1st grade camp

For campers entering 1st grade in fall 2026

Stories of the Past

Full day: 9am–4pm

Offered weeks 1-7.

Stories connect us to other people, places, and times. Hear and learn about different eras in history, from stories of the Indigenous Ioway to Victorian fairy tales to popular books like Alice in Wonderland and the Little House series, and connect them all to today. End the week with an Alice in Wonderland themed party or Paul Revere tea party!

PURCHASE

	Theme	Activity Highlights
Monday	Little House Days	Read excerpts from the Little House series, make ice cream, shop in Museum Store
Tuesday	How We Know What We Know	Read “How the Meteorite Got to the Museum,” make meteorites, visit 1900 Farm
Wednesday	Aesop’s Fables	Learn from Aesop’s fables, nature walk, creek play
Thursday	Native American Stories	Visit 1700 Ioway Farm, hear Native American stories, make fry bread
Friday	Alice in Wonderland	Read “Alice in Wonderland,” make an un-birthday cake, 3:30 Alice-themed tea party (families arrive at 3:15)
Friday week 4 & 5	Paul Revere	Bake colonial-inspired cookies at Tangen House, make colonial era crafts, 3:30 Paul Revere tea party (families arrive at 3:15)

List represents activities campers will do during the week. Use this to prepare your camper and have follow-up discussions. Activities subject to change. On creek day your camper will get wet and muddy. Bring a towel or plastic bag for the car.

Visiting the Past

Half day: AM (9am–noon) or PM (1–4pm)

Choose either AM or PM; activities are the same. Offered weeks 8-10.

Take a step back in time to explore what life was like during the American frontier days. Play old-fashioned games, experience a one-room schoolhouse, and see how farms changed over the years.

PURCHASE

	Theme	Activity Highlights
Monday	School Days	Visit Schoolhouse, decorate chalkboard, shop at Museum Store
Tuesday	Victorian Days	Play Victorian-style games, visit Flynn Mansion, go on a nature walk
Wednesday	Pioneer Days	Visit 1850 Pioneer Farm, garden, creek play
Thursday	Native Americans	Visit 1700 Ioway Farm, play a pictograph memory game
Friday	Life in 1900	Visit 1900 Farm, make and fly kites

List represents activities campers will do during the week. Use this to prepare your camper and have follow-up discussions. Activities subject to change. On creek day your camper will get wet and muddy. Bring a towel or plastic bag for the car.

Wait list

If a camp session is full, you may fill out this form to be placed on a wait list.
Include the program and date that you are interested in attending.

Group Requests

When we have multiple camps of the same grade level, we cannot guarantee your child will be placed with friends. However, we will make every effort to accommodate up to two requests. Please keep the following in mind:

Campers must be registered for the same camp, in the same week, and be in the same grade.
Camp is about making friends. When large groups of friends are together, other campers can feel left out. We will split requests larger than 3 friends.