Hutchinson Zoo offers summer camps for students kindergarten through eighth grade
June 11, 2025
The Hutchinson Zoo is offering summer camps for students entering kindergarten through eighth grade, featuring weekly themes focused on animal education and conservation.
The camps blend learning with hands-on activities, including animal encounters, keeper talks and creative crafts designed to teach children about wildlife and ecosystems.
Zoo officials said middle school campers recently helped with maintenance tasks including scrubbing the otter pool, cleaning exhibits and scooping bison waste.
"This past week our middle school campers were ROCKSTARS helping our keepers clean some of our zoo exhibits," the zoo said in a Facebook post. "Whether it was scrubbing the otter pool, putting new mulch in the discovery center, or scooping bison poop, our campers put in the work!"
The camps are organized by grade level with different themes each week. Kindergarten camps include "Ecosystem Explorers" and "Mini Zoologists," focusing on animal behaviors and habitats. Elementary camps feature "Discovery Detectives" and "Eco Superheroes," teaching animal adaptations and ecosystem survival.
Middle school camps cover "Exhibit Design and Zookeeper Life," where students learn about zoo operations and exhibit planning.
Camp sessions run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for elementary and middle school students, with kindergarten sessions from 9 a.m. to noon. Costs range from $79 to $99, with member discounts available. Slots are still open for kindergarten through second grade.
The zoo also offers an optional "Crepuscular Club" for extended care before and after regular camp hours for an additional $40 per camper.
KinderCamp
- July 7th-11th: Mini Zoologists
- Campers will be engaged in simple "research" tasks like observing different animals' behaviors!
- Students entering PreK/Kindergarten Fall 25 (must be at least 4 years old and potty trained)
- $79 ($69 for members)
1st and 2nd Grades
- June 23rd-27th: Discovery Detectives
- Campers will investigate different animals and their unique adaptations that help them survive!
- July 21st-25th: Eco Superheroes
- Campers will learn about 5 different ecosystems, what makes each unique, and how animals are specially adapted to survive there!
- Students entering 1st-2nd grades Fall 25
- $99 ($89 for members)
Registration information is available at hutchinsonzoo.org or by contacting sierra.wood@hutchgov.com.
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