CURRENT HOURS: TUES-SAT • 9am–4pm • Last tractor cart leaves at 2pm

5th grade camps

For campers entering 5th grade in fall 2024


HOW TO REGISTER

Step 1: Purchase tickets using the links below

Step 2: Submit a Camper Information Form
    (This is where you can make a request to place your child with another camper.)

Please note that you need to purchase tickets AND submit a Camper Information Form to complete your camper’s registration.

Then watch for these three emails:

  • Immediately: Confirmation of payment from ticketing@lhf.org.
  • About a week before camp: Details of drop-off/pickup, schedule, etc. from registration@lhf.org.
  • About 5 days before camp: Introduction from your counselor.

Questions about registration and logistics? Email registration@lhf.org.
Questions about camp content and curriculum? Email education@lhf.org.


bunting on fenceCelebrations Then and Now

Full day: 9am–4pm
Sessions 1–5

Why do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Decoration/Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Halloween, or even Thanksgiving? When immigrants came to the United States, it was important to find communities where they could fit in, and their traditions became part of our tapestry. Explore ways that early immigrant communities in Iowa celebrated milestones and holidays, and compare how holidays are celebrated in Iowa and in other places.

The Heritage Celebration showcasing campers’ projects takes place Friday at 3:15pm at the Exhibit Center. Come to the camper drop-off/pick-up area, and you will be directed to the show.

SHORT WEEK:  JULY 1–3
ALL OTHER WEEKS SOLD OUT
ThemeActivity Highlights
MondayNative AmericansMake pinch pot, cook fry bread, visit 1700 Ioway Farm, Creek Walk
TuesdayGermansVisit General Store, shop in Museum Store, design mask for Fasching, make paper lantern
WednesdayNorwegiansBake lefse, visit Tangen Home, weave a julehjerte
ThursdayIrishVisit Flynn Mansion, make jack-o-lantern plate and shamrock pin
FridayAmericansVisit 1850 Pioneer Farm, make ice cream, 3:15 Heritage Celebration

Activities subject to change. Short weeks will vary but will include creek walk. On creek day your camper will get wet and muddy. Bring a towel or plastic bag for the car.


camper holding fishIowa’s Natural Resources

Full day: 9am–4pm
Sessions 5–10

Get creative with our natural resources to make food, art, and tools, just as generations of people have done throughout Iowa’s history. Bake bread like a pioneer, make a medicine bag like a 1700-era Native American, go fishing, and learn to appreciate Earth’s resources! Explore plants, animals, soil, wind, water, and the people who settled here to find out how they contributed to the growth of Iowa.

PURCHASE
SHORT WEEK:  JULY 1–3
ThemeActivity Highlights
MondayPioneer IowaBake bread, prepare shaker butter, make soap
TuesdayWalnut HillMake pinch pots, create recipe books, visit Drug Store
WednesdayArchitectureCreate mosaic tile art, visit Flynn and Tangen homes, shop at Museum Store
Thursday1900 to TodayMake solar oven, go fishing, learn basket weaving
FridayNative AmericansTree of Life craft, visit 1700 Ioway Farm, Creek Walk

Activities subject to change. Short weeks will vary but will include creek walk. On creek day your camper will get wet and muddy. Bring a towel or plastic bag for the car.


camper explaining exhibitMuseology (5–6th grades)

Full day: 9am–4pm
Sessions 1–2

Have you ever wondered who puts museum exhibits together? A curator, that’s who! If you love history or museums, this is the camp for you. You will see items from the museum’s collections that are rarely on exhibit. Discover how the museum cares for these objects and what we can learn from them. Along the way, you will find out what it takes to create a museum exhibit and design your own tabletop exhibit. At the end of the week, show off your exhibit to your family in a Grand Exhibit Unveiling.

The Grand Exhibit Unveiling takes place Friday at 3:15pm at the Visitor Center off Hickman.

Note:  This camp does not include a creek walk. 

PURCHASE
ThemeActivity Highlights
MondayHistory Through PeopleWhat different museum workers do, visit 1700 Ioway Farm, oral history, brainstorm your own exhibit
TuesdayHistory Through ObjectsLearn to “read” objects, collections behind the scenes, start building exhibit
WednesdayHistory Through Reading & WritingVisit Print Shop, Flynn Mansion, Schoolhouse; continue building exhibit
ThursdayHistory Through Living ThingsVisit 1900 Farm, nature walk; continue building exhibit
FridayPutting It All TogetherDesign activities to make exhibit interactive, finish constructing exhibit, 3:15pm Grand Exhibit Unveiling

Activities subject to change. 


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.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.