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Science

Calling all five-year-olds who are ready for a full-day camp adventure! 

From dragons and mermaids to the tortoise and the hare, sort animal fact from fiction in stories from around the world. Many of your favorite legends explain the unexplainable—gigantic bones, funny fangs, and other natural quirks. Discover the science behind the stories and get a peek at some of the weirdest specimens in our museum. Create your own fantastic creatures and act out your own tall tales.

Hi-Fives! camps are recommended for 5-year-olds who have finished a year of full-day kindergarten or full-day childcare.  

This camp is a full-day experience set at the best pace for young learners. Fascinating science experiments and nature explorations are interspersed with snacks, rest time, and active play to keep your child engaged all day. Maximum class size is 15 students with a 5:1 child-to-adult ratio.   

Please note: Pre-camp and post-camp care are not available for Hi-Fives! campers. Hi-Fives! campers must be picked up by 3:15 p.m.

The last day to register for this camp is June 5, 2024.

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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. 

The last day to register for this camp is June 12, 2024.

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Plunge into experiments about the physics and chemistry of H2O as you develop your own mega-bubble solution, test solutions for acids and bases, and get cracking with ice. Design your way through a boat building race, water balloon drops, and other friendly challenges. Hike through Schenley Park to investigate aquatic habitats in the Panther Hollow Watershed and take a dip in nearby Schenley Swimming Pool.

Activity fee: $35
Day trip to Schenley Swimming Pool: museum pick up at 4:00 p.m.

The last day to register for this camp is June 19, 2024.

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Learn what goes on behind the scenes in a museum! From collection spaces to research labs, a lot happens behind these walls. Meet real scientists and explore some of the museum's hidden secrets and strange objects. Hop on public transportation to the Heinz History Center and explore the similarities and differences between two museums.

Activity Fee: $35
Day trip to Heinz History Center: museum pick-up at 3 p.m. 

The last day to register for this camp is June 19, 2024.

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Explore nature’s wild, weird, and wacky wonders. Investigate flying mammals, bizarre horns, and mixed-up dinosaurs. Scout through Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems to find minerals that look like cookies, French fries, stars, and bubbles. Test out the science of food to find out what makes Jell-O transform from a liquid to a solid, and sink your teeth—literally—into a yeast experiment with rising bread! 

The last day to register for this camp is July 3, 2024.

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What would it take to build a self-sustaining colony on Mars? Find out as you investigate life in extreme environments. Explore adaptations that allow plants and animals to survive severe droughts, unprecedented floods, deep freezes, and intense heat. Through hands-on design challenges, learn how engineers use biomimicry to create sustainable innovations.

The last day to register for this camp is July 3, 2024.

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Discover an enchanted world inside the museum and make natural connections to some of your favorite stories. Let it all go as you experiment with ice, and go under the sea to learn about the differences between fresh and salt water. Experience no worries as you learn how animals survive in their ecosystems, plus explore ways you can help make the world a better place.

The last day to register for this camp is July 10, 2024.

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Level up your knowledge of rocks as you examine gems, minerals, rocks, and fossils in the lab and throughout the museum. Learn the tools of the geologists’ trade on a rock walk in Schenley Park, and tour the natural wonders of Laurel Caverns on a day trip. Discover surprising ways we use rocks and minerals in everyday life. Experiment with the rock cycle and observe everyday items made from rocks and minerals, plus start your own collection to take home.

Activity fee: $50
Day trip to Laurel Caverns: museum pick-up at 4 p.m.

The last day to register for this camp is July 10, 2024.

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Explore the world up close using real scientific tools! Collect plant and animal samples and use a video microscope to observe living things in detail you’ve never seen before. Discover the miniature world of stream creatures, using dip nets, hand lenses, and microscopes. Practice identifying Pennsylvania trees and use your knowledge on a scavenger hunt through the forest. Perform experiments to see how pollution affects the water cycle. Use binoculars to spot birds and insects that fly around us. Get ready for a hands-on, scientific experience.

The last day to register for this camp is July 10, 2024.

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Uncover the geological mysteries of caves and caverns. Learn lab techniques for analyzing rocks and minerals, then venture outdoors to practice the basics of geology field work on a hiking trip through Schenley Park. Explore the science of unique rock and mineral formations through hands-on experiments. Use your geology knowledge to interpret the hidden secrets of the world, and tour the natural wonders of Laurel Caverns on a day trip.

Activity fee: $50
Day trip to Laurel Caverns: museum pick-up at 4 p.m.

The last day to register for this camp is July 10, 2024.

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Discover the conservation science that happens every day at Powdermill! Hike to the Avian Research Center and create designs to protect birds from colliding with windows. Explore Powdermill Run, an exceptional-value stream, and build a model watershed. Learn easy ways to conserve water and recycle to make a big impact on the planet. Screen-print an endangered animal t-shirt as you learn about species of concern in a diverse range of habitats.

The last day to register for this camp is July 17, 2024.

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Explorers, you have a mission! A mysterious benefactor has given you a generous gift, and you must use it to build a new museum to inspire future generations. Design a character and team up with museum experts to deepen your understanding of how exhibitions are curated. Examine artifacts and work with your co-players on challenges that test your knowledge, creativity, and teamwork on this exciting adventure.

The last day to register for this camp is July 17, 2024.

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Calling all Eye Spy champions! Challenge your skills on a visual quest full of surprises. Search the museum for the smallest specimens on display, look for mystery minerals, and discover how our eyes play tricks on us. Learn how animals use their brains and eyes as predators and prey, and conduct experiments with colors. Create your own camouflage and test it out on an Eye Spy adventure.

The last day to register for this camp is July 17, 2024.

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Conduct hands-on investigations of mud, rocks, minerals, and fossils. Enjoy edible experiments that demonstrate how rocks and minerals form. Take a hike to nearby Schenley Park to examine historic rock layers, and hunt for specimens to start your own collection. Study the fluorescent properties of different materials to inspire a glow-in-the-dark design. Use rocks to create your own musical instrument and discover the many ways geology rocks! 

The last day to register for this camp is July 24, 2024.

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Uncover woodland wonders as you turn over stones, explore aquatic ecosystems, and look for life under leaves and logs. Conduct a digestion experiment, and use the power of the sun to make a tasty snack. Investigate diverse biomes throughout the museum. Build a bug condo and design a cozy compost bin for worms. Use your new nature knowledge to create your own nature game.

The last day to register for this camp is July 31, 2024.

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Calling all five-year-olds who are ready for a full-day camp adventure! 

Grab your magnifying glass and explore the tiny world of bugs! Learn how insects move, crawl, walk, and fly. Investigate how different critters make sounds and use microscopes to take a closer look at colorful butterfly wings. Act like a bug as you participate in a “Pitts-bug Marathon” to test the speed of different insects. Venture outside to investigate insect habitats around the museum, plus build your own insect model and bug house to take home.

Hi-Fives! camps are recommended for 5-year-olds who have finished a year of full-day kindergarten or full-day childcare.  

This camp is a full-day experience set at the best pace for young learners. Fascinating science experiments and nature explorations are interspersed with snacks, rest time, and active play to keep your child engaged all day. Maximum class size is 15 students with a 5:1 child-to-adult ratio.  

Please note: Pre-camp and post-camp care are not available for Hi-Fives! campers. Hi-Fives! campers must be picked up by 3:15 p.m.

The last day to register for this camp is July 31, 2024.

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Through exciting experiments, explore how regional environments inform the way we live. Learn about local resources involved in Indigenous Cultural traditions. Grind corn and use your cornmeal to make snacks. Compare insulation and water resistance in building materials and clothing. Discover the history of the earliest human habitation in North America on an extended day trip to Meadowcroft Rockshelter.

$50 activity fee.
Day trip day to Meadowcroft Rockshelter: museum pick-up at 5 p.m.

The last day to register for this camp is July 31, 2024.

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Explore nature’s wild, weird, and wacky wonders. Investigate flying mammals, bizarre horns, and mixed-up dinosaurs. Scout through Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems to find minerals that look like cookies, French fries, stars, and bubbles. Test out the science of food to find out what makes Jell-O transform from a liquid to a solid, and sink your teeth—literally—into a yeast experiment with rising bread! 

The last day to register for this camp is August 7, 2024.

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