
STEAM Camps
with IBG
Summer 2023
Get excited for a summer full of learning and fun with the Idaho Botanical Garden!

Camps with IBG feature hands-on STEAM-focused (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) programming that supports creativity, problem solving, and fostering a passion for the natural world. Participants in STEAM Camps with IBG will form a community of learners that conduct experiments like scientists, discover the Treasure Valley’s complex ecology, and explore our outdoor classroom and living museum.
What to consider when choosing a STEAM camp with IBG?
This summer we are excited to offer extended day programming at the Garden - over 5 hours per day!
This means learners will participate in structured activities, eat their lunch on-site, and explore our outdoor classroom in varying weather conditions.
For our new camp experiences, ideal learners will have completed Kindergarten or previously participated in a daycare and/or preschool educational setting and be at least five years of age when camp is held.
Registration for STEAM Camps with IBG is now open!
Preview of our new themes this summer for STEAM Camps with IBG below.
STEAM Career Explorations
Dates: August 7th-10th
Times: 8:30a-2:00p*
Ages: 7-9 (incoming 3rd and 4th graders), 10-12 (incoming 5th and 6th graders)
Max registration: 40 (20 per age cohort)
Price: $175/250 (member/nonmember)
Curious about what STEAM careers are out there? This week we will focus on exploring the world of STEAM as it relates to possible career paths. We will have local experts visit the Garden to share their work, learners will gain hands-on experience with technologies, and camp will include a field trip to an offsite location showcasing creativity and imagination.
*Camp programming runs 9a-1:30p, with ½ hour drop off and pick up window with supervised choice activities
The Life Beneath Our Feet (Sold Out *5-6)
Dates: June 26th-29th
Times: 8:30a-2:00p*
Ages: 5-6 (Incoming 1st and 2nd graders), 7-9 (incoming 3rd and 4th graders)
Max registration: 40 (20 per age cohort)
Price : $175/250 (member/nonmember)
What is soil? Who lives in the soil? And why are there different kinds of plant roots? Join the Idaho Botanical Garden as we explore the exciting ecosystem beneath our feet. Learners will investigate the Garden, explore soil types, watch seeds germinate, and discover the importance of soil health. Get ready to learn a lot about what happens underground - including seeing some of Earth’s smallest creatures!
*Camp programming runs 9a-1:30p, with ½ hour drop off and pick up window with supervised choice activities
Build your STEAM skill set (Sold Out *5-6)
Dates: July 24th-27th
Times: 8:30a-2:00p*
Ages: 5-6 (Incoming 1st and 2nd graders), 7-9 (incoming 3rd and 4th graders)
Max registration: 40 (20 per age cohort)
Price: $175/250 (member/nonmember)
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a scientist for a day? This fun-filled week will have endless opportunities for learners to build their observation skills, gain experience conducting experiments, and practice the scientific process. Activities to build a STEAM skill set will include taking careful field notes, learning how to read a dichotomous key to identify an organism, and thinking outside the box!
*Camp programming runs 9a-1:30p, with ½ hour drop off and pick up window with supervised choice activities
The Science Behind Amazing Adaptations
(Sold Out *7-9)
Dates: July 10th-13th
Times : 8:30a-2:00p*
Ages: 7-9 (incoming 3rd and 4th graders), 10-12 (incoming 5th and 6th graders)
Max registration: 40 (20 per age cohort)
Price: $175/250 (member/nonmember)
Has your learner ever wondered how insects view flowers or why leaves are different colors? This week will be packed with inquisitive questions for curious minds as we explore the science behind intriguing plant and animal adaptations. Hands-on experiments and demonstrations will build your learner’s confidence in describing the science behind everyday observations.
*Camp programming runs 9a-1:30p, with ½ hour drop off and pick up window with supervised choice activities
Wizarding Camp (Sold Out)
Dates: June 12th-16th
Ages: 7-12
Max registration: 15. Please contact the Discovery Center to be added to the waitlist.
Price : $450
The Discovery Center of Idaho and the Idaho Botanical Garden are excited to partner this year to provide a week of whole day programming full of hands-on magical fun! Learners will start their day at the Garden focusing on plant identification and herbology, conducting exciting experiments, and playing quidditch. Camp will end each day at The Discovery Center with time dedicated to concocting potions, practicing transfigurations, and beginner dragonology. This is a great opportunity to provide the well-rounded magical education all young wizards require! Is it science or is it magic?! Only those who attend will know!
Capes and wizard hats are encouraged. Wands will choose you when you arrive for camp.
**Transportation daily from the Idaho Botanical Garden to The Discovery Center and access to The Discovery Center’s The Fans Strike Back exhibition are included in the Wizarding camp cost.
Birds, Bats, & Botanical Fun!
Dates: July 31- August 3 (July 31 and August 1st at Zoo Boise, August 2 and 3rd at IBG)
Times: 8:45a-12:15p (camp programming runs 9a-12:00p, with 15 min. drop off and pick up window with supervised choice activities)
Ages: 7-9
Max registration: 20, registration for camp will be through the City of Boise Parks & Recreation RecTrac.
Price: $150
Zoo Boise and the Idaho Botanical Garden are excited to offer a unique summer camp experience filled with activities to build your young learner’s scientific skills. Opportunities abound for observations of relationships between different flying animals and the many plants they visit. Ultra-violet vision, echolocation, and pollination are just a few topics learners will investigate!