2013 EXPLORER CAMPS

ALL CAMPS ARE 9 A.M. TO 4 P.M.
Our camps are held at Denali Montessori School, 952 Cordova St., just two blocks from the Anchorage Museum.

Field Camps
Field camps are designated with this bus logo . Campers will spend part of the week participating in activities in the greater Anchorage area. Enrollment is limited to 12 participants. Transportation is provided in a 15-passenger van.

AGES 6 TO 7

Science of Seuss
June 3-7 or June 10-14
Set your creativity loose with a little help from Dr. Seuss! Build fanciful gadgets and gizmos, study microorganisms just like Horton from Horton Hears a Who!, create chemical concoctions such as oobleck from Bartholomew and the Oobleck and learn environmental lessons from The Lorax. $235 member/$255 non-member

Up, Up and Away
June 17-21 or 24-28
From hot air balloons and kites to airplanes and clouds, this camp investigates air and its amazing properties. Build a kite and test it on the Delany Park Strip, and experiment with airflow in the Anchorage Museum’s Imaginarium Discovery Center and Arctic Flight exhibition. $235 member/$255 non-member

Art Smarts
July 8-12
Discover your inner artist. Learn to create paint from everyday household ingredients, build clay sculptures and design wearable art. Practice digital photography skills during a photo shoot and visit the Anchorage Museum’s Portrait Alaska: Clark James Mishler for inspiration. $245 member/$265 non-member

Lotions, Potions and Scientific Notions
July 15-19 or July 22-26
This camp is full of mixing, measuring and fizzy, foamy experiments. Make slime, bubble juice and other mysterious concoctions. Observe and describe unusual substances just like a chemist in a lab. $235 member/$255 non-member

AGES 6 TO 8

Nature Explorers
June 3-7 or June 10-14
Use investigative skills to blossom into a junior naturalist while exploring the great outdoors. Discover the connections between plants and animals at the Eagle River Nature Center and the Alaska Botanical Garden, visit the Alaska Museum of Natural History to reveal nature’s bountiful past and stargaze in the Anchorage Museum’s Thomas Planetarium. $275 member/$295 non-member

Wild Things
June 17-21 or June 24-28
Pet alligators, hunt for insects and see salmon in this wildly popular camp. Design a crazy critter using mixed-media materials, explore animal habitats at the Imaginarium Discovery Center and the Alaska Zoo, and just like a biologist, keep a journal of drawings and observations to take home. $275 member/$295 non-member

Waterworks
July 8-12 or July 15-19 or July 22-26
Dive into the study of rivers, lakes, oceans and the creatures that call them home, then construct a clay sea creature. Learn about Alaska’s marine life through field research at Potter Marsh, the Anchorage Museum’s Imaginarium Discovery Center and H2Oasis Indoor Waterpark. $275 member/$295 non-member

AGES 8 TO 9

Eco-Art
June 3-7 or June 10-14
Budding artists will learn how to construct a living ecosystem and examine the patterns and colors found in the environment. Use natural materials to create various forms of art, spin natural fibers into yarn and master the basics of crocheting. Visit the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center to discover how natural materials were used by early Alaska Native cultures to make everyday objects artistic. $235 member/$255 non-member

Robot Quest
June 17-21 or June 24-28 or July 15-19 or July 22-26
Get excited about robotics! Learn to use Lego Mindstorms education software and robotic parts. Build and program working robots to face engineering challenges that require planning and teamwork. Complete trials that test programming skills, such as retrieving objects or making hairpin turns. Activities vary between June and July camps. $240 member/$260 non-member

Cartoon Capers
July 8-12
Put cartoon and comic book scenes to the test with superhero-inspired experiments in gravity and propulsion. Design and illustrate a comic book cover. Guest artist Shanley McCauley reveals how to use basic shapes to draw popular characters and how to develop a comic strip storyline. $235 member/$255 non-member

Arctic Aviators
July 15-19 or July 22-26
Take flight on a journey through the history and science of flight in Alaska. Learn about early Alaska bush pilots’ daring stunts and the crazy inventions necessary for flying in Alaska. Test your pilot skills with a remote controlled airplane, design a flying machine using recycled materials and experiment with airflow at the museum’s Imaginarium Discovery Center and Arctic Flight exhibition. $235 member/$255 non-member

AGES 9 TO 11

Wild Alaska
June 3-7 or June 10-14
Go wild and discover animals, plants and wildlife habitats during visits to the Alaska Zoo and Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Learn how animals survive, where they live and what they eat. Hike a local trail to learn about human impact on plants and wildlife and how to leave no trace. $275 member/$295 non-member

Stones, Bones and Glaciers
June 17-21 or June 24-28
Learn how early Alaska Native cultural groups survived in Alaska, why glaciers are mightier than mountains and how fossils are formed. Participate in an archaeological dig, construct prehistoric tools and, like an archeologist, keep a journal of discoveries to take home. $275 member/$295 non-member

Survive Alaska
July 8-12
Do you have what it takes to survive in the Alaska wilderness? Learn how to build a fire without matches, use an atlatl or build a shelter with driftwood during visits to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Kincaid Park and the Anchorage Museum’s Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center. $275 member/$295 non-member

Wet and Wild
July 15-19 or July 22-26
Dive into the science of water in all its states. Build a boat, explore the ancient art of marine navigation and examine what makes life possible underwater. Includes visits to H2Oasis Indoor Waterpark and the Anchorage Museum’s Thomas Planetarium. $275 member/ $295 non-member

AGES 10 TO 11

Robot Quest
June 3-7 or June 10-14 or July 15-19 or July 22-26
Get excited about robotics! Learn to use Lego Mindstorms education software and robotic parts. Build and program working robots to face challenges and complete tasks that require planning and teamwork. Complete trials that test programming skills, such as retrieving objects or making hairpin turns. Activities vary between June and July camps. $240 member/$260 non-member

Monsters and Mermaids
June 17-21 or June 24-28
Monsters, mermaids and mythical creatures run wild as campers explore the art of storytelling. Create your own duct tape creature and write and illustrate a monstrous tale. Learn storytelling techniques from a master storyteller and share stories and marshmallows around a campfire. Visit the Anchorage Museum’s Thomas Planetarium to hear Ancient Greek and Roman myths behind the formation of constellations. $235 member/$255 non-member

Fanciful Flyers
July 8-12
Harness the four forces of flight to create a glider that can go the distance. Learn how bugs, birds and bats get off the ground. Use mixed media and objects from home to create birds or other fanciful flying machines with guest artist Linda Lucky. Experiment with airflow at the Anchorage Museum’s Imaginarium Discovery Center and Arctic Flight exhibition. $235 member/$255 non-member

Super 8 Filmmaking
July 15-19 or July 22-26
You call the shots during this beginners filmmaking camp. Learn how to write, produce and edit a short film using a Super 8 camera. Family members can attend a final film screening on Friday afternoon. $245 member/$265 non-member

AGES 12 TO 15

Comic Art
June 3-7
Unleash your imagination during this camp for comic book enthusiasts. Learn how to design, illustrate and write a comic book from artist Dimi Macheras. From superheroes and anime to horror and romance, channel your creative superpowers to explore the world of comic books. $240 member/$260 non-member

Digital Photography
June 17-21 or June 24-28
Take your best shot! Learn how to use different camera settings and compositional elements. Lessons will cover depth of field, focus, shutter speed, framing, composition, light, vantage point and more. Visit the Anchorage Museum’s Portrait Alaska: Clark James Mishler exhibition for inspiration. $235 member/$255 non-member

Robot Revolution
July 8-12
Conquer challenges with increasing difficulty using Lego Mindstorms education software and robotic parts. Discover how to build and program robots to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks. This camp is for students of all experience levels. $240 member/$260 non-member