Your museum adventure awaits this summer at the Peterborough Museum & Archives! Summer Discovery Camps will be returning for our 37th season of providing rich, diverse, fun and educational summer camps for children. With new themes weekly and a focus on education, you can expect our camps to deliver quality programming. See below for all of the details including new weekly themes, an extended pick up window to 4:45 p.m. and a youth camp for those aged 10 to 14!
Summer Discovery and Youth Leader programs have wrapped up for 2024. Hope to see you in 2025!
Register for Summer Discovery Camps Online
Day camps take place in our large air conditioned barrier free spaces (multi purpose room and Fleming Annex), the Heritage Pavilion, galleries and surrounding green space including our accessible play structure.
Summer and Junior Discovery
Youth Discovery Camp
Camp runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
If you enjoy arts and crafts, the outdoors and working with kids, you’ll want to join our dynamic Youth Leadership Team! This program is for youth aged 14 + and is a pre-requisite to volunteer in our Summer Discovery camps. Program includes orientation and training seminars the first week of July, followed by a two-week placement in our summer day camp programs.
Welcome to Camp Jellybean! Hike on over for a week of nature fun, inspired by the adventure of outdoor camping. Help us build a "campfire". sing songs, play traditional camping games, and don't forget the s'mores!
The Great Camping Adventure (Summer Discovery)
Explore the bounty of the great outdoors at Camp Jellybean! We will build a "campfire", sing songs, cook s'mores in our solar ovens, learn survival skills, go on hikes and so much more in this camping-inspired week!
Let's walk with the dinosaurs and explore the fascinating reptiles that once ruled the Earth! Campers will explore the study of paleontology, perform a dig and make their own fossils while learning about these amazing Jurassic beasts.
Do Ya Dig It? (Summer Discovery)
Can you dig it? Learn the ins and outs of archaeology and paleontology as we perform excavations, examine artifacts, create fossils, and explore the mysteries of long ago! Let’s walk with the dinosaurs, stroll with the giant mammals of the Ice Age and learn the fascinating history of prehistoric times.
Face Outer Space (Junior Discovery)
Course Code & Category: 56863 - Inspiring Play
To infinity and beyond! Meet us among the stars as we learn about space travel, the solar system and the wonders of the universe. Put on your spacesuit and get ready for an out-of-this-world adventure.
Space Explorers (Summer Discovery)
Course Code & Category: 56864 - Science & Technology
Calling all young astronauts! Join us for an epic space adventure, as we travel from earth to the far reaches of our galaxy. From space travel to the solar system and beyond, this week is all about exploring the limitless potential and mysterious wonders of outer space.
Sharks, sea turtles, and mermaids, oh my! Let’s dive into the amazing world of ocean life, marine mythology, and underwater habitats through art, experiments, and imaginative play.
What is the biggest habitat on Earth, has the largest variety of species that live in it, and is home to the biggest animal that ever existed? Well, the ocean of course! Spend the week diving into the fascinating world of the ocean, learning about marine life, adaptations and the mysterious deep sea.
We’re bugging out this week, as we explore the fascinating worlds of insects! Learn about pollination, special insect adaptations, how to catch bugs safely and the wide variety of beautiful insects that live in our own backyard. Through art, science and outdoor exploration, campers are sure to have a bug-tastic week learning about our littlest friends.
Discover some of the strongest forces of nature, as we delve into all things planet Earth! Let’s learn the science behind some of nature’s most awesome forces including volcanoes, glaciers, tidal waves, tornadoes and more. What causes these great natural events, and where do they occur? Campers will also learn the impacts of climate change and how even small actions make a difference.
Calling all builders! Get ready to put your creativity to the test, as we build bridges, skyscrapers, and more in this week of engineering fun. We will experiment with different materials including Lego, blocks and recyclables and test the strength of our creations in fun challenges!
Grab your goggles and enter our STEAM Lab! Through experiments and challenges that incorporate the 5 strands of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math) we will challenge you to think outside the box as you build, create, design and explore! Are you up for the challenge?
Get ready to let your imagination run wild in this creative camp for youth ages 10-14! Campers will learn the ins and outs of exhibition making as they design their own by creating unique and imaginative artifacts. What will you design? The sky is the limit! Follow us down the rabbit hole in this imaginative camp full of art, collaboration, and whimsy.
Drop off and pick up will be located at the Heritage Pavilion, beside the Peterborough Museum & Archives.
Please note that each program is one week in length.
Registration will open online on Monday, March 4 at 9:30 a.m. and is first-come, first-served.
Participants are required to bring the following each day to the program:
All items brought to the program require the child's first initial and last name.
Each participant will have their own dedicated cubby space to store their belongings.
No additional personal or electronic items will be permitted at the program.
No sharing of participant items will be allowed at any time.
This program is nut- and scent-sensitive.
Walking excursions may be planned over the timeline of the program. Families will be provided with communication specific to this activity in advance, if they are to occur.
We want campers to have the best experience possible while attending our programs. If you have any health or behavioural concerns regarding your child's participation, please contact us in advance to create a plan to ensure a positive camp experience.
If families and campers require additional 1:1 support while attending camp, please contact our Education Officer directly to obtain information on 1:1 support roles and the required submission of a successful vulnerable sector and police screen to attend the program with the child or youth. If a camper has 1:1 support at school, this is often an indicator they will require 1:1 support at camp.
Behaviour expectations are clearly shared with campers at the start of their camp program. Museum staff reserve the right to remove campers from programs as required. Families may be contacted for support with behaviour needs where applicable.
The Museum has a protocol for anaphylactic shock and a parental clearance form is required if your child has suffered a suspected concussion. Please see the "Participant Information Form" below for inclusion of these concerns.
In the course of all program activities, we may take photos and audio and/or visual recordings. We reserve the right to use all photographs and videos of our programs, participants, special events and facilities for promotional purposes. If you would prefer your child's image is not used in promotional material, please note this in the "Participant Information Form"
To ensure the safety and health of our participants and staff:
If your camper is unwell or will be absent, families are asked to contact the Museum to advise. If a call has not been received and children have not arrived by 9:15 a.m., camp personnel will contact families to check in.
If a camper misses camp program time due to illness, a refund is not automatically provided. The family is required to submit a medical document to the attention of the Education Officer to request a partial or full refund of the camp fee. A refund will be granted once the request has been received, pending approval.
All participants are required to have a completed participant information form, prior to the program start date. Access to the program will be denied otherwise, as registration is not complete without one for each child attending. Please click on the link below to complete the form.