Science Camp at Liberty Science Center Camps

About Science Camp at Liberty Science Center Camps

Science Camp is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) focused program for children entering 1st through 8th grades. Camp runs Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, with extended care options available. The first week starts on July 8th and the last week ends August 16th. At Science Camp, we explore various weekly topics through hands-on activities. Along with the academics, Science Camp sparks new friendships. While the kids are having fun, they’re also learning to collaborate, communicate ideas, and think creatively. Whether your child joins us for one week or all six, there is always something new to learn. For more information, please view our Camp Website or Camp FAQ Page. 

Our themes for Summer 20234 are: Paleontology, Medical Science, LSC Fashion Week, Olympics, Science of Music, and Magic & Science. Each week's courses for the different grade bands are:

 

Rising 1st Grade Camps 

Week 1: Paleontology Week - Who Digs Dinos? (July 8-12)

Step into the world of your favorite dinosaurs! Immerse yourself in the landscape of a paleontological dig in LSC’s Dino Dig Adventure. Create a fossil replica using 3D-printing pens. Discover dinosaur adaptations, prehistoric environments, and what caused the extinction of these fascinating creatures. 

Week 2: Medical Science Week - Animal Spotlight (July 15-19)

We share our world with many furry, scaly, feathered, and shelled animal friends. Through encounters with live animals, animal professionals, and hands-on activities, learn how animals and people enhance each other’s lives. Veterinary science, service animals, outdoor explorations, and more will be included in daily themes. You will design and showcase an original animal enrichment!

Week 3: LSC Fashion Week - Copycat Couture (July 22-26)

Take nature to the runway in this introduction to biomimicry and design. Velcro, LEDs, and wingsuits are just a few inventions that were inspired by the natural world. How can you create your own unique style? Will you focus on protection like a turtle? Or blend in like a cat? The possibilities for these functional and fabulous looks are endless!

Week 4: Olympics Week - Sports Spectacular (July 29 - Aug 2)

Ready, set, go! Explore the science of popular sports as we discover the forces behind running, jumping, balance, and more. Try the sport, then analyze the movements of the game and your body.

Week 5: Music Week - Sound-Off! (Aug 5-9)

Whether you want to crank it up to 11 or drop the beat, explore the science of sound by creating music of your own. We'll discover why different materials and shapes give instruments unique sounds. Get ready to feel the rhythm and move with the groove as we learn about physics!

Week 6: Magic & Science Week - Storybook Science (Aug 12-16)

Enter the world of your favorite books and engineer new solutions to the characters’ problems. Explore the science behind why the three little pigs’ house blew down. Find a solution to prevent Humpty Dumpty from breaking after his great fall. Build Corduroy the bear a flashlight to help find his missing button. Let your imagination rewrite the story!

 

Rising 2nd - 3rd Grade Camps 

Week 1: Paleontology Week - Dino Detective (July 8-12)

Calling all future paleontologists! We need you to unearth the clues left behind by dinosaurs. Compare bone and skull structure, build your own fossil, interact with dinos’ living relatives in our Wild About Animals exhibit, and investigate why these magnificent creatures are not living today.

Week 2: Medical Science Week - The Science of Senses (July 15-19)

We use them every day, but how do they work? Our five senses provide our brains with information about the world around us. What makes our sense development different from other animals? How are colors seen differently; do we all have the same taste buds; is spatial awareness innate or a learned sense? Explore these concepts and many more as we gain an understanding of the human physiology that determines how we see, hear, taste, touch, or smell.

Week 3: LSC Fashion Week - Sustainable Fabrics (July 22-26)

Over 11 million tons of textile waste end up in landfills each year in America alone. Explore new options and different techniques to make accessories from sustainable sources. Discover how these materials affect us and our planet. Make vegan leather out of coffee, fashion paper bead-jewelry, and create your own designs!

Week 4: Olympics Week - Go for Gold Game Design (July 29 - Aug 2)

Let the games begin! Unleash your creativity and innovation by designing custom characters, animations, and behaviors for video games using Scratch. Showcase your game and see how it stands up against the competition!

Week 5: Music Week - Upcycled Beats (Aug 5-9)

One person's trash is another's musical instrument! Explore how everyday items can make the grooviest of sounds. Discover how to change sounds with shapes and learn how vibrations travel differently through different materials. Help us make a symphony out of everyday materials! No prior music experience required.

Week 6: Magic & Science Week - Wizard Academy (Aug 12-16)

Calling all witches- and wizards-in-training! Build your bag of wizarding tricks as you investigate the science behind chemical potions, spells, invisibility, levitation, and more. Build glowing wands, whip up bubbling brews of slime, and become a master of illusion.

 

Rising 4th - 5th Grade Camps 

Week 1: Paleontology Week - Digs In: Fossils, Arrowheads & Bones (July 8-12)

Explore the mysteries buried in the Earth. As archaeologists- and paleontologists-in-training, compare rock types and explore how fossils are formed. Use the tools of the trade to learn proper excavation techniques while working in our 'excavation site.'

Week 2: Medical Science Week - Anatomy Academy (July 15-19)

What do you have in common with a shark, a hummingbird, and a worm? More than you may think. Discover how people and animals are the same and yet vastly different. Explore contrasting body systems of humans and representative animals through lab dissections, live animal visits, and exciting activities that highlight the remarkable variety of animal life.

Week 3: LSC Fashion Week - Astronaut Spacesuit Design (July 22-26)

Prepare for liftoff into the high-tech world of spacesuit design! Extreme temperatures, radiation, and the vacuum of space are just a few of the dangers astronauts face. Explore materials science as you engineer a suit that can provide protection against the harsh environment of space.

Week 4: Olympics Week - Animal Athletes (July 29 - Aug 2)

Take a look at incredible feats of animal athleticism: lizards running on water, the strength of an ant, the agility of a hummingbird. What would it take for humans to do these things? Together we'll explore the adaptations of animal species then explore how we could (or could not) do the same things.

Week 5: Music Week - Good Vibes Only: The Science of Sound (Aug 5-9)

This adventure in sound will rock the house! Liberty Science Center becomes your recording studio as we discover new sounds, explore the human experience of sound, and perform on musical instruments of your own design. Big lungs, big rhythms, and big ideas wanted!

Week 6: Magic & Science Week - Medieval Engineering (Aug 12-16)

Engineers in the Middle Ages designed machines capable of hurling massive weights great distances, and walls meant to stop them. Explore the physics and math that make catapults, trebuchets, and battering rams such effective tools of destruction. Use your new knowledge to design and build your own siege machine. Who will hold the long distance hurling record?

 

Rising 6th - 8th Grade Camps 

Week 1: Paleontology Week - Archaeopteryx: Bird or Dinosaur? (July 8-12)

Is Archaeopteryx a bird or a dinosaur? It's a question paleontologists still debate today. Explore features of birds and theropod dinosaurs, compare their behaviors, and do your own research into these animals. Draw your own conclusions and present them to friends and family!

Week 2: Medical Science Week - Medibots: Surgeons of Tomorrow (July 15-19)

Venture into the world of Medibotics! Explore the benefits of robotic surgery and how it has revolutionized the way surgical procedures are performed. Design, construct, and program your own robot to tackle medical challenges. Perform procedures using real surgical instruments and see how they differ from robotic procedures.

Week 3: LSC Fashion Week - High-Tech Styles (July 22-26)

The world of electronics and textile design collide in this highly interactive and illuminating course. Using various fabrics, conductive thread, lights, and speakers, design interactive wearable electronics. Turn out the lights and be amazed!

Week 4: Olympics Week - 3D Stadium Design (July 29 - Aug 2)

Host the Olympic Games in your very own virtual stadium! Use 3D modeling to design and build your own arena for various Olympic events. Then, bring your creations to life using VR and AR technology.

Week 5: Music Week - Laser Rock Show (Aug 5-9)

Music and light collide in your very own laser show! Call on your creative side as you blend music with laser light animation and imagery. Then design and choreograph your own visual production to show in our Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium!

Week 6: Magic & Science Week - Cosplay Costume Design (Aug 12-16)

Embark on a journey of inspiration, design and fabrication. Using our state of the art MakerLab, we will employ new technologies and processes to create a one-of-a-kind sci-fi or fantasy costume to take home.