Exploration Place is boxing up its summer camps for kids to take home this year

With a reopening date for Wichita’s science center undetermined and because of social distancing precautions, the educational staff at Exploration Place has re-engineered its summer camp program from an in-person one to a virtual, home-based one. The camps start Tuesday, May 26 and run through Aug. 7, for a total of 10 weeks.

Each themed camp can be done by kids at home with a box packed full of themed activities, two daily virtual sessions with staff and lunchtime virtual lessons with guest educators.

Called “Camp in a Box,” the new program allows participants to “unpack the science,” according to the program’s tagline. The activities relate to STEM, the acronym for science, technology, engineering and math.

For each week of camp, campers can choose from one of two themed boxes. For example, the first week of camp offers the choices of Creator Camp or Backyard Takeover.

With the Creator Camp box, participants will build a rollercoaster, a paper airplane launcher and other engineering-related items, said Jessica Nickel, director of camp education. As the name hints at, the Backyard Takeover relates to various outdoor activities such as making sidewalk chalk and planting flowers.

“They’ll get their hands dirty by making dirt slime,” Nickel said. Spoiler alert: the dirt slime includes a worm.

In week two, campers can choose from a dinosaur or a weather-themed box. In the other weeks, themes include board game design, music, geology, animation and more.

Exploration Place staff developed the modified summer camp program within a few weeks, said Nickel and Laurel Zhang, director of education.

Not only did the curriculum have to be reworked to create 20 different themed boxes and about 500 different activities, but the staff also had to set up technology to host the virtual meetups.

One area of the science center has turned into a sort of assembly line to get the boxes “knocked out,” Nickel said.

Each weekly camp box costs $90 for nonmembers and $75 for Exploration Place members and is suitable for ages 6 and up. The boxes can be picked up in person at Exploration Place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays the week before the camp starts, or participants can choose to have it shipped for a $20 fee.

Inside campers will find supplies for about 25 activities, as well as four exhibit passes for visiting Exploration Place when it reopens.

Every day, campers will have two 50-minute Zoom meetups. In the first meeting, Exploration staff will explain the day’s five or so activities. In the second, campers can showcase their works and talk about challenges, Nickel said. Campers have the option to tune into a virtual lunch-and-learn session with guest educators. During dinosaur camp, for example, Kansas paleontologist Mike Everhart, special adjunct curator with the Sternberg Museum in Hays, is scheduled to give a talk.

Registration is required at least seven days before each camp starts to allow time for pickup or shipping. Those who are interested in the first week of camp starting May 26 may call 316-660-0620, staff said.

Each themed camp is limited to 45 participants.

Exploration Place plans to continue its Stay at Home STEM digital programs that it has been offering on its Facebook page and YouTube channel, said Christina Bluml, director of marketing and communication. That programming started shortly after Exploration Place shut down because of COVID-19 restrictions.

‘Camp in a Box’

What: Exploration Place’s virtual summer camp program of home-based activities and virtual meetups. Participants can choose one of two themes weekly and get a box of about 25 activities, two daily virtual meetups and lunchtime virtual sessions.

When: starts May 26 and runs for a total of 10 weeks through Aug. 7. Registration required at least seven days before each camp starts.

Where: Pick up the themed box weekdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean or pay $20 shipping fee

Cost: $90 for nonmembers, $75 for Exploration Place members for each box

More info: 316-660-0600 and exploration.org/programs/camp-in-a-box

This story was originally published May 22, 2020 at 5:01 AM.