Summer is here and so are Discovery Museum summer camps, along with lots of programs and special events to keep your kids busy all summer long! Sign ups for our three fun and educational summer camps for ages 4 to 12 are available at our website, smvdiscoverymuseum.org. The first camp starts July 10, so don’t delay your registration!
Crazy Critter Camp is a three-day hands-on animal adventure designed for families that want a short but fun camp experience for kids, ages 7 to 10. Crazy Critter Camp runs July 10 through 12, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Children will learn about, touch, and interact with real constrictors, lizards, turtles, and tortoises on a daily basis. Led by Kevin Hasenfus of Prehistoric Parties, this camp offers close encounters of an unfamiliar kind and is sure to keep the kids wide-eyed and on their toes.
Cub Reporter Camp is an original week-long introduction to journalism designed for kids ages 8 to 12. It runs July 16 through 20 from 1 to 5 p.m. This specially designed camp is an in-depth, hands-on journalism experience through which campers will learn about and practice their creative writing, photography, and artistic skills to produce an original magazine. Led by Amy Asman, managing editor of the Sun, these lucky students will leave camp with a feeling of real accomplishment, a heavy dose of professional confidence, and an appreciation for honest and thought-provoking reporting.
Safety Town, a week-long, nationally recognized program designed for kids ages 4 to 7, runs July 21 to 25 from 9 a.m. to noon. Safety Town Camp teaches the fundamentals of fire, traffic, animal, stranger, earthquake, and household safety, and is formulated to excite and enlighten the young mind. With daily visits from real firemen, policemen, and animals, this camp packs a punch with non-stop action and role playing. Who knew safety could be so much fun?
Museum members get discounts on camps, parties, and merchandise, so this is a great time to renew your membership. Our weekly programs and special events are also free of charge for members, including the upcoming visit by Smokey Bear on Saturday, June 28, and Princess Ariel on July 1. Smokey will be teaching fire safety, and Ariel will share a part of her world with an enchanted story, as well as a lesson on princess etiquette and an opportunity to take pictures and sign autographs.
For more up-to-date information on special events, weekly programs, exhibits, and daily tips on fun things to do with your kids, visit the Discovery Museum Facebook page at smvdiscoverymuseum. All camps take place at the museum, located at 705 S. McClelland St. in Santa Maria. You can register online at smvdiscoverymuseum.org or at the museum. For camp questions, call 928-8414 or email erin@smvdiscoverymuseum.org. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4p.m.
Chris Slaughter, executive director for the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum, wrote this week’s Discovery Corner, a weekly column in the Sun highlighting events, science activities, and more. Send comments to discoverycorner@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 3, 2014.