Just for 3s! Enjoy the world of nature in a nurturing and fun environment. Each day takes on a different topic from ants to turtles which we’ll explore at a three year old’s pace. Children will enjoy meeting live animals, crafts and circle time. Campers should bring a snack and water bottle each day.

Discover the natural world! Hiking, pond dipping, meeting live animals and catching bugs are just a few of the adventures in store for your child at camp. Each day will have a new theme from rabbits to rocks. Campers should bring a snack and water bottle each day.

Explore different ecosystems every day as we to travel around Connecticut, Rhode Island and the Nature Center. While visiting beaches, rivers, meadows, wetlands and forests, campers will have opportunities to catch frogs, crabs, and salamanders, climb on rocks, trees and ledges, get wet, play games, make new friends and much more.

Embark on new adventures every day as we travel to fascinating destinations to hike, catch frogs, fish and crabs, search for salamanders and birds, climb rocks and learn more about the natural world and our place in it.

A fun filled week with a bit of everything. Start off the week by playing fun and exciting team building games, giving everyone the chance to get to know one another. Tuesday we head to Brownstone Quarry, a natural water park for an awesome day of shooting along a zip line above the water, a waterslide, cliff jumping and much more. Wednesday we’ll head to Rhode Island for a day of hiking and exploring the Long Pond/ Ell Pond area, where we will even explore a small cave system. The next day find yourself strapped into a harness for some incredible rock climbing and wrap up the week enjoying the day at the beach swimming and boogie boarding.*

*Boogie boards not provided, but feel free to bring your own.

We’ll split the week between biological and physical sciences. Start the week off with a bang as we get to know each other through catapult wars, ping pong challenge and water balloon sling shots barrage. Tuesday we’ll test your engineering skills as we design, build and test Popsicle stick bridges. Wednesday you will get a behind the scenes opportunity to meet, greet and see how we care for the Nature Center’s animals. The next day it’s back to the drawing boards as we construct water bottle rockets. After building them, it’s launch time as we watch these rockets fly up to 200 feet! Friday we’ll take a trip to the Beardsley Zoo for a day of fun with the animals.

Brand new this year, you will learn fire making skills and how to make and use a variety of primitive tools, such as a fishing spear, fish trap, primitive bow and arrow, fire making tools, and cooking utensils. During our overnight we will try our hand at catching blue crabs using hand lines and nets before returning to the Nature Center to camp. Friday will be challenge day, where all of the skills you have acquired during the week will be tested through a series of individual and group challenges. This camp will require patience, as building these items takes time and concentration. We will be using sharp knives to help make many of these items.

A week of adventure awaits as we kayak down one of the cleanest waterways in the northeast, the Wood River. Learn different fire and shelter building techniques. Head off to one of Rhode Island’s state parks for a day of exploring and fun during our overnight. Round out the week playing, swimming and boogie boarding at the beach.

*Boogie boards not provided, but feel free to bring your own.

This week is full of great destinations and high adventures. We’ll venture to Franklin County’s Ayer’s Gap for a day of exploring and playing in the streams and waterfalls. We will then head off for a two-day overnight near Natchaug State park. We’ve reserved a great spot next to the Natchaug River with a pavilion on site. One afternoon will be spent testing our abilities and nerves on a high ropes course where will climb, jump and soar among the tree tops. Another afternoon will be spent tubing on the river and exploring the beautiful Natchaug state forest.

This week is all about fun in and around the water so plan on getting wet! On Monday we will travel to RI to explore the Wood River. Tuesday you find yourself at Brownstone Quarry, a natural water park, for a day of zip lines, a waterslide, cliff jumping and more. Wednesday we’ll explore local fun spots and have an overnight at the Nature Center. That night we’ll try our hand at catching Blue crabs under the cover of dark and maybe a little fishing as well. Thursday we’re off to RI, first for some seining in the salt pond and then to the beach for some boogie boarding* and swimming. Friday we will head into the Sound on the Hel-cat II to try and catch some Blue Fish or Stripers.

From hawks to hummingbirds, learn all about our diverse local bird species. During the week campers will look for wild birds at the Nature Center and on a fieldtrip to Bluff Point State Park. Start a bird journal and interact with our resident birds.

Take an artistic look at the natural world. Nature has inspired artists through the ages. From natural collages and sculptures to sun printing and nature journaling, this class combines the best of art and nature. Participants will also have a chance to meet animals, hike and pond dip to help gain inspiration for their art.

Spend the week investigating the world of rocks, minerals, earthquakes, glaciers, volcanoes, fossils and much more! A few highlights are sifting for gems, breaking geodes, creating and exploding volcanoes and a fieldtrip to Glacier Park!

Spend the week putting an enchanting touch on the Nature Center. We’ll enjoy our time creating miniature magical fairy houses, boats and furniture and accessories for all of our fairy friends who live and play around the Nature Center.

Make the most of the world around you. We’ll learn to use nature to create shelters, traps and other unique tools.

Way finding is an essential life skill. Learn to navigate the woods with ease using a map and compass as we have fun letterboxing, geo-caching, orienteering and tracking. We’ll complete the week with a treasure hunt.

Each day will take on a new science challenge! Make slime, build a bridge, create a chemical reaction, dissect a squid and much more as we learn how much fun science is!

An entire week dedicated to reptiles and amphibians! In addition to meeting the Nature Center herps and a few exotics, we’ll set turtle traps, go frog catching, search for snakes and salamanders at the Nature Center and various other nearby sites.

Water is wonderful! Do love spending time playing in the water? Each day we will experience water in a different way (salty, fresh, flowing, still) and in a different ecosystem, including ponds, oceans, wetlands and waterfalls. We will also conduct water experiments and learn about the water cycle.

Southern New England is fortunate to have miles of beautiful coastline. Each day campers will explore new areas where land meets sea. From Rocky Neck State Park to Ninigret Wildlife Refuge and points in between, we will seine, hike, catch crabs and more at some of the regions most beautiful beaches.

A week of dinosaur discoveries awaits! Learn about the major groups of dinosaurs, when they lived and the theories behind their extinction. Included are fieldtrips to Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, CT and a trip to see the amazing dinosaur skeletons at the Peabody Museum in New Haven.

Big bugs, little bugs -- spend the week investigating insects and their arthropod friends. Catch butterflies, set beetle traps, search for millipedes, learn why insects and their kin are so important and help set up a butterfly tent.

Would you like to learn to fish, or want to improve your skills? Then join us for Fish Camp for week of fishing! We will focus mainly on coastal (saltwater) fishing. Learn the different kinds of rods, reels and their parts, different types of casting techniques as well as some useful knots. Each day we will be at different location trying to see what we can catch. We will spend a day aborad the charter boat Hel-cat II in Long Island Sound, where we hope to land blue fish and stripers. DPNC provides equipment such as rods, reels, tackle and bait but feel free to bring your own equipment if you prefer. Remember this is fishing, not catching, the harder you try the better your chances of landing fish.

This week of fish camp is the same as session 10, except we will have an overnight at the Nature Center. Expect to stay up a little late for night fishing and crabbing.