SUMMER CAMP 2026
Thank you for a fun-filled, plant-tastic 2026 season of summer camp!
Be on the lookout in late January for a full 2027 summer camp schedule. Registration will open in mid/late February, but check back on this page for updates!
CHECK IN INFORMATION
WHAT TO BRING & WEAR TO CAMP
REGISTRATION
Join us for a week of half day camp filled with adventure, discovery, and exploration in the Garden! Please see the full schedule of camps below.
Be sure to log into your Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden account to ensure you are ready for registration! Please use my.lewisginter.org/account/login to create or access your account.
During registration, you will be asked to provide information about your camper (allergies, accommodations, etc.) and emergency contact/authorized pick up information (name, phone number).
2027 GREEN ADVENTURE SUMMER CAMP SCHEDULE
The full 2027 summer camp schedule will be posted here in late January!
(SOLD OUT) Playful Pollinators | June 8 – 12, Ages 5 – 6
Come discover the magical world of bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and more through hands-on play! Explorers will learn about pollinators as we buzz through fun games, colorful nature crafts, seed planting, and exploring food and flowers in the Garden. Let’s get together to support pollinators and in turn, the greater ecosystem of plants and animals that depend on them!
(SOLD OUT) Connecting with Nature | June 8 – 12, Ages 7 – 8
Nature is magic! This week we will discover and deepen our individual and collective connection with nature through play, observation, and reflection. Through the sensory exploration of various landscapes, campers will tap into their own unique perspective and relationship with nature.
Nature Poets | June 15 – 19, Ages 9 – 10
Hear the music in the wind! See the soft smiles in the petals! This week we will explore the intersections of poetry and nature. We will read aloud, perform, write, and get inspired with garden walks, games, and crafts.
(SOLD OUT) Wild Art | June 22 – 26, Ages 5 – 6
Explore your creative side! Nature is full of shapes, colors, textures, and sounds, each having their own beauty. We’ll be using our skills of observation and imagination to explore these aspects, then use them to create our own vibrant art!
(SOLD OUT) Hola Alebrijes! | June 22 – 26, Ages 7 – 8
If you could invent a new animal, would it have talons like a hawk, a shell like a turtle, or wings like a butterfly? Why not all three! This week we’ll enjoy the Alebrijes: Creatures of a Dream World exhibit visiting our garden with games and activities that celebrate these colorful creatures. Their roots in Mexican Folk Art make this the perfect week for lots of arts and crafts projects like painting and papier-mâché!
(SOLD OUT) Plant Magic | July 6 – 10, Ages 9 – 10
Sign up for this camp to experience the colors, flavors, and magic of plants! We will explore how the properties of plants can cause exciting transformations. Campers will participate in arts and crafts activities, science experiments and even make some snacks!
(SOLD OUT) Garden Artisan | July 6 – 10, Ages 11 – 12
Discover all the Garden has to offer! Join us for a week of garden exploration and harvest as we use our gathered bounty to inspire and create! Together we will craft goods to eat, display, and use. Campers are invited to share their creations with family and friends, but they might just want to keep it all to themselves!
(SOLD OUT) Nature Detectives | July 13 – 17, Ages 5 – 6
Grab your magnifying glass and get ready to uncover the secrets of nature! In this mystery-filled camp, young detectives will search for nature clues, create nature-inspired crafts, and make hands-on discoveries about the world around them. By Friday, campers will have gathered enough evidence as a group to solve the case of the whodunit mystery and save the garden!
(SOLD OUT) What’s Cookin’? | July 13 – 17, Ages 7 – 8
We will explore the relationship between plants and humans through farm-to-table crafting and cooking! We will learn what sort of plants we grow, what parts of plants we eat, and what other things we can use them for in our lives, while fostering a curiosity and respect for nature.
(SOLD OUT) Herb-alicious | July 20 – 24, Ages 5 – 6
Have you ever wondered where honey is made, or how to heal a common bug bite without leaving your yard? Did you know that there is a plant that is 100 times sweeter than sugar that is good for your teeth? Campers will learn to do it themselves in this hands-on exploration of the garden. Each day, campers will collect the skills to harvest, chop, measure, and mix culinary creations and stock their herbal toolkit fresh from the garden.
(SOLD OUT) Surviving Nature | July 20 – 24, Ages 7 – 8
What would you do if one day you woke up as a mouse? What about a deer? Would you know where to find food? Where do you hide from predators? In Nature Survivors, we will spend the week immersing ourselves in a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure epic journey around the Garden finding out if we could survive in nature.
(SOLD OUT) Vamos al Jardín! | July 27 – 31, Ages 5 – 6
Esta semana vamos a practicar nuestro español con juegos, cuentos, y proyectos de arte mientras que exploramos el jardín! (This week we’ll practice our Spanish with games, stories, and art projects while we explore the garden!) We’ll celebrate the garden through a bilingual lens while enjoying classic Lewis Ginter summer camp activities like meeting the critters in the compost pile, visiting our butterfly gallery, and cooling off in our Waterway splash pad!
Connecting with Nature | July 27 – 31, Ages 9 – 10
Nature is magic! This week we will discover and deepen our individual and collective connection with nature through play, observation, and reflection. Through the sensory exploration of various landscapes, campers will tap into their own unique perspective and relationship with nature.
(SOLD OUT) Cryptic Creatures | August 3 – 7, Ages 5 – 6
What lurks in the lake? What hides in the hills? Flutters among the flowers? This week we will be exploring the magical and mystical creatures that exist in the garden and our imaginations. We will talk to mermaids, build fairy houses, and design our own cryptids and critters!
(SOLD OUT) Adaptation Station | August 3 – 7, Ages 7 – 8
Why are cacti so spiky? How do turtles survive so long underwater? In Adaptation Station, campers will explore how plants and animals survive and thrive in wild and wonderful ways in nature. From camouflage challenges to habitat explorations, this camp is sure to be perfect for curious learners that love nature!
For questions please contact:
Anna Gale, Out of School Learning Manager, at [email protected] or 804.262.9887 extension 239.
Refund/Cancellation Policy: Camp registration fees are fully refundable, up until one week prior to the start of your child’s camp, minus a $15 cancellation fee. Exceptions may be made in the case of illness or family emergency.
Please note: We will adhere to strict age guidelines, please ensure your camper is registered for their appropriate age group.
To keep everyone healthy and safe, please do not send your child to camp if they have or have had symptoms of COVID-19 (and have not been tested) or have tested positive within the past 14 days. Per CDC guidelines, campers may attend camp if they have quarantined for five days, have been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication, and their symptoms are improving. They must wear a well-fitted mask when around others for 10 days after exposure or positive test result.
Please note that all policies are subject to change if we determine a higher level of precaution is necessary to keep campers, staff, and volunteers safe.