All upcoming programs

In an afternoon of artistic experimentation designed to deepen skills in visual expression, explore five modes of visual thinking: working from memory, observation, imagination, narrative, and experimental approaches.

In-person Program: Go on an interactive exploration of the Natural History Museum and participate in hands-on crafts projects and games. Then roll out your sleeping bag and dream away in the darkened halls of one of the world’s most famous museums! Geared for children ages 8 to 14 years old, accompanied by an adult.

Parents must bring campers to the assigned Before-Camp room in the Ripley Center to sign in daily. At 9 a.m., campers will be brought up to Drop-off and then to their camps.

Campers plunge in and discover the wonders of the watery world. Through visits to museums including Natural History Museum and the National Zoo, they explore the world beneath the waves: ocean zones, their inhabitants past and present, and watery habitats. They hear stories of the sea and create their own magical depictions of the deep. Campers display what they’ve discovered in a marine exhibition at Friday’s show-and-share.

The tropical rainforest—thought to be the oldest land-based ecosystem on earth—is  certainly the most diverse. Campers don their pith helmets and take their journals as they venture across the Smithsonian to discover the unique and mysterious Amazon. A visit to the National Zoo’s Amazonia exhibition gets campers up close to the animals that thrive along the Amazon River. Throughout the week, campers explore the layers of the forest and its flora and fauna. A visit to the American Indian History Museum brings them closer to the culture of the region. Campers create an immersive rainforest for families to enjoy, inspired by the week's journey.

Imagine Washington, D.C., 110 million years ago as a swampy landscape filled with dinosaurs. Campers get the chance to investigate it as junior paleontologists, exploring prehistoric eras and the varieties and unique traits of the dinosaurs that roamed our backyards long, long ago. They learn what it means to be a real paleontologist by doing some fossil digging themselves. 

Music is all around the Smithsonian! Campers spend the week discovering the many musical stylings found in the Smithsonian’s collections, from the Star-Spangled Banner to Hip Hop. Through in-depth visits to the American History and African American History and Culture museums, campers connect the songs they hear with the historical and cultural changes that influenced popular music. They experience the many styles of American music, exploring its connection to visual art and international roots. At the end of the week, friends and families are invited to a musical experience where they can hear campers’ remixes of classic and popular songs. 

From Earth to the outer planets, the Science Guys of Baltimore explore the physics of space and how astronauts live and have fun in the International Space Station. Visits to the National Air and Space Museum and Udvar-Hazy Center illuminate life in space and what it takes to get there. Campers take on challenges and games; discover the use of technology in space, including satellites; and design, build, and launch their own rocket at the end of the week.  

The idea of living on Mars has been a staple of science fiction since the 19th century, and NASA hopes to have a manned mission to the planet by 2030. Astronauts-in-training blast off to the Red Planet as they learn about current and past NASA projects, hear from experts, and visit the Air and Space Museum and the Udvar-Hazy Center. Campers complete an astronaut-training obstacle course, design a Mars Rover, and experience a taste of what it’s like to live on the planet.

Campers strap on their rocket packs and discover the history of the Cold War and the technological innovations that were a product of it. As they explore the contest between two world powers to put the first human on the moon, campers create their own model NASA and Russian rockets. A visit to the Udvar-Hazy Center and virtual exploration of the Air and Space Museum inform campers as they participate in a mock peace accord among diplomats negotiating for geographic dominance, resources, and armament policies.