Our Favorite Summer Camp Activities

One of our favorite parts of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Summer Camp is working with our counselors to create fun activities that complement the day’s topic and help our campers learn something new. Whether it’s a game, a craft, or a group activity, camp activities are designed to entertain and educate at the same time (and our counselors enjoy getting in on the fun, too!). Here are a few of our favorites.

Nature Walks

We explore the grounds around the Nature Museum, using our eyes, ears, nose, and hands to explore different habitats, plants, and more! We ask questions and our campers use their observational skills to answer them. Since the Nature Museum Summer Camp is located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, there’s an abundance of urban wildlife and habitats to be found. Our nature walks encourage campers to notice things in nature found around us, even in the city.

Relay Races

What’s a day of outdoor fun without a relay race? This one has a fun and educational spin! We discover what animals need to survive by giving our “birds” food, water, and air. We have tons of active, energy-expending games that solidify learning in super fun ways.

Animal Encounters

We love our “animal encounters”.  Meeting a live animal like a box turtle gives us a chance to talk about how they survive and thrive in their unique habitats. When we observe real animals up close campers get a chance to learn in a way that pictures, books, or videos just cannot “touch”—pun intended!

Want to experience Chicago’s nature camp for yourself? Click here to learn more about this summer’s offerings.

Nicole Juppe & Rebecca Brokaw
Nature Museum Camp Directors