Smithsonian Associates Presents Summer Camp at the Smithsonian

Smithsonian Associates offers one-of-a-kind learning experiences that spark the imagination—and offer plenty of great fun—during Smithsonian Summer Camp, now in its 47th year. A wide variety of camps for children in kindergarten through ninth grade will be held Monday, June 20, through Friday, Aug. 19, at the Smithsonian’s S. Dillon Ripley Center at 1100 Jefferson Dr. S.W.

During summer camp, kids explore, discover, create and go behind the scenes at the Smithsonian. Campers can blast into space, take center stage, create a masterpiece, invent a fantasy world, relive history or learn to shape the future of the planet. The rich and exciting world of the Smithsonian is theirs to discover. More than 90 camps are offered this year, with a camper-to-instructor ratio of 4:1. Camps are held Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Before-camp (8 a.m. to 9 a.m.) and after-camp (4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.) activities are also available.

New this year are two-week intensive camps that provide more time for campers to delve deeper into a topic. “Science at the Smithsonian” is a two-week camp that takes campers behind-the-scenes of several current scientific studies in progress at the Smithsonian. Campers can also spend two full weeks immersed in the digital art world during “Digital Arts Mash-Up.” Inspired by museum collections and research, campers use computers, cameras, simple circuits and sensors to create interactive programs, games and works of art. 

New weeklong camps include: “President for a Week,” where campers draw on the resources and inspirations found in Smithsonian museums and local historic sites to develop their own political campaigns; “Improv Comedy: Refried History” where campers discover the fundamentals of comic improvisation as they study American History; and “Earthworks,” which allows campers to learn the concept of earth art, in which the landscape and natural materials are used to create an artwork. Also, back by popular demand are summer camps for kindergartners. Mornings include an outing to a Smithsonian museum or garden, followed by an afternoon of projects, a relaxing story time and a song session.

Prices for weeklong summer camps are $460 for non-members and $395 for Smithsonian Associates members. There will be no camp Monday, July 4. Prices for summer camp Tuesday, July 5, through Friday, July 8, are $368 for non-members and $316 for Smithsonian Associates members. Two-week intensive camps are $846 for non-members and $711 for Smithsonian Associates members. Online and phone registration begins Thursday, Jan. 28, at 9 a.m. In-person registration at the Smithsonian Associates box office located in Suite 3077 of the Ripley Center begins at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 28. Donors to Smithsonian Associates at the Contributor level ($300 or higher) are eligible for priority registration Tuesday, Jan. 26. All participants are encouraged to pre-register online. For more information, the public may visit http://smithsonianassociates.org/camp or call (202) 633-3030.

Smithsonian Associates—the largest museum-based education program in the world—produces vibrant educational and cultural programming inspired by the Smithsonian’s research, collections and exhibitions. Each year more than 750 individual programs are presented to spark creativity and excite learning in people of all ages in the Washington, D.C., area and across the country. Smithsonian Associates brings the Smithsonian to life through seminars, performances, lectures, studio arts classes and local and regional study tours, as well as many engaging programs for children, including performances and museum sleepovers.

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