Use natural and human-made fibers to weave, hand sew, and tie-dye soft sculptures or wearable artworks that would be worthy of a runway or art gallery. Have fun with fabrics and invent your own unique pattern with printmaking, sculpt with foam, or make diverse marks using embroidery. Work with your classmates to collaborate on challenges that will push the boundaries of art and fashion.
Learn more about Fiber Arts and Fashion.
A summer camp adventure 66 million years in the making! Piece together prehistoric evidence as you investigate how dinosaurs lived and why they died. Extract DNA from modern-day relatives of dinosaurs. Take a hike through the museum and nearby Schenley Park to compare today’s world to that of the dinosaurs. Build a habitat, complete with life-size dinosaur murals, to transform your classroom into Jurassic Planet.
Learn more about Jurassic Planet.
Explore the world of Super Mario and find out how it compares to our natural world. Adventure into the museum and meet the inspirations for your favorite turtle and dinosaur characters. Create STEM-based “power-up” projects, and dive into the natural biomes that match up to favorite game worlds. Design and race your own model go-kart and complete a Mario-inspired obstacle course in this week of next-level fun!
Learn more about Mario's Natural World.
Plunge into experiments about the physics and chemistry of water as you develop your own mega-bubble solution. Test solutions for acids and bases, and get cracking with ice. Challenge yourself with boat building, buoyancy tests, and water balloon drops. Hike through Schenley Park to investigate aquatic habitats in the Panther Hollow Watershed and take a dip in nearby Schenley Swimming Pool.
Learn more about Aquatic Adventures.
Explore visual arts, chemistry, engineering, and simple machines for a true STEAM experience. Upcycle everyday items into spectacular inventions of your own through assemblage, painting, and sculpture. Invent your own colors, develop paints with natural elements, and discover chemical reactions through artful experimentation.
Learn more about STEAM Lab.
Push, pull, squish, and turn clay into anything you can imagine—from a bowl you can use to sculpted figures of your pet or an imaginative creature of your own design. Learn to use the potter’s wheel to shape vessels and hand-building techniques to construct figurative sculptures that stand, sit, or dance suspended in motion. Kiln-fired projects will be fired and available for pick-up at the museum 3 to 4 weeks after camp.
Learn more about Ceramics Studio.
Discover the weird world of scientific phenomena that boggles the mind! Delve into the strange science of slithery snakes and oozy snail trails. Observe different ways scientists preserve insects from tiny fleas to giant beetles, and pick apart an owl pellet to uncover what’s inside. Search the museum for extreme objects of all shapes and sizes, from gigantic to microscopic. Investigate features that make the most bizarre creatures unique.
Learn more about Outrageous Oddities.
Do you favor the colorful forms of Joan Mitchell or the drippy works of Morris Louis? Get to know great paintings in the museum’s galleries and build your skills through daily experiments, painting techniques, and color-mixing strategies. Choose your favorite approach, brainstorm and play with process to create your own masterpieces.
Learn more about Painting Studio.
Roll up your sleeves and prepare to get messy! Make mystery solutions that fizz, pop, and explode. Discover why objects glow in the dark and make fluorescent crystals. Explore the science behind the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Dive into mysteries of the mind and dissect a sheep’s brain. Learn forensic science techniques and use them to solve a museum mystery.
Learn more about Super Scientist.
From anthills to wasp nests, animals have unique ways to create shelter. Throughout the week, you’ll undertake a habitat design challenge using naturally available resources to replicate nature’s designs and see if your creations can withstand the same elements of their natural counterparts. Explore different cultures to discover how they are inspired by the natural world. Take a hike for inspiration as you explore nearby Schenley Park to scope out example structures in nature.
Learn more about Build It & Break It.