Spend your summer at the Academy with our fun educators, cool exhibits and wild science! Sign up for one week or sign up for them all; each day will feature hands-on activities, creative crafts and untold secrets of the museum. Learn about the naturally awesome science at the Academy, from fossils and dinosaurs to bugs, birds and botanicals! Get outside for lunch and explore the urban environment around the Academy. Meet live animals, see rare specimens and explore the museum as you never have before.

This program features small group activities. New topics will be explored every day. Bring home useful make-and-takes and practice your science skills with experiments and projects. Chill out as you take in a special show or look alive when you meet our animal ambassadors. What will you discover about the world?

For kids ages 10–12, check out our Academy Adventure Camp, which includes a two-night stay at Lacawac Sanctuary Field Station in the Poconos.

More information on camp policies and procedures below. Contact Amy Hoyt, public programs and mediated experiences coordinator, for any additional information.

Pricing

$385 nonmember child/$345 member child per week
July 5–7 $235 nonmember child/$210 member child (no camp on July 3 and 4)
Registration required; space is limited so sign up today!
Ages 6–10

Summer Camp 2023 Schedule:

Birds!
June 26–30

Calling all bird nerds. This one is for you! Become an ornithologist as you explore the 205,000 bird specimens at the Academy and learn what species call Philadelphia home. See birds up close with experts, and let your creativity take flight as you craft bird wings, protect eggs from a perilous drop and sniff like a vulture. We’ll also explore the special exhibit Seeing Birds. You won’t want to chicken out on this one!

Discovering Dinosaurs
July 5–7 (no camp July 3 and 4)

Adventure back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the earth. From Tyrannosaurus to Corythosaurus and beyond, discover dinosaur diversity through the years. Touch real fossils and meet a friendly paleontologist! Come prepared to have a dino-mite time!

Planet Protectors
July 10–14

Your mission: learn what you can do to protect the environment. We’ll tinker with trash and transform it. We’ll investigate how waste makes its way into our waterways and how it impacts our animals and insects. Spend time exploring the museum while learning about sustainability, climate change and plastics. Campers will help contribute to Plastic-free Philly with hands-on recycling activities.

Challenge Accepted: Amazing Animal Adaptations
July 17–21

It’s game time! How do you compare to some of nature’s best athletes? Are you as fast as a falcon? Fearsome as a lion? Agile as an anaconda? Test your skills through a week of animal games and challenges. Along the way we’ll examine some of the coolest specimens in the Academy from bugs to bones. Everyone will be a winner as we discover why some animals thrive and why some just can't compete!

Animals on the Outside
July 24–28

Discover what keeps insides in! From the slimy skin of a frog to the rough wrinkles of an elephant, the diversity of animal skin is vast. In this weeklong camp we’ll talk about all things skin: scales, armor and how skin interfaces with the outside world. Explore and touch specimens in our special exhibit Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity. Plus, see live animals up close every day!

Birds!
July 31–August 4

Calling all bird nerds. This one is for you! Become an ornithologist as you explore the 205,000 bird specimens at the Academy and learn what species call Philadelphia home. See birds up close with experts, and let your creativity take flight as you craft bird wings, protect eggs from a perilous drop and sniff like a vulture. We’ll also explore the special exhibit Seeing Birds. You won’t want to chicken out on this one!

Discovering Dinosaurs
August 7–11

Adventure back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the earth. From Tyrannosaurus to Corythosaurus and beyond, discover dinosaur diversity through the years. Touch real fossils and meet a friendly paleontologist! Come prepared to have a dino-mite time!

Planet Protectors
August 14–18

Your mission: learn what you can do to protect the environment. We’ll tinker with trash and transform it. We’ll investigate how waste makes its way into our waterways and how it impacts our animals and insects. Spend time exploring the museum while learning about sustainability, climate change and plastics. Campers will help contribute to Plastic-free Philly with hands-on recycling activities.

Challenge Accepted: Amazing Animal Adaptations
August 21–25

It’s game time! How do you compare to some of nature’s best athletes? Are you as fast as a falcon? Fearsome as a lion? Agile as an anaconda? Test your skills through a week of animal games and challenges. Along the way we’ll examine some of the coolest specimens in the Academy from bugs to bones. Everyone will be a winner as we discover why some animals thrive and why some just can’t compete!

Animals on the Outside
August 28–September 1

Discover what keeps insides in! From the slimy skin of a frog to the rough wrinkles of an elephant, the diversity of animal skin is vast. In this weeklong camp we’ll talk about all things skin: scales, armor and how skin interfaces with the outside world. Explore and touch specimens in our special exhibit Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity. Plus, see live animals up close every day!

Camp Policy Information

To comply with Drexel safety guidelines, drop-off and pickup protocols must be strictly followed. Due to updated capacity, participants must wait outside until escorted inside by staff. Check-in will begin no earlier than 8:45 a.m. and dismissal begins at 4 p.m. Contact us if you need to arrange early pickup. Participants must be picked up no later than 4:15 p.m., and staff will bring children outside to meet their approved adults. We regret that before- and after-care is not available currently. Participants must bring their own snacks and lunches and eat at designated times (allergies can be accommodated; no option for refrigeration or purchase of food available). Children must be at least 6 years old by their first day of camp.

Campers will receive one free camp shirt upon registration. Campers who register for two or more weeks will receive a second free shirt if desired. Please indicate shirt size in the registration paperwork.

Digital paperwork and permission forms will be sent after payment and must be completed by June 16. Full camp balance is due at time of registration. Refund requests made before June 16 may be accommodated, minus a $100 per week nonrefundable deposit. After June 16, no refunds will be given, but campers may be able to register for a different camp session pending space availability. Refund flexibility may be offered to families who need to cancel due to illness. The Academy continues to adhere to requirements regarding vaccine, mask and other safety protocols, and our policies may change in line with city and state mandates at any time. Contact Amy Hoyt, public programs and mediated experiences coordinator.

How are we keeping kids and staff safe during Academy Science Camp?

To ensure the health and safety of our guests, staff and volunteers, we have carefully developed new health and safety protocols following guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Drexel University, and in consultation with national museum organizations as well as fellow museums around the world, across the nation and in Philadelphia. Camp program plans have been evaluated and approved by health and safety officers at Drexel University. All museum spaces adhere to strict CDC guidelines governing room capacity and air exchange. Each group is made up of no more than 15 children with three staff, and each group stays together all day in spaces large enough to maintain recommended distance. Lunchtime is held outdoors when possible, and registrants provide their own lunches. There are frequent handwashing and cleaning breaks, per state and federal recommendations. All staff and participants must abide by Drexel COVID guidelines. Find out more about expectations for staff and visitors.

Plastic-free Philly

Plastic-free Philly, Philly’s solution to plastic pollution, is a volunteer effort aimed at reducing single-use plastic water bottles and replacing them with environmentally healthier options, such as drinking tap water and using refillable bottles. By eliminating plastic water bottles, you help keep our waterways clean and beautiful, preserving the health of our environment and our communities for future generations.

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University launched Plastic-free Philly in 2022 — our Water Year — to raise awareness of plastic pollution and clean water. The institution conducts actionable water science that seeks to illuminate the interactions between humans and the environment, especially in aquatic systems. The Academy is a science leader for the Delaware River Watershed Initiative, which protects and restores the rivers and streams that supply drinking water to 15 million people.

Our Ecological Impact

Academy Summer Science Camp strives to be as eco-friendly as possible. We avoid single use plastics when we can. Can you help us carry out our goal of a plastic-free summer?

Here are some tips:

• Bring a reusable water bottle instead of a plastic bottle.
• Pack your lunch in a reusable lunch box or bag.
• Carry metal utensils that you can bring home and wash or use forks, knives and spoons made from biodegradable materials such as corn starch or bamboo.
• Try recyclable paper sandwich and snack bags instead of plastic ones.