We’ve previously looked at general day camps, visual art camps and performing arts camps.  Today, we’ll take a look at science and nature camps available around the Kansas City area this summer.  There are some fantastic hidden treasures around the metro for your scientifically-inclined child or for your nature/outdoors kids.  As always, check out the offerings of your local parks and rec department and also take a look at these great finds:

• Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center (Kansas City, MO) will be offering a Discovery Camp and an Outdoor Skills Camp for older elementary school kids and middleschoolers.
• Ernie Miller Park and Nature Center (Olathe, KS) hosts outdoor discovery camps for children ages 6-12.  Hikes, environmental games and nature crafts are centered around a changing weekly theme.  Sign up quick!  Some camps are already full!
• Kansas City Zoo Summer Camps (Kansas City, MO) offers some really neat week-long science and animal-related day camps for all ages.
• Kansas Starbase (Kansas City, KS) is a really cool camp for kids who have finished 4th, 5th or 6th grades.   Topics covered are flight basics and flying skills in a simulator, robotics, rocketry and space exploration.
• Lakeside Nature Center (Kansas City, MO)  offers a Summer of Science camp for kids from 6 to 12.  I think they also team up with the Kansas City Zoo on some of the zoo’s camps too.
• The Learning Exchange (Kansas City, MO) hosts the CityWorks, WildWorks and WildWorks II camps for kids from 7 to 13.  CityWorks is offered at Exchange City and teaches kids about personal finance and business.  The WildWorks programs cover wildlife biology and scientific skills.
• Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary (Northland) has a brand new summer program this year called EGADS (Earth Guardians Adventure Days).  These are nature focused camps with outdoor exploration, games, crafts and songs.  There are different offerings for everyone from preschool through ninth grade.
• Mr. & Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Library (Kansas City, KS) is an environmental learning center located at Wyandotte County Lake Park.  This summer, the Schlagle Library will have a nature day camp for preschoolers, an outdoor discovery day camp for elementary age children, Destination Science camp for middleschoolers and a World of Flight camp also for middleschoolers.
• Parkville Nature Sanctuary (Parkville, MO) offers three-day nature camps, exploring the trails, learning trail safety, discovering wild animal habitats, identifying trees and other nature-related activities.  For ages 8 to 12.
• Powell Gardens (Kingsville, MO - east of Lee’s Summit) is expanding its Summer Explorations program this year.  Camps are offered for 3rd grade through 7th grade.  Nature Explorations (for the younger set) will cover plant and water science.  Career Explorations (for the older kids) explores careers in botany, horticulture and landscaping.
• Science City (Kansas City, MO) offers summer camps for kids ages 6 to 12.  Hands-on activities keep your kids interested in weekly themes related to biology, chemistry, engineering and space.
• UMKC - Kansas City Summer Transportation Institute (Kansas City, MO) is a camp for high schoolers focused on various aspects of the transportation industry including career exploration in the transportation sector, skill building, teamwork and college preparation.
• Wildwood Outdoor Education Center (near LaCygne, KS) offers overnight (or “residential”) camps for kids ages 8 to 14.  With a nature-focus, campers take part in very traditional camp activities - swimming, fishing, ropes course, games, canoeing, arts & crafts and theme nights. 
• William Jewell College (Liberty, MO) hosts week-long residential camps for 7th and 8th grade boys and girls.  Campers have the opportunity to engage in activities related to biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science. The camp curriculum also emphasizes leadership development and teambuilding. Evening activities are generally less formal.
• Wonderscope (Shawnee, KS) has some really fun camps for kids ages 5 to 9.  In addition to a drama camp, Wonderscope offers great science-related themes - like water experiments, space, rainforests, building, environmentalism/conservation and the popular Ker-SPLAT! and Ka-BOOM! camp which mixes science and the creative arts.

Tags: blue springs, camp, kansas city, lacygne, liberty, nature, northland, olathe, parkville, science, shawnee

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 at 9:59 pm and is filed under Lessons/Camps/Classes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.