Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Play games to discover what makes them fun. See how science makes toys that can work as machines. Create bubble concoctions on Bubble Day.

Didn’t get a chemistry set for Christmas? No worries! We have you covered. Join us for a few days of science fun. Mix creative potions and messy mayhem all the while learning the science behind the experiments. Please note if you have a food allergy when registering for this camp.

Get your snowshoes on and say, “Mush!” while you travel to the top of the globe to explore a sea of ice. Learn about the majestic narwhal and other arctic animals that call this tundra home. Crack the secrets hiding inside this frozen ocean, make your own magnetic compass and try your hand at ice fishing.

Discover the science behind some story time favorites. Build a “huff and puff” proof house. Plant a bean seed to see how fast it grows. Do seeds grow better in different types of dirt? Learn about trees and the plant cycle. Learn about pollinators and their importance in our ecosystems.

Look into the night sky and discover which stars or constellations can be seen at this time of year. Build a telescope model and spy on the night sky. Build a planet model and learn what makes each planet special.

Curl up to a warm fire while you study what animals do during the winter season. Learn why some animals move south and why others hibernate in place. Follow a grey whale’s incredibly long journey to Mexico, find out if polar bears hibernate or not, and discover amphibians that completely freeze until spring comes.

Create, experiment, and play! Create a variety of toys and explore the science behind them. Experiment with tops. Try your hand at some of the games from the past. Experiment with bubble solution recipes to create the perfect bubble. See how science makes toys that can work as machines.

Didn’t get a chemistry set for Christmas? No worries! We have you covered. Join us for days of science fun and create messy concoctions all the while learning the science behind the experiments. Please note if you have a food allergy when registering for this camp.

Climb to the top of world to learn about this harsh and cold landscape. Study the ecosystems that live above, below, and within sea ice. Discover how animals have adapted to this environment. Investigate tools scientist use to study this landscape. Create your own portrait of the Northern Lights after learning about how this phenomenon works.

Look into the night sky and discover which stars or constellations can be seen at this time of year. Dissect a telescope to see how lenses work together to make faraway objects observable.

Discover the science behind some storybook favorites. Build a “huff and puff” proof house. Plant a bean seed to see how fast it grows. Do seeds grow better in different types of dirt? Learn about trees and the plant cycle. Learn about stories that are important to different cultures.

Investigate how animals cope with winter conditions. Understand how an animal knows where to migrate and how hibernating animals know when to wake up in the spring. Analyze these important processes and then learn how climate change is creating new challenges for animals. Follow salmon’s lifecycle as they travel from ocean to the upper reaches of rivers to spawn.

Didn’t get a chemistry set for Christmas? No worries! We have you covered. Join us for days of science fun and create mysterious potions while learning the science behind the experiments. Please note if you have a food allergy when registering for this camp.

Look into the night sky and discover which stars or constellations can be seen at this time of year. Take apart a telescope to see how lenses work together to make faraway objects observable. Dive deeper into space where no camper has gone before!