Hands-On Science Camp

Pre-K Classes

Explore the scientific wonders of the world with your child! Our parent-and-child classes focus on scientific themes with exciting hands-on activities and crafts. Each fee covers one Pre-K child (age 3 to 4)* and one parent or “big buddy” (18 years and older). Additional adults or campers must register separately at the full fee. *Campers must be age 3 by the start of class.

View Printable Pre-K Catalog

Me, Myself, and I

Look at yourself from the inside out. Take an adventure through your body and learn all about the parts that make you YOU! Become the subject as you investigate everything from your five senses to the sound of your own heart. 

CHEM-Mystery

From the kitchen to the laboratory, reactions happen all around us! Join us as we try to solve different CHEM-mysteries. Find out what chemicals you have to mix to make slime, and explore the states of matter.

Kindergarten Classes

Introduce your child to the exciting world of science with our kindergarten programs! Children will explore and experience science with fun, hands-on activities. All children enrolled in kindergarten programs must be entering kindergarten in fall 2023. Children must be comfortable with a classroom environment and be able to stay without a parent or guardian for the 2 ½-hour class.

View Printable Kindergarten Catalog

Ingenious Engineers 

Engineer, we have a problem here! Put your problem-solving skills to the test and see which solution works best. Campers will use simple classroom materials to build structures, toys, and other crazy contraptions as they bring their imaginations to life!

Junior Big Lab Scientist 

Let’s go explore science! Observations, gravity, states of matter, air resistance… What on Earth do these words mean? Learn all this and more as you investigate science using our Big Lab where you can drop things from the Mega Tower, test boats in the Water Works pool, and make balls fly high in the air at the Bernoulli table!

1st & 2nd Grade Classes

View Printable 1st & 2nd Grade Catalog

3,2,1, Blast Off!

Experience the thrill of building your own rocket prototypes! Explore distant planets and create your own mini solar system. Discover what it takes to launch your own air-powered rocket!

Big Lab Scientist

Let’s build it, race it, and fly it! Test the limits of your imagination when you have the whole Big Lab to work with. Drop melons from the Mega Tower, sail boats across the Water Works pool, and launch a tennis ball over 100 feet in the air!

Chemical Chaos

Chemistry is everywhere! Learn how chemicals react to make something new as you create cool, slimy, and bubbly reactions. Observe how pigments separate to create a burst of color. Chemistry is not just fun, it’s chaotic!

Ooze-rageous!

Prepare your senses for this adventure as we discover the stinkiest, slimiest, and gooey-est things nature has to offer. Create all kinds of sticky, icky, yucky solutions guaranteed to gross out your family and friends. Get ready for an ooze-tastic time!

Physics Power (NEW)

Join us on an adventure to have some fun with physics!  Find out what Newton's Three Laws of Motion have to offer. Learn physics tricks that will include floating magnets, making simple machines, experimenting with light and sound, and much more!

Science Stew

Get your mixing bowls and oven mitts ready for some culinary creations! Science takes center stage as you discover the connections between cooking and chemistry. Learn about your sense of taste while creating dishes designed to make those taste buds go crazy!

Storybook Engineering (NEW)

Help some of your favorite storybook characters solve once upon a time engineering challenges. Protect Humpty Dumpty from a great fall, grow your own beanstalk to help Jack get a golden egg and help the Three Little Pigs survive the strongest of winds. This class will be a tale to remember!

Wizard Science

Is it magic or science? You don’t have to take a mysterious train to find out in this wizard academy. Investigate the science behind growing beasts, disappearing water, and much more. Amaze your family and friends in a magic show on the last day of class!

3rd & 4th Grade Classes

View Printable 3rd & 4th Grade Catalog

Bio, Bio, Everywhere!

From the plants growing in your homes to the bacteria growing on your hands, you can find life everywhere on Earth! Explore the different branches of biology by dissecting a squid, looking at microorganisms, and making a terrarium. Grow your own cell culture to discover the microscopic organisms that surround us every day. Discover the secrets of life on your journey through the wonders of biology.

Build It!

Put your engineering skills to the test as you use simple classroom materials to build mammoth structures, unique toys, and other crazy contraptions. Find out what it takes to be an engineer as you see the things you imagine appear!

Chemical Connection

Ever wonder what would happen if you mix two substances together? Find out in this fun (if not exactly tidy!) class as you test various ingredients to create cool chemical reactions. You’ll even make your own tie-dye shirt!

Fantastic Physics

Physics makes the world go around—literally. Learn its secrets using the Big Lab, where you will build and design roller coasters and sailboats. Drop objects from the three-story Mega Tower to investigate gravity’s force. Energy and motion take center stage in this week of “phantastically phun” physics.

Rocket Factory

Ready for lift off in 3...2...Houston we have a problem! Join us as we try to figure out what challenges NASA scientists face when trying to launch a rocket to space. Conduct your own experiments and trajectory tests, and experience the fun of launching your own engine-powered rocket on the last day.

Rockin’ Robots

How does a robot work? What are some ways robots can help us? Roll your way into robotics and take an introductory course to answer these questions and much more. Make different kinds of robots that can lift, push, and even create artistic masterpieces. Dive into the world of coding and learn to code a robot that can recognize different colors and navigate its way through a maze.

5th & 6th Grade Classes

View Printable 5th & 6th Grade Catalog

All Cooked Up! (NEW)

Do you love science AND cooking? Add a pinch of chemistry and a dash of science in this fun culinary class. Learn about molecular gastronomy, the newest frontier in culinary arts and science. Watch food transform from typical to unexpected forms using scientific laboratory techniques. And don’t forget to eat your experiments!

Bountiful Biology

BIOLOGY. It grows on you! Find out what organisms require to exist. Explore human and animal anatomy through animal dissections. Visit our Cell Theater to see how single-celled organisms survive and grow. See the world from a new perspective!

Chemical Meltdown

Watch science in action through a chemical reaction! Test different reactants to uncover how chemical reactions work. Discover the difference between a physical reaction and a chemical reaction. Get ready to get messy and have a chemical meltdown!

Eclectic Engineering (FULL DAY)

How do we make a robot arm move? What makes structures strong enough to withstand earthquakes? Answer these questions and more while drafting new designs and perfecting problem-solving skills. Draw on multiple sciences as you develop the skills to construct the future!

Propulsion Lab (NEW)

Step into our Rocket Propulsion Laboratory and engineer your very own rocket. Test designs, fuel choices, payload weights, and more to find the perfect combination. Ignite your engines on the last day of class and watch your creation fly over 200 feet in the air. It IS rocket science! 

Skate Science (FULL DAY)

Carve out time this summer to explore the mechanics of skating. Put your “goofyfoot” forward as you dissect ollies, vert skating, and all the other physics of fun on wheels. We’ll highlight engineering as you design, build, and decorate your own customized skateboard that will be yours to keep.

7th & 8th Grade Classes

View Printable 7th & 8th Grade Catalog

a-MAZE-ing Robots (FULL DAY)

Design and build an independent robot that can navigate its way through a maze. Watch as your robots perform a dance you choreograph just for them. Now if you could only teach them to clean your room!

Biolo-Gee Whiz (FULL DAY)

What does your brain really look like? How does your circulatory system work? Find the answers to these questions and more as you explore human anatomy. Delve into the medical industry and learn how various organs function by dissecting fetal pigs. By the end of the week, you will earn your M.D. certificate--Museum Doctor, that is!

Marine Adventures (FULL DAY) (NEW)

Become a marine biologist at the California Science Center. Experience marine life firsthand with behind-the-scenes tours and special experiences with our aquatic staff. Explore our 188,000 gallon kelp tank, experiment with water quality testing, dissect marine animals, and much more.

Radical Reactions (FULL DAY)

Take chemistry to a whole new level! Be a chemist and experiment with elephant toothpaste, freeze fruit in liquid nitrogen, and discover the chemistry used in rocket engines by creating your own combustion reactions.

Roving the RED Planet (FULL DAY)

Calling all scientists! Delve into the world of design and be part of a team that lands a rover on an uncharted planet. Plan and execute a mission to Mars as you discover similarities and differences between Mars and Earth. Explore the problems faced by NASA scientists and astronauts trying to create a livable world far from our planet.  This class was created in conjunction with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.