Registration is now open for our 2020 Virtual Summer Camps!
As New Hampshire continues to practice social distancing in response to COVID-19, we at the Discovery Center remain committed to serving as an educational resource for students and families in and beyond New England. To that end, we have opted to proceed with our 2020 STEM summer camps, in a virtual format. Online camps offer a novel opportunity for us to continue providing high-quality STEM learning experiences for children—including virtual lessons from museum educators, hands-on projects, and opportunities for peer-to-peer social interaction.
Each of our one-week virtual summer camps can be completed entirely from home by the camper. The daily schedule includes a morning Zoom session with an instructor and other campers, a block of Independent Time to complete lessons and activities at home, and an afternoon Zoom session with the instructor and other campers. Campers must have internet access, with the ability to log in to the Discovery Center’s institutional Zoom account, for the duration of both the morning and afternoon sessions. Adult supervision is required for children participating in Discover the Dinosaurs and Science Explorers camps, as well as the activity in Blast Off! involving bleach.
Included in the price of registration is a package of nearly all materials needed to complete the week’s lessons and activities—as well as some bonus “surprises.” Upon receipt of your registration, Discovery Center staff will custom-pack your camper’s materials and ship them right to your door. Be sure to save the shipping box—some activities make use of the cardboard! Note in the camp descriptions below that campers are responsible for providing a limited quantity of materials which, for various reasons, we are unable to ship. (We will provide a list of all materials needed from home at least two weeks in advance of the camps, to give families time to stock if needed.)
All campers will receive free admission, with a paid adult, to a future Super Stellar Friday event at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
Registration Info
Click the button below to download a registration form. Please provide payment with all 3 pages of completed form to officially register your child for camp.
Please send completed form and check for payment to: The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, 2 Institute Drive, Concord, NH 03301
OR
Email completed form to snappo@starhop.com
Camp Offerings
Discover the Dinosaurs
Date: June 22–June 26
Time: morning session 9:00–10:00 + afternoon session 4:00–5:00
Age: 5–8 years
Description: Spend time exploring the days when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Discover the many different types of dinosaurs, fossils and the methods paleontologists use to learn about them. Campers will uncover “fossils,” watch the continents move over millions of years, and build an erupting volcano, plus other activities.
Materials: Campers will be provided with all materials needed for activities except for liquids such as water, vinegar, and food coloring.
Science Explorers
image courtesy of wikimedia commons
Date: June 29–July 3
Time: morning session 9:00–10:00 + afternoon session 4:00–5:00
Age: 5-7 years
Description: Launch into the unknown as you explore the Earth and our solar system. From the structure of the Earth to the principles of flight, you’ll learn about the world we live in and what it takes to fly above it. Campers will design paper airplanes, create a model of the solar system, and launch straw rockets, plus other activities.
Materials: Campers will be provided with all materials needed for activities except for kitchen items such as water and eggs.
Blast Off!
Date: July 6–July 10
Time: morning session 9:30–11:00 + afternoon session 2:30–4:00, with optional group lunch time on Zoom
Age: 8-12 years
Description: Rocket your way to the stars with a summer camp that brings out the engineer in all of us. You’ll be introduced to the principles of flight and the challenges of living in space as you explore what it takes to get off the ground. Campers will build and modify different types of rockets, design mission patches, and create catapults, plus other activities.
Materials: Campers will be provided with all materials needed for activities except for liquids such as water, vinegar, and bleach. Adult supervision required for activity using bleach.
Tech for Ecology
Date: July 13–July 17
Time: morning session 9:30–11:00 + afternoon session 2:30–4:00, with optional group lunch time on Zoom
Age: 10–14 years
Description: How do biologists in the field use technology to learn about wildlife and plants? Explore equipment and methods used to collect field data as we document life just outside our doors. Campers will deploy track plates, test soil and water quality, and assess biodiversity in their own backyards, plus other activities.
Materials: Campers will be provided with all materials needed for activities except for common kitchen items such as water, vinegar, food coloring, and crackers.
Wicked, Wild Weather
image courtesy of noaa
Date: July 20–July 24
Time: morning session 9:30–11:00 + afternoon session 2:30–4:00, with optional group lunch time on Zoom
Age: 8–12 years
Description: Learn about how meteorologists analyze, track, and predict weather events and then how those events fit into larger patterns. From creating weather maps to understanding extreme weather events, meteorologists work at multiple scales and with many different technologies. Campers will make their own forecast, learn how clouds are formed, and even build an anemometer to measure wind speed, plus other activities.
Materials: Campers will be provided with all materials needed to complete activities except for liquids such as water and food coloring.
image courtesy of wikimedia commons
Imaging the Universe
Date: July 27– July 31
Time: morning session 9:30–11:00 + afternoon session 2:30–4:00, with optional group lunch time on Zoom
Age: 10–14 years
Description: How do we see the universe and how can we manipulate those images? Get a refresher in basic astronomy and then learn how to capture pictures of the universe using low- and high-tech methods. Campers will categorize stars, analyze spectra, and build models for capturing light, plus other activities.
Materials: Campers will be provided with all materials needed for activities except for a measuring tape/ruler/yard stick, and blanket.
Astronomy 101
image courtesy of nasa
Date: August 3–August 7
Time: morning session 9:30–11:00 + afternoon session 2:30–4:00, with optional group lunch time on Zoom
Age: 8-12 years
Description: Become an amateur astronomer in this fun-filled adventure through the universe. Learn about what makes up our solar system and everything beyond! Campers will build a model of the solar system, explore the night sky, and recreate impact craters, plus other activities.
Materials: Campers will be provided with all materials needed for activities except for a cereal box, yard stick/measuring tape, blanket, and needle-nose pliers.
*All images in this post courtesy of pexels.com, unless otherwise noted
