Frequently Asked Questions for 2023 Camps

 Find out all the details for camp registration here!

What age range should I register for? Where do I pick up my child? Is there a cancellation policy? Answer these important camp questions and more by reviewing the below information.

Summer Camp at the Museum

Camp Curiosity (Chapel Hill)

Registration

Health and Covid Safety

PICK-UP AND DROP-OFF

LUNCH AND T-SHIRTS

What will a regular day look like for my camper?

  • Our camp days are filled with various hands-on activities based on each camp’s theme. These activities are designed to be fun and exciting while developing scientific and critical thinking skills.
  • Actual schedules may vary based on weather, preferences of camp groups, and other factors.
  • We design our curricula to include structured activities, and unstructured free-play, taking advantage of indoor and outdoor spaces to accommodate different learning styles and energy levels.

What sort of activities will my camper participate in?

  • Our camp days feature a variety of hands-on activities based around its theme. We design activities to be fun and exciting while helping campers to develop their scientific and critical thinking skills.
  • Most camps will involve a range of activities – group and independent work, indoor and outdoor activities, as well as museum exploration.

Is there a way for me to know what my child will do in their camp?

  • The week before camp (typically the preceding Thursday), you will receive an email with your camp name, location, and other information about the week. You will also receive updates through email throughout the week with prompts to ask you children about their day and a link to a photo gallery of your camper’s group.
  • To ensure you receive these communications, we recommend you add the following addresses to your contact list: summercamp@lifeandscience.org
    ultracamp@lifeandscience.org
    reservations@lifeandscience.org

How many campers are in a group?

  • For our Prek – K groups our camps will be capped at 14 campers per class. For all other age groups our classes are capped at 18 campers.
  • Each group has two adult staff and usually a high school volunteer helper.
  • During the day, campers may participate in paired and small group activities, as well as whole group activities.

Who are your educators?

  • Our Summer Camp staff come from a variety of backgrounds, but all are experienced in working with kids in science and nature exploration. We select our camp staff based on their experience in childcare settings and educational background. Many of our camp educators are full-time teachers during the year.
  • Both our educators and assistants undergo training ahead of each summer camp season on topics including basic first aid, positive behavior management techniques, community building, and scientific and critical thinking.
  • All summer camp staff are over 18.

What is Camp Curiosity?

  • Camp Curiosity takes place at the beautiful Montessori Community School (MCS) campus located at: 4512 Pope Road, Durham, NC 27707
  • We developed Camp Curiosity to capitalize on the amazing space at Montessori Community School Campus. We’ve taken the best parts of the curriculum you would expect from our Museum camps and mashed them together with classic camp favorites like Morning Gatherings, Camp Songs, and all-camp games you might expect from a more traditional camp!
  • Campers can still expect to experience awesome programming, including animal programs and hands-on demonstrations, that they would at the Museum.

Where is Camp Curiosity?

  • Camp Curiosity takes place at the beautiful Montessori Community School (MCS) campus located at: 4512 Pope Road, Durham, NC 27707
  • MCS’s indoor and outdoor learning spaces are set on 13 acres of natural landscape where campers can play, discover, and learn.
  • Throughout the MCS campus, there are outdoor gardens, wetland habitats, and a wooded forest trail where campers can explore botany, agriculture, ecology, biology, orienteering, navigation and much more.
  • MCS classrooms are bright, spacious, and open. Each camp group has exclusive use of their own indoor and outdoor learning spaces and various shared natural learning areas, playgrounds to get out energy, and an athletics track and field for good old fashioned “Camp Games.”

Why go to Museum camp at a place that isn’t the Museum?

  • Well, Camp Curiosity is not just a Museum Camp in a different place. Camp Curiosity does include the great curriculum you’ve come to expect from Museum Camps, but with a greater emphasis on community and play. Camp Curiosity is ideal for campers who are excited about science and love to play in community with others. Camp here is generally a little more relaxed; owing to the lack of additional guests and the abundance of large open areas. Because of these open areas, Camp Curiosity offers more opportunities for more “camp-like” activities such as hide and seek, capture the flag, and relay races.

What will a regular day look like for my camper?

  • Each day, campers will meet up with their small camp group to touch base about the day, get to know each other better, and prepare themselves for the day.
  • Campers will then make their way to the morning Curiosity Circle, where campers will meet camp staff, hear what other groups are up to, and have the opportunity to play with campers from other groups.
  • After Curiosity Circle, campers will return to their home base to explore their camp topic with their camp group.
  • Campers will gather outdoors (weather permitting) for All-Camp lunch and free play.
  • The afternoon will be entirely devoted to camp topics within each group.

What sort of activities will my camper participate in?

In Curiosity Circle

  • Curiosity Circle is a time for active play in community. This time allows campers to warm up their bodies while the air is still (relatively) cool. Campers will choose from a number of electives, including sports, board games, crafts, and dramatic play. This is a time for campers to follow their interests outside of their theme of the week, meet new people, and explore different group dynamics

In Themed Sessions

  • The rest of our day will include hands on science experiences focused around the week’s themes. This may take the form of short activities, outdoor exploration, or longer form projects. The goal is to create memorable and meaningful connections to science as a way of understanding the world.  

When can I register for summer camp?

January 17, 9:00 am – Supporting Member Presale
January 19, 9:00 am – Explorer Member Presale
January 26, 9:00 am – Open Registration to the General Public

How do I register for these programs?

Which age group should I register my child for?

  • Register for the camp appropriate to the grade your camper will enter in Summer/Fall 2023.
  • Four-year-olds must have completed a minimum of six months in a group childcare setting and reach their 4th birthday by April 30, 2023 to attend camp. No exceptions. Proof of age may be required.
  • All campers must be capable of toileting without assistance before attending camp.
  • We understand that many of our campers have extensive knowledge of particular subjects and we write our camp curricula with a wide range of abilities in mind for each developmental stage. We design our camps so that educators can vary their lesson plans based on the interests and levels of campers and camp groups.

What do I need to make a reservation?

  • To register for camp, you need an UltraCamp account. Please visit Create An Account to set up your profile.
  • We recommend setting up your profile ahead of the registration date so you can sign up for camp as quickly and easily as possible.
  • Once your registration is complete, add details for every camper in your household. Just choose “Add a person…” It’s that easy!
  • On the day of the pre-sale, click the  Purchase button on the bottom of this page and start a reservation to purchase camps for each of your campers.
  • If you are experiencing trouble with registering or do not have access to a computer, please call our Reservations Staff at 919.220.5429 ext. 313.

I am having trouble logging in to UltraCamp? What do I do?

  • It is not uncommon for camps other than Museum camps to also use UltraCamp as their registration software. Unfortunately, your accounts used to register for those camps require different log in credentials than your account for Museum Camps. If you use a password manager that stores your password, it’s possible that it will autofill the incorrect credentials. If you are having issues logging in, check to make sure that you are using the correct credentials used to register for our camps.
  • If you need to update your UltraCamp account information, you can use the “Forgot your login information?” prompt or contact our reservations team for assistance at reservations@lifeandscience.org or by phone at 919.220.5429 ext. 313.

Are there options to set up a payment plan for my tuition?

Yes! We have two options for payment plans for Museum Summer Camps.

  • Option 1: Monthly payment. Pay $100 at registration, with the remaining balance divided equally between the months remaining until May 19 and auto drafted the morning of the 4th of each month. Example: You register for 2 sessions at the member price of $330 on January 21. You would owe $200 at registration. On the morning of the 4th of February, March, April and May, $115 will be auto drafted from your card.
  • Option 2: You choose – $100 due at registration, with the remaining balance automatically drafted May 19. You can make payments in the amount of your choice in the months between registration and May 19.
  • You register for 2 sessions at the non-member price of $360 on February 19. You would owe $200 at registration. You can pay the remaining $520 in multiple installments of your choosing before May 19 or have the full $520 auto drafted on May 19.
  • With either plan, your account balance can be paid in full at any time before May 19.
  • You must use a credit or debit card to enroll in a payment plan.
  • Payment plans do not incur a use fee.
  • Any registrations made after May 19 will require full payment of tuition at the time of registration.

Is there a cancellation policy?

  • The Museum can grant refunds for cancelled camp sessions only up to and including May 19, 2023. No refunds will be issued after this date. Changes to individual camp sessions may be made up to two weeks before a session start as available. Refunds and changes will incur a $30.00 fee per camp session.

Are you able to accommodate my child with medical allergies and/or special needs?

ALLERGIES

  • We are happy to work with you to adjust our boxed lunch menu for food allergies/intolerances. See the section below “What is included in the boxed lunch?” for more information on camp lunches (available for purchase at our Museum location camps).
  • In the case of severe food allergies, please be aware that it is not possible for us to monitor the food other children bring into camp.
  • Our staff is trained to use EpiPens in the event of an anaphylactic event. An EpiPen authorization and waiver of liability form is available here. Once complete, please hand this form to the Site Director along with your EpiPen when you check-in on your first day of camp. If you do not have a form, they will be available for you to fill out at check-in.
  • Other than EpiPens, the Museum will not be responsible for administering medication to children.

SPECIAL NEEDS

  • The Museum is committed to full and equal opportunity for children to enjoy the camp experience, and reasonable modifications will be considered.
  • While we hope to offer our camps to as wide a range of children as possible, it is not possible for us to offer one-on-one care.
  • If your child has a personal assistant that you would like to attend with your camper, please contact summercamp@lifeandscience.org to discuss steps to bring them on site.
  • We ask that you provide detailed answers to the questions about your camper in the registration process. This information will only be shared with camp administration and your camper’s educators.
  • You may also contact Davis Tate, our Camp Manager at  summercamp@lifeandscience.org to discuss your family’s specific needs.

What precautions are you taking this summer for COVID-19 safety*?

  • All COVID Policies are subject to change based on Government and health professional’s recommendations. We will be monitoring local vaccination rates and will update this page and email registered families should changes in policy occur.
  • High traffic and shared areas will be sanitized daily.
  • While we encourage masking as an extra precaution, we will not require masks while indoors or outdoors.
  • Whenever possible, learning and activities will take place outdoors.

*All precautions are subject to change based on government and health professional’s recommendations

Who will be required to wear masks?*

  • We acknowledge that there will likely be a good deal of change regarding mask and COVID safety between now and June. As of now our current mask policy is below:
  • While we encourage mask use as a precautionary measure in the prevention of illness, we will not be requiring masks in summer 2023.*Mask use guidelines may differ from other current Museum programs and are subject to change based on government and health professionals’ recommendations. We will update this page, and email registered families should changes in policy occur

When should I stay home from camp?

  • Please monitor your camper for any indication that they are ill. We ask that campers with any sign of illness stay home until their symptoms improve

Are you requiring campers who are eligible to be vaccinated?*

  • We encourage all people who are eligible to be vaccinated to do so. This is the best way to protect yourself and the community from the most severe symptoms of COVID-19. While all museum staff are required to be vaccinated, we are not requiring campers to be.
    *Subject to change based on government and health professional’s recommendations. We will update this page and email registered families should changes in policy occur.

What will cleaning procedures entail?

  • Each day after snacks and meals, staff will wipe down surfaces with DHHS approved sanitizing sprays while campers thoroughly wash hands.
  • At the end of each day, all surfaces, high traffic, and high touch areas are sanitized by DHHS approved sanitizers.
  • Classrooms are vacuumed and cleaned by professional cleaners each evening
  • Each classroom is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized at the end of each week.

What happens if someone at camp displays symptoms of COVID-19?*

  • If a camper appears to be ill, or voices they are feeling unwell at camp, they will be moved to an isolated, outdoor location under supervision. Caregivers will be notified for immediate pick-up.
  • Any camper who is sent home with COVID-like symptoms will be asked to stay home until receiving a negative COVID test, OR until they have been fever free for 72 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, have improved symptoms, AND at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
  • If someone is sent home from camp for COVID-like symptoms, we will follow the Health Department’s guidance for contact tracing and inform families from all groups who may have been exposed.
  • If there are indications that a staff member or camper with COVID-19 (symptomatic or asymptomatic) has attended camp, we will notify families immediately. Caretakers will have the choice to remove their camper from that session for a pro-rated refund, or have their camper continue at camp after receiving a negative COVID test, and mask for the duration of the session.
  • We request that families remain in contact with us post-camp and let us know if they find that their child may have been COVID-19 positive during the camp week. In this case, we will notify all campers and staff who may have been in contact with the camper.
  • Fully vaccinated staff or campers who have been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and are experiencing symptoms will be asked to test immediately. With two negative test results 24 hours apart, they will be able to return once they are symptom free for 24 hours.
    *Subject to change based on government and health professional’s recommendations. We will update this page and email registered families should changes in policy occur.

What should I do if I have symptoms or test positive after attending camp?

  • Please let us know if you have a fever or if anyone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 in the two weeks after attending camp.

How does drop-off, pick-up, and parking work?

At the Museum
MORNING DROP OFF 

  • Morning drop-off will be on our Southside campus, across the street from the main Museum and will run from 8:30-9am. 
  • We will have two methods of drop-off at the Museum. You are free to choose whichever method works best for your needs: 
  • Carline drop-off will take place in the Museum Parking deck. You can follow the line for drop-off, and one of our staff will direct you to the unloading area. Once at the drop-off area, our staff will sign your child in and walk them over to join their camp group. 
  • Caretaker Walk-up will happen on the walkway leading up to the picnic dome from the parking lot. A Camp administrator will be present at a check-in table to welcome you and your camper, and check them in. Once checked in, one of our camp staff will walk your camper to their group to begin their day.  

AFTERNOON PICKUP 

  • Afternoon pickup will be on our Southside campus, across the street from the main Museum and will run from 3 – 3:30 pm. 
  • We will have two methods of pickup at the Museum. You are free to choose whichever method works best for your needs:
  • Carline pickup will take place in the Museum Parking deck where you can follow the line for pickup. One of our staff will walk the line to check your camper out and call them to the deck. Our staff will direct you to the loading area where one of our staff will be waiting with your camper, ready to assist them in loading into your vehicle.
  • Caretaker Walk-up will happen on the walkway leading up to the picnic dome from the parking lot. A Camp administrator will be present at the check-out table to welcome you and check your ID or pickup pass. Once checked out, one of our camp staff will walk your camper to you to go home for the day.  
  • All adults are required to show an ID or the camp approved Pickup Pass to sign out their camper every day of camp. Please have your ID or Pickup Pass ready to show a camp staff member when you pull up to the loading zone. 

At Camp Curiosity
Camp Curiosity will exclusively have campers check in and out via caretaker walkup.
MORNING DROP OFF 

  • Daily check-in will exclusively make use of our carline. Carline Drop-off will take place in the Montessori Community School’s parking lot. Follow the directional signs and cones to the drop-off location at the front of the school’s main building. One of our staff will direct you to the unloading area. Once at the drop-off area, our staff will sign your camper in and walk them over to join their camp group.
  • For drop-off and pick-up outside of the regularly scheduled times, please call 919.695.3727 to reach our Site Directors. We will then have one of our staff meet you at your car in the drop-off/pick-up area and walk your camper to their group. Please schedule early camper pick-ups in advance with our Site Director when possible so that your camper can be outside and ready when you arrive!

AFTERNOON PICK

  • Afternoon pick-up will work much the same as drop-off, utilizing the car line. Carline pickup will take place in the Montessori Community School’s parking lot. Follow the directional signs and cones to the drop-off location at the front of the school’s main building. One of our staff will walk the line to check your camper out and call them to the correct pick-up cone location. Our staff will direct you to the loading area where one of our staff will be waiting with your camper, ready to assist them in loading into your vehicle.  

What do I do if I need to pick up my child early from camp?

    • Montessori School Administration: (919) 886-4574 
      • We plan our days to make full use of our time. As such, pickup and drop-off outside of normal hours may lead to missed activities and project time for your camper.  
      • We will do our best to accommodate pick-up and drop-off outside of normal hours.  
      • We cannot accommodate early pick-up between 2:15 pm and 3:00 pm 
      • Please let our camp administrators, and if possible, your camper’s educator, know ahead of time so they can have your camper ready to go.
      • We understand that plans sometimes change. You can email camp administrators at summercamp@lifeandscience.org at any time or call our Site Director during camp hours*
      • Museum Site Administration: (919) 391-9279
      • Camp Curiosity Site Administration: (919) 695-3727 *These numbers are only active during Camp Sessions. For camp questions prior to the summer, please call 919 220 5429 x 405 
      • Camp administrators will locate your camp and have your camper brought to the pick-up area.  

What do I do if I need someone else to pick up my child from camp?

  • Authorized pickups are entered through your UltraCamp account and can be adjusted at any time.
  • The week before camp, check your email for the names of individuals authorized for pick up and add anyone else through UltraCamp.
  • You can also speak with or contact camp staff with changes during the week.

What is included in a boxed lunch?

  • Boxed lunches are only available at our Durham location, Museum Camp.
  • All options are subject to change based on product availability. 
  • Any substitutions will be made with comparable products. 
  • We are happy to work with you to adjust our menu to accommodate for food allergies/intolerances. 
  • All boxed lunches are peanut free. 
  • We can only sell camp lunches on a week-long basis.
  • As part of our sustainability initiative, we are no longer providing water bottles in camp lunches. Please send your camper with a reusable water bottle. We will have extra disposable water bottles for emergency situations.  

Regular Lunch Option: 
Sample Menu
Monday– Cheeseburger
Tuesday– Chicken Tenders
Wednesday– Cheese Quesadilla
Thursday– Hot Dog
Friday– PB & J (sun flower butter) 

Vegetarian Lunch Option: 
Sample Menu
Monday– Black Bean Burger
Tuesday– Mac & Cheese
Wednesday– (Meatless) Cheese Quesadilla
Thursday– Veggie Dog
Friday- PB&J (soy nut butter) 

* All lunches come with fresh fruit, and a side 

Can I order a t-shirt?

  • Yes! T-shirts will be automatically included for all campers at no extra charge. Simply select your preferred t-shirt size during registration and we will make sure your camper gets it during their week of camp!  
  • If you are registering for multiple sessions, a t-shirt will be included for each individual registration. If you sign up for six sessions, your camper will receive six t-shirts unless you indicate you would not like one. 
  • If you prefer not to receive a t-shirt for a given week, you may opt-out during the registration process.

Can I exchange sizes for my camp t-shirt?

When available, yes! Just email us at summercamp@lifeandscience.org and will be happy to give you a different size.

What should my child bring to camp?

  • Please label all items.
  • Please send your child with a morning snack, lunch, water bottle, and an extra change of clothes. Those purchasing boxed lunches will still need to send a snack.
  • Campers enrolled in our Aftercare program should bring an additional afternoon snack.
  • Campers should dress in comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes for indoor and outdoor Museum exploration.