- Ages 5-6
EdVenture Camps: Ages 5-6, 8:45-3:45 p.m. $285
The camps designed for 5-6 year olds focus on discovering the natural world and making new friends through outdoor play and exploration. Campers participate in active free play and experience new sounds, scents, and sights, using all their senses as they explore Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center.
Campers will be invited to play new games, participate in daily nature walks, create art projects, sing camp songs, and practice nature-based activities related to our weekly themes. Weekly themes are designed to promote understanding of the natural world while encouraging imagination, creativity, problem solving and collaboration.
Week 1: Forest Explorer, June 12-16
Campers discover the natural world through imagination and curiosity. Free play, activities, and lessons introduce young explorers to the magical world of the forest, and the extraordinary living things that call Touch of Nature home.
Week 2: Water Explorer, June 19-23
Explore all aspects of Little Grassy Lake and Indian Creek. Campers will spend the day outdoors with free play, lessons, and water-based activities to learn about local aquatic plants and animals. Bring your curiosity, imagination, and a change of clothes as you will get wet!
Week 3: Forest Critters, June 26-30
This camp encourages campers to ask questions about local wildlife and find the answers together. Little explorers will have many opportunities to investigate the wild creatures that call Southern Illinois home!
Week 4: Water Critters, July 10-14
Campers will get their feet wet by exploring the waters of Little Grassy Lake and Indian Creek. Free play, activities, and lessons introduce young explorers to the enchanting world of water and the extraordinary creatures that call Little Grassy Lake home.
Week 5: Forest Explorer 2, July 17-21
Encouraging your child’s natural curiosity, we will spend the week going on forest adventures and learning about the plants and animals that live there. Free play, activities, and lessons introduce young explorers to the magical world of the forest, and the extraordinary living things that call Touch of Nature home.
Week 6: Water Explorer 2, July 24-28
Dive into this camp and investigate the water all around us. Campers will explore all aspects of water around Little Grassy Lake and Indian Creek. Bring your curiosity, imagination and a change of clothes because we will get wet!
Register here
- Ages 7-8
Edventure Camps: Ages 7-8, 8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m., $285
These camps designed for 7-8 year olds focus on discovering the natural world and making new friends through outdoor play and exploration. Campers participate in active free play and experience new sounds, scents, and sights, using all their senses as they explore Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center.
Week 1: Forest Explorer, June 12-16
Campers discover the natural world through imagination and curiosity. Free play, activities, and lessons introduce young explorers to the magical world of the forest, and the extraordinary living things that call Touch of Nature home.
Week 2: Water Explorer, June 19-23
Explore all aspects of Little Grassy Lake and Indian Creek. Campers will spend the day outdoors with free play, lessons, and water-based activities to learn about local aquatic plants and animals. Bring your curiosity, imagination, and a change of clothes as you will get wet!
Week 3: Forest Critters, June 26-30
This camp encourages campers to ask questions about local wildlife and find the answers together. Little explorers will have many opportunities to investigate the wild creatures that call Southern Illinois home!
Week 4: Water Critters, July 10-14
Campers will get their feet wet by exploring the waters of Little Grassy Lake and Indian Creek. Free play, activities, and lessons introduce young explorers to the enchanting world of water and the extraordinary creatures that call Little Grassy Lake home.
Week 5: Forest Explorer 2, July 17-21
Encouraging your child’s natural curiosity, we will spend the week going on forest adventures and learning about the plants and animals that live there. Free play, activities, and lessons introduce young explorers to the magical world of the forest, and the extraordinary living things that call Touch of Nature home.
Week 6: Water Explorer 2, July 24-28
Dive into this camp and investigate the water all around us. Campers will explore all aspects of water around Little Grassy Lake and Indian Creek. Bring your curiosity, imagination and a change of clothes because we will get wet!
Register here
- Ages 9-10
Edventure Camps: Ages 9-10, 8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m., $285
Aspiring naturalists are invited to five full days of outdoor exploration, discovery and play. Eco Camp focuses on discovering the natural world and making new friends. Each week we will encourage your child’s excitement and curiosity through inquiry-based learning.
Week 1: Aqua Adventures, June 12-16
Campers will explore all aspects of water as they investigate, splash, and paddle in Little Grassy Lake and Indian Creek. These adventurers will spend their days outdoors making small waterways, dams, boats, and learn about local aquatic plants and animals.
Week 2: Outdoor Skills, June 19-23
Learn the basics of being an outdoorsperson as you hike, explore, and “camp-out”. Campers will work together to pitch a tent, create natural shelters, and investigate natural plant life. They’ll also enjoy nature games, hikes, and songs, as well as learn about Leave No Trace principles and camp safety.
Week 3: Aqua Adventures 2, June 26-30
Campers will go on a journey to find out what the lakes and streams in Southern Illinois have to offer. Campers will learn about life along the creeks and in Little Grassy Lake while paddling, swimming, exploring, and playing water games.
Week 5: STEAM in the Woods, July 17-21
Campers will use science, technology, engineering, arts and math all together in camp activities to make learning challenging and fun! Kids will play brain games, participate in experiments, and more! Throughout the week campers will observe and explore how all the STEAM components work together.
Week 6: Timeline of Life, July 24-28
Campers will learn through lessons and hands on learning about the creatures that have called Earth home throughout its vast history. Eons, eras, and periods will be used to organize the vast richness of extinct organisms that have existed on Earth and some that can be found in the fossil record of Illinois. Drawings, crafts, and games will bring to life various geological and paleobiologic concepts and facts. But don’t worry, active free play, lunch, and snacks will be interspersed between lessons.
Register here
- Ages 11-12
Adventure Day Camps, Ages 11-12, 8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m. $290
Adventure Camps focus on connecting to the Earth, to each other, and to ourselves as we explore the land and waters of Touch of Nature and Southern Illinois. Safety, fun and education, in that order, are our priorities as we learn and adventure in the great outdoors.
Week 1: Water Sports Week, June 12-16
Campers will learn how to protect our most important natural resource by exploring the Little Grassy Lake watershed. Campers will participate in water-based games, learn about aquatic animals, and learn to travel on the water with canoes and kayaks.
Week 2: X-treme Outdoors, June 19-23
X-treme Outdoors is the best way to try all the adventure experiences Touch of Nature has to offer. Activities include hiking, games, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing and our high ropes challenge course. You will even get to fly down our famous zip line! Get ready to go outside, have adventures and make new friends!
Week 3: Wilderness Survival, June 26-30
These adventurers will discover the beauty of Touch of Nature’s natural areas while working together through outdoor experiences. Campers will spend action-packed days filled with hiking, orienteering, shelter building and more!
Week 4: X-treme Outdoors 2, July 10-14
Adventurers will climb new heights as they go rock climbing, hiking, and on our high ropes course and zip line. Campers will get to dip their toes in the water as they kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddleboard on Little Grassy Lake or jump in the water at Rocky Ledges.
Week 5: Water Sports Week 2, July 17-21
Campers will learn how to protect our most important natural resource by exploring the Little Grassy Lake watershed. Campers will participate in water-based games, learn about aquatic animals, and learn to travel on the water with canoes and kayaks.
Week 6: X-treme Outdoors 3, July 24-28
Campers loved it so much we brought it back for yet another round. Adventurers will climb new heights as they go rock climbing, hiking, and on our high ropes course and zip line. Campers will get to dip their toes in the water as they kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddleboard on Little Grassy Lake or jump in the water at Rocky Ledges.
Register here
- Ages 13-16
Edventure Camps, Ages 13-16
These unique, high-adventure camps give future leaders the chance to work on their skills through opportunities such as challenge courses, environmental interpretation, service learning and expeditions. The first day of each camp includes orientation and checking equipment for overnight adventures.
Week 2: Backpacking Adventure Camp. June 19-23, $450
Campers will explore the beauty of the region via hiking along the River to River Trail. These backpackers will learn about environmental stewardship through Leave No Trace principles, how to cook camp meals, and build group relationships on this backpacking adventure!
Week 3: Adventure Sampler 2 Day Camp, June 26-30, $415
Campers will spend each day exploring a different adventure. A full-day mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, paddling and on our high ropes course will leave your explorers wanting more!
Week 6: Eleven Point Scenic River Trip, July 24-28, $450
During this final week of camp, explorers will learn more about backcountry and canoe travel as they discover the natural beauty of this scenic site in Missouri with its towering bluffs and rushing springs, and Class I and II rapids.
Register here
