Two learners observe the Sun with a solarscope in a grassy field

Camps

Resources for educators creating activities and themes for summer camps, holiday camps, and school break camps.

Activities for Incorporation into Camps

Girl using paint in nebula spin art activity

Browse by Themes and Topics

Curated collections of hands-on activities and resources by themes and STEM topics.

Virtual Camps

Blue logo for online workshop recordings

Online Workshop Recording: Virtual Camps and Strategies to Reach Underserved Communities and Underrepresented Groups

Online professional development workshop recording (2020).

Nano-themed Camps

A candid shot of a class of high school students in a science lab.

High School Nanotechnology Summer Camp Framework

In this week long camp, learners will be able to gain a comprehensive understanding of nanotechnology through activities that introduce them to the unique properties at the nanoscale.
Kid look at particles being sorted into smaller sizes with a screen sorter.

Nanotechnology Summer Camp (Ages 8 - 10) - Framework

In this weeklong activity, learners will engage with nanoscale science and engineering through hands-on activities.
Educator and children exploring hydrophobic properties of lotus leaf and nano nano pants in NanoDays activity

NanoDays Kit

Public programs, hands-on activities, and professional development resources about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology and their impact on society.
Educator and group of children learning about self assembly using Gummy Capsules NanoDays activity

Explore Science: Zoom into Nano Kit

Museum & Community Partnerships resources designed to engage underserved audiences in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology through local community collaborations.
NISE Net Brown-Bag icon

Online Brown-Bag: Nano for Summer Camps (Recorded)

January 9, 2014
The NISE Net runs a series of online brown-bag conversations focused on helping partners share their work and learn from others in the Network. The aim of the online brown-bag conversations is to increase the number of professional development opportunities...
Girl in a pink shirt with staring at a peacock feather

After School Framework - Nanoscale Science

In this four week afterschool framework, learners engage with nano demos and programs and provides learners with a basic understanding and appreciation for nanoscale science concepts.

Outdoor Activities

Two learners observe the Sun with a solarscope in a grassy field

Outside Activities

A collection of activities designed for use in the outdoors or those that can be easily adapted to use outside. These activities can work well in different outdoor settings including nature centers, summer camps, parks, and playgrounds.
Citizen scientist taking a precipitation measurement on a CoCoRaHS rain gauge

Citizen Science

A compilation of citizen science resources; these community projects enable people from all walks of life to participate in and advance scientific research.

Night Sky Observations and Astronomy Activities

Perseid Meteor Shower - a meteor streaks across the sky 2016 in Spruce Knob West Virginia Credit NASA Bill Ingalls

Astronomy

A compilation of astronomy and space science hands-on activities and resources. Also included are connections to celestial events (meteor showers, lunar eclipses, solar eclipses, full moons, and planetary events) and annual events such as Asteroid Day, Yuri's Night, Astronomy Week, and more.

Sand and Sun Activities

Girl holding sand in hands

Exploring Products - Kinetic Sand

In this activity, learners investigate and compare the properties of Kinetic Sand and regular sand.
Group of two learners and two facilitators observe as one learner carefully applies drops of water onto colored sand

Exploring Products - Nano Sand

In this activity, learners explore how water behaves differently when it comes in contact with nano sand and regular sand.
Learner experimenting with magic sand

Magic Sand / Nanosurfaces

In this activity, learners discover that "magic" sand repels water because of a nanoscale hydrophobic coating on the grains of sand.
Family engaging with sand, plants, and pants

Sand, Plants and Pants

In this activity, learners explore how the application of nano-sized particles or substances can change a bigger material’s properties.
Exploring Products - Sunblock activity components like the construction paper, swabs, and sunblock.

Exploring Products - Sunblock

In this activity, learners compare sunblock containing nanoparticles to ointment.
Components in NanoDays sunblock activity including sunscreen and black paper.

Invisible Sunblock

In this activity, learners compare nano and non-nano sunblock products to discover the effect of particle size on visibility.
Nano ice cream activity Mr. O video schreenshot showing presenter wearing safety goggles and gloves

Nano Ice Cream

In this public presentation, a presenter will demonstrate how liquid nitrogen cools a creamy mixture at such a rapid rate that it precipitates super fine grained (nano) ice cream.
a collection of shells of different types

Why are Seashells so Strong?

In this activity, learners explore seashells and various structural models to discover that seashells are a composite material made of both inorganic and organic materials.

Earth & Space Activities

Earth and Space learning framework connecting activities to learning concepts

Earth & Space Learning and Content Frameworks

This content framework and learning framework are professional learning tools for informal educators engaging the public with the hands-on activities in the Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkits and the Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition.
Two learners observe the Sun with a solarscope in a grassy field

Outside Activities

A collection of activities designed for use in the outdoors or those that can be easily adapted to use outside. These activities can work well in different outdoor settings including nature centers, summer camps, parks, and playgrounds.
Perseid Meteor Shower - a meteor streaks across the sky 2016 in Spruce Knob West Virginia Credit NASA Bill Ingalls

Astronomy

A compilation of astronomy and space science hands-on activities and resources. Also included are connections to celestial events (meteor showers, lunar eclipses, solar eclipses, full moons, and planetary events) and annual events such as Asteroid Day, Yuri's Night, Astronomy Week, and more.
Children and adult investigating globes of ice in Icy Orbs activity

Explore Science: Earth & Space Toolkits

Hands-on STEM public engagement activities and professional development resources about Earth and space science.

Earth & Space Camp Resources

  • ASTRO CAMP Community Partners Program
    Program strives to provide NASA unique STEM engagement activities and experiences to youth, families and educators in their own communities.
  • NASA - Artemis Camp Experience
    This set of hands-on activities tells the story of NASA’s Artemis Program that will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon
  • NASA - First Woman Camp Experience
    This First Woman Camp Guide will bring the excitement of NASA’s science and technology missions to the Artemis generation of explorers
  • NASA - Camp Landsat
    This virtual camp explores a new theme each week about how Landsat satellites help manage, protect, and preserve some of your favorite places on Earth

More Camp Resources

Partner Highlights

Exploring Products - Nano Fabrics activity components. The water dropper, nano fabric, and tray.

Partner Highlight: Adelante Chicas Summer Camp

April 1, 2013
Tim Hecox
As we approach another summer season, we’d like to highlight a two day workshop held last summer by NISE Net partner, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, Oregon. In July of 2012, OMSI was invited to participate in a unique summer STEM camp program called Adelante Chicas, to present creative and hands-on experiments on nanotechnology.

Partner Highlight: Kopernik Observatory & Science Center hosts online Link Summer STEM Exploration camps, Vestal, NY

July 28, 2020
Tish Bresee, Kopernik Observatory and Kayla Berry, Museum of Science
Although New York announced that summer day camps can be conducted onsite, Kopernik Observatory & Science Center decided to instead host a series of eight different online summer STEM camps that children will be able to enjoy from the safety and comfort of their own home.
Missouri University of Science & Technology

Partner Highlight: "Miners Dig Deep" and Show Summer Campers How to Build with Biology

August 2, 2016
Dave Westenberg, Missouri University of Science & Technology
The Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) campus comes alive every summer with the excitement of young people learning about science and engineering. Among the many summer camps is the annual Summer Solutions For Girls program. Summer Solutions...
The Leonardo

Partner Highlight: The Leonardo Conducts Team-Based Inquiry on their All-Girls Nano-Themed Summer Camp!

November 3, 2014
Brooke McNaughton, The Leonardo
If you want to do something big, you’ve got to think small! Yes, you read that right—we’re talking atomic level tiny. Female scientists and engineers lead this all-girls camp into the amazing world of nanoscience using art, technology, and even games. Campers also developed their own activity to share with their friends and family at home. STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) is what we are all about here at The Leonardo!