Camps
Resources for educators creating activities and themes for summer camps, holiday camps, and school break camps.
Activities for Incorporation into Camps
Nano-themed Camps
Nanotechnology Summer Camp Framework (High School)
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.
Nanotechnology Summer Camp (Ages 8 - 10) - Framework
In this weeklong activity, learners will engage with nanoscale science and engineering through hands-on activities.
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. Activities, modules, and videos are designed especially to use with groups such as afterschool and out-of-school-time groups.
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...
After School Framework - Nanoscale Science (ages 8-12)
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.
NanoDays Kit
Public programs, hands-on activities, and professional development resources about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology and their impact on society.
Outdoor Activities
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 and Community Science
A compilation of citizen science and community 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
Sand and Sun Activities
Exploring Products - Kinetic Sand
In this activity, learners investigate and compare the properties of Kinetic Sand and regular 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.
Magic Sand / Nanosurfaces
In this activity, learners discover that "magic" sand repels water because of a nanoscale hydrophobic coating on the grains of sand.
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
In this activity, learners compare sunblock containing nanoparticles to ointment.
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
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.
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 & 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.
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.
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.
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
- American Camp Association (ACA)
https://www.acacamps.org
Partner Highlights
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.
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...
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!