NHMU Summer Camp 2023 FAQ's

We are putting final touches on registration and will post that information by mid-February.

No. Only members at the Family, Naturalist, Curator, and Copper Club levels will receive information regarding priority and early registration.

Camp registration closes one week prior to each session, unless they fill sooner.

The Natural History Museum of Utah is located at 301 Wakara Way, in Research Park, south of Red Butte Garden. 

You will be asked to supply your personal address, phone, and emergency contact information as well as the grade level they will be entering in the fall of 2023, plus any allergies or medical information we need to be aware of.

Some parents wonder why we ask for certain personal/medical information about your child. After all, in some ways, it is none of our business! What IS our business is your child's success at our camp. The more we know about your child before they come to camp, the better we can prepare our staff, and the more we can work together to make your child's camp experience as positive and rewarding as possible.

When you send your child to camp, you entrust us with their care. We want you to think of us as your partner in your child's well-being. We can only keep our end of the partnership if we have the information to prepare our team and ensure your child is well cared for and free to have the best time ever.

There have been times when, because we didn't know about a particular child's needs, we could not respond to their behavior properly and they were unable to remain at camp. The better prepared we are before camp, the better we can help your child be successful once they are here.

We are continually updating our Communicable Disease policies as new information and recommendations come out from the American Camp Association and the CDC. Information for 2023 will be posted in mid-February.

Yes, but you will need to fill in the information for one camper, then add the next camper by going back to the camp page and adding another camp session to your shopping cart.

You must hit the ‘add to cart’ button to save your spot in the camp and finish the payment process.

We do not offer a wait list due to the staff time required to manage it. Instead, we'll open a link on the registration pages to any open spots that become available. Spots will be on a first come, first served basis.

No. If a parent has informed us that their child will not be attending a camp, we will re-open the registration link. If we are not informed of a cancelation ahead of time and an individual does not show up on the first day, their spot is held for them until they let us know they are not attending.

All campers MUST be checked-in each day by a parent/guardian. We highly recommend that only one parent/guardian drop-off the camper each day. Check-in will open 15 minutes before the camp's start time. We will only offer curbside drop-off. You'll follow the signs to the Museum's turnaround and follow staff directions. Remain in your vehicle and staff will come to your car to greet you, get your name and the name of your camper. Campers will then head to their assigned camp cohort and dedicated staff, who will be waiting outside to greet them. 

Campers will not be allowed to be dropped-off before their published arrival time. Late arrivals must call and be checked in separately.

Families will receive a placard with their child's name and camp session to place on their dashboard. You will receive these on the first day of your child's first session. If you are attending multiple sessions, feel free to reuse the permits.

Campers must be checked-out each afternoon. We will only be offering curbside pick-up in the Museum turnaround. Check-out will take place directly after camp has ended. Pull into the Museum's turnaround, follow the signage and staff directions. Remain in your vehicle and wait for staff to come to you. Be sure your child's placard is visable on your dashboard. 

If campers are not picked up within 15 minutes of their camp session ending and have not made prior arrangements with camp staff, parents will be charged $1 per minute. Cash payment will be collected at the time of pick up.

 

We have many fun and exciting activities for your child to enjoy during camp and encourage you to be on time and to allow them to stay for their entire camp experience each day. Late drop-offs and early pick-ups impact the camp experience for the entire cohort as we get kids caught up with activities or need to get them ready to leave early.

If you know that you will be late for drop-off or need to pick your child up early, be certain to let the Camp Director know via email so that we can best accommodate you. Use the turnaround, call the number on the sign, and staff will come out to assist you.

Yes! Camp staff are always at check in and are happy to talk with you. If you have questions about any portion of the camp experience, reach out to the Camp Director via email.

All camp sessions for 2023 will be Monday-Thursday. No camp on Fridays.  

Kindergarten sessions run from 9:00am - Noon and from 1:00 - 4:00pm, first grade sessions from 9:00am - 4:00pm, and second through sixth grade sessions will run from 8:30am - 4:30pm. 

We create developmentally appropriate camp curriculum and our instructors are comfortable working with a wide range of learning styles and levels within that curriculum. We have found that children have the best experiences at camp when they participate in camps at their grade level. While some children may have the intellectual capacity to understand the concepts presented in camps for higher-grade levels, they usually have the best social interactions with children who are the same age. Since camp involves many group activities as well as time to socialize and make new friends, being comfortable with his/her peers is very important to a child’s enjoyment of camp. Therefore, we adhere to our grade-level groupings and work hard to make each camp an outstanding experience for all participants.

No. Campers are responsible for bringing their own non-refrigerated lunch from home along with waterbottle. Be sure that campers’ names are clearly marked on their lunch bag or box. We offer a supervised lunch hour from Noon to 1:00pm that includes time to explore outside.

Yes, we provide access to water at all times. Campers will need to bring their own reusable water bottles.

No, but we will provide time once per morning and afternoon for campers to go outside and enjoy a snack brought from home. Be sure your camper has two substantial snacks (active kids are hungry kids!) and a waterbottle.

No. Campers should bring their own snacks and lunches, along with a waterbottle.

Most of our teaching staff are elementary or secondary school teachers. Several also work here at the Museum in our School or Public Programming departments. We also have teen assistants helping with each camp session and keep a high staff to camper ratio.  All staff are selected for their energy, enthusiasm and aptitude for science. All camp staff are trained to work with students in informal settings and have successfully completed a required background check. 

Campers should dress in comfortable clothing that may get messy. For safety, we highly recommend closed-toe shoes (for some sessions, closed-toe shoes are required). Please dress your camper for the weather. We plan to go outside each and every day, rain or shine!

Many summer camps include outdoor activities, and all camp sessions go outside for snack and lunch times. Please remember to prepare campers with a hat, rain gear or other weather-appropriate clothing along with applied sunscreen. 

Call 801-585-3948 to speak to the Camp Director. If for some reason she is not available, contact our Guest Services staff at 801-581-6927. Messages will be relayed to camp staff immediately.

Campers are supervised at all times and are escorted on restroom breaks. We have once again limited our camp sizes this summer. Camp size will depend upon grade ranges. All sessions will have at least 2 staff, if not 3. 

No. Parents/guardians/visitors are not allowed to remain in classrooms. Our camps are supervised by education professionals and aim to promote independent learning and socialization opportunities for your children. If you feel that your child is unable to remain in camp without you, it may be best to wait a year before you send him/her to camp.

Camp instructors review camper expectations on the first day of each camp session. Our expectations are as follows:

• Listen and follow instructions
• Participate in camp activities to the best of your abilities
• Respect others and Museum property
• Have fun learning and making new friends!

The Museum reserves the right to send a camper home due to inappropriate behavior without a refund. A child may be allowed to return to camp the following day at the Museum's discretion.

The University of Utah's Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action provides a process for all participants of University programs to seek reasonable accommodations for a disability. If you believe your child would benefit from the services offered through OEO, please contact them directly at or 801-581-8365.

We are committed to fostering a safe, positive, and responsive environment that is free of discrimination, violence, and bullying. With this in mind, NHMU has instituted a Bullying Prevention Policy. If camp staff becomes aware of a situation where camp expectations are not being met, affected parties will be spoken with to resolve difficulties. If tensions still persist, parents will be brought in and steps will be taken to ensure a quality experience is upheld. If things do not improve, the Camp Director has the authority to remove a child from camp, without a refund. Before returning for another camp, parents and their camper are required to meet with the Camp Director to review behavior expectations.

Check the expiration date on your Museum Membership card. You can also contact our Membership Team at 801-585-9054 or .

In many cases, camp tuition can be used as a childcare tax credit. For your reference, the Museum’s tax ID number is 87-6000525.

If you need to transfer your child out of one camp session and into a different camp session, you may do so (if there is space available) until three weeks before the original camp date/time. Please register your child for the desired camp and then email the Camp Director at . Let us know your camper's name and what camp you need to withdraw them from. A refund, less a $15 transfer fee, will be credited to your credit card for the original camp.
 

If you need to cancel your child’s camp registration, email the Camp Director at least 2 weeks prior to the program start date at . If we are able to fill your spot, you will receive a full refund, less a $15 fee. If we are not able to fill your spot, we will refund 60% of your registration fee. Registrations canceled two weeks or less prior to the camp start date, will not receive a refund.

COVID-19 Related Refund Policy

If NHMU needs to cancel a program due to a COVID-19 exposure, potential exposure and/or for contact tracing reasons, program participants will receive a pro-rated refund. For example, if a camp session is cancelled due to a direct COVID-19 exposure on Tuesday, participants will be refunded for Wednesday and Thursday.
 

For our 2023 season, kindergarten sessions will cap at 10 kids and 2 staff; first through sixth grade sessions will cap at 16 kids and 2-3 staff.