Health Information

If your child has a medical condition, severe allergy, dietary restrictions, or other special need, please note this during your registration. Fields used to outline any special needs are designated on both online and paper forms. If you have special concerns, please call (651) 221-9444.

If your child has been exposed to anyone that has a positive COVID-19 test result, or showing COVID-19 related symptoms, you are required to contact the Science Museum as soon as possible at (651) 221-9444 with the child's name, your name, camp title, date of exposure or symptoms, and follow-up contact number. 

If your child demonstrates COVID-19 symptoms while at camp, they will be isolated until a parent or caregiver can be contacted to pick them up.

What to Wear/Bring

The museum is not responsible for lost, missing, or damaged personal items.

• All camps include a 15-minute snack/play break. Due to allergies and dietary restrictions, the Science Museum does not provide snacks to campers. Please send peanut-free snacks in your child’s lunch bag if you so choose. Campers with allergy concerns will be given access to allergen-free space to enjoy their snack.

• If attending camps or classes all day, bring a bag lunch and a drink.

• Wear closed-toed shoes and comfortable clothing that can get messy.

• Shoes with wheels are prohibited at the museum and in museum programs.

• Please leave valuables like collectible cards and personal electronics at home.

Due to COVID-19, we advise to only bring required items from home such as a mask or mask and shield combo, a small bag for snacks, and any medications needed while on-site. Please do not bring other items from home such as toys. All items brought must be able to fit in the small bag that must stay with your child at all times. 

Behavior Policy

In order to make the experience of our programs a positive one for all students and staff, we have established the following policy to manage chronic behavior incidents, classroom disruptions, and/or safety issues.

Our staff fills out written reports in cases of chronic behavioral or disruptive incidents. If two report forms involving disruption of the whole class, ongoing verbal abuse, leaving the group, or refusal to follow disciplinary or instructional directions are filled out on one child, a parent or guardian will be contacted.

Any child not wearing a mask, maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet from other campers, washing hands or using hand sanitizer upon request, or otherwise not following safety guidelines for COVID-19 safety could be removed from the program.

If one report form involving endangering of self, staff, or other students, unsafe use of equipment, or failure to comply with COVID-19 safety guidelines is filled out on one child, a parent or guardian will be contacted. A child will be removed from the program if another incident report form is filed after parent contact is made.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up

• You will receive a Child Verification Card via email one week prior to camp. This card must be clearly displayed in order to pick up a child.

• You can drop-off/pick-up your child at our Education Entrance up to 30 minutes before/after their program free of charge.

• Each vehicle MUST be occupied by a qualified driver at all times. Please do not leave your vehicle; our staff will bring your child to you. We have many children to check-out and we appreciate your patience.

• Leaving your vehicle, especially during pick-up, will cause traffic back-ups and delays for other parents.

• Curbside space is limited, especially during pick-up. Arriving 10 minutes after the program will reduce your wait.

• For safety and security reasons, our staff will be monitoring and directing traffic flow.

• We request that for the safety of our staff, all people in the vehicle at drop-off and pick-up wear a face mask.

The Science Museum is responsible for students’ safety during scheduled program time. We do not release unchaperoned students from programs due to issues of safety and liability. Exceptions will be made for students leaving the museum to meet parents or ride a bus home. Written permission releasing the child must be provided by a parent or guardian.

Lunch

• If your child is attending two half-day camps in the same week, lunch supervision is provided at no extra charge.

• Campers must bring a bagged lunch with a drink. No refrigeration is available.

• Campers are not allowed to use the vending machines or visit the cafeteria.

• Campers with allergy concerns will be given access to an allergen-free space to eat their lunch.

Extended Care

• Morning care costs $7 per day, per child. It begins at 7:30 a.m. and goes until the start of morning classes.

• Afternoon care costs $7 per day, per child. It begins at the end of afternoon classes and goes until 5:30 p.m. There is a charge of $1 per minute if a child is picked up after 5:30 p.m.

• You can purchase extended care, when you register for camps.  If you have already registered for camps and would like to add extended care, please call 651-221-9444.

Camp Awards

The Science Museum of Minnesota is dedicated to welcoming a socio-economically diverse group of youth to our educational programs. Summer Camp Awards provide financial support to families to send their children to our camps. Awards cover 85% of the costs for one week of camp (per family) and are granted by lottery.

Apply

Virtual Camp Materials

• Every virtual camp comes with a materials kit.

• We ask that you pick up your kit at the museum if at all possible. This helps to keep our summer camps more affordable and provide STEM education access to more campers.

• Pick up your materials kit from the Science Museum of Minnesota. Every Thursday between 4:30–5:30 p.m., drive up to the education entrance near Iggy the Iguana and we will load it in your vehicle. If you need to pick up another time, you can fill out this form and pick it up at the Explore Store in the Museum Lobby on Friday or Saturday (10–8 p.m.) or Sunday (10–5 p.m.).