Whether you run a summer science camp for a school, run an at-home science camp or daycare, or want to do fun science experiments with your kids, we have you covered. Not only can we help you plan out a fun week, but we can also keep the fun going all summer long (or any vacation time) with 12 free science camp guides! Plus, you’ll find snacks, make-and-takes, and plenty of easy-to-do projects.

Set Up a Science Camp for Kids!

Below you will find tons of great summer science camp ideas!

The science camp activities below can work for multiple ages, from preschool to early elementary school. There’s so much learning, playing, and exploring this summer. I have found great science snacks, games, projects, and of course, experiments and activities for each day of the week.

Each day has a theme with several experiments and activities listed to try. You can modify or add to them as needed for different abilities. Encourage kids to use their journals for field notes!

Create a Homemade Science Kit

Start your summer science camp week by presenting each young scientist with some equipment! My son loves to get all dressed up like a scientist. Plus, you can lessen mess a bit. Protective eyewear is always important!

SUGGESTIONS:

  • Adult size dress shirt for a lab coat {great thrift store finds}
  • Protective eyeglasses 
  • Magnifying glass, eye dropper, tweezers {favorite science kit}
  • Composition book with a ruler and colored pencils for field notes. Grab these free pages to add to a science journal!

Make sure you’re ready to go with a homemade science kit! Set up a folding table or throw a dollar store shower curtain over your outdoor table, and you are good to go!

The dollar store is a fantastic place for most of your science supplies including things like measuring cups and bowls. Grab a plastic caddy or two or three and prep each day of the camp!

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Free Science Journal Pages

Each day have the kids use their science journals to write or draw about what they learned, observed, and created! A great way to practice writing, mark-making, and drawing over the summer months!

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Free Science Camp Activities Guides

We have 12 weeks of free summer camp guides to keep you busy! You can also purchase our “Done-for-You” Summer Camp Bundle here 👇.

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Science Summer Camp

Free Camp Theme of the Week!

Kick-off/Finish the summer with this >>> 12 Weeks of Free DIY Camp Guides for Kids.

>>>A full version of all 12 Weeks is available in our SHOP as well as a bundle of all camp weeks for easy prep!

>>> Keep reading for more great DIY Summer Science Camp Ideas!

>>> Not the theme for you? Scroll to the end of this article or click here 👉 to find more camp week themes.

>>> Make sure to look for the freebies on this page! Science Bingo, supplies list, journal pages, themed projects, and more!

More Printable Camp Activities

Add more quick and fun printable activities to your camp week below.

Science Themed Snacks

A summer science camp needs snacks, so why not try a tasty science-themed snack or beverage daily? Science also happens in the kitchen!

How to Make Quick Science-Themed Snacks

POPCORN: You will need brown lunch-size paper bags and corn kernels. Measure out 1/4 cup and place in the bag, fold the top over, and place in microwave. Set the time between 2:30 and 3 minutes. When the popping slows, take it out! Compare the 1/4 cup of kernels to the now popped corn. How many cups did it make? What changed the corn? What is the volume?

HOMEMADE POPSICLE: Explore reversible and physical change with homemade Popsicles. Grab your favorite juice, Popsicle sticks, and small disposable cups. Point out that water (juice) can exist in three states, liquid, solid, and gas (heat required)

Freeze your cups of juice. You can use tinfoil with slits in the top to hold the popsicle sticks in place. Now have the kids observe the state of matter of ice! Make a couple extra and note what happens when the popsicle melts and refreezes. This is an example of a reversible change.

Explore why ice cubes float instead of sink in water for extra fun. (Hint: Ice is unique in that as it freezes, it becomes less dense).

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Popcorn Science

Fun Science Camp Games for Kids

Have fun playing and learning! Here’s a list of easy science camp games to play together. 

1. The Sense of Touch Game

We used paper sandwich bags. Number the bags, at least 10. Put an object inside each bag. Have the kids stick their hands in the bag, feel the object, and make a guess. They can write down their answers or draw what they think it is; for younger kids, keep the objects simple and familiar. For older kids, make it challenging.

2. Nature Scavenger Hunt

Use egg crates or paper bags to collect a list of items that you can paste directly onto the carton or bag. You can choose specific items based on your area.

Check out: Printable Scavenger Hunts

3. Senses Scavenger Hunt

As above, this time, list the senses to find. Find something rough. Find something red. Listen for a bird. Leave a few snacks out for a sense of taste! Suggest five for each sense, or more, if possible. For instance, this can also include hearing a bird or a car horn!

Check out: Printable Scavenger Hunts

4. Cup Tower Building Contest

Have teams build towers! You can get the large plastic cups or even mini ones at the dollar store. Who can build the tallest tower or stack 100 cups the fastest? You might also like this budget-friendly paper chain challenge contest.

Check Out: 100 Cup Tower Challenge

5. Nature I Spy Game

Collect nature items on a table. You can either play the traditional I spy and ask questions to one another or you can play a memory game. Study the items and then close eyes. Have one person take an item away. Can you guess what’s missing? Work all together or pair kids together.

Check out: Nature Printables

6. Grab This Free Science Bingo

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Science Bingo Cards

Summer Science Camp: Make and Takes

Each day of science camp has your little scientist campers make a project to take home! Great way to extend learning as they discuss their projects with friends and family!

Ideas for Summer Science Camp Activities

Here are some of our favorite summer science and STEM play choices!

1. WATER ACTIVITIES

Spend the first day of summer camp exploring the water! Sinking, floating, melting, and flowing! Even build boats that will float or make a bouquet of flowers for solubility

Make Boats: Save all those recyclables! Plastic bottles, jugs, milk cartons, and cans are perfect! Add straws, craft supplies, corks, and sponges. You can laminate paper and cut it into triangles for sales. Punch holes to thread on a straw. Test your boats down the tin foil river.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Water Experiments For Kids

2. CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENTS

What science camp would be complete without fizzing and bubbling chemical reactions? Investigate what happens when two common household items are combined. Test two different chemical reactions and observe them in several unique ways. 

3. SIMPLE MACHINES

How do machines work? What do machines do for us? Make simple machines with ordinary materials and explore how things work at summer science camp. Grab the free pack too.

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Simple Machines Worksheets

4. CLASSIC SUMMER STEM EXPERIMENTS

This day of summer activities is all about the classic fun! Check out how common materials make really neat science experiments!

5. DISCOVERY STATIONS

The final day of our summer science camp is all about creating and exploring. For the past 4 days, kids have seen how science works! Now set them loose to explore, discover, and invent! Make simple stations for kids to try out. Encourage problem-solving, creating, and engineering.

Try a…

Nature Station

Use your resources! Gather your nature, collect rainwater, and set up a table. Add a mirror, magnifying glass, flashlight, and tweezers! This is a great place to take out colored pencils or crayons and a field guide! Grab some contact paper and make a window hanging by sandwiching natural finds in the contact paper. Try nature weaving, make paint brushes, or try pine cone process art!

Check it out >>> Nature STEM Challenge Cards

Invention Station

Boxes, recyclables, pool noodles, painter’s tape, egg crates, styrofoam, old CDs, string, plastic fruit baskets. You name it! Kids can work together or independently to invent something cool! Have the kids sketch an idea and draw the finished invention. Write a little about what the invention can do. We also have 12 fantastic Jr. Engineers projects listed here to get the ball rolling.

Check it out >>> Real World STEM Template

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Ramps and Measurement Station

Rain gutters make great ramps since nothing will fall off! Quite cheap at the hardware store too. Gather all sorts of objects of different sizes and weights as well as cars. We bought one rain gutter and sawed it in half. Have races and predict which object will win. Put the ramps at different angles to see if the objects go faster or slower. Use a tape measure to see how far different items go!

Make vehicles that go too >>> Try a balloon powered car, rubberband car, or paddle boat, or a balloon rocket!

Extra Science Project Resources

Try one of these groupings of themed science activities for a fun way to kick off hands-on summer camp fun.

Science Camp Theme Weeks

Printable “Done-for-You” Science Camp!

Not only will you get all the quick theme weeks with complete instructions and templates, but this done-for-you Science Camp Bundle also includes a fully detailed science camp week with science-themed make-and-takes, snacks, and games each day. Each day is a different theme!

8 Comments

  1. Your ideas are fantastic! I just finished planning my own science camp. If only I had discovered your resource a few weeks ago. I am also doing dissecting during our week together. I will certainly save your plans for the future.
    Blessings!

  2. Pingback: Preschool Science Experiments and Science Activities
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  4. Pingback: Water Science Activities for Kids STEM
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  6. Well explained . This is a great post to learn about science. Really helpful for kids to understand basic concepts as well as they will have fun and really enjoy it. Very helpful for kids. Thanks for compiling list

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