In Person Summer Camps At Exploration Place In Wichita KS 2

Summer CampsSummer Is Awesome With Exploration Place

Adventure, fun and science collide to make summers awesome at Exploration Place in Wichita. Your camper will spend the summer exploring new topics, learning through hands-on interactive fun, making new friends and creating memories to last a lifetime.

Are you a member? Members save $35 per child, per week!

If the camp that you are wanting is not in the list during registration, please join the waitlist and we will contact you if space becomes available.

Summer Camps: 7 to 10-Year-Olds

May 30 - June 2 Uncovering Earth

Uncovering Earth

Digging in the dirt is much more rewarding when you know what you’re looking for. Are you always finding pebbles and rocks in your child’s pockets and backpack? Feed their inner gemologist as campers learn to excavate and classify gems, crystals, minerals and more.

  • Handle salt crystals found in Kansas and use mining techniques to excavate eatable crystals.
  • Discover how caves form as you create your own cavern.
  • Travel through the rock cycle through interactive game play to discover the different types of rocks found on Earth.

Please note: This is a four-day pre-session camp, Tuesday through Friday, due to the Memorial Day holiday and will need to be purchased separately (via the link below) than the regular full-week camps. However, only one set of camp forms will be needed for the entire summer.

$152 for Members, $180 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

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June 5 - 9 LEGO and Beyond

LEGO and Beyond

What happens when you take a classic like LEGOs and combine them with creativity, imagination and a little circuitry? Your creations come alive! Reimagine how to build and engineer plastic bricks by adding movement and a bit of illumination.

  • Take to the sky to protect your LEGO man from a 30-foot drop
  • Battle the sea in a LEGO boat cargo challenge
  • Connect the bricks with circuitry to light up your own LEGO structure
  • Destroy LEGO creations with demolition techniques and wrecking balls

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
June 12 - 16 Mission Outer Space

Mission Outer Space

Your camper’s mission awaits! Budding astronauts and amateur astronomers will love getting lost in space. With a week packed full of hands-on learning, this camp is sure to be a highlight of your child’s summer. Nurture their love for exploration and let them experience the fundamentals of space like never before – at Exploration Place!

  • Build several rockets and discover the force it takes for them to lift off the ground
  • Create a landing system to help the Artemis crew create a civilization as they return to the Moon
  • Explore how gravity affects everything on earth and in space
  • Play with centripetal force as you control water and defy gravity
  • Walk the solar system and discover the magnitude of miles from Earth to our Sun, Moon, Mars and more

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

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June 19 - 23 Prehistoric Predators

Prehistoric Predators

Your child will step into the shoes of a paleontologist through fun and immersive activities that teach about prehistoric eras. Campers will get their hands dirty digging for fossils, come face to face with a dinosaur and meet a real paleontologist!

  • Create a trace fossil to take a dinosaur footprint home with
  • Meet a paleontologist and learn about an active dinosaur dig
  • Concoct Velociraptor slime that teaches us why dinosaurs would spit at their enemies
  • Meet a Dilophosaurus and use scientific reasoning to discover some hard-learned truths in their story
  • Use paleontological tools to dig for real fossils and identify them using context clues

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

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June 26 - 30 Animal Investigators

Animal Investigators

Travel around the world as animal investigators. Discover why some animals thrive in one environment over another, how scientists study the clues that animals leave for us and why different animals are better suited as hunter or prey. Meet animals and talk with the handlers who care for them.

  • Animal encounters throughout the week
  • Learn how birds of prey eat their food and what the fragments tell us
  • Hunt for tracks and identify the animal who left them
  • Inspect a variety of furs to hypothesize why they feel and protect each animal uniquely
  • Create robotic bee pollinators and learn how humans influence animal abilities

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
July 10 - 14 Minecraft Unplugged

Minecraft Unplugged

At Minecraft Unplugged camp, campers will use their favorite characters to dive into the science behind the game. A variety of STEM-based activities take your child’s passion for Minecraft off the computer screen and into real life with hands-on and interactive tasks and challenges.

  • Build an LED red stone torch that glows with the use of circuitry
  • Develop your own fantasy world, identify which biome to place it in and explore new landscapes
  • Design an Ender Dragon rocket and learn about trajectory
  • Use computer science to code a Minecraft character

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
July 17 - 21 Robots Rock

Robots Rock

Campers will use a variety of robotic programming and engineering to complete challenges. Each day will feature a new type of robotic element and challenge. Robot-a-Palooza takes the learning off the tablet or computer screen and into your child’s hands.

  • Build a robotic sidekick using LEGOs and technology
  • Speak in command codes to direct your friends through an interactive obstacle course
  • Become an electron through game simulation to discover the path it takes to make your favorite devices function
  • Meet a working robot and team up with artificial intelligence to create a digital masterpiece

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
July 24 - 28 Ocean Explorer

Ocean Explorer

Dive deep below the ocean’s currents to join Dory, Nemo, Marlin and friends as you discover what makes our oceans so diverse. From handling shark’s teeth to glowing from bioluminescence your camper will never forget the fun and wonder that can be found beneath the ocean waves.

  • Dissect a gelatin piranha and compare internal structures and mechanisms used to capture prey
  • Join Squirt as he shows you how turtles conserve energy by riding ocean currents in a game play relay race
  • Analyze how octopi like Pearl can camouflage so quickly and learn how you can blend your skin into the background, too
  • Become a whale in our interactive whale migration game

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
July 31 - August 4 Minion Engineering

Minion Engineering

Join forces with Gru, Bob, Kevin and Stuart as you master Minion engineering. Secure your goggles, pull up your gloves and embark on an adventure through engineering, projectiles, chemical reactions and more alongside your favorite Minion characters.

  • Create a chemical reaction used in all fart guns to stun your enemies through smell
  • Take down the moon and shrink it forever when you play with polymers and heat
  • Fine tune your robotic engineering skills as you design a cookie-bot that Gru would be proud of
  • Launch minions and bananas at your enemies lair when you design and test a catapult worthy of the minion cause

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
August 7 - 11 Pokéworld

Pokéworld

Step into the Pokéworld as you become a trainer of your very own Pokémon. Collect badges throughout your activities until your final battle in the Exploration Place Pokémon League.

  • Create your own Pokémon while thinking about life cycles and how your Pokémon will grow
  • Design a biome within a Pokéball to fit your Pokémon type
  • Dive into Pokémon training for grass, water, fire and electric Pokémon
  • Final battle! Take your Pokémon skills and put them to the test as you battle water against fire, electricity against earth and all the possible combinations

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register

Summer Camps: 11 to 13-Year-Olds

May 30 - June 2 Roblox Rampage

Roblox Rampage

Jump into a new 3D realm of your own making. Develop a character to play along with and discover new worlds. Cultivate a completely new story and battle to the end and become the ultimate champion. This camp is designed for those students with intermediate experience with coding

Activities

  • Design your own Roblox world through the use of Roblox Studio.
  • Take Part in a Roblox Battle outside of the digital world against your own friends.
  • Enhance your coding skills as you create checkpoints, themes and platforms for your character.

Please note: This is a four-day pre-session camp, Tuesday through Friday, due to the Memorial Day holiday and will need to be purchased separately (via the link below) than the regular full-week camps. However, only one set of camp forms will be needed for the entire summer.

$152 for Members, $180 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
June 5 - 9 Mission to the Moon

Mission to the Moon

Rocket launch your way to the moon as you join up with NASA’s Artemis mission to create a new colony. See what it takes to survive on this foreign terrain. How is the Moon different than Earth and what would it take to live there?

  • Design a space suit
  • Test your ability to spiral through space when you sit in the Barany chair used in astronaut training
  • Test lunar soil simulant used by NASA while driving a rover from one colony to another
  • Learn how astronauts use greenhouses to collect water from plants necessary to sustain life
  • Design a space colony strong enough to survive a meteor strike

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
June 12 - 16 LEGO Masters

LEGO Masters

LEGO Masters

From digital design to engineering structures, take LEGO skills to a new level. Develop machines, manipulate Apitor Robots and watch LEGO builds come to life with augmented reality. This camp focuses on the engineering process, problem-solving, programming and structural design.

  • Build and program LEGO robotic catapults, dinosaurs, helicopters and more
  • Become the mayor of your own LEGO city
  • Build and test bridges between each city to test which bridge can hold the most weight
  • Build a LEGO haunted location and scan it with our iPads to bring the ghosts to life as you battle against the odds in your own LEGO build video game

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
June 19 - 23 Caverns and Crystals

Caverns and Crystals

Caverns & Crystals

Cultivate a deeper understanding of gems, geodes, cave diving, volcanoes and more! Explore the hidden treasures once buried in the depths of the Earth through hands-on activities. Who knows, the kid who once hoarded rocks may grow up to be a geologist or gemologist after spending the week learning the science under the surface!

  • Unearth your own ancient crystal and discover its origins
  • Design your own cenote to keep for years to come
  • Join a team of divers as you experience a cave dive and discover the beautiful and terrifying creatures that live below the surface
  • Break open a volcano burp and discover the sparkles inside

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
June 26 - 30 Movie Magic

Movie Magic

Have you ever wondered how they made Hagrid appear so tall? Or how characters can jump through a glass window without being hurt? Despite what your eyes are telling you, it’s not magic — it’s special effects that use science! Uncover the mystery and become a special effects director in our week-long Magic of the Movies camp.

  • Designing glass that you can safely smash with your hands
  • Use forced perspective to appear giant compared to your friend
  • Manipulate unexpected items to recreate the sound effects in the movies
  • Create and edit a short film to showcase to family and friends at the end of the week

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
July 10 - 14 Theme Park Tycoon

Theme Park Tycoon

Campers will dream, design and build awe-inspiring structures, animatronics and theme park attractions. Tap into your imagination when you dream up your own theme park experience. When it comes to engineering and animatronics, imagination reigns.

  • Take your designing abilities to fantastical heights while designing a rollercoaster
  • Design a multi-level iconic centerpiece attraction for your theme park
  • Add lights and sound to your structures
  • Design a theme park map for your visitors to use
  • Showcase your theme park to your family and visitors

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
July 17 - 21 Career Exploration

Career Exploration

Play your way through the STEM career of your choosing. Take your character through college to retirement by delving into four fields of STEM careers. One day you are dissecting brains and eyes, the next day you are a physicist bungee testing a bridge. You never know where the world of STEM can take you!

Animal dissections are included in this camp.

  • Dissect a sheep brain and cow eye as you explore a career in biology
  • Test exothermic reactions and chemical explosions as part of a chemistry career path
  • Build bungee bridges and experiment with the forces used in a physics career
  • Use computer design programs to test new ideas with an engineering career focus

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
July 24 - 28 Robot Engineering

Robot Engineering

Robotic programing is only one side of the robotic world. Step into the engineering side when you learn about the construction of robotic hydraulics, gears, soldering, troubleshooting and more.

  • Build your own robotic arm controlled through hydraulics
  • Use gears to bring a robot animatronic build to life
  • Learn from a robotic engineer how to solder and de-solder as you dissect household objects
  • Build, test and design your own robotic car to take home with you

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
July 31 - August 4 Ocean Expedition

Ocean Expedition

Immerse yourself in this week-long ocean expedition as we embark on a journey to understand more about the ocean and its inhabitants. Link up with live web cams around the world to see sharks in their natural habitat. Dive deeper than the light can go as you see how animals use bioluminescence to attract prey.

Animal dissections are included in this camp.

  • Dissect a real shark, squid and starfish
  • Become bioluminescent just like the deep sea creatures do
  • Discover the challenges water pressure creates for deep exploration
  • Explore the different types of reefs, how they form and the important role they play in the life of the ocean
  • Explore how humans are impacting the oceans and create a solution to solve one of Earth’s biggest problems

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register
August 7 - 11 Kid Inventors

Kid Inventors

All great inventors set out to solve a problem. The airplane cut down the time it took to travel long distances. The cell phone connected people from all over the world without wires. The light bulb, wheel and zipper all solved problems… and the list goes on! Step into the shoes of the great inventors of past and present as you tackle a global problem, redesign or imagine a solution and then build a computer drafted and 3D model. Design a marketing plan for your invention and sell your product in a showcase with other inventors.

  • Use CAD software to create a mock-up of your idea
  • Build a functioning prototype
  • Pitch ideas to investors
  • Market your idea through simulated social media strategies and by recording your own commercial

$190 for Members, $225 for Non-Members

If the camp doesn’t show in the list during registration, that means that it is sold out. JOIN THE WAITLIST

Register

Scholarships

Scholarships may still be available for the 2023 season. If your camper is eligible for free or reduced lunch, SNAP benefits or share about another barrier to attending, we encourage you to apply.

I cannot express how thankful we are that Alex is at at EP camp this summer! It’s such a relief to know Alex is with people who genuinely care about their campers. The leaders and program are absolutely exceptional. He is so happy to go to camp each day!

Ellie F.

Camp Details & Refund Policy

Camp Schedule

Camp Schedule

  • Camp check-in begins at 8:30 am
  • Camp starts at 9 am each day
  • Camp ends at 4 pm, with final check-out ending at 4:15 pm
  • Any campers dropped off before 8:30 am or remaining after 4:15 pm will automatically be enrolled in Before or After Care. Parents will need to pay before leaving or picking up their camper.
Before and After Camp Care

Before and After Camp Care

Before Care allows campers supervised free play by Exploration Place camp staff before the camp day begins. Before Care check-in begins at 7:30 am. All paperwork must be completed before adults leave. Breakfast is provided for campers. At 8:30 am, campers will transition to their groups’ lead teachers and meet arriving campers. The camp day begins at 9 am. Before Care is charged by the week at $34 Members/ $40 Non Members.

After Care allows campers to remain when the camp day has concluded. At 4:15 pm, campers transfer from lead teachers’ care to camp staff care. They will be served a snack and be allowed supervised free play. Campers must be checked-out to their adults by 6 pm. After Care is charged by the week at $42 Members / $50 Non Members.

Before- and After-Care fees are non-refundable.

Refund Policy

Refund Policy

Camp Refund Policy

  • 15 days or more notification – full refund
  • 1-14 days notification – no refund. Registration may be transferred to another week before camp begins if space is available.*

*Full refund or camp transfer (if available) for documented medical necessity, major emergency or military deployment if notified before camp begins

Before and After Care Refund Policy

  • Before and After Care is nonrefundable
Contact Info

Contact Info

If you have questions about summer camps with Exploration Place, you may contact Jessica Nickel at (316) 660-0644 or contact us online.

 

CONTACT US

Summer Camp FAQs

General Questions
  • What ages are included in summer camp?

    Classes are divided by age to allow the content to be at a learning level they can handle.

    • 7 – 8 Year old rooms
    • 9 – 10 Year old rooms
    • 11 – 13 Year old rooms
  • Can I add Before or After Care in the middle of the week?

    If there is space available, you are welcome to register mid-week. Exploration Place does not pro-rate Before or After Care. The price is the same if your child is present for one day or all five days.

  • Late arrivals and early pickups

    Late arrivals and early pickups are allowed. Please go to the front desk and ask for camp assistance. We do not allow check out between 3:40 – 4pm to allow time for clean-up.

  • What services are provided with Before and After Care?

    Before Care allows campers supervised free play by Exploration Place camp staff before the camp day begins. Before Care check-in begins at 7:30 am. All paperwork must be completed before adults leave. Breakfast is provided for campers. At 8:30 am, campers will transition to their groups’ lead teachers and meet arriving campers. The camp day begins at 9 am. Before Care is charged by the week at $34 Members/ $40 Non Members.

    After Care allows campers to remain when the camp day has concluded. At 4:15 pm, campers transfer from lead teachers’ care to camp staff care. They will be served a snack and be allowed supervised free play. Campers must be checked-out to their adults by 6 pm. After Care is charged by the week at $42 Members / $50 Non Members.

    Before- and After-Care fees are non-refundable.

  • Do campers leave Exploration Place?

    Camp groups may walk to the Keeper of the Plains adjacent to Exploration Place if authorized by their family in the CampDoc forms.

  • Do campers spend any time outside?

    Yes! Weather permitting. If the heat index is over 95 degrees Fahrenheit or under 32 degrees Fahrenheit campers remain inside.

  • What should my camper bring and wear to camp?
    • Lunch, packed in a leak-resistant container and labeled with the camper’s name
    • A water bottle labeled with the camper’s name
    • Clothes that can get messy. Daily projects include glue, materials that can stain, and opportunity for kids to get wet, sweaty or dirty.
    • Closed-toe shoes

    Exploration Place Summer Camps are peanut and tree-nut free. We ask that parents do not pack these items in camper lunches to avoid any allergies.

  • What should my camper leave at home?

    Unless a letter or special request comes from camp staff, campers should leave at home:

    • Electronics
    • Toys
    • Cards and tradables

    Exploration Place is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

  • My camper has special medical or behavioral needs. Whom do I contact?

    For any camper concerns, contact the Camp Director. There may be special forms that will need to be completed. You may reach the Camp Director at (316) 660-0612 or contact us online.

  • How do I reach the Camp Director?

    You can chat with the Camp Director at check-in or check-out. If you need to reach her during the camp day, please call (316) 660-0612.

Behavior Guidance and Parent Information
  • What are the behavior guidance and discipline policies for camp?

    Exploration Place’s philosophy of discipline is based on respect for each participant’s self-worth, sensible behavior boundaries with age-appropriate consequences, and encouraging youth to manage their own behavior.

    All participants are expected to show respect for themselves and others; consideration for their own and others’ property; and to participate in the group activities.

    As you prepare for your child to attend camp, please read the Parent Information and Policies.

    If you have concerns about the quality of care, policies, or procedures, please contact the Director of Education at (316) 660-0612.

Group Assignment and Classroom Questions
  • What do I do if I need to speak to my camper’s teacher?

    Camp teachers are available at check-in from 8:30 – 9 am and check-out from 4 – 4:15 pm. Other arrangements may be made to speak with a camp director if these times do not work with the camp parent. Parents are also encouraged to share any problems with the assistant camp director or the camp director via phone, email or in-person at any time during normal business hours.

  • Can siblings be in the same class?

    We take all requests into consideration. Our lesson plans are targeted to a specific age; if siblings or friends are the same age, they may be in the same class. The camp director has discretion over camper placement.

    Please make requests at least two weeks prior to your registered camp start date.

  • Are the lesson plans available for me to look at?

    Lesson plans are proprietary. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact the Camp Director with any concerns (316) 660-0644.

  • How many campers are in each class?

    Our classes are 15 students. Each classroom will have two teachers and an assistant.

  • Do campers go to the exhibits?

    Yes! Each afternoon, campers have the opportunity to visit one exhibit. Campers will rotate to visit each exhibit at least once throughout the week.

  • Do campers go to the Dome and Live Science Shows?

    Campers visit the Dome and Live Science Show when it applies to the week’s theme.

Lunch, Snacks and Drink Questions
  • Does my camper need to bring a lunch?

    Yes, campers should bring a lunch labeled with their names in a leak-proof container (no paper sacks), silverware if needed, with an ice pack. Microwaves are available as needed.

    Exploration Place Summer Camps are peanut and tree-nut free. We ask that parents do not pack these items in camper lunches to avoid any allergies.

  • Can campers get lunch at the Snack Bar?

    No, lunch staff are not available to take campers to the Snack Bar.

  • Can I bring my camper a lunch?

    Yes, check with an Exploration Place staff member at check-in to confirm your camper’s lunch time. You are welcome to check out your camper for lunch, drop off lunch at the front desk, or bring lunch to eat with your camper.

  • What about allergies?

    Exploration Place Summer Camps are peanut and tree-nut free. We ask that parents do not pack these items in camper lunches to avoid any allergies. If your camper has any food allergies, please share with someone at check-in and put the information into CampDoc.

Registration Form Questions
COVID and Illness Questions