving targets, and more. With your classmates, create an Arboretum digital slideshow. Participants must bring their own digital camera.

New! STEM: Sounds of Summer

Full day
From cicadas to frogs, the summer is a time for animals to sing loud and proud. Explore the science of sound through experiments, games, and exploration and get in tune with the nature noises of The Arboretum!

 

 

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 the habitats, take on survival challenges, gather clues, and conquer obstacles to navigate through the Arboretum. Can you complete the race?

Myths, Monsters, and Maples

Full day
Take a closer look at myths and legends and the plants and animals that they are based on. Take on the challenge of creating your own story as an Arboretum hero.

Nature Photography II

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.

New! 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

Week of June 3

Week of June 10

Week of June 17

Week of June 24

Week of July 8

Week of July 15

Week of July 22

Week of July 29

Week of August 5

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 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 $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 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.

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 2024. Transfers will only be applicable from 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 $410 (nonmembers $455)
  • Two-Week Full-Day Camps $795 (nonmembers $875)
  • Half-Day Camps $225 (nonmembers $245)
  • 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
  • 30-Minute Afternoon Supervised Play (3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)
    $15 (nonmembers $20)
  • Afternoon Supervised Play (3:00 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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