The zoo has you covered with the wildest weeks of programming available in Michigan! Each day of camp includes a variety of hands-on experiences, animal presentations, and adventures typical zoo visitors don’t have.
We have a great camp season planned for 2024! We will offer both morning and afternoon sessions each week of Zookambi for kids entering grades 1-7. We will offer both morning and afternoon extended care.
Zookambi will operate with the health and safety of campers, staff, and animals as a high priority. Mitigation measures will be in place including frequent hand washing, increased cleaning, and more time outdoors to ensure an engaging and safe experience for all. We encourage all eligible campers be vaccinated prior to the start of camp.
Zookambi registration is open! REGISTER NOW!
When registering, please note the availability section on the right hand side of the registration page. If a class is full, this will be indicated with “waitlist” under the availability section. Registering for a full class will put you on the waitlist. As spots become available, you will be notified in the order you were waitlisted.
Membership saves you money, so if you aren’t already a member, join today!
For those interested in giving summer camp as a gift, please call 517-342-2713.
Cost
| Regular | Member | |
|---|---|---|
| Half Day Program (9am – 12pm or 1pm – 4pm) | $150 per week | $135 per week |
| Full Day Program (9am – 4pm) | $300 per week | $270 per week |
| AM & PM Extended Care (add-on) | $50 for each section per week (AM & PM purchased separately) | $50 for each section per week (AM & PM purchased separately) |
Check out the schedule and descriptions in the tabs below:
Entering Grades 1-2
Please note that class themes and descriptions are the same as the previous year; however, many of the activities will be different.
Week 1- June 10-14, 2024
Wild Tales (morning)
The ugly duckling, the three little pigs, the tortoise and the hare… stories about animals are everywhere! Join us for this week-long exploration of some of our favorite stories about animals!
Creature Power (afternoon)
Owl flight and Lion roar! Penguin dives and Eagle soar! Our creatures have some AMAZING powers! During our one week mission, we’ll explore some of the incredible abilities our animals use to leap, glide, hide, and hunt in the wild and see how we stack up when we test our own incredible creature powers!
Week 2- June 17-21, 2024
What’s for Lunch? (morning)
Anyone up for a hearty helping of mashed meal worms? This week, we’ll explore how animals find food in the wild while keeping from becoming food themselves! Head to Potter Park Zoo to get a glimpse of what’s on the menu this week for your favorite animals—meal worms and all.
All in the Family (afternoon)
Mobs of meerkats, ambushes of tigers and waddles of penguins…oh my! Animal families are all very different! Join us as we learn about animal families here at Potter Park Zoo!
Week 3- June 24-28, 2024
Sensational Zoo (morning)
Why is the lion making a funny face? It just might have something to do with the wonderful ways that animals see, hear, smell, touch and taste their environment. We’ll have a sense-ational week discovering how animals perceive the world and solving mysteries about animal behavior.
Wild for Art Jr (afternoon)
Did you know that rhinos paint? So can you! Join us for a week-long adventure painting, drawing, and crafting our way through the zoo!
Week 4- July 15-19, 2024
Wild Tales (morning)
The ugly duckling, the three little pigs, the tortoise and the hare… stories about animals are everywhere! Join us for this week-long exploration of some of our favorite stories about animals!
Creature Power (afternoon)
Owl flight and Lion roar! Penguin dives and Eagle soar! Our creatures have some AMAZING powers! During our one week mission, we’ll explore some of the incredible abilities our animals use to leap, glide, hide, and hunt in the wild and see how we stack up when we test our own incredible creature powers!
Week 5- July 22-26, 2024
Just Like Me (morning)
Have you ever wanted to be like a lion? Well you may not look much like the king of the jungle on the surface, but if you look a little closer you’ll see that you’re really not that different!
Welcome Home (afternoon)
Just like our houses, animals live in homes of all different shapes and sizes: burrows, nests, dens, caves and more! See how our animals live here at Potter Park Zoo and in the wild.
Week 6- July 29-August 2, 2024
It’s Not Easy Being Green (morning)
Hop, slither, or climb your way down to Potter Park Zoo where we’ll explore the world of amphibians and reptiles. During our week-long adventure through the scaly slimy world of herps, we will learn about what makes these animals unique and what we can do to help them survive in the wild.
Happenin’ Habitats (afternoon)
Tropical forests, frozen tundras, and dry deserts… Animals live everywhere! Join us as we explore the world’s biomes and learn how animals use their unique adaptations to find food and survive in these very different areas.
Week 7- August 5-9, 2024
A Bug’s Life (morning)
Come join us for a week-long safari exploring the crazy, colorful, and complex world of insects! We’ll use our explorer skills to find insect homes, learn to identify some common Michigan insects, and discover how insects interact with many of our animals at the zoo!
Earth Superheroes (afternoon)
Do you like superheroes? Have you imagined becoming one? You can! Join us to learn about things that you can do at home to be an Earth Superhero and protect the important animals and plants with whom we share our planet!
Ready to register your camper? Register here!
Entering Grades 3-4
Please note that class themes and descriptions are the same as the previous year; however, many of the activities will be different.
Week 1- June 10-14, 2024
Zoolympics (morning)
Are you an athlete or sports fan? Want to find out which animal would take home the gold medal in the 100 meter dash or high jump? Come learn about some of the amazing athletes of the animal kingdom and see if you can take home your own medal when you test your skills in the Zoolympic Games!
Around the World (afternoon)
Grab your passport because we’re traveling around the globe, and you don’t even need to leave your favorite zoo! Each day will bring new adventures as we explore different continents to learn more about how humans and animals share the unique environments they call home!
Week 2- June 17-21, 2024
Wild for Art (morning)
Animals have been a source of inspiration for artists ever since the first cave paintings. It’s time to pull out your pencils, markers, and more and search around the zoo for inspiration to create our own masterpieces!
Vet Med Jr (afternoon)
Love animals? Want to be a vet or vet tech? Join us for a week of fun animal health activities! You’ll learn about how animal bodies work and what our vet does every day to keep our animals healthy here at Potter Park Zoo!
Week 3- June 24-28, 2024
Grossology Jr (morning)
Animals do some weird, fascinating, and completely gross things! From throwing up to eating their own poop, you’ll investigate with us how being gross can actually be good for animals.
Nature’s Engineers (afternoon)
Ever wondered how beavers build dams? Or how spiders spin webs? Or why some birds build really fancy nests but others are simple? Come unravel the mysteries behind the amazing and unique structures that animals build.
Week 4- July 15-19, 2024
Flying Wild (morning)
Prepare yourself for a fast-paced flight through the world of winged animals. We’ll learn about the unique adaptations these animals have that allow them to soar, dive, and wing their way through the skies.
Planet Protectors (afternoon)
Planet Earth is our home and it needs protecting! Join us at Potter Park Zoo to learn about some of the challenges facing our planet and the animals who inhabit it as well as thing you can do every day to help make a difference!
Week 5- July 22-26, 2024
Wildlife Detectives (morning)
Do you like a good mystery? Is following clues to find answers your thing? This is the summer camp for you! Come build your skills as a wildlife detective and learn about the different signs that animals leave behind. Get your magnifying glasses ready!
Vet Med Jr (afternoon)
Love animals? Want to be a vet or vet tech? Join us for a week of fun animal health activities! You’ll learn about how animal bodies work and what our vet does every day to keep our animals healthy here at Potter Park Zoo!
Week 6- July 29-August 2, 2024
The Power of Pollinators (morning)
Bees, butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds! Why do all these tiny critters have a BIG impact on our world? Learn about the power of pollinators, and how we can help them, through games, crafts, and activities.
Dare to be Different (afternoon)
There are millions of species on our planet and they’re all different! Join us as we explore and celebrate the differences that exist in the animal kingdom that allow them to survive and thrive in very different habitats – from the north pole to the tropics!
Week 7- August 5-9, 2024
Just Misunderstood (morning)
Have you heard stories about rotten rats, sinister snakes, and blood-sucking bats? Did you know that most of them just aren’t true? Join us this week to hear the other side of the story as we dispel some of the myths, mysteries, and negative stereotypes around some of our wonderful but misunderstood animals.
Water Water Everywhere (afternoon)
Water is all around us! From lakes to ponds to the Red Cedar River that runs past the zoo, water is teeming with animal life. Learn about animals that live in or near water through hands-on activities and explorations.
Ready to register your camper? Register here!
Entering Grades 5-7
Please note that class themes and descriptions are the same as the previous year; however, many of the activities will be different. Animal CSI activities will remain the same due to the nature of the class.
Week 1- June 10-14, 2024
Puzzles, Presents and Piñatas (morning)
Keeping our animals mentally engaged is a key part of making sure they have excellent welfare. Join us this week as we learn about and design games, puzzles, and other enrichment items to help our animals stay happy and healthy! You’ll also have the opportunity to see some animals interact with your creations!
Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) (afternoon)
Be a conservation hero! Zoos and aquariums work together to save endangered animals, and part of that work is done through a global effort called SAFE. Learn about the animals that are part of this project, including our own black rhinos! You will also discover little ways YOU can make a big difference to wildlife, through games, projects, and more!
Week 2- June 17-21, 2024
So You Want to Work at the Zoo? (morning)
Do you like asking questions and learning why things work the way they do? Then this class is for you! Take on the role of a scientist, a behavioral analyst, an architect and many more exciting roles. Discover what it means to work at a zoo!
Habitat Design (afternoon)
Have you ever wondered what it takes to design and build a zoo habitat? Do you have an interest in architecture or like building models? Come explore habitat design at Potter Park Zoo! We will examine the different habitats at the zoo to see how animal spaces have improved from the days of concrete cages with steel bars to the spectacular naturalistic habitats we have today. Then we’ll try our hands at constructing our own model habitats.
Week 3- June 24-28, 2024
Animal CSI (morning)
We need your help!! A crime has occurred at Potter Park Zoo and we need you to analyze the crime scene. Using careful observations, amazing skills of deduction, and the same type of scientific investigation methods used by real Animal Cops, help us figure out what happened and who committed the dastardly deed!
Vet Med (afternoon)
So you want to be a vet? Great! Come get a head start at Potter Park Zoo! We’ll be spending the week exploring surgical techniques, lab tests, and first aid skills that real veterinarians use every day! You’ll also get to try your hand at figuring out what’s wrong with one of our animal patients in Friday’s diagnostic challenge!
Week 4- July 15-19, 2024
Grossology (morning)
Animals do some weird, fascinating, and completely gross things! From regurgitation to urination, you’ll investigate with us how being gross can actually be good for animals.
Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) (afternoon)
Be a conservation hero! Zoos and aquariums work together to save endangered animals, and part of that work is done through a global effort called SAFE. Learn about the animals that are part of this project, including our own black rhinos! You will also discover little ways YOU can make a big difference to wildlife, through games, projects, and more!
Week 5- July 22-26, 2024
So You Want to Work at the Zoo? (morning)
Do you like asking questions, and learning why things work the way they do? Then this class is for you! Take on the role of a scientist, a behavioral analyst, an architect and many more exciting roles. Discover what it means to work at a zoo!
Habitat Design (afternoon)
Have you ever wondered what it takes to design and build a zoo habitat? Do you have an interest in architecture or like building models? Come explore habitat design at Potter Park Zoo! We will examine the different habitats at the zoo to see how animal spaces have improved from the days of concrete cages with steel bars to the spectacular naturalistic habitats we have today. Then we’ll try our hands at constructing our own model habitats.
Week 6- July 29-August 2, 2024
Animal CSI (morning)
We need your help!! A crime has occurred at Potter Park Zoo and we need you to analyze the crime scene. Using careful observations, amazing skills of deduction, and the same type of scientific investigation methods used by real Animal Cops, help us figure out what happened and who committed the dastardly deed!
Vet Med (afternoon)
So you want to be a vet? Great! Come get a head start at Potter Park Zoo! We’ll be spending the week exploring surgical techniques, lab tests, and first aid skills that real veterinarians use every day! You’ll also get to try your hand at figuring out what’s wrong with one of our animal patients in Friday’s diagnostic challenge!
Week 7- August 5-9, 2024
Aliens Among Us (morning)
Have you ever had that feeling that something was lurking near you that didn’t belong? Well, you were right! Fish with crazy saw-like mouths, flying disease factories… aliens from another ecosystem! Join us this week to learn more about invasive species.
Art Safari (afternoon)
Wait, what? The zoo is an art gallery? You bet! From graphics on signs to landscaping, exhibit design, sculpture and photography, there are many ways that art is used and made throughout the zoo. We will explore the art here at the zoo, and try our hand at creating some of our own!
