
Camp Pricing
Non-member:
$200 per camper per week. $180 for any additional weeks of camps for the same student.
$160 per camper per week. $145 for any additional weeks of camps for the same student.
Extended Day:
$60 per camper per week or $50 per camper per week for museum members.*
Camp Hours
Drop Off: 8 – 8:45 a.m.
Camp: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Pick-up: 3 – 3:30 p.m.
Extended Day: 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Ext. Day Pick-up: 3 – 5:30 p.m.
Summer Camps
June, July and August 2020
The South Carolina State Museum in Columbia is excited to offer an exciting summer of camps for ages 6 – 14! These week-long camps focus on a variety of different subjects including natural history, astronomy, robotics, art, S.T.E.M and more.
A 50% deposit is required to reserve your camper’s spot and the remaining balance is due 2 weeks prior to the camp.
Please note: Drop off and pickup for campers is at the Group Visits Entrance located in the planetarium lobby. Any camper remaining after 3:30 p.m. will be considered part of the Extended Day Camp and will be charged the rate for Extended Day Camp.
TO REGISTER: Click on the button below to submit your Summer Camp Reservation Request.
QUESTIONS? Call 803.898.4999 or email camps@scmuseum.org
Please note: the discount for additional weeks of camps and Extended Day are available for the same camper(s) attending multiple programs. Discount can be applied for up to 5 weeks.
Choose Your Camp(s)
Camps are listed below by age group. Please note: this page is updated periodically. Camp availability will be confirmed by museum staff when you finalize your registration. Submitting a reservation request does not guarantee camp availability.
Small Stories, Big Adventures!
June 8-12 | July 13-17
Theme: STEAM, literacy
Come on, come all, and experience a land of literacy! This camp uses some of our favorite children’s books as inspiration for our imaginations to make amazing creations. Launch rockets with Pete the Cat, turn trash into treasure with Pout Pout Fish, learn to sew a pillow with a Tooth Fairy CEO, and make good decisions with a very Bad Seed. Join us for small stories that become BIG adventures!
How to Train Your Robot
June 15-19 | July 20-24
Theme: Robotics
01001000 01101001! Do you know how to speak to a robot? Campers and robots unite as we decode their languages and learn how to work together. Learn about linear language with LittleBits connector kits, inputs and outputs with Cubelets, and how to talk to Ozobot Evo using nothing but colors. Our little blue friends, Dash and Dot, talk a lot and can even play the xylophone! Our last challenge of the week will be using LEGO WeDo 2.0 to build a bunch-o-bots and program them, too! Some campers will even be able to build their own video games using Bloxels. How will you train your robots?
Tiny Tinkerers
June 22-26 | July 27-31
Theme: STEAM, tinkering, maker/curiosity approach learning
Come along and join the fun, the tinkering games have begun! In this camp we will explore the world of tinkering and use hands-on science to create new and exciting gadgets. Campers will design LED Creations, experiment with play-dough circuits, and even get a little messy as we create catapult canvases. Get ready to put on your thinking caps and unleash your inner tinkerer!
Please note: Maker and curiosity approach learning styles are based on trial and error where students are encouraged to make mistakes and learn to work through frustration.
No Backbones About It!
June 29-July 3 | August 3-7
Theme: Natural History
It’s all about invertebrates! From land to sea set your imagination free as we explore the world of our spineless friends. Get your bug on with a bug walk, become masters of disguise as we talk about octopuses, and show us your best moves with an invertebrate relay. No backbones about it – this camp is tentacular!
Exploring Our Space
July 6-10 | August 10-14
Theme: Astronomy
Blast off on a tour of our solar system! Campers will explore our celestial neighborhood in the museum’s planetarium and take home the universe in their pockets. They’ll also make their own pinhole projectors to safely view the Sun, craft a comet, and launch into space with their own jet packs. Hold on tight and let’s Explore Our Space!
Journey Through the Stars
June 8-12 | July 13-17
Theme: Astronomy
Discover what lies beyond our Earth in a week-long adventure in space-based fun. Familiarize yourself with the night sky by using a handmade star wheel which we will take into the planetarium to practice our navigation skills. Explore the nebulas where stars are born and bottle up some of that space to take home. The universe awaits you!
The Art of Tinkering
June 15-19 | July 20-24
Theme: STEAM, tinkering
Join us as we tinker our way through the arts. Campers will get creative with chemistry candy making, explore the science of sound by making musical instruments, and reach new heights with a rocket launching challenge. Art and tinkering collide in a ScribblyBattleyDoodleBot showdown for the ages. Let’s make some mistakes and get a little crazy!
Abominable Science: Mythical Monsters and Where We Find Them
June 22-26 | July 27-31
Theme: Natural History/Literacy
Science and myth collide when our favorite novels come to life! From flights of fancy to monsters of the deep – learn the truth behind these myths and their origins. Campers will not only learn about popular mythology but also create giant footprints, design their own tails and wings, and experience a spectrum of flames. Finish out the week as we learn about our own homegrown myths and the hunt for the nefarious Lizard Man! It’s going to be…legendary!
Meet Your Maker(s)
June 29-July 3 | August 3-7
Theme: Literacy, STEAM, tinkering, maker/curiosity approach learning
Some inventions are carefully crafted through years of meticulous research and design…while others…not so much. From silly putty to bouncy balls – sometimes necessity ISN’T the mother of invention. Campers will discover some of the most practical creations throughout history and a few oddballs along the way. Come and be a maker as we design our own slime, create candles, and even learn to sew-a-circuit while creating our own wearable tech.
Please note: Maker and curiosity approach learning styles are based on trial and error where students are encouraged to make mistakes and learn to work through frustration
Java the Bots
July 6-10 | August 10-14
Theme: Robotics
R2D2, BB-8, K-9 – everybody loves a good robot! Even in galaxies far, far away people like to have a cybernetic companion by their side. But how do you speak without words? A lot of robots like our Sphero Bolts and Ozobot Evos can’t talk – so how do you tell them what to do? It’s all about code! Campers will learn to code using color, pre-formed sentence blocks, java, and maybe even a little python. From new programmers to seasoned vets – this camp is adaptable to everyone’s binary abilities. What will you and your new digital sidekick achieve?
Potential Robots campers will use throughout the week include: LittleBits, Cubelets, Dash and Dot, Cue, LEGO WeDo 2.0, LEGO Mindstorms EV3, Bloxels, Ozobot Evo, and Sphero Bolt.
Please note: 12-14yr camps have the potential to go on off-site field trips using the Soda Cap Connector bus routes. Additional permission slips will be required for weeks with field trips to allow your camper to ride public transportation.
Professionals…in Spaaaaaace!
June 15-19
Theme: Astronomy
Pack your space briefcase-we’re going to work for NASA. But not everyone’s an astronaut. It takes a lot to live in, travel through, and work in space. Students will assemble a mission crew, analyze the surface features of Mars, and stay fit in microgravity. A real NASA professional will check in with the “training crew” via video chat to answer any budding astronomy questions. All systems are go!
Art is All Around Us
June 22-26
Theme: Art
You feel it in your fingers – you feel it in your goes – Art is all around us – and inspiration grows! Join us as we craft Dave the Potter influenced jugs and follow the lines of Clay Rice silhouettes. We’ll ventures out and explore Columbia’s amazing public art and create our very own community mural. This summer’s a blank canvas – come fill it up!
Keys to the Past
June 29-July 3
Theme: History
What does an historian do anyway? Everything! But how? Discover the tools of the trade this summer as we explore the ins and outs of how-to history. We’ll hone our skills using cemetery taxonomy, examining monuments, and piecing together a little archaeological puzzle-work. Want to unlock the secrets of the past? The key is in your hands!
SciPOP
July 27-31
Theme: STEAM, pop culture
This camp is all about Popular Culture, the science behind our favorites generes, and how it all comes together or influence our everyday lives. Virtually go where no campers have gone before and experience an immersive world of chemistry, biology, and beyond with Oculus GO VR headsets. Have you ever wanted to explore the future of flight with rockets and hovercraft rides? Or let your imagination reach new worlds as you create your own masterpieces using a 3D doodling pen? Experience all this and more as we explore how science and culture collide.
Please note: Campers will have the opportunity to participate in an animal dissection during this camp. Alternate activities will be available.
We Like it A Bot
August 3-7
Theme: Robotics
Robotics is ever-evolving with amazing discoveries made each and every day. Become a part of that world and the fast paced, growing field of Virtual Reality with our new Oculus Go headsets. Explore our newest robot: Sphero RVR, a customizable and hackable all-terrain, high torque robot fully loaded and easily programmed. Combine the RVRs with Sphero Bolts to complete tasks and take on creative challenges. We’ll dive into javascript, syntax, and python coding languages with Cue and LEGO Mindstorms EV3. And finally, we’ll take to the heavens as the RVRs go head-to-head in our own Mars Rover competition!
Important Information
Guardian Guide
Extended Day
SCSM knows parents are very busy and sometimes picking up your camper right at 3pm can be difficult. We are happy to offer fun and entertaining Extended Day Camp where students can continue to explore the museum and participate in activities until 5:30pm. Extended Day is an additional cost.
Lunch
Each camper is expected to bring their own non-perishable, non-microwavable lunch and at least one snack (two if they are staying for Extended Day). The museum is not be able to refrigerate or microwave any meals. The museum will not provide snacks. The museum is not able to take campers to the café for lunch.
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If you forget your camper’s lunch, you may bring it by before 11:30am and drop it off at the Group Visits window in the planetarium lobby.
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All campers MUST have a lunch every time they come to camp. Even if your camper is “not a big eater” they must have food and will be provided the opportunity to eat.
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Please make sure lunch boxes are easily identifiable.
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Please make sure your camper can distinguish between their lunch and snack. If they eat their lunch during snack and are hungry again during our actual lunch time, we will have to call you to bring additional food.
What to Wear
Campers should all wear close-toed shoes. We recommend a light jacket because some of the exhibits can be cold.
A free camp t-shirt will be provided every Monday. All campers must wear their camp shirts every single day for security reasons. Additional shirts may be purchased at the Group Visits window.
What to Bring
Lunch, a separate snack (two if staying for Extended Day), and an eagerness to learn! SCSM will provide all learning materials. Please keep all electronics (including cell phones), personal toys, stuffed animals, and blankets at home. Please keep large backpacks at home unless absolutely necessary.
Consent Form
A Medical Release and Authorized Consent Pickup Form must be on file for every camper prior to their camp date. Please complete this release form prior to your camper’s camp date or bring it with you on the first day of camp. Unfortunately, campers will not be able to participate in camp without a completed form.
Everyone will be asked to show a picture ID every time they come to pick up a camper. If an Authorized Pickup name does not match the photo ID of the person attempting to pickup, the child will not be released to them.
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The names on the Photo IDs must match the names on the Authorized Pickup List. Do not use nicknames. (Example: “Kimberly” will not be able to come into contact with the child if we have “Kim” on our forms. The photo ID must match the names listed.)
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If Medical Contacts are also allowed to pickup they will also need to be listed as an Authorized Pickup. They need to be listed both times. A person authorized to make a medical decision for the child may not necessarily have custody of that child every day and may not be able to come into contact with them.
A note about special needs:
This does not only have to be disabilities. If a family member is away on a work trip it may cause a camper to be more emotional. If a pet just passed away they may be a little obsessed with death. If grandma is in town they may be staying up really late and eating tons of junk food which might make them super sleepy at camp. Whatever it may be – there are times when campers are just in situations that make life different. We love to know what might be going on so we can best serve every child. We all handle things differently as well, so any tips you want to give us on how to work with your child are also welcomed.
Educational Aids are welcome! All educational aids and assistants must be approved at least 2 weeks prior to camp. If you have a camper with an educational aid:
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The aid cannot be related to the camper.
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They must be able to show proof of certification in the state of South Carolina.
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They must also be able to show proof of having passed a background check in their organization and provide their certifying organization’s contact information.
Cancellation or Rescheduling
If your camper is sick or you need to reschedule, the following applies:
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A written cancellation request must be received two weeks or more before the scheduled camp in order to receive a refund.
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No refunds will be issued for cancellations made with less than two weeks’ notice.
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If rescheduling is preferred, it is subject to space availability.
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The South Carolina State Museum reserves the right to reschedule or cancel any activity. A refund will be given if the museum cancels a camp.
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Campers found to be ill during camp will be asked to reschedule, pending space availability. Any camper who vomits during camp will immediately be sent home.
For the Saftey of All Campers
Adults are not permitted to participate in SCSM camp activities. We recommend a quick hug at drop-off, an excited hug at pick-up, and avoiding “visiting” during the day, especially for new campers. Adults will not be permitted to visit classrooms during the day. Campers will be brought out to you once ID and authorization has been verified. If your child requires an educational aid to be with them, the person cannot be related to the camper and must hold state certification for their need which must be approved before camp begins.