If you’re like a lot of parents, you may have been thinking about summer camps since we were waist-deep in snow this winter. Or, summer has snuck up on you and you find yourself scrambling to fill the weeks once school has ended. Whether you are looking to fill in a few holes in your kids’ summer schedule, or you are looking to fill out a whole slate of summer activities, it’s worth checking out the offerings at one of the area’s hidden gems, the Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center at Lake Elmo’s Sunfish Lake Park.
Summer camp offerings at Lake Elmo’s Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center (SMINC) present parents with a range of options to choose from. Located next to Sunfish Lake Park, all camps are designed to take advantage of the center’s proximity to that beautiful natural setting and deliver an educational experience that lets campers explore the natural world. Camp options include one-day experiences like the Little Explorers camps for kids 0 to 5 and Wonder Wednesdays for 5 to 10-year-olds. There are also four-day camps (typically Monday-Thursday) throughout the summer designed for different age ranges, depending on the theme. All camps are capped at 10 campers per camp.
Little Explorers Camp
Pre-K Educator Annie Berres begins by gathering campers in an outdoor welcome circle focused on that day’s theme, followed by open-ended play materials to allow children to explore their own interests in nature at the Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center. Themes include things like nature art and bees. On July 17 the Little Explorers will be learning all about raptors—as will the Wonder Wednesday campers later that week, with a visit from Raptor Center Educators—and on July 3, which no doubt will be a hot day, campers will need to bring their bathing suits for water play.
Ages: 0-5 (one adult is required to attend with their camper)
Time: Mondays from 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Cost: $20/family
Wonder Wednesdays
The one day camps offer small group, outdoor camps in nature run by experienced instructors. Each camp will offer a special guest such as the Raptor Center, Beekeeper, 3M Wizard, Ecologist or Artist. Themes include the August 23 Honeybees camp, which provides campers with an opportunity to explore the role of pollinators at our apiary with a beekeeper, look for caterpillars and butterflies and ID native plants in the prairie. Another popular Wonder Wednesday is the All About Birds camp, which is June 23 (the only day this camp is on a Friday) where campers can learn about the life of birds inside the Naturemobile, make giant bird nests and search for and ID birds in Sunfish Lake Park.
Ages: 5-10 years old
Time: Wednesdays from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Cost: $100 per camp
Summer Camp 4 Day Sessions
SMINC's most popular camp option! There are a variety of camp options to excite your summer camper. Check out the weekly themes below:
Wildflower Painting Camp, 7-10 year olds will work with artist educator Brianna Seipel to identify native plants and wildflowers through hikes in the prairie. Campers will also learn basic principles of the color wheel, complementary colors and will create a piece of fine art to take home. Dates: June 13, 15, 20 and 22
Critter Camp, 5-7 year olds will learn about and search for the animals that live in Sunfish Lake Park with hikes, crafts, outdoor play and more. This is a popular day camp! Dates: June 26-29 & August 14-17 (August Critters Camp Full, can sign up for waitlist)
Outdoor Adventures Camp, 6-8 year olds will experience outdoor adventures including building shelters, using a compass, whittling, outdoor cooking and setting up camp. Dates: July 10-13
Nature Drama Camp, 9-12 year olds is the new to this year's camp lineup! Campers will hike the park to observe the movements and behaviors of the trees, plants and animals they see. From this they will create a story, make costumes, select puppets and present their story to friends and family on the last day of the class. Dates: July 24-27
Bees and Butterflies Camp, 6-8 year olds will learn about bees, butterflies and other pollinators in the prairie as well as build a bee house and visit our apiary with a beekeeper. Dates: July 31-August 3 (Camp Currently Full, can sign up for waitlist)
Ages: See camp ages above for the week you are interested in
Time: Mondays - Thursdays from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (See different dates for Wildflower Painting Camp)
Cost: $200 per week
Summer is just around the corner. The range of camp offerings at Sally Manzara Nature Center makes it easy to find all kinds of ways to get your kids out in nature, and there’s flexibility to fit any busy schedule. To see a full listing of camp options, or to get your child registered, visit: Sally Manzara Summer Camp Registration
Looking for more information? Send any questions via Email or call 651-408-2838.
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