Entering Grades 3-4

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Art of Math

Enrollment: 16 campers
Let your creativity loose as we explore the art of mathematics! Math is more than just numbers—it’s also about shapes, patterns, and representation. Explore geometry, symmetry, and more; and then use these ideas to make creative works of art. Use a variety of art supplies and building materials to prepare your own interesting mathematical art, and get inspired to make more at home. Along the way, solve a few puzzles and see how much fun it is to mix art and math.

Entering Grades 2–3
June 24-28
1:00-4:00 p.m.

July 8-12 Full
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Blocks, Beams and Bridges

Enrollment: 16 campers
If you love building, join us as we construct bridges and buildings with a variety of materials, including blocks of different shapes, toothpicks and gumdrops, and recycled materials. Find out how the Golden Gate Bridge stands up, by testing a 4-foot-tall model. Experiment with strength, structure, and geometry. Become a skilled apprentice builder!

Entering Grades 2–3
June 17-21 Full
1:00-4:00 p.m.

July 1-5 No camp on Thursday July 4
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Creepy Crawly

Enrollment: 16 campers
Explore the mysterious lives of animals that creep through tall grass and crawl across leaves. Collect and observe local critters from the Hall’s lawn and pond. Investigate and touch insects and amphibians from our animal collection. Learn where spiders get the silk for their webs; and enjoy a chance to safely hold a real, live hairy tarantula.

Entering Grades 2–3
June 24-28 Full
9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon

August 5-9 Full
9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon

Crime-Fighting Superheroes

Enrollment: 16 campers
Become a crime-stopping hero in our camp for junior detectives. We will learn a variety of forensic super powers, such as fingerprinting and chromatography, and apply them to mysteries in our classroom. Each day we’ll practice and use our newfound abilities to help a fellow crime fighter solve a case and save the day.

Entering Grades 2–3
July 29-August 2 Full
1:00-4:00 p.m.

August 5-9 Full
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Quantum Camp

Enrollment: 16 campers
Investigate some really cool science. Discover the secrets of light, color, electricity, and magnets by doing experiments and making projects to take home. Build a camera that uses no film, and snap a picture that needs no camera. Construct a solar oven, and cook a snack using the sun! Launch a rocket using a chemical reaction. For dessert, explore the science behind making ice cream.

Entering Grades 2–3
June 10-21
1:00-4:00 p.m.

July 8-19 Full
9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon

August 5-16 Full
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Sandy Shores

Enrollment: 16 campers
Take a close look at one of the most dynamic places on our planet—the shore! You'll investigate sand from all over the world and see which shore plants are used in foods. Discover the many shells of the sea and find out what animals make and live in them. Handle shore animals and learn how they have adapted in special ways to their ever-changing home.

Entering Grades 2–3
June 24-28
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Secret Formulas

Enrollment: 16 campers
Have you ever wanted to invent the world’s best toothpaste or fizzy drink? Now you have the chance to mix, measure, test, and compare, in your search to discover the secret formulas used in products you buy at the store. You’ll explore properties of various ingredients and create original recipes for light-up play dough and sticky solid glue to take home.

Entering Grades 2–3
July 1-5 No camp on Thursday July 4
1:00-4:00 p.m.

July 15-19
1:00-4:00 p.m.

July 22-26 Full
1:00-4:00 pm.

July 29-August 2 Full
9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon

Ancient Egypt

Enrollment: 16 campers
Travel back to the time of mummies, pharaohs, and pyramids. Investigate how the architects, scientists, and mathematicians of ancient Egypt built their amazing civilization. Write secret messages to the other campers with hieroglyphics, and make papyrus and natural ink to write with. Figure out together how sun-dried bricks are made, construct model pyramids, and investigate the scientific secrets of ancient mummification.

Entering Grades 3–4
July 1-5 No camp on Thursday July 4
1:00-4:00 p.m.

July 15-19 Full
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Lego Engineering

Enrollment: 16 campers
Discover your inner engineer as you design, build, and create with Legos! In this class you will build simple machines, like levers, pulleys, gears, and wheels, and then will explore ways to use them to solve challenges and do the work for you. You can use your new engineering skills to combine these simple machines and to build your own creation.

Entering Grades 3–4
July 8-12 Full
1:00-4:00 p.m.

August 12-16
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Zoom, Twirl, Fly

Enrollment: 16 campers
Through different projects, you get a chance to explore principles of force and motion as well as your own creativity as engineers. You will construct and tweak catapults and rockets, cars and boats, and will discover the best parachute design for keeping an egg intact as it floats to the ground.

Entering Grades 3–4
July 22-August 2
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Science Fun Full-Day Camp

Enrollment: 16 campers
Come spend a whole day at the Hall in this exciting, week-long, hands-on science camp! Have fun exploring biology, chemistry, physics, and math; doing experiments; making a variety of projects; and solving math games and puzzles. Visits to the UC Botanical Garden, to our local pond, and to exhibits make the camp a great place to experience science, both indoors and out. (Campers need to bring their own lunch and snacks daily.)

Entering Grades 3–4
August 5-9 Full
9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Chem-Artistry

Enrollment: 16 campers
Get creative with chemistry/artistry as you discover which ingredients you can use to make your own art supplies. As a scientist, make and experiment with paints, tie-dye, marbleizing techniques and more; then, as an artist, use those materials to design your creations. Discover which liquids to use to make a plaster cast of your face, called a “life mask.” Experiment with acid and bases to make an array of colors from cabbage juice. Show off your creations in an art show on the final day.

Entering Grades 4–5
June 24-July 5 No camp on Thursday July 4
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Crime Science

Enrollment: 16 campers
Ever wonder how detectives and scientists work together to solve crimes? Often enjoy a good mystery? Campers work together as detectives to identify clues, crack secret codes, and debate their conclusions. They do their own forensic experiments to analyze ink, powder, and other evidence as they investigate and solve classroom crimes and mysteries.

Entering Grades 4–5
July 8-19
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Eco Explorations

Enrollment: 16 campers
Campers explore local aquatic and terrestrial environments in the classroom and the outdoors surrounding Lawrence Hall of Science. We will get to know intertidal, pond, desert and forest ecosystems, by working with live animals and collecting plant samples. While experimenting with the living and non-living parts of each ecosystem, campers will discover the inner workings and complexity of each specialized environment.

Entering Grades 4–5
August 12-16
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Geology Camp

Enrollment: 16 campers
Get to know the Earth, from its tiny rock crystals to its massive, ever-changing crust. Create and explore models that illustrate the physical processes responsible for earthquakes, volcanoes, and the formation of three types of rock that make up Earth’s crust. Step into the dusty shoes of a geologist in our “cookie mine” and in a mock archaeological excavation!

Entering Grades 4–5
June 17-21
1:00-4:00 p.m.

August 5-9
1:00-4:00 p.m.

Cool Contraptions

Enrollment: 16 campers
Explore and build contraptions, from the interesting to the weird. Can a tin can become a camera? Can a plastic cup become a scribbling machine? Build a periscope to spy over walls and around corners. Make a mysterious roller that won’t roll away from you and can even roll uphill!

Entering Grades 4–6
June 10-14
1:00-4:00 p.m.