Summer Camp Beckons at Chabot Space & Science Center

It snowed at Chabot Space and Science Center a few weeks ago, and though the white blanket that covered our Observation Deck was beautiful, we couldn’t help but dream of warm summer days outside in the sun. Summer is the perfect time to capitalize on the natural resources of the Bay Area and kids’ natural enthusiasm, and despite gray skies, now is the perfect time to start planning for a fun-filled and enriching summer. Families, caregivers and educators know that summer camps help students retain their school-year gains over summer break, build self-confidence, explore the outdoors and unplug from technology. In short, summer camps are a great way to encourage kids’ natural curiosity in ways that foster learning all year long.

At Chabot, we’re in the thick of planning for summer camps designed to encourage children who are entering Grades 1 – 6 to explore, design, experiment, and work together. We re-launched our summer camp programs three years ago, taking full advantage of our museum facilities and the beautiful park environment that surrounds us to create active, fun and educational summer programs. This coming June, we are looking forward to inviting campers to use their natural curiosity and the summer sunshine to make sun prints with objects we find in the Redwood forests surrounding Chabot. We’re excited to tap into their inventiveness as we test out hand-made kites on windy days in our courtyard. We’re eager to capitalize on their enthusiasm as we explore similarities between our favorite animals and our favorite superheroes. And we’re anxiously awaiting their thrilled expressions as they taste test the delicious treats they cook up in DIY solar ovens. Activities like these will not only reinforce science content for campers, but will also encourage them to be leaders in their own learning. What better way to learn than by creating something with your own hands and experiencing it with your own eyes?