Cleveland Botanical Garden Camps
Through the concept of immersive play, Garden Connection Camps teach the many connections between all living things, from the web of friends they make to the butterflies they release on their first day of activities. Campers will be led on a travelling investigation to decipher clues scattered throughout neighboring cultural institutions as they unravel the secrets of a mysterious disappearing ghost orchid. Daily projects from our sensory lab, like a slimy cell study and botanical bubble brines, will stimulate curious minds to create natural solutions collaboratively. By the final day of their week, campers will unite to overcome a challenge course and apply what they learn to design fun plant-inspired games.
Each session is tailored with engaging opportunities that fit the specific age range.
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FAQs
Registration instructions
Creative Connections – Session 1
Ages 6-8
Start simple with us at the origins of today’s trees by making slimy models of plant cells. Then spin pigments with photons to create colorful kaleidoscopes. You’ll even be able to predict the pathways of snail specimens. Each week of Connections camp is a unique opportunity for campers to build social skills and try new things while learning through play about the benefits of plants and trees. All campers travel together on foot through a series of field trips that draw connections between themselves and the cultural themes in and around University Circle.
July 14-18, 9am-3pm
$365 per member, $415 per nonmember
Creative Connections – Session 2
Ages 6-8
Join us as we reveal the creative ways that nature hides surprising secrets in plain sight. Campers play games and make crafts that demonstrate how plants and animals use color to attract attention, scare off enemies, and cause confusion. Each week of Connections camp is a unique opportunity for campers to build social skills and try new things while learning through play about the benefits of plants and trees. All campers travel together on foot through a series of field trips that draw connections between themselves and the cultural themes in and around University Circle.
July 21-25, 9am-3pm
$365 per member, $415 per nonmember
Creative Connections – Session 3
Ages 6-8
Summer is the time to get kids out actively experiencing the abundance of learning opportunities in and around Cleveland Botanical Garden. Campers catch and observe aquatic lifeforms, learn how to design a garden, and mix plant potions during a week of adventure! Each week of Connections camp is a unique opportunity for campers to build social skills and try new things while learning through play about the benefits of plants and trees. All campers travel together on foot through a series of field trips that draw connections between themselves and the cultural themes in and around University Circle.
July 28-August 1, 9am-3pm
$365 per member, $415 per nonmember
Community Connections
Ages 8-10
This session of HF&G summer camp invites older kids to connect and reconnect at a more advanced level. They’ll design an obstacle course for working dogs that identifies the common needs between plants, people, and animals. They’ll construct a Martian cardboard colony that raises questions about terraforming other planets. Campers will also interpret artifacts from former Clevelanders whose connections with plants helped cultivate the lifestyle we enjoy today. Each week of Connections camp is a unique opportunity for campers to build social skills and try new things while learning through play about the benefits of plants and trees. All campers travel together on foot through a series of field trips that draw connections between themselves and the cultural themes in and around University Circle.
August 4-8, 9am-3pm
$365 per member, $415 per nonmember
Little Naturalists – Session 1
Ages 4-6
Parents, offer an adventure in independence with your young learner as they blossom into little naturalists at Cleveland Botanical Garden! During this three-day camp, your little one will learn all about the plants and animals that call our gardens home. We’ll introduce tools like magnifying glasses and binoculars and explore the natural world through special crafts and games.
July 8-10, 9am-noon
$150 per member, $200 per nonmember
Little Naturalists – Session 2
Ages 4-6
Your young learners will stimulate all their senses in a variety of settings perfect for healthy engagement and early development! During this three-day camp, little ones will interact with the living world around them to build foundations of awareness from rich experiences. We’ll introduce tools like butterfly nets and tweezers and explore nature through special crafts and games
August 12-14, 9am-noon
$150 per member, $200 per nonmember
FAQs
For additional questions or concerns, please email [email protected]
What University Circle Institutions will campers visit during these sessions?
| Campers will travel on foot during camp hours to Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, and Western Reserve Historical Society for enrichment opportunities facilitated by our camp staff in the afternoons. |
Registration Instructions
- Select your desired camp(s), browsing the options at each campus.
- Click new user if you did not register campers in 2024.
- Click returning user if you registered for camps in 2024 using CampSite.
- Fill out forms for each camper and complete payment using CampSite.
