About Nature Museum Camp
CHICAGO’s Nature Camp
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Camps immerse children into the wonderful world of nature and science! Campers will develop their critical thinking and social skills by spending fun-filled days inside and outside the Nature Museum. They will participate in interactive exploration including science and art projects, nature play, animal encounters, and so much more. We encourage campers to take the lead and we provide them with space to explore the nature of Chicago at their own pace with tools selected (or built!) by them.
Our METHOD
Developed and led by Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Camp team, our camp curriculum fosters social and science skills while cultivating a love of nature and learning. This year, the Nature Museum is offering fun and interactive in-person camp sessions for campers 4 to 9 years old! This approach emphasizes learning and fun, while giving kids time to bond with their counselors and fellow campers.
Our DAILY PARENT PAGES
Keep the camp fun going with a little help from our daily emails. Unique to the Nature Museum, these Daily Parent Pages are written by the camp directors and include photos, a summary of the day's accomplishments, and questions to spark meaningful conversation with your camper.
Meet Our Directors
Kerry Christenson, Camp director
Kerry Christenson is a full-time, year-round educator at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. She has been working on the Nature Museum’s camp program since June 2019. Prior to joining the Nature Museum team as camp director and education programs specialist, she worked as a Chicago Public Schools teacher. Kerry has been working in a camp setting for 5 years and is passionate about environmental education and making learning accessible for all. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education.
MADDY TURNER, Camp director
Maddy Turner is a full-time, year-round educator at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. She was thrilled to start working in the Nature Museum in January 2024. Prior to joining the museum as Camp Director and Education Programs Specialist, Maddy taught middle school science in Nashville with Teach for America and was the STEM speciality instructor at a Nashville summer camp. She graduated from Tufts University with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Urban Studies. She is passionate about environmental education and the connections we can make with the natural world all around us.
Camp Staff
Each camp session is supervised by our full-time camp directors. High school and college-level counselors lead activities and supervise the campers in every session throughout the day. Our staff is always excited to play along, get dirty, and guide campers to make discoveries while they explore the world around them. Each camp has a strictly-enforced counselor to camper ratio, ensuring that all campers have the guidance they need to have a fun, educational, and safe summer camp experience.
Prior to Nature Museum Summer Camp, the camp team participates in extensive educational training focusing on ecology and natural science topics, best practice education strategies, and outdoor education approaches to best foster camper engagement and learning. Together, the directors and counselors develop activities and curricula specially tailored for each camp and session. For more information about staff training, click here.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Camp directors and counselors have experience working with children ages 4 to 9 and they’re trained to help give specialized guidance for campers with specific needs, such as sensory processing disorders.
“The staff and program are why we’ve been attending camp for five years.”
About the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
For over 160 years, the Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum has served a unique role in the city of Chicago connecting children of all ages to nature and science through immersive exhibits, fun family events, important conservation research and in-depth education programs, inspiring the wonder in all of us.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum members enjoy additional discounts on camps, as well as family events, classes, and more. Click here to learn more about Nature Museum membership.