For Grades K-5
School’s Out Science Camps offer exciting, single-day adventures for kids during school holidays. Each camp features a unique theme and is filled with hands-on activities that spark curiosity and creativity.
Registration closes one week prior to each camp date.
School’s Out Science Camp Pricing
| Full-day Camp | $90 |
| Half-day Camp | $45 |
| Member Discount | 20% off |
| Extended Care Add-on | $10 for AM, $10 for PM |
Registration opening Soon
2025-2026 School Year Camps
| Date | Type | Holiday | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, Oct. 13 | Full Day | Indigenous Peoples’ Day | Spooky Science |
| Friday, Nov. 28 | Full Day | Thanksgiving Break | Black Friday |
| Monday, Dec. 1 | Full Day | Thanksgiving Break | Cyber Monday |
| Monday, Dec. 22 | Full Day | Winter Break | Wintry Mix |
| Tuesday, Dec. 23 | Full Day | Winter Break | Chilly Critters |
| Wednesday, Dec. 24 | Half Day | Winter Break | Candy Construction |
| Friday, Dec. 26 | Full Day | Winter Break | Boxing Day |
| Monday, Dec. 29 | Full Day | Winter Break | Northern Lights |
| Tuesday, Dec. 30 | Full Day | Winter Break | Slip and Slide |
| Wednesday, Dec. 31 | Half Day | Winter Break | Time After Time |
| Friday, Jan. 2 | Full Day | Winter Break | Da Vinci Day |
| Monday, Jan. 19 | Full Day | MLK Jr. Day | Agents of Change |
| Friday, Feb. 13 | Full Day | Presidents’ Day | Valentine Science |
| Monday, Feb. 16 | Full Day | Presidents’ Day | Teddy R and JFK Day |
| Friday, April 3 | Full Day | Spring Break | Eggcellent Adventures |
| Monday, April 6 | Full Day | Spring Break | Spring Fling |
Camp Descriptions
Spooky Science
Boo! We’re scaring up some potions and pumpkins and getting ready for Halloween. There’s plenty of STEAM-themed tricks and treats in store for your kids. Costumes encouraged!
Black Friday
We’re not doing the science of doorbuster deals…but we are exploring all things black in this day-after-Thanksgiving camp. Think black animals, shadows, caves, outer space and more. This day promises to illuminate things that tend to hide in the darkness.
Cyber Monday
Let’s code! Your child will program games and microcontrollers, explore digital graphic design, and play with robots in this high-tech day camp.
Wintry Mix
This camp gets a little chilly! We’re exploring the science of ice, sleet, and snow. From crystal structures to calving glaciers, see how the white stuff is formed, changes and returns to the water cycle.
Chilly Critters
Orcas, penguins, walruses, and other resident animals at the poles of the Earth will be the stars of the day. We’ll look at how they’ve adapted to stay warm and thrive in the world’s harshest environments.
Candy Construction
Half Day | Create structures tall and wide using gumdrops, candy canes, and more. Test which icing recipe makes the best mortar. Mold structures out of melted chocolate. These buildings are going to be so sweet.
Boxing Day
The engineering of the boxes and cartons your products come in is a science in and of itself. We’re taking a closer look at packaging design in this entrepreneurial-focused day. From information to logistics to marketing and more, we’ll see how the shape, materials and structure protect items for market and ensure their quality and safety. Engineer a custom package to take home!
Northern Lights
See how the Sun, Earth’s atmosphere, and Earth’s magnetic field come together to put on a hauntingly beautiful light show. We’ll look at each of these elements separately and together, then learn how to use special effects and materials to make a miniature aurora borealis display to keep.
Slip and Slide
Nothing says winter like sledding, ice skating and skiing! All of these activities use very specialized muscle groups and equipment to engage the environment, experience the laws of physics and challenge the mind. Take a look at all the science we can find in snow day fun!
Time After Time
Half Day | The end of another year gives us a chance to look at the science behind time—how we count it, how we measure it and how we mark it. Phases of the moon, rotations of the Earth and revolutions around the Sun define our months, days and years. How long is a day on Mercury? A year on Neptune? Why is Christmas a summer holiday in Australia? Let’s look at the movements of the spheres and how they affect our sense of time.
Da Vinci Day
Inspired by our namesake, Leonardo da Vinci, spend the day exploring all of the different things that fascinated Leonardo: painting and architecture, inventions and technology, the human body, and more.
Agents of Change
Chemical reactions require a catalyst; resting objects need a force to move. We’re always fascinated by (and occasionally worried about) change. We’ll look at the how, when and why of different kinds of change and how these changes shape our world.
Valentine Science
It’s a day for hearts, flowers and candy…and a day for heart (cardiology), flower (biology), and candy (chemistry) science! Get ready for Cupid’s big day with some STEAM. (Valentine’s Day cards and boxes not required!)
Teddy R and JFK Day
It’s President’s Day! What do American presidents have to do with science? Some of them have quite a lot to do with advancing science and technology in our country. We’re focusing on two: Theodore Roosevelt, conservationist and father of our National Park system, and John F. Kennedy, Jr., who championed NASA and space exploration. This is a science camp inspired by American history!
Eggcellent Adventures
The springtime Da Vinci Science Center tradition continues! It’s all about the physics of eggs. Learn some amazing tricks, look at animals who hatch from eggs, and, of course, take the egg drop challenge! Can you engineer a device that will keep your egg intact—even if we throw it off the Science Center roof?
Spring Fling
We’ve got wonderful flings to be flung! Catapults, trebuchets, and slingshots are on the menu for building and testing and re-testing. We’ll also look at the forces and motion involved in launching heavy objects really, really far. (Yes, including rockets!)
School’s Out Science Camps Details
- Registration closes one week before camp.
- Full day camps take place from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Half day camps take place from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Full day camps include a short snack break in the morning, a lunch and recess break, and another short afternoon snack.
- Morning drop-off begins at 8:45 a.m.
- Morning care activities from 7:30-8:45 a.m. may be added for an additional $10.
- Afternoon care activities from 4:10-5:30 p.m. may be added for an additional $10 (for full day camps).
Lunch & Snack Options
- Campers may bring their own snack and/or lunch or a snack and/or lunch option can be purchased at the time of registration.
- Lunch add-on: $10 per camper
- Options available: Mac and cheese, cheese pizza, ham and cheese sandwich, chicken tenders, turkey and cheese sandwich
- Snack add-on: $4 per camper
Discounts & Scholarships
- Members save 20% on each camp. Membership must be valid through the date of the camp.
- Two Day Package: Register for both days of Thanksgiving Break camps, Presidents’ Day camps, or Spring Break camps and save $20.
- Winter Break Package: Register for all eight (8) Winter Break camps and save $90.
School’s Out Science Camps Reservations and Refund Policies
- Registration closes one week prior to each camp date.
- Registration can be cancelled or transferred with a full refund and no charge up to 10 days prior to the start of camp.
- Cancellations made 6-9 days before arrival date: 50 percent refund
- Cancellations made 5 days or less before arrival date: No refund
- Reservation Adjustments: The Da Vinci Science Center understands that sometimes it becomes necessary to reschedule a camp session after your reservation has been made. The Science Center will be happy to accommodate a one-time reservation transfer at no cost if there is availability on the new date and you are requesting the transfer 2 weeks in advance of your current reservation. Additional changes to the reservation date will incur a $25 processing fee.
School’s Out Science Camps are sponsored by
