Summer Guided Discoveries
Guided Discoveries are week-long outdoor natural adventure camps for children ages 4 to 14.
Programs, taught by experienced naturalists and educators, give children an in-depth exploration of nature and science.
Register for Guided Discoveries
Scholarships are available. Application deadline is April 15. Award notification by April 30. Applications will be accepted after the deadline if scholarship funds remain.
Guided Discoveries Program Guide (PDF)
Guided Discoveries Cancellations... Yours and Ours!
If you cancel at least two weeks prior to the start of the program, your payment will be refunded minus a $20 handling fee. If you cancel within two weeks of the start of the program, your payment will not be refunded.
If there is low enrollment, Squam Lakes Natural Science Center will cancel weeklong programs on the Wednesday prior to the scheduled start date and will fully refund your payment at that time. The Science Center will make every effort to alert participants to possible cancellations one month in advance.
Summer 2020 Guided Discoveries
June 29 - July 3
Woodland Wonders
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. |
Ages 4-6
Our explorations will introduce the wonders of woodlands. Through many outdoor activities and discoveries we will explore, enjoy, and learn together.
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
Yoga Wild
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. |
Ages 6-8
Come along on a journey and get wild with yoga! Meet a live animal each day and learn new yoga poses expressing its movements and postures. Practice yoga outdoors in fields and forests. Adventures will include nature scavenger hunts, nature journaling, mindful listening, relaxation in the forest, and fun yoga games.
Cost: $170/member; $190/non-member
Things With Wings
1:30-4:30 p.m. |
Ages 7-9
How many things can you think of with wings? Explore the world of flight as we learn about birds, insects, mammals, and even plants that take to the sky. Each day we will meet a live animal ambassador that relies on its wings to survive.
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
July 6-10
It's a Bug, Buggy World
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. |
Ages 4-6
Flit, flap, glide, hop, and crawl. Insects come in all kinds of different shapes and sizes, move in a variety of ways, and live everywhere! We will explore our bug, buggy world to discover the insects all around us. We will meet live animals that rely on insects and visit the Giant Insects exhibit on the live animal trail to see the larger than life versions up close!
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
Insect Investigations
1:30-4:30 p.m. |
Ages 7-9
Did you know that butterflies taste with their feet and smell with their antennae? Or that grasshoppers existed before dinosaurs? We will explore all things insect this week as we scoop insects out of the pond, sweep for insects in the field, and look under logs for insects in the forest. We will meet live animals that rely on insects and visit the Giant Insects exhibit on the live animal trail to see these larger than life versions up close!
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
The "Ologys"
9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
Ages 10-12
The suffix -ology means “the study of.” This week we will dive into different studies of life – Entomology, Ornithology, Mammalogy, Dendrology, Herpetology, Geology, Ecology, and Hydrology. Up close encounters with live animal ambassadors and outdoor explorations will help us discover the amazing variety of life all around us.
Cost: $280/member; $300/non-member
July 13-17
Flap, Hop, and Wiggle
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. |
Ages 4-6
Flap like a falcon, hop like a hare, and wiggle like a worm! It's all about movement as we explore different groups of animals and focus on the ways they move. Become an expert on animal locomotion through up close observations of our animal ambassadors, outdoor activities, and stories.
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
Building in Nature: Forts, Boats, and More
1:30-4:30 p.m. |
Ages 7-9
We will construct a fort village in the midst of trees in the forest, build boats to float on the pond (not human sized!), dam a stream, and even build small scale shelters for tiny make believe creatures!
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
Be a Survivor: Bushcraft and Wilderness Survival I
9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
Ages 10-14
Learn bushcraft and the wilderness living skills necessary to survive outdoors comfortably. We will explore knife use and safety, fire making and responsible use, outdoor shelter making, trip planning, and making and using tools like baskets and rope. Learn about our ecosystem in a hands-on way by keeping weather journals, pressing plants, and learning about the animals that inhabit the world around you, including up close encounters with live animal ambassadors.
Children can register for one session or both (Session II is July 20-24). Each session will focus on a particular skill. Session I will focus on shelter building. Session II will focus on food and fires.
Cost: $280/member; $300/non-member
July 20-24
Sky Hunters
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. |
Ages 4-6
Learn about the hunters that command the skies. Investigate the world of flying predators. Visit with live owls, hawks, and falcons. Meet other airborne predators too, such as dragonflies and bats.
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
Predator-Prey
1:30-4:30 p.m. |
Ages 7-9
Who eats what? How do predators catch their prey? How do prey avoid predators? Become an expert on the adaptations of predators and prey as we explore the fascinating relationships between these groups of animals.
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
Be a Survivor: Bushcraft and Wilderness Survival II
9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
Ages 10-14
Learn bushcraft and the wilderness living skills necessary to survive outdoors comfortably. We will explore knife use and safety, fire making and responsible use, outdoor shelter making, trip planning, and making and using tools like baskets and rope. Learn about our ecosystem in a hands-on way by keeping weather journals, pressing plants, and learning about the animals that inhabit the world around you, including up close encounters with live animal ambassadors.
Children can register for one session or both (Session I is July 13-17). Each session will focus on a particular skill. Session I will focus on shelter building. Session II will focus on food and fires.
Cost: $280/member; $300/non-member
July 27-31
Animal Superheroes
1:30-4:30 p.m. | Ages 4-6
You may not consider animals to be superheroes, but they do have super powers. We call them adaptations. Learn about nature's super powers as we explore ways animals find food, avoid being eaten, and protect themselves from the elements. Discover some of these adaptations through experiments, games, and visits with live animals.
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
The Nature of Clay I
9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. | Ages 7-10
Want to take earth and turn it into art? Using wild animal ambassadors and the natural beauty of ponds, fields, and forests as inspiration, we will transform our ideas into ceramic treasures. Under the guidance of Community Clay Center instructors and Science Center staff, explore a variety of ceramic techniques to create functional and sculptural projects.
The ceramic process will be completed at the Community Clay Center in Plymouth. Finished projects will be ready for pickup by August 21. Shipping is available for an additional fee.
Cost: $280/member; $300/non-member
Junior Animal Keepers
Sessions I and II (August 3-7) are identical.
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Ages 9-12
Otter popsicles? Training time for a coyote? Treats and puzzles for opossums? Do you love caring for animals? Do you wonder what the Science Center’s animals eat for dinner? Learn how New Hampshire’s wild animals survive. Then apply that knowledge by helping to care for and feed the wildlife at the Science Center. Go behind the scenes to watch staff members train animals, and then make puzzles and treats to engage our resident animals. On the last day, family, friends, and Science Center staff will stop by to learn about your adventures.
Cost: $150/member; $170/non-member
August 3-7
Marvelous Mammals
1:30-4:30 p.m. |
Ages 4-6
Discover what makes mammals special as we focus on this diverse group of animals. From herbivores and insectivores, to carnivores and omnivores, mammals serve a range of functions in the natural world. Meet a mammal up close each day and learn about the role it plays and the adaptations it uses to survive.
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
Junior Animal Keepers II
Sessions I (July 27-31) and II are identical.
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Ages 9-12
Otter popsicles? Training time for a coyote? Treats and puzzles for opossums? Do you love caring for animals? Do you wonder what the Science Center’s animals eat for dinner? Learn how New Hampshire’s wild animals survive. Then apply that knowledge by helping to care for and feed the wildlife at the Science Center. Go behind the scenes to watch staff members train animals, and then make puzzles and treats to engage our resident animals. On the last day, family, friends, and Science Center staff will stop by to learn about your adventures.
Cost: $150/member; $170/non-member
The Nature of Clay II
9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. | Ages 10-14
Want to take earth and turn it into art? Using wild animal ambassadors and the natural beauty of ponds, fields, and forests as inspiration, we will transform our ideas into ceramic treasures. Under the guidance of Community Clay Center instructors and Science Center staff, explore a variety of ceramic techniques to create functional and sculptural projects.
The ceramic process will be completed at the Community Clay Center in Plymouth. Finished projects will be ready for pickup by August 21. Shipping is available for an additional fee.
Cost: $280/member; $300/non-member
August 10-14
Summer Sensations
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. |
Ages 4-6
Explore New Hampshire’s summer environment with a focus on each of the five senses. Smell, taste, touch, see, and hear your way through a week full of fun.
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
Hooray for Herps
1:30-4:30 p.m. |
Ages 7-9
Join us for adventures in herping. Turtles, snakes, frogs, and salamanders are all herps! We will learn all about reptiles and amphibians during this week of exploring forest, pond, wetland, stream, and field in our search for herps. Meet some of the Science Center’s resident herp ambassadors up close and personal.
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
Animal Art
9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
Ages 9-12
Let animals and their habitats serve as your inspiration as we create art from and of nature. Explore the Science Center grounds from the top of Mt. Fayal to the shores of the lower pond as we study form, examine color, and observe light to inform the art we create. Focus on detail through up close encounters with animal ambassadors. Use a variety of media to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, and share your work at an art show for family and friends.
Cost: $280/member; $300/non-member
August 17-21
It's a Bug, Buggy World
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. |
Ages 4-6
Flit, flap, glide, hop, and crawl. Insects come in all kinds of different shapes and sizes, move in a variety of ways, and live everywhere! We will explore our bug, buggy world to discover the insects all around us. We will meet live animals that rely on insects and visit the Giant Insects exhibit on the live animal trail to see the larger than life versions up close!
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
Animal Art for Young Artists
9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
Ages 6-8
Let animals and their habitats serve as your inspiration as we create art from and of nature. Experience the subject matter of your art through hands-on explorations of forests, fields, and ponds and up close encounters with animal ambassadors. Use a variety of media to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, and share your work at an art show for family and friends.
Cost: $280/member; $300/non-member
Insect Investigations
1:30-4:30 p.m. |
Ages 7-9
Did you know that butterflies taste with their feet and smell with their antennae? Or that grasshoppers existed before dinosaurs? We will explore all things insect this week as we scoop insects out of the pond, sweep for insects in the field, and look under logs for insects in the forest. We will meet live animals that rely on insects and visit the Giant Insects exhibit on the live animal trail to see these larger than life versions up close!
Cost: $140/member; $160/non-member
