Nature Adventures™ Camps & Classes
Throughout the year, we offer camps that bring kids into contact with nature and get them excited about science. Wondering about camp details or funding? Check out our frequently asked questions and scholarships pages. Being a Member has its perks, including early registration for some membership levels in summer and camp discounts for all levels year-round. Become a Member today. If you're a Member and haven't yet received a camp discount code email, contact csipiora@sbnature2.org for help.
Quick Links
- Registration opens February 6 at 3:00 PM for Spring Break Camps
(March 30–April 3) - Daily breakdown of Spring Break Camps
- Member registration opens March 6 at 3:00 PM for Summer Camps
- Public registration opens March 13 at 3:00 PM for Summer Camps
Spring Break Camps: March 30–April 3
Museum
Ages 4–5 / Museum / Monday–Friday / 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with option of 5:00 PM extended day / $400
Join us on a springtime adventure, we will be diving into the adventure that is the spring equinox and emerging flowers and pollinators. We will be searching high and low for evidence of the changing season, by investigating the changes we are seeing right in front of our eyes we will deepen our knowledge of the spring season.
Ages 6–7 / Museum / Monday–Friday / 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with option of 5:00 PM extended day / $400
Join us on a springtime adventure, we will be diving into the adventure that is the spring equinox and emerging flowers and pollinators. We will be searching high and low for evidence of the changing season, by investigating the changes we are seeing right in front of our eyes we will deepen our knowledge of the spring season.
Ages 8–10 / Museum / Monday–Friday / 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with option of 5:00 PM extended day / $400
Join us on a springtime adventure, we will be diving into the adventure that is the spring equinox and emerging flowers and pollinators. We will be searching high and low for evidence of the changing season, by investigating the changes we are seeing right in front of our eyes we will deepen our knowledge of the spring season.
Daily Breakdown
- Monday
Spring equinox and signs of change in the season. (spring explained from a planetary perspective) - Tuesday
Flowers and nectar, learning how plants grow from seeds and support the whole ecosystem. (plants and flowers, the basis of an ecosystem) - Wednesday
Bugs, birds and wasps, the pollinators of the season, and the predators that keep everything in check. (pollinators) - Thursday
Water, wilderness and the life at the creek’s edge. (hydrology and creek life) - Friday
Spring has sprung—now what? (conservation and caring for our environment)
Summer Camps: June 15–August 14
Schedule at a Glance
(Want more description? Jump to camp details below.)
June 15–19
Museum: Planet Earth & Beyond, the Search for Habitable Worlds (ages 4–12)
Sea Center: Titans of the Deep (ages 5–6)
June 22–26
Museum: Secrets of Science & Magic (ages 4–12, no camp June 26)
Sea Center: Titans of the Deep (ages 7–8)
June 29–July 3
Museum: Under Logs and in the Trees: Bugs All Around Us (ages 4–12)
Sea Center: Titans of the Deep (ages 9–11)
July 6–10
Museum: Tar & Stone, Creatures of the Pleistocene (ages 4–12)
Sea Center: Rocky Shores & Changing Tides (ages 5–6)
July 13–17
Museum: Wild Neighbors: Chaparral Mammals (ages 4–12)
Sea Center: Rocky Shores & Changing Tides (ages 7–8)
July 20–24
Museum: Planet Earth & Beyond, the Search for Habitable Worlds (ages 4–12)
Sea Center: Rocky Shores & Changing Tides (ages 9–11)
July 27–31
Museum: Under Logs and in the Trees: Bugs All Around Us (ages 4–12)
Sea Center: Seagrass & Seaweed (ages 5–6)
August 3–7
Museum: Tar & Stone, Creatures of the Pleistocene (ages 4–12)
Sea Center: Sea Center: Seagrass & Seaweeds (ages 7–8)
August 10–14
Museum: Wild Neighbors: Chaparral Mammals (ages 4–12)
Sea Center: Titans of the Deep (ages 9–11)
Camp Details
Museum
Camps listed at the Museum as serving ages 4–12 are actually separate camps grouped by ages 4–5, 6–7, 8–9, and 10–12. (Looking for marine science? Jump to Sea Center camps below.)
Planet Earth & Beyond, the Search for Habitable Worlds
Ages 4–12 / Museum / June 15–19 / 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with option of 5:00 PM extended day / $400
From Goldilocks zones and molten cores to the search for life on planet Earth and beyond, we will be exploring what it takes for life to exist on planet Earth. Using our own planet as a baseline for life, we will build models and develop theories on what would be needed for other life. No camp about space would be complete without a rocket launch and parachute drop to begin our exploration of alien planets in the search for life.
Wild Neighbors: Chaparral Mammals
Ages 4–12 / Museum / July 13–17 or August 10–14 / 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with option of 5:00 PM extended day / $400
From foxes and deer to rabbits and Coyotes, the chaparral is full of four-legged survivors! Campers will explore how local mammals are specially adapted to handle hot summers, wet winters, and limited water. Through hands-on discovery and outdoor exploration, kids will uncover the secrets that help these animals thrive right in our own backyard.
Tar & Stone, Creatures of the Pleistocene
Ages 4–12 / Museum / July 6–10 or August 3–7 / 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with option of 5:00 PM extended day / $400
Everyone knows about mammoths and saber-toothed cats, but what about the ground sloths, sea cows, and bison that all lived in Santa Barbara? We will be exploring the amazing world of the Pleistocene and learning about modern-day ways their world is informing ours. We will be having a special guest visit with campers to talk about studying and excavating these prehistoric animals and what scientists are learning currently from their remains!
Under Logs and in the Trees: Bugs All Around Us
Ages 4–12 / Museum / June 29–July 3 or July 27–31 / 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with option of 5:00 PM extended day / $400
Bugs are everywhere—and they make up more than half of all living creatures on Earth! In this camp, campers will explore the incredible diversity of insects and their relatives, from armored isopods and master-architect arachnids to honey bees and our native solitary bees. Through hands-on investigation and close observation, kids will discover how these tiny creatures have evolved a wide variety of body plans, behaviors, and survival strategies that allow them to thrive on land, in the air, and even in the sea. Along the way, campers will learn why bugs are essential to healthy ecosystems—and why our world wouldn’t work without them.
Secrets of Science & Magic
Ages 4–12 / Museum / June 22–26 / 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with option of 5:00 PM extended day / $400
In this four-day camp, campers will explore and discover some amazing elements of the natural world! From illusions and light tricks to chemical reactions and physics experiments, children will uncover the secrets behind the wonders they see every day. Campers will work together, make hands-on discoveries, and learn how curiosity and creativity turn questions into awe-inspiring experiences. The week culminates in a special magic show where campers share what they’ve learned—and reveal the scientific secrets behind the illusions!
Sea Center
Titans of the Deep
Ages 5–6 June 15–19, ages 7–8 June 22–26, ages 9–11 June 29–July 3 or August 10–14 / Sea Center / 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with option of 5:00 PM extended day / $400
Come explore the deep seas with us at the Sea Center! From 1,000 feet to a mile down, we will explore the wild diversity of life in the Santa Barbara Channel, focusing on those creatures that call the deep seas home. In this camp we will not only learn about the massive creatures but the complex web of life that allows them to prosper in the channel.
Rocky Shores & Changing Tides
Ages 5–6 July 6–10, ages 7–8 July 13–17, ages 9–11 July 20–24 / Sea Center / 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with option of 5:00 PM extended day / $400
Santa Barbara has some of the coolest tidepools we have ever seen! Together we will learn about everything from sea stars and urchins to the adorable sea hares and Opalescent Nudibranchs! If the seas are favorable, we may even be able to see them in the wild at the Wet Deck or from the shores near the Sea Center. Beyond the creatures, we will learn what causes the tides and how they are changing, and the effects on our beaches.
Seagrass & Seaweed
Ages 5–6 July 27–31, ages 7–8 August 3–7 / Sea Center / 9:00 AM–3:00 PM with option of 5:00 PM extended day / $400
To the casual observer, seagrass and seaweed both look like plants, but in reality, they are two different types of organisms! Seaweed is a complex web of algae, and seagrass is an aquatic plant. We will be observing and dissecting these amazing organisms and seeing what life they support. We will be harvesting some of these amazing organisms that wash up on our shores and bringing them into the classroom, using scientific tools and measurements. We will learn how they do everything from attach to the sea floor to creating pockets of gas that give them buoyancy.
Contact Us
Questions? Please email Nature Adventures Manager Clay Sipiora at csipiora@sbnature2.org or call 805-682-4711 ext. 136.
Registration Portal 
