Summer Science and Zoo Camps for Elementary and Middle School Aged Children in the Roanoke, Virginia Area

Summer time is almost upon us, and many parents are looking for cool summer camps in which to enroll their children. In the Roanoke, Virginia area, the Science Museum of Western Virginia offers several wonderful science summer camps for children in grades kindergarten through eight while the Mill Mountain Zoo hosts an interesting assortment of animal-related camps for those children in kindergarten through the sixth grade.

Science Summer Camps at the Science Museum of Western Virginia

Located on the fourth and fifth floors of the Center in the Square building in downtown Roanoke, the Science Museum of Western Virginia has science summer day camps available for children in grades kindergarten through eight. Each camp runs from 9am to 4pm on each appointed day, and for an additional fee, before and after camp care is provided for children whose parents work.

Children who have completed kindergarten through fifth grade can enjoy such science day camps as: To Infinity and Beyond which runs from July 5-9 (this camp deals with space and the Earth's atmosphere), We All Live Here which goes from July 12-16 (this camp enables children to learn about the houses, homes, and habitats of all creatures that consider Earth to be their home), Junior Veterinarian which takes place from July 19-23(children who participate in this camp are able to have classes with local veterinary professionals), Rocking Through The Ages which runs from July 26-30 (this camp teaches children about rocks, minerals, and fossils, and the children even have an opportunity to dig for fossils), Tooth to Toe which goes from August 2-6(this camp shows how the human body works as well as what can happen when something goes wrong with it), and Top Chef to Mad Scientist which takes place from August 9-13 (children in this camp learn about chemistry in a number of settings). Each one of these camps features guest speakers and a specific field trip that is geared towards the theme of each particular camp. The cost of one of these science summer camps is $180 for members of the Science Museum and $195 for non-members. Science Museum members have the advantage of early registration, and each one of these particular camps is limited to 14 students per section.

Two science day camps are available for children who have completed the sixth through eighth grades at the Science Museum of Western Virginia. These include Exploring Espionage in which the children learn about the science behind spying and Veterinary Apprentice where participants take classes with local veterinary professionals as well as the animal curator at the Science Museum. Exploring Espionage runs from June 15-21 and costs $200 for members and $215 for nonmembers. This camp includes a trip to the Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Veterinary Apprentice goes from June 28-July 2 and costs $180 for members and $195 for non-members. This camp involves spending a day on-site at a local veterinary hospital as well as a local farm. These camps are limited to 42 students per week, so register promptly.

If you wish to enroll your child in one of these wonderful science day camps, you can call the summer camp hotline at 540-857-4381 or send an e-mail to summercamp@smwv.org to contact a science museum staff member regarding this matter. A registration form is available for access online.

Zoo Summer Camps at the Mill Mountain Zoo

The Mill Mountain Zoo located on the top of Mill Mountain offers zoo summer day camps for children who are in kindergarten through sixth grade. Each camp runs from 9am to 3pm on each appointed day, and after camp care is available for an additional fee.

Children in kindergarten and first grade (ages 5-7) can enjoy such camps as: Creepy Crawly Creatures which is offered the weeks of June 21-25 and August 2-6 (this camp helps to educate children about some of the "misunderstood" zoo creatures), Animal Adventures which is going on the weeks of July 12-16 and August 23-27 (this camp enables children to "visit" each world continent and learn about some of the zoo residents who live there), and Finned, Feathered, or Furry which runs the weeks of July 5-9 and August 16-20 (this camp teaches children specifically about fish, birds, and mammals and the characteristics that make these animals unique). Children in grades two and three (ages 7-9) can partake in such camps as: Junior Zoo Keeper Camp which is taking place the weeks of June 14-18 and July 19-23 (this camp is ideal for children who have a dream of working at the zoo), Animal Disappearing Acts which is offered the weeks of July 5-9 and August 2-6 (this camp teaches children about the camouflaging of animals, endangered species, and ways that the children can help protect animals), and Habitats of the World which is going on the weeks of June 28-July 2 and July 26-30 (this camp educates children about the different habitats and the animals who live in each of them). Children in grades four through six (ages 9-12) can participate in such camps as: Zookeeper Camp which is offered from the weeks of June 21-25 and July 26-30 (this camp provides insight into what is involved in caring for zoo animals as well as the occupations that are associated with the zoo, Planet Patrol which is going on the weeks of June 28-July2 and August 9-13 (this camp discusses what is being done to protect endangered animals, how children can help to protect the natural world, and the occupations that help in these endeavors), and Big Cat Camp which takes place the weeks of July 12-16 and August 16-20 (this camp teaches children just about everything that they wanted to know about the zoo's big cats).

Each camp's size is limited to 12 participants, and the cost is $145 for zoo members and $160 for non-members. If you have questions about these zoo summer camps, you can call Megan Everett at 540-343-3241 ext. 23 or send her an e-mail to education@mmzoo.org. A registration form is available online as well as details about getting your child registered.

If you live in the Roanoke, Virginia area, consider one of these summer day camps for your children. Have a happy summer, and enjoy!