PD Day Camps

Campers get free time in our interactive exhibits as well as guided time within our temporary exhibitions. Those taking part in our PD Day Camps have the opportunity to complete exciting hands-on activities, watch demonstrations and educational discussions. Each day, campers will create crafts and fridge-worthy artwork that can be proudly displayed for years to come. In addition, all are welcome to attend all of THEMUSEUM’s public shows and even participate in private workshops featuring special guests!

Shark Tales

Date: Friday, September 20 SOLD OUT

Sharks are one of the most ancient group of animals on Earth. Seen as the terror of the ocean, learn how sharks are more threatened than threatening.

Bubbling Brews

Date: Friday, October 25

Double, double toil and trouble – join us in celebration of Halloween! Campers will create reactions and concoctions while learning about the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. Science and fun do mix!

Toys, Toys, Toys!

Date: Friday, November 15

What were the first kinds of toys? What do kids from around the world play with? Learn, play and get crafty in this toy-filled camp.

Imagination Station

Date: Friday, January 24

Imagination is our most powerful tool. This PD Day, campers will stretch their imaginations through games and activities around story-telling and make-believe. Our older campers will even take part in a short Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

Spring Greens

Date: Friday, April 3

Spring is in full bloom, join us this PD Day to learn all about plants in Ontario. Why are plants so important for our ecosystem? How do plants help people? The answers may surprise you.

The Science of Candy

Date: Monday, April 13 (Easter Monday)

There is more to candy than being sweet and delicious. Learn how candy gets its flavours, scrumptious smells and cool colours with demonstrations, activities and experiments. At the end of the day, you’ll take home a hand-made sweet treat.

Ocean Ambassadors

Date: Friday, May 29

Learn all about sharks and their cousins, skates and rays. What makes these ancient creatures different from boney fish and why are they important for our oceans? Seen as the terror of the seas, find out why sharks are more threatened than threatening.

Blast Off: Mars Edition

Date: Friday, June 26

Ever wonder what it would take to live and thrive on Mars? Let’s learn the nitty gritty about the Red Planet and what inhabitanting it might truly mean.

Winter Camps

Campers get free time in our interactive exhibits as well as guided time within our temporary exhibitions. Campers have the chance to play games, learn new skills and take part in educational and art-based activities inspired by the day’s events. They are also welcome to take part in THEMUSEUM’s public shows, workshops and interact with a variety of special guests.

STEAM: Playing with Paper

Date: December 23, 27, 30 & January 2 & 3

THEMUSEUM wants you to spend this festive-filled week with hands-on arts and crafts! Learn about the history and science of paper. Use paper in new and cool ways including folding origami structures, paper shadow puppets, and even make seed paper by hand. There’s lots to do over the Winter Break!

March Break Camp

STEAM: Environmental Futures

Date: March 16 – March 20, 2020
Limited spots remain for March Break Camp on Friday, March 20.  The Underground Studio MakerSpace camp still has spots available all week long.

This March Break let’s learn how to make a cleaner Earth. Jump into hands-on, nature-filled science and art activities that will show you how you can make green choices for a sustainable future. Learn about local champions, new sustainable technologies, climate adaptation and actions you can take, both big and small.

Summer Camp

Deep Dive

Monday, June 29 – Friday, July 3
Monday, August 3 – Friday, August 7

Listen to the songs of whales, the splash of the shore and the swish of bubbles as we learn about ocean habitats. Discuss the challenges ocean creatures face and learn how we can help.

Wonderful Worlds

Monday, July 6 – Friday, July 10
Monday, August 17 – Friday, August 21

3, 2, 1… Blast off! We’re travelling through the solar system and beyond. Learn about human missions to space, why they’re so important and what the future of astronomy holds.

Forests and Friends

Monday, July 13 – Friday, July 17
Monday, August 10 – Friday, August 14

Learn about the life cycle of plants and animals and navigate the foodwebs that connect them all. Explore why ecosystems are important and how we can preserve them for the future.

Astro-Adventure

Monday, July 20 – Friday, July 24

A team of intrepid space explorers are just about to reach their destination when something goes terribly wrong leaving them stranded. What happened? Who is responsible? Solve this mystery of astronomical proportions and get the crew safely to their destination.

Green Planet

Monday, July 27 – Friday, July 31
Monday, August 24 – Friday, August 28

Earth is a wonderful home full of amazing plants, animals and places. Using the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as a guide, we’ll discover ways each of us can reduce our impact and spark change.

PD Day Camps

Conceptualize, brainstorm and learn through doing! Our trained educators will guide campers to design, create and execute projects from scratch using their own imagination. The sky truly is the limit – we want to see your ideas come to life. Mistakes will be made along the way and plans will change, which is all part of the process. Persistence and perseverance will prevail, with amazing results to show!

Build-a-bot

Date: Friday, September 20 SOLD OUT

Using woodworking, gears, circuitry and motors campers will create their own one of a kind robot that they can play with and control!

Mask Makers

Date: Friday, October 25

Just in time for Halloween! Campers will learn how to design and create their own masks using our 3D pens.

Clock Makers

Date: Friday, November 15

Campers will learn how to use our laser cutter to design a custom clock, as well as setting up a working clock gear.

Animation Station

Date: Friday, January 24

With the help of our guest animator, campers will learn how to make their very own animation. Bring your ideas to life!

Garden Homes

Date: Friday, April 3

Using recycled materials, such as plastic water bottles, campers will create their own Garden House to decorate their homes while learning the importance of recycling.

Bee Houses

Date: Friday, May 29

Bees need houses, too! Inspired by our climate change exhibition, campers will learn the importance of bees to our environment and build their very own bee house.

Screen Printing Shirts

Date: Friday, June 26

Using screen printing, Campers will create their own design to print onto a shirt with different colours and layers to make each creation unique.

March Break Camps

Smart-Brella

Date: March 16 – March 20, 2020

An umbrella that doubles as a weather station? What could be better than that?! Campers will learn how to program their umbrella using Arduino to act as their very own weather station!

Summer Camp

Printmaking

Monday, July 27 – Friday, July 31

Using photo emulsion and light exposure, campers will learn how to properly screen print using multiple layers and colours.

STEAM Powered Girls

Monday, August 3 – Friday, August 7
Monday, August 24 – Friday, August 28

Campers will be given hands-on learning opportunities while learning from female guests who are working in a STEAM field.

Electric Cars

Monday, August 10 – Friday, August 14

This week we’ll be creating electric cars! Learn all about woodworking and aerodynamics to make a speedy wooden car that will be powered by a circuit board and motor! 

Mood Lighting

Monday, August 17 – Friday, 21

Campers will learn how to code and woodwork to create their very own colour changing lantern all week long!

Light up Gadgets

Monday, August 31 – Friday, September 4

Set your phasers to awesome. Campers will learn how to use Arduino software to code blinking lights and 3D modelling with our 3D pens to create their own sci-fi type gadget that lights up.

Ages

THEMUSEUM’s Day Camps are available to children between the ages of 4-12. Depending on the number of children, we divide campers into groups based on age: 4-5, 6-7 and 8-12. Campers take part in activities and programs designed to be age and skill-appropriate. If campers wish to be paired with siblings or friends of different ages, please indicate on the Group Request Form in your CampBrain Profile. Please note that while we will do our best to group siblings and friends together, this may not always be possible if there is too large an age-gap.

Underground Studio MakerSpace Camps are only offered to children between the ages of 9 – 14 due to the technical nature of the projects.

Drop-off and Pick-up Times

Camp programming runs from 9:00 am – 4:15 pm. THEMUSEUM offers free extended care between 8:00 am and 9:00 am and between 4:15 – 5:30 pm. We cannot accept campers in our space prior to 8:00 am. Pick-up after 5:30 will incur late fees of $15 for the first 15 minutes (i.e. 5:30 – 5:45 pm) and $10 for every 15 minutes or part thereafter.

Registration Process

Note that ALL Day Camps and The Underground Studio MakerSpace Camps registrations will be processed online through our new CampBrain portal. We will not accept any in-person camp registrations.

To register your child(ren) for any of our camps please click the CampBrain Registration link and follow the instructions below. 

1. Log in to your existing CampBrain account or sign-up as a new user.
2. Create profiles for each child that you’d like to register for camp and indicate your membership status.
3. Select the camps you’d like to enrol in and add them to your cart.
4. Complete the necessary forms and submit credit card payment. 
5. Review your confirmation email for further details and a copy of your tax receipt. 

First-time registration will take approximately 20 minutes. Forms need only to be completed once per season. Forms will auto-populate from previous seasons but can be updated when enrolling for a new season.

Register for Camp

Tax receipts for all camp registrations from Summer 2019 onward are emailed to you at the time of booking and are also available through your CampBrain Profile. The document listed as “Household Account Statement” will act as your tax receipt.

Requests for Tax Receipts can take 5-10 business days to process. Calling our Visitor Services desk will not expedite the process.

If you require a Tax Receipt for camp registrations before Summer Camp 2019, please email us at Camps@THEMUSEUM.ca and include the following information:

• Your child’s full name
• Your child’s date of birth
• The year(s) that your children were registered for our camps
• The camp season(s) (i.e. PD Day, Winter Break, March Break or Summer)
• The session(s) or dates of your registration

Camp Staff

Day Camps maintain a 10:1 ratio of campers to trained Camp Leaders. Camp Leaders are supported by volunteers and co-op students who have provided vulnerable sector police background checks.

The Underground Studio MakerSpace Camps maintain a 7:1 ratio of campers to staff with a maximum group size of 20 campers.

What to Bring

All campers must bring nut-free lunches, two snacks and a bottle of water. Bear in mind that a camp day is longer than a regular school day. For safety, campers must wear closed-toe shoes when attending camp. If your child is prone to accidents or under the age of 7 years, please pack a change of clothing.

Please bring sunblock and appropriate outdoor clothing during the summer when campers have daily offsite trips.

Campers attending the MakerSpace camps must bring a bag to store supplies in addition to the above-mentioned. Please ensure that MakerSpace campers also bring a hair-tie or headband to secure hair from their face if it is longer than chin-length.

Please do not send your child to camp with personal toys, games, trading cards or electronics as THEMUSEUM cannot be held responsible for lost or broken items.

Accessibility

THEMUSEUM Day Camps aim to be inclusive to participants with special needs. Please inform camp staff, in your Health and Personal History Form, of any exceptionalities your child may have. This will allow us to best accommodate your child so that they have a successful time at camp.

Please note, however, THEMUSEUM cannot provide 1:1 care for campers with special needs.

If your child receives one-on-one support at school (e.g. with a dedicated Educational Assistant), requires withdrawal assistance, or is on a behavior plan, you must provide your child with a community worker. Such options include:

• Private care agencies (e.g. Bartimeus, Premier Home Care, Care.com)
• Additional resources are available on the CHAP Resources section of respiteservices.com.
• For additional information and resources, please contact Extend-A-Family, a local support service.

Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region
91 Moore Ave
Kitchener, Ontario
Canada
N2H 3S4
Tel: 519-741-0190

Activities and Schedule – THEMUSEUM Day Camp

The programming time is broken into 30-minute sections to provide variety and ensure that the campers have a chance to get up and move. Camp activities include games, hands-on activities, demonstrations, discussion, exploring THEMUSEUM’s exhibitions, art projects inspired by the day’s themes, and private workshops. Campers also have access to THEMUSEUM’s special guest performances on PD Days, Winter Break, March Break and Summer Break

Below is a generic schedule for THEMUSEUM’s Day Camp.

Below is a generic schedule for The Underground Studio MakerSpace Day Camps (ages 9-14)

Feedback and Evaluation

We are grateful to have your children take part in our programming. To continue to offer the best service and programming possible, we ask that you give us your feedback using the link below. This brief survey with your child about both your experience and their experiences with THEMUSEUM’s Day Camps.

Take the Survey

Refund/Cancellation Policy

Registration is accepted on a first come-first served basis, registration on the day of the camp is not guaranteed; payment must be received at time of registration, and a $5 administration fee applies to all registrations within 14 days of the camp date. Smart phone images/faxed copies of a form will not be accepted. Cancellations must be received at least seven days prior to the camp date in order to receive a gift card to THEMUSEUM for the full amount or receive a 50% refund of total cost. Free transfers are available to another date/week dependent on availability.