Experience the WILDEST camps in town!

Denver Zoo Mini-Camps offer a fun and educational way to spend those days off of school, offered during school breaks October-February.  Spring Safari and Summer Safari are week-long camps during spring break and summer vacation.

To jump to info on a specific camp, click the link below:

• Denver Zoo Mini-Camps
• Summer Safari

Denver Zoo Mini-Camps
A great alternative to sitting at home during those days out of school…participate in animal encounters, special zoo experiences, active tours, lively games and creative activities.  Camp sessions are available for kids in Pre-K through 5th grade.  Each camp runs from 9am-4pm daily, and includes morning and afternoon snacks. Early drop-off and late pick-up options are available.

Register online and see more detailed camp descriptions at www.denverzoo.org/education.
$45 per day members, $48 per day nonmembers

February 20th – Superman-imals
It's a bird… It's a plane… no, it's Superman-imals! Meet the superheroes of the animal world, with super-speed, super-strength and super-stealth.

February 21st – Dangerous & Deadly
The deadliest venom? Is it spider or snake? Delve into the realm of the dangerous and deadly-from expert predators to elusive prey!

Spring Safari – March 26-30: Call of the Wild
Howl like a wolf. Strut like a peacock. Trumpet like an elephant. Dance like a bee. Get a "wild groove" on as you discover how animals use sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, movement, body language and behaviors to send messages. Explore the many amazing and unique ways animals communicate. Sign up for one day or all of them.

Scholarships are available.  If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, do not register online.  Download the Red Apple Scholarship Fund application from our website, e-mail edsupport@denverzoo.org or call us at 303-376-4888, option 8 to have an application sent to you. 

IMPORTANT REGISTRATION GUIDELINES

• Denver Zoo Members MUST login under their 6-digit Member ID number to receive discounted member rates for mini-camp.  Your password is your zip code, unless you have previously changed your password information in the online system.
• After registration is confirmed, the Denver Zoo adheres to a NO-REFUND, NO-CREDIT, NO-SUBSTITUTION policy.  If you are unable to attend, please consider your payment a tax-deductible donation.

If I have questions regarding Mini-Camps, whom can I contact?
The easiest option is to email us at registration@denverzoo.org. You may also call 303-376-4808 for assistance.

Summer Safari

**NOTICE**
We are experiencing extremely high volume on our registration site, especially between 7:30-8:30 am. If you receive an error message, please be patient and try again; the service will return shortly. We have seen that most camps will have plenty of remaining spaces after the initial rush subsides.  Thank you again for your continuing support of Denver Zoo.

SUMMER SAFARI 2012: Animals Around the World

How’s this for a summer vacation: travel from Colorado to Africa, South America, Antarctica and Asia all in one week, without ever leaving Denver!  Connect with animals and cultures around the world through exploration of Denver Zoo - including a visit to our newest exhibit, Toyota Elephant Passage!

Summer Safari is a fun-filled educational experience for animal lovers from Pre-K through 8th grades. Campers participate in hands-on activities, zoo exploration, animal encounters and observations, crafts, games, stories, projects, and more.

Class Dates
 Download a PDF of the Dates and Schedule Grid.

Class Descriptions

PRE-K/4 Year Olds (half-day camp):
*Campers must be 4 when they come to camp

Way to Grow!
Animals grow in so many ways! From the time little ones hatch or are born they learn to live and develop- sometimes with family members and sometimes all on their own.  Watch, wonder, and play as we explore the fascinating life cycles of animals around the world, and compare them to our own. 

Happy, Healthy World
Just like kids, animals have things they need to be healthy and happy.  Are animals’ needs different around the world?  What about kids’?  Discover how Denver Zoo animals stay healthy and happy, and how both animals and people around the world are alike in what they need and enjoy.

Kindergarten -1st Grade (half–day and full-day options):

My Animal Planet
Is a monkey more like an elephant or an eagle?  Is a python more like an alligator or a frog? What would YOU need to be more like a turtle?  Put yourself in the shoes of a scientist as we explore how animals all over the world are sorted into groups.  Compare mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects to find out how our animal planet is not so big after all!

My Wild Home
Travel from plains to mountains, rainforest to ocean, and pole to pole to encounter the diverse places that animals and people call home.  Discover where kids from other cultures live, learn and play, and how you are connected to the animals who share these far away homes.  

2nd -3rd Grade:

Safari Adventure
Join us on a world safari to visit different cultures and explore their connection with animals.  In some places animals are important symbols, in others they help people get work done, and all across the globe people view different animals as companions. 

Animal Olympics
Just as the Olympic Games bring people from many countries together to compete, our Animal Olympics will compare the amazing adaptations animals use to survive in ecosystems around the globe.  In our good-natured competition, we’ll examine the environments where these animals live, and why some animals thrive, other animals survive, and some animals just can’t compete.

4th-5th Grade:

World Wildlife Investigators
Ever wonder why animals from all over the world look so different?  Put on your detective hat, conduct your own experiments and explore the zoo as we aim to uncover The Great Biodiversity Mystery.  As you unravel the case, you’ll meet creatures across the globe while exploring their connection to each other, and to you! 

6th-8th Grade:

Wild About Conservation
Did you know Denver Zoo helps animals all over the world?  Our polar bears, elephants and lions are ambassadors for their cousins in the wild that need our help.  Spend a week immersed in the world of wildlife science as you practice the same innovative methods our conservation biologists use to investigate and study the animals we are dedicated to saving.    

SUMMER SAFARI REGISTRATION
Registration begins Tuesday, January 31st at 7:30am.

Rolling Registration Dates
To meet the registration challenges resulting from high demand, we will be rolling out registration over the course of 4 days according to the following schedule:

• Tuesday January 31st: registration is open at 7:30am for the weeks of June 4-8 and June 11-15
  The following camps are SOLD OUT:
  My Animal Planet (K &1st) FULL Day – Week of June 4th
  Safari Adventure (2nd & 3rd) – Week of June 4th
  My Animal Planet (K &1st) HALF Day – AM – Week of June 11th
  Way To Grow (K & 1st) HALF Day - AM - Week of June 11th
  
  
• Wednesday February 1st: registration continues for the above weeks, and is open at 7:30am for the weeks of June 18-22 and June 25-29
  The following camps are SOLD OUT:
  Way To Grow (K & 1st) HALF Day - AM - Week of June 25th  
  
  
• Thursday February 2nd: registration continues for the above weeks, and is open at 7:30am for the weeks of July 2-6, July 9-13 and July 16-20
  
  
• Friday February 3rd: registration continues for the above weeks, and is open at 7:30am for the weeks of July 23-27, July 30-August 3 and August 6-10
  
  
• Registration will continue for all remaining spots until sold out

**Important Registration Guidelines**

• To receive your member discount: Please login before January 31st to ensure your username, password and contact information is up to date, in order to speed up registration once it is open.
• Children can only be registered by their own parent/guardian.
• Please register your child for the grade they will be entering for the next school year, in Fall 2012.  (For the 4-year old classes, children must be four by the date their class begins).  We reserve the right to cancel registrations for children registered in classes that do not match their age/grade.
• Grades Pre-K through 3rd grade have two class options. You may register your child for up to one week in each class option.  Grades 4-5 and 6-8 have one class option, so maximum registration per child is one week.
• Half-day classes are offered for Pre-K and K-1 campers.  Half-day campers can sign up for a.m. or p.m. classes, but cannot sign up for an a.m. and p.m. class in the same week.
• After registration is confirmed, the Denver Zoo adheres to a NO-REFUND, NO-CREDIT, NO-SUBSTITUTION policy.  If you are unable to attend, please consider your payment a tax-deductible donation.

SUMMER SAFARI CAMP FEES & ADD-ON OPTIONS

Lunches and Camp Tees
Participants in full-day programs must either bring a sack lunch from home every day or purchase zoo lunch for the entire week.  Lunch is not included in the camp cost.  Zoo lunches will vary daily but may include hamburgers, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, chicken fingers or pizza, and servings of fruit and vegetables daily.   Vegetarian options are available – please notify us in advance.

One Denver Zoo Summer Safari t-shirt per child is included in the camp cost.  For identification and safety, children are encouraged to wear the Summer Safari tee each day of camp.  You may purchase additional shirts in advance, when you register. 

Scholarships
If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, do not register online.  Download the Red Apple Scholarship Fund application from our website, email safari@denverzoo.org or call us at 303-376-4888, option 8 to have an application sent to you.  It is recommended you send in your application prior to the January 31, 2012 Summer Safari registration opening date.  Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received, beginning the last week in January.  Expect a response within 7-10 days.

If I have questions regarding Summer Safari, whom can I contact?
Call 303-376-4808 or email safari@denverzoo.org.  Our phone lines are very busy once registration opens, so if you reach our voicemail please leave a detailed message; we will return your call as quickly as we possibly can.  Thank you!

Important Summer Safari Paperwork
• If your child has a serious medical condition or allergy, download this PDF.
• If you did not receive confirmation paperwork, download this PDF of important Summer Safari information.