Earth is our only home for now, but that could be changing soon.  According to NASA, astronauts might land on Mars to explore it as early as the 2030s. 

For centuries, people have wondered about other planets and what we might find there if we visited them.  If you were suddenly transported to an unknown, alien world, how would you survive?  What’s the first thing you would do?  How would you make use of any raw materials your planet has?  Should you even go, or would it be too dangerous?  If we did go, would we just end up damaging the planet?

In this summer camp, you will come up with ideas that could answer these questions.  You will conduct experiments, make crafts, and learn what it might be like to be among the first to step on another planet.

For elementary and middle school ages (entering grades K-8th)

$250 Non-Members
$200 Members (please sign in to your account and use the discount code emailed to you)

K-2nd grade: June 2nd (Monday) - June 6th (Friday)
3rd-5th grade: June 9th (Monday) - June 13th (Friday)
6th-8th grade: June 16th (Monday) - June 20th (Friday)

Drop-off for camps is from 8:30-9:00 am and pick-up is from 3:00-3:30 pm. Please email education@visitthemap.org with any questions.

Have you ever found a fossil?  Were you able to identify it?  Before fossils were formally studied only hundreds of years ago, someone may have identified your fossil as a preserved dragon bone or even a bolt of lightning turned to stone! 

We’ve come a long way in our understanding of what fossils are, where we can find them, and what they can tell us about Earth’s past environments.  In this paleontology summer camp, we will explore ancient organisms and the environments they lived in.  You will learn where to find fossils and how to tell, just by looking at how well preserved it is, how the plant or animal may have died.  We will also learn about some of the most famous fossil-finding sites in the world, as well as how to dig for fossils yourself. 

For elementary school ages (entering grades K-5th)

$250 Non-Members
$200 Members (please sign in to your account and use the discount code emailed to you)

K-2nd grade: June 23rd (Monday) - June 27th (Friday)
3rd-5th grade: July 7th (Monday) - July 11th (Friday)

Drop-off for camps is from 8:30-9:00 am and pick-up is from 3:00-3:30 pm. Please email education@visitthemap.org with any questions.

Learning about oceans and ocean weather might sound strange given that we are in the middle of the country, but you may remember that Kansas was covered by an ocean multiple times. We have only fossils left to tell us about our ancient marine past, but there are plenty of modern oceans around the world to study.

In this oceanography camp, we’ll learn what makes ocean environments unique from land environments and how vitally important oceans are to life all around the planet. Approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in oceans, so it’s not difficult to imagine the impact they have, whether it’s hurricanes causing damage on coastlines, waves shaping huge rock structures, or plankton releasing oxygen. You will also learn about the impacts humans have made on oceans and what ocean scientists are doing to try and protect them for future generations.

For elementary school ages (entering grades K-5th)

$250 Non-Members
$200 Members (please sign in to your account and use the discount code emailed to you)

K-2nd grade: July 21st (Monday) - July 25th (Friday)
3rd-5th grade: July 28th (Monday) - August 1st (Friday)

Drop-off for camps is from 8:30-9:00 am and pick-up is from 3:00-3:30 pm. Please email education@visitthemap.org with any questions.

What makes something living vs. nonliving? The answer is probably harder to pin down than you think. In fact, there are still biologists today that debate over this question. This is just one of the questions you will attempt to answer as you learn about the different living organisms around the world. Closer to home, there is a variety of life just behind the museum in our wetland and prairie habitats to observe and study. 

In this biology camp, we will learn what makes the Earth so unique from any other planet we know of (so far): its huge abundance of life. From the tiniest bacterium to blue whales to a network of fungi that spreads for miles around its center of growth, the Earth is full of life. You will take a close look at organisms, both past and present, that can be found just in and around our museum. You will learn how to identify them as well as learn what they can tell us about our environment.

For all elementary school ages (entering grades K-5th)

$250 Non-Members
$200 Members (please sign in to your account and use the discount code emailed to you)

K-5th grade: August 4th (Monday) - August 8th (Friday)

Drop-off for camps is from 8:30-9:00 am and pick-up is from 3:00-3:30 pm. Please email education@visitthemap.org with any questions.