Camp Directory

Why are bubbles round? How does sound travel through the air? What happens when you mix things together?  In Kablooey, we’ll explore everything from bubbles to explosions. These chemical reactions are sure to blow your mind!

STEM Learning Goals:Develop knowledge of the 3 basic states of matter. Gain experience with chemical reactions, and learn about the indicators of a reaction. Build interest in science.

Imagination rules in this camp! We’re focused on building creative minds and getting campers comfortable using tools, designing their own creations and testing their designs. It makes us wonder: what will you make?

STEM Learning Goals:Develop knowledge and understanding of the design cycle. Gain experience using tools and confidence in building.

It’s time for take-off! We’re headed on an adventure that’s out of this world. We’ll learn how astronauts train and explore our solar system. You’re the star of this summer camp!

STEM Learning Goals:Increase interest in planetary science. Develop understanding of requirements and responsibilities of astronauts.

Whether you like sunny skies or the rumble of thunder, this camp is for you!  During this camp we’ll explore the tools used to track weather and learn about the weather patterns we experience in Iowa. We’ll even visit WHO-HD Channel 13’s professional weather studio and learn ways to stay safe (regardless of the weather).

STEM Learning Goals:Develop understanding of the water cycle. Gain experience with the instruments to track and dectect weather occurences. Grow understanding of the different weather patterns experienced in Iowa.

Join us for a throwback summer camp in the heart of the city. We will explore nature, create art, play games, get wet and learn how to appreciate the earth around us.

Select the iEARTH tab on the right side of your screen for more information!

Faster than a speeding train, stronger than an elephant, smaller than an ant… Explore the scientific superpowers of your favorite superheroes. Discover your own powers, develop your alter ego and create gadgets to help you save the day!

STEM Learning Goals:Create positive science learning experiences through superheroes. Increase interest in the scientific principles behind speed, sound, strength, etc. as it relates to superheroes.

Our robots are fully-charged and ready to go… Are you?! It’s time to gear up for an electrifying experience in the world of electronics. Learn the basics of robotics as we design, build and code our own robots!

STEM Learning Goals:Increase interest in robotics. Gain robotics experience and knowledge using gears, basic coding, engineering and more.

There is always more to explore in the animal kingdom. This week, we’re investigating the bugs and birds that soar above us and crawl below us. We’ll be flying high during this creepy-crawly week-long expedition of Iowa’s animals!

STEM Learning Goals:Increase knowledge of the similarities and differences between insects, arachnids, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians with an emphasis on Iowa native species.

Have you ever stayed up late listing to the animals scurrying around in the night?  It’s time to explore the creatures of the night as we learn about the critters that come to life when the sun goes down. This camp is always a hoot!

STEM Learning Goals: Gain awareness of nocturnal animals locally and globally. Understand the unique adaptations nocturnal animal have.

If you build it, they will come - and build it, we will! It’s time to unleash your creativity. This week we’ll tinker around with designing, engineering, building, testing and (occasionally) destroying our inventions.

STEM Learning Goals: Develop understanding of the engineering design cycle. Expand building skills and develop ability to complete basic analysis of building materials.

Simple machines have never been so fun! Explore the simpler side of engineering. We’re covering the basics and building amazing creations during this hands-on camp.

STEM Learning Goals: Develop a working understanding of the six simple machines through hands-on activities and building projects.

Get ready to time travel! We’re digging out our archaeology books for this hands-on history lesson. We’ll explore the techniques used to form the greatest structures in history – without modern technology.

STEM Learning Goals: Expand knowledge of the engineering and building processes implemented to build ancient structures without the use of modern technology.

Mwahahahaha! It’s time to take over the world during this training camp for mad scientists. Create mysterious chemical concoctions, learn tricks to fool the human eye and discover why science is CRAZY fun!

STEM Learning Goals: Develop understanding of important scientific principles and the scientists who discovered them. Gain experience with chemical reactions, optical illusions and other discrepant events.

Curious about the sounds and smells of SCI. During this sense-ational camp, we’ll see how people and animals use their senses in different ways. Can you can feel the excitement? It’s so close we can almost taste it.

STEM Learning Goals: Gain experience with and increase knowledge of the five senses (sight, sound, taste smell and feeling).

It’s time to dive into the complex arrangement of cells, tissues, organs, bones and muscles that make up the human body! As we explore our anatomy and biology, we’ll discover what makes you tick, why we breathe and how many bones we all have in this amazing body of ours!

STEM Learning Goals: Increase knowledge of the circulatory, digestive, skeletal, muscular, respiratory and nervous systems.

Join us for a throwback summer camp in the heart of the city. We will explore nature, create art, play games, get wet and learn how to appreciate the earth around us.

Select the iEARTH tab on the right side of your screen for more information!

What makes a rainbow, and how do we know when it’s going to rain? We’re going wild for weather as we dive into the water cycle and journey through the lights and shadows that make rainbows.

STEM Learning Goals: Develop an understanding of the water cycle and basic weather patterns. Gain experience with how light, colors and rainbows are formed.

We’re building, experimenting and creating structures in this hands-on camp. Will your creation stand up to a tornado? Will it withstand an earthquake? We’re designing bridges, buildings and sturdy structures to stand up to natural disasters.

STEM Learning Goals: Increase knowledge of natural disasters and how they form. Understand how engineers design buildings to withstand natural disasters.

From Goldilocks to Humpty Dumpty and beyond, explore your favorite fairytales – with a scientific twist! This week, we’re pairing the stories you know and love with hands-on STEM challenges designed to help your favorite characters solve their fairytale problems.

STEM Learning Goals: Develop an interest in both reading and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Increase experience with STEM through activities based on fairytale stories.

Welcome to the circus! Experiment with the big top’s best acts, make carnival treats and discover the science of magic tricks. By the end of the week, you’ll feel like you’re the ring master!

STEM Learning Goals: Increase knowledge of basic physical science concepts through interactive circus and carnival activities. Develop a greater understanding of the science concepts, including gravity, balance, buoyancy and weight.

If you build it, they will come - and build it, we will! It’s time to unleash your creativity. This week we’ll tinker around with designing, engineering, building, testing and (occasionally) destroying our inventions.

STEM Learning Goals: Develop understanding of the engineering design cycle. Expand building skills and develop ability to complete basic analysis of building materials.

Enter the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss! We’ll explore the world of The Lorax with botany. We’ll shrink down to microscopic levels as we explore nanoscience with Horton Hears a Who. Creativity and imagination abound in this camp about the science of Seuss.

STEM Learning Goals: Encourage an inquiry mindset through experiments and activities. Grow ability to answer questions about common science topics that pertain to everyday life.

Learn about design, and experiment with materials and machines. Tackle a new challenge each day to create the next groundbreaking invention!

STEM Learning Goals: Gain understanding of the engineering design cycle. Expand engineering and technology ability through machine exploration and self-designed projects in the new Innovation Lab.

Turn your eyes to the sky as we explore the universe. Learn about the tools astronomers use to gaze into the cosmos – and create one of your own!  Study the stars and your favorite planets in this adventure through space.

STEM Learning Goals: Increase interest and knowledge in the solar system and deep space objects.

Join us for a throwback summer camp in the heart of the city. We will explore nature, create art, play games, get wet and learn how to appreciate the earth around us.

Select the iEARTH tab on the right side of your screen for more information!

You’ve seen them on TV and now it’s YOUR turn to use science, technology and the scientific method to find out what’s true and what isn’t.  Explore urban legends and develop your own debunking skills. Will this be a fun week? CONFIRMED!

STEM Learning Goals: Develop understanding of STEM topics through inquiry-based experiments and utilization of the scientific process to answer questions.

Delve into the world of wild animals during this Iowa adventure. Explore the animal kingdom, and assist local scientists as they study native creatures of Iowa. It’s a zoo out there!

STEM Learning Goals: Gain experience in the fields of botany, biology and conservation. Further understanding of the animal kingdom and how it relates to native Iowa organisms.

This camp is exclusively for families that have a membership to the Blank Park Zoo, Living History Farms and Science Center of Iowa (or any combination of the three)! Campers in 3rd and 4th grade will visit each organization July 1-3, 2019, to explore Bricks, Bees and Birds.

• Spend Day 1 at the Science Center of Iowa. Try out some sustainable building skills through hands-on experiments, learn about the future of sustainable engineering, and visit the Brick by Brick
• Step back in time on Day 2 to explore Living History Farms. Visit the Bee-lieve it or not! The Secret Lives of Honeybees exhibit, and learn the importance of caring for the earth's resources through crafts, hands-on activities and visits to historic sites.
• On Day 3 at Blank Park Zoo, you'll discover the amazing builders of the sky… birds! Make a durable nest with mud, sticks and other materials, visit many of the diverse birds around the Zoo, and create a take-away craft to help the birds in your own backyard.

Bricks, bees and birds are important to our everyday lives, and we can use simple, creative stewardship practices in relation to each to help keep the earth and its living things safe. Sign up today!

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To register for this camp: Make sure you have your membership ID on hand, and call the Science Center of Iowa at 515-274-6868 ext. 222 during normal business hours Monday through Friday.

Not a member and want to participate? Purchase a membership from one of the three organizations, and you will be able to sign up for this camp.

It’s all in the name! If you like science and building, this is the camp for you! Learn from female STEM role models and be empowered to build your own future!

STEM Learning Goals: Develop building experience in a positive and empowering environment for girls. Connect girls with female role models and mentors in STEM fields.

Join us for a throwback summer camp in the heart of the city. We will explore nature, create art, play games, get wet and learn how to appreciate the earth around us.

Select the iEARTH tab on the right side of your screen for more information!

Hop in the SCI time machine, and explore the architectural wonders of the ancient world!  Discover the scientific processes Egyptians used while building the pyramids and explore how civilizations a world away in South America created their homes in the sides of mountains.

STEM Learning Goals: Develop an understanding of early scientific understandings and construction methods. Discover methods by which ancient people navigated, built intricate structures and understood the world around them.

What does it take to become a veterinarian? Get an up-close look at animals, as we examine x-rays, diagnose “patients” and meet a veterinarian.

STEM Learning Goals: Gain a basic understanding of the anatomical systems within all living organisms. Gain awareness of the animal kingdom. Develop and observe the skills necessary to becoming a veterinarian. Explore various animal-related careers.

What do you want to make? The sky’s the limit! This week, we’re using 3D printers, laser cutters and more as we build big and small.

STEM Learning Goals: Develop the necessary skills, understanding and confidence to utilize technology and machines in the new Innovation Lab.

Create your own world in this camp about creativity. Construct characters, plots and scenery for your very own movie. Learn about special effects and the equipment that makes movies possible!

STEM Learning Goals: Develop an understanding of how films are made. Explore set design, costuming, special effects and more. Implement learned creative skills through completing a short film as a class to showcase learned material.

Learn how to speak to computers in this camp about coding! Become a programmer as you play games, command robots, build your own code and more!

STEM Learning Goals: Gain a basic understanding of and appreciation for computer science. Develop coding skills through basic drag-and-drop blockly-based coding and line-by-line coding.

How do computers work? Learn the basics of coding in this camp about computer science. Develop skills to communicate with computers through code. It’s great for beginners and experienced coders alike!

STEM Learning Goals: Gain an understanding and appreciation for computer science. Develop coding skills through basic drag-and-drop blockly-based coding and line-by-line coding. 

Do you have what it takes to be an astronaut? Discover the journey aspiring astronauts undertake at NASA. Explore how engineers build rockets. Examine the math and physics needed to launch spacecraft and learn what it takes to complete manned and unmanned space exploration. Mission accomplished!

STEM Learning Goals: Develop comprehensive understanding of the processes it takes to complete crewed and uncrewed space exploration mission. Increase interest in outer space through hands-on experiences.

design, prototype and print your own 3D creations. We’ll experiment with different mediums, develop 3D designs, explore designing software and use a 3D printer. At the end of the week, you’ll have your own art to take home!

STEM Learning Goals: Develop ability to utilize 3D software through hands-on designing and printing. Expand creative and problem-solving skills, creating 3D designs in a computer-based format and implementing projects using various materials (i.e. clay and wood).

At the crossroads of science and creativity is mapmaking. This week, we’re combining hundreds of years of cartography with 21^st century technology. Explore the maps of books, movies and video games, and create your own.

STEM Learning Goals: Develop an understanding how maps are made and their cultural and historical significance — including creative mapmaking utilized in books, movies and video games.

If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you bring? We’ll give you the valuable knowledge necessary to survive! Learn how to build a shelter, find clean water, forage and more!

STEM Learning Goals: Expand knowledge of survival skills, and develop ability to build with various natural materials.

Learn how to survive the "wilds" of Gray's Lake during this throwback summer camp in the heart of the city. Explore nature, create art, swim, fish and bike. Canoeing will be a big part of this camp. Discover some of Des Moines' greatest waterways and culminate the week with a full-day float trip on the river.

Select the iEARTH tab on the right side of your screen for more information, biking requirements and additional information about canoeing!

For thousands of years, people have designed, engineered and constructed civilizations – without power tools! Explore the geometry, physics and architecture used to build the ancient structures we still appreciate today. We’ll use simple machines to erect towers, construct pyramids and more!

STEM Learning Goals: Increase knowledge of the various ways ancient civilizations designed, engineered and constructed without modern technology. Gain experience utilizing simple machines.

Want to be a doctor when you grow up? Explore the medical profession with a hands-on experience in “the field.” Uncover how the body fights off diseases and the tools doctors use when your body needs backup.

STEM Learning Goals: Develop an understanding and interest in careers within the medical field. Increase knowledge of body systems and diseases.

Calling all spies, secret agents and super sleuths: this top-secret spy school is for you! Brush up on your detective skills by executing undercover missions, cracking codes, and using modern science to solve crimes. Parents, be warned – everything your young spy learns is highly classified!

STEM Learning Goals: Develop ability to use the scientific process to gain understanding in both the real world and simulated scenarios.

Who doesn’t like a field trip? We will be on the road all week exploring Des Moines’s treasures including parks, lakes and museums. This camp is always on the move!

STEM Learning Goals: Gain an appreciation for the STEM resources available in Des Moines. Develop skills relating to the natural world.

Learn how to survive the "wilds" of Gray's Lake during this throwback summer camp in the heart of the city. Explore nature, create art, swim, fish and bike. Canoeing will be a big part of this camp. Discover some of Des Moines' greatest waterways and culminate the week with a full-day float trip on the river.

Select the iEARTH tab on the right side of your screen for more information, biking requirements and additional information about canoeing!

It’s time for creative campers to shine! We’ll create beautiful masterpieces fit for a gallery and explore the scientific reactions that make art possible. Experiment with different artistic mediums and collaborate with your fellow artists to design the 4th Annual SCI Summer Camp Art Exposition!

STEM Learning Goals: Increase interest and understanding of STEM fields through art. Develop creative skills and scientific understanding of chemical and physical reactions.

Take your love of animals to the next level and explore what it takes to be a vet. Use microscopes, examine x-rays and participate in a dissection to explore the anatomy of animals and deepen your understanding of the animal world.

STEM Learning Goals: Increase understanding of the anatomical systems possessed by all living organisms. Develop the necessary skills to pursue veterinarian studies. Gain awareness of the animal world and various animal-related careers.

Explore your favorite fairytales – with a twist! Design comfortable slippers for Cinderella, help Jack safely drop the golden egg from the beanstalk and rebuild Baby Bear’s broken chair. Solve these STEM challenges to create a happy ending for your favorite storybook characters.

Let your imagination run wild! From paper circuits and jumping bugs to pine cones and pasta, explore new ways to make and create. Use tools and discover techniques to take your tinkering to the next level.

Leave Earth behind and explore distant galaxies during this space-themed camp. Build your own rover, create a robot to take home on Earth and learn how to live on the International Space Station!

Whether you’re an astronaut or an alien, you need to eat! Luckily, we’ve collected the best recipes across the galaxy, and we’ll teach you how to make them. Trust us, this cooking camp is out-of-this-world!

We’re using Mother Earth’s art finest art supplies and exploring what we can make with nature. Use found materials to make your own paintbrush – and put it to use!

Explore the creepy-crawly world of our eight-legged friends, spiders! Learn about the myths and legends of arachnids, make your own spider and build a web!

Put on your hard hat! From blueprint to build, we’ll explore how our favorite structures are designed, constructed (and demolished!) during this hands-on camp. We’ll even meet a real constructor and visit a real worksite in action.

Calling all nature-lovers! Journey into the great outdoors as we explore the science of camping. We’ll investigate animal tracks, observe fireflies to discover the science of bioluminescence and create the perfect s’more.

Journey to the land before time during this prehistoric adventure! Dig for fossils and create your own. You never know what dinosaur discoveries you’ll make!

What makes food so tasty? Explore the chemistry behind your favorite recipes. Then put that knowledge to the test and bake some delicious treats!

What does it take to be a farmer? Learn about the animals that live on the farm. Explore how farmers take care of their animals and how we can protect our favorite furry friends.

Try something new! We’re exploring the science behind our favorite flavors as we tempt our taste buds with a delicious dive into food.

Combine art and chemistry to create your own masterpiece! Learn about colors, mixtures, acids and bases as we turn our classroom into an art gallery.

You’ll have no treble making beautiful music at camp. Experiment with sound waves, build unconventional instruments and share your dynamic sound!

Calling all nature-lovers! Journey into the great outdoors as we explore the science of camping. We’ll investigate animal tracks, observe fireflies to discover the science of bioluminescence and create the perfect s’more.

Explore your favorite fairytales – with a twist! Design comfortable slippers for Cinderella, help Jack safely drop the golden egg from the beanstalk and rebuild Baby Bear’s broken chair. Solve these STEM challenges to create a happy ending for your favorite storybook characters.

Beep, beep, boop! Explore the world of coding and the basics of electricity to build your own robot in this technology-focused camp.

Learn about the art of spying and log your findings at home! Decipher codes, uncover clues, create an alias and build gadgets to conceal your identity.