FLMNH Education - Summer Camps

Summer Camps

Education Mini-Menu

June 9 - 13

What Moves You? (AM 1) [All classes are available.]
Grades 1 - 4 | Seas of magma and shocking earthquakes! Journey to the center of the Earth to examine the behind-the-scenes action of our planet's core. Create a mini-volcano and watch it blow its top!

Desert Trek (PM 1)
Grades 1 - 4 | Encounter the unique flora, fauna and cultures that thrive in deserts. Examine how plants and animals have adapted for survival in this harsh climate. Compare and contrast desert cultures around the world and learn how people make the most out of the limited resources in this environment.

Field Camp 1: Absolutely Aquatic (FC 1)
Grades 5 - 6 | Slide into sinkholes and swim in springs to discover the real, wet Florida! Venture into the field to monitor water quality, learn about macro invertebrates, and have a swamping good time! Come prepared for a wetland adventure!

June 16 - 20

Reigning Predators (AM 2) [Section FULL: Grades 3/4; Waitlist available.]
Grades 1 - 6 | Investigate teeth, claws, beaks and pincers and explore the hunting tactics of predators great and small. Climb to the top of the food chain as a majestic African lion, a swooping eagle, or even a stinging hornet!

Island Protectors (PM 2)
Grades 1 - 6 | Barrier islands like Sanibel and Amelia are not just fun vacation spots; they help protect us from hurricane waters. Many of Florida's coastal habitats cannot exist without them. From luxurious beaches to marshes to mangrove forests, discover what these mysterious islands mean to Florida.

June 23 - 27

African Empires (AM 3) [Section FULL: Grades 3/4 & Grades 5/6; Waitlist available.]
Grades 1 - 6 | Float down the Nile River through Ancient Egypt, explore the Sahara Desert on camelback, and discover the "Stonehenge" of Great Zimbabwe. Transport yourself to the mysterious and majestic world of ancient Africa.

Something Feathery (PM 3) [Section FULL: Grades 3/4; Waitlist available.]
Grades 1 - 6 | Join the flock and fly around the world to investigate how birds use their beaks, feathers and feet for survival. From ostriches to owls and woodpeckers to warblers, use sight, sound, and size to distinguish these feathery friends.

July 14 - 18

Home, Home in the Sea (AM 4) [Section FULL: Grades 3/4; Waitlist available.]
Grades 1 - 4 | Covering nearly 3/4 of the world's surface, the ocean is home to more animals than anywhere else on Earth. Dive down through different regions of the sea. Compare arctic and tropical living. Discover strange and fantastic animals like the giant grouper, which can grow up to 9 feet long and weigh up to 1,320 pounds.

Hide-and-Seek (PM 4)
Grades 1 - 4 | See the game in a whole new light and learn from the masters of disguise. Scour the globe to discover how animals hide in plain sight using colors, patterns, and even sound!

Field Camp 2: Zoology (FC 2) [Section FULL. Waitlist available.]
Grades 5 - 6 | Have you ever dreamed of becoming a veterinarian or wondered why animals behave the way they do? Now is your chance to see what it takes to care for wild animals! Find out if you have the makings of a true zoologist.

July 21- 25

Dino Mania (AM 5) [Section FULL: Grades 3/4 & Grades 5/6; Waitlist available.]
Grades 1 - 6 | What was the largest dinosaur that ever lived? Who did the king Tyrannosaurus rex prey on? Did a human ever meet a stegosaurus? Travel back in time 230 million years to discover the mysterious world of dinosaurs.

Peoples of the Coast (PM 5) [Section FULL: Grades 3/4; Waitlist available.]
Grades 1 - 6 | From the Makah of Washington state to native Floridians like the Calusa and Timucua, coastal peoples have built their lives from the seas. Learn about whale and shark hunting, shell jewelry and art, boating in rolling ocean waters and much more! Join us on an archaeological expedition across America's coastlines.

July 28 - August 1

Canyon Cruise (AM 6) [Section FULL: Grades 3/4; Waitlist available.]
Grades 1 - 6 | At 5,280 feet or 1 mile deep, the Grand Canyon is considered one of the world's seven natural wonders. Come rafting down the Colorado River with us and discover the plants, animals, and history of this magnificent canyon.

Eight-Legged Wonders (PM 6) [Section FULL: Grades 3/4; Waitlist available.]
Grades 1 - 6 | How is a spider different from an insect? What makes some scorpions deadly to humans and others completely harmless? This summer, build your own spider webs and crawl into the world of arachnids.

August 4 - 8

Globetrotters, South America (AM 7) [Section FULL: Grades 3/4; Waitlist available.]
Grades 1 - 4 | Hunt through the rainforest with a jaguar, fly through the treetops with a scarlet macaw or climb the Andes mountains with an alpaca. Sail away to South American where the mountains tell the secrets of the Incan Empire, the deserts are cold and dry and the Amazon rainforest is home to animals wonderful and weird.

Hooves (PM 7) [Section FULL: Grades 3/4; Waitlist available.]
Grades 1 - 4 | What do rhinoceroses and zebras have in common? How fast can a gazelle run? Discover how hooves make these animals fast and agile and learn how horses became the familiar animals we know today. Clomp through savannahs, deserts and even forests on a quest for the strangest hooved mammals.

Field Camp 3: Bio Lab (FC 3)
Grades 5 - 6 | Grab your goggles and lab coats for a microscopic adventure! Grow your own bacteria cultures. Discover the life teeming in water droplets. Visit laboratories across Gainesville to witness pollution-testing and DNA research.

Camp Times & Fees

		Members / Non-members
AM (Morning)	8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.	$105 / $130
PM (Afternoon)	1 - 4:30 p.m.	$105 / $130
FC (Field Camp, All Day)	8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.	$210 / $260

Best Value! All Day with Lunch Supervision
	8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.	$200 / $250

How to Register

Registrations are accepted by mail or fax only. Classes will be filled in the order that forms are received, starting on April 14. You will be notified if your first choice(s) are not available. Confirmation letters will be mailed two weeks from receipt of registration. Remember: Membership does NOT guarantee space in summer camps.

Summer Camp Registration Form (PDF)

Member registration begins April 14, 2008
Non-member registration begins April 28, 2008

Camp availablity status last updated: May 8, 2008 - 11:30 a.m.

Want to register EARLY and SAVE on summer camps? JOIN the MUSEUM! Call (352) 273-2047.

Important Information

Camps are designed for students enrolled in grades 1-6 for the 2008-2009 school year.
Classes provide hands-on, minds-on opportunities to learn through activities, crafts, literature, Museum resources and outdoor exploration.
Children should wear clothing appropriate for indoor and outdoor activities and must wear closed-toed shoes at all times. No wheelies are permitted.
Classes are scheduled Monday through Friday. Students may register for a Morning (AM) session, an Afternoon (PM) session or for All Day.
AM and All Day students may be dropped off as early as 8 a.m.
Pick-up for the AM session is 12 - 12:30 p.m.
Drop-off for the PM session is 12:30 - 1 p.m.
PM and All Day students must be picked up no later than 5 p.m. - no exceptions, please.
All Day students should bring a sack lunch to eat during the break between classes from noon to 1 p.m.
When field trips are planned, students are transported by trained staff members in a Museum van.
Limited scholarships are available. Please call (352) 273-2061 for more information.
A refund (minus a $20 administrative fee per child, per camp class) will be issued if written cancellation is received no less than 10 working days prior to the beginning of a class.
Annual passes cannot be applied to camps that include admission to the Butterfly Rainforest.
Registrations will be accepted by mail or fax only.
Camps will be filled in the order registration forms are received. Confirmation letters will be mailed two weeks from receipt of registration.
Waitlists are available.
For more information, please call (352) 273-2061.

The Florida Museum of Natural History Admission Assistance Program provides financial assistance to economically disadvantaged school children, other individuals and community groups. For more information, call (352) 273-2061

Museum programs and activities are sponsored in part by the Florida Museum associates and by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Disclaimer: The Florida Museum of Natural History does not consider itself to be nor hold itself out as a dependent care center for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code.