New for 2023: Explore & More is pleased to offer an exciting variety of summer camps where kids will have so much fun, they won’t even know they’re learning!
Explore the options below for our camps which cater to children from ages 4 to 12. Camps fill up quickly and spaces are limited – reserve your child’s spot today!
Explore & More Day Camps will follow all OCFS and CDC guidelines for safe play.
I understand, Explore & More requires the following:
- Provide a form for parents to fill out authorizing who is allowed to pick up your child. Please note all people picking up campers will need to show an ID.
- All campers should wear socks and sneakers, as well as play clothes daily.
- Your child will not be allowed to attend camp if they have COVID-19 symptoms, including a temperature above 100.4 degrees.
- Parents will drop off and pick up children at the First Floor Security Desk. Only those adults that are on the Authorized Pick Up Sheet and provide a picture ID will be allowed to pick up children.
- Museum staff will be implementing periodic hand washing throughout the day.
- We will not serve any food, including snacks. We will maintain a designated lunch time, allow for snack breaks, and facilitate hand washing and social distancing during all mealtimes. Please make sure to pack a lunch, snack, and water bottle for your camper (no refrigeration available).
- Only campers, staff, and volunteers will be permitted in classrooms.
- Museum staff will be sanitizing exhibits in between each group.
Explore & More Summer Camp Policies
Our Summer Camps follow New York State Health Department, NYS OCFS Regulations, and CDC guidelines. Pre-registration is required, NO WALK-INS. Camp is 8:30 am-4:00 pm, unless otherwise noted in the program descriptions. Per our museum policies, upon entry to the museum, you have consented to having the museum use your and/or your child’s image for marketing purposes, this includes summer campers. Campers will need to provide lunch, two snacks and a water bottle (unless otherwise noted). Please note: Timeframes for Fairy Tale Fantasy – Pre- K Camp, Under The Sea, Around The World in 80 Days (kind of…), and Together to Kindergarten differ from other camps. Campers for these camps do not need a lunch however please provide a snack and a water bottle for your child daily.
Explore & More Members receive a $25 discount per child, per camp.
Superheroes Assemble – Sold Out!
The Explore & More Summer Camp is in danger from the dastardly and devious Storm-Man! He means to make summer miserable for everyone, sending rain to wash away our summer camp. This calls for a superhero (or 20…) to the rescue! This Camp will engage your kids to use their teamwork skills and work together to save the day. To really get into character, we will design awesome superhero masks and capes that are sure to transform every kid into a hero for the ages. We will set up a series of challenges and tasks for campers to solve in order to save the day and keep the sun shining!
Ages: 5 – 10
This camp is for ages 5-10, grades K-5. Kindergarten is the minimum grade to participate.
Date: Monday, June 26th – Friday, June 30th
Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Price Per Child: $325
Museum members receive a $25 discount.
Olympic Sports Camp – Sold Out!
Roll up, roll up, there are medals to be won. The Olympics Sports Camp 2023 sign-up sheet is here! This is one of our favorite summer camp themes, because it teaches your children the value of hard work, gives them the skills to support each other, and most importantly it’s a lot of fun! With the aid of some outside program partners, like Algonquin Sports, who will supply various sports-themed materials and activities, children will play, explore, learn, and develop their athletic skills. Children will be introduced to various sports, such as tennis, soccer, and baseball while emphasizing the importance of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Having summer fun at Explore & More means everyone is a winner.
Ages: 5 – 10
This camp is for ages 5-10, grades K-5. Kindergarten is the minimum grade to participate.
Date: Monday, July 10th – Friday, July 14th
Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Price per child: $325
Museum members receive a $25 discount.
Fairy Tale Fantasy – Sold Out!
Pre-K Camp
No matter what your kids may say, they’re never too old for fairy tales. The fantasy and fun of a good story can engage people of all ages, especially with a little magic provided by our Educators at Explore & More. Children are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite fairy tale character, and from there, the fun begins! Campers will become immersed in beloved fairy tales that correspond with the various Play Zones at Explore & More, and engage in hands-on art projects that will challenge their imagination and encourage creativity.
Ages: For children ages 4 – 5 (entering Kindergarten in September 2023)
Date: Monday, July 10th – Friday, July 14th
Time: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Price Per Child: $200
Museum members receive a $25 discount.
Campers will need to provide a snack and a water bottle daily.
World Cup Super-Soccer Stars
When school is out, soccer is in! World Cup Super-Soccer Stars are kicking into summer fun with Algonquin Sports. Coaches work with children to build skills and create a team atmosphere. Our motto is “Have fun with the “FUN”damentals of soccer!” Kids can have a blast in a safe, high-energy soccer camp that will keep them active and allow them to socialize with friends.
What you can expect in a day at World Cup Super-Soccer Stars Camp:
• Warm-Up Activities
• Soccer Skill Building
• Games w/ Progression
• Coach’s Challenge
• Spotlight
• Final Kick
Ages: 5 – 10
This camp is for ages 5-10, grades K-5. Kindergarten is the minimum grade to participate.
Date: Monday, July 17th – Friday, July 21st
Time: 8:30am-4:00pm
Price per child: $325
Museum members receive a $25 discount.
World Travelers Cooking Camp – Sold Out!
Pack your bag and let’s get exploring! Children will travel the world and encounter a different country every day of the week through maker projects, artistic masterpieces, traditional games, and authentic foods, as they gain math, science, and cooking skills.
Hands-on cooking lessons are built into the daily schedule. This isn’t your typical make-pizza-bagels-and-ice-cream-sundaes kiddie “cooking” class, either. As an added bonus, this camp features “Passport to the World Club Camp” hosted by Patti Green. The program will highlight a different country each of the five camp days, highlighting traditional foods and recipes that campers will bring home each day to share with their family. Each cooking class, approximately 75-90 minutes, will be built into our daily camp schedule. During this week-long camp, all the ingredients are pre-measured and included for campers to learn about how people live in different places around the world!
Ages: 5 – 10
This camp is for ages 5-10, grades K-5. Kindergarten is the minimum grade to participate.
Date: July 24th – July 28th
Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Price per child: $350
Museum members receive a $25 discount.
Safari Season – Sold Out!
Did someone say safari season? At Explore & More, we love to engage our camp visitors with the spectacular sights and sounds of a safari. Now, we hear what you’re saying – “There are no safari animals at Canalside in Buffalo!” While this is true, that won’t stand in the way of a safari-themed experience. With a little imagination and a lot of activities, your child will have an unforgettable experience. We will transform our classroom into a Rainforest Safari. Our Campers will also participate in a “safari-meets-treasure-hunt” Scavenger Hunt. We will have some special guests join us throughout the week, too. “Roar-some” fun is guaranteed!
Ages: 5 – 10
This camp is for ages 5-10, grades K-5. Kindergarten is the minimum grade to participate.
Date: Monday, July 31st – Friday, August 4th
Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Price per child: $325
Museum members receive a $25 discount.
Under the Sea
Why not dive deep into the blue with an Under The Sea themes Summer Camp? The wonder and mystery of the ocean is such a captivating topic for kids. After all, did you know that 80% of the ocean remains unexplored? Campers will partake in their very own magical adventure through Neptune’s kingdom. With plastic jewels, fabric, fairy lights (and perhaps a treasure chest), campers will create their own underwater lagoon cave. Just beware of passing mermaids – they’ll never want to leave!
Ages: 5 – 7
This camp is for ages 5-7, grades K-2. Kindergarten is the minimum grade to participate.
Date: August 7th – August 11th
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am
Cost: $200
Museum members receive a $25 discount.
Invention Exchange – Sold Out!
Grab your lab coat and goggles! This Summer Camp will spark children’s imagination and encourage exploration! Learn how much fun the weird world of science can be as we conduct daily experiments to unravel the mysteries of electricity, chemistry, light, and sound. Campers will learn skills in electronics, robotics, and fabrication to create useful, fun, and silly inventions to solve a series of challenges. After building foundational skills, makers will explore the entire design process to invent their own independent project. Your child will have so much fun, they won’t even know they are learning!
Ages: 8 – 12
This camp is for ages 8-12, grades 3-7.
Date: Monday, August 7th – Friday, August 11th
Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Price per child: $325
Museum members receive a $25 discount.
Around the World in 80 Days (kind of…)
For something a little different, we recommend you check out this next summer camp- Around the World in 80 Days. Now, we’re not suggesting that we are taking a bunch of kiddos plane-hopping around the globe. Not only is that idea completely unfeasible, but just think of the amount of gross airplane food we’d have to eat. Yuck! Instead, we’ve thought up a fun way to keep our feet firmly on the ground but still explore the globe. For each day of our summer camp, we will pick a different country to theme our activities and events around. For Italy, we will have a pizza-making competition. For Mexico, everyone will make their own sugar skulls. And visiting China seems like the perfect time to make an awesome dragon boat craft. The opportunities are endless – but we can guarantee your child will never be bored!
Ages: 5 – 7
This camp is for ages 5-7, grades K-2. Kindergarten is the minimum grade to participate.
Date: Monday, August 14th – Friday, August 18th
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am
Price per child: $200
Museum members receive a $25 discount.
Farm to Fork Camp – Sold Out!
If you need some help with your garden, enroll your budding green thumb in this five-day gardening and cooking camp. Kids will learn how to care for a plant from growing to harvesting, then they’ll take the day’s produce and make a healthy dish to bring home and share with their family. As an added bonus, this camp features the “Farm to Table Program” hosted by Patti Green. We’ll participate in virtual field trips with local farmers and participate in hands-on cooking experiences highlighting local fresh seasonal ingredients. A little gardening here, a little cooking there, and your child will get experience in organic farming as well as how to prepare different types of vegetables. Don’t worry: There’s plenty of time for play inside Explore & More Museum, hikes around Canalside, games, arts and crafts, too. Sign them up for Farm to Fork Camp, and they’ll come back with an advanced palate and a thumb greener than yours. Think of it as an investment in your family’s mealtime future.
Ages: 5 – 10
This camp is for ages 5-10, grades K-5. Kindergarten is the minimum grade to participate.
Date: Monday, August 14th – Friday, August 18th
Time: 8:30am-4:00pm
Price per child: $350
Museum members receive a $25 discount.
Together to Kindergarten
We know summer is just starting, but it is never too early to start preparing for school! In September, many children will be “leaving the nest” and going off on their own for the first time. No, we are not talking about going to college. We’re talking about little ones going to kindergarten! For many kids, this will be the first time they spend away from their parents for an extended period. At Together to Kindergarten, young campers are set up for success by providing fun and educational activities based on the following Kindergarten Readiness Skill-Builders: fine motor skills (cutting, writing, using manipulatives for small motor tasks), large motor skills (large group games, balancing, climbing), social/emotional skills (socializing, making new friends, taking turns, sharing, good manners), language skills (speaking in a whole group setting, asking for assistance), reading skills (rhyming, recognizing patterns in stories, print awareness), and math skills (counting, patterning, measuring). Campers will get used to “school” routines and separating from parents while playing and learning in the various Play Zones at Explore & More.
Ages: 4 – 5 (entering Kindergarten in September 2023)
Date: Monday, August 21st – Friday, August 25th
Two Sessions:
9:00am – 11:30am
12:30pm – 3:00pm
Price per child: $200
Museum members receive a $25 discount.
Campers will need to provide a snack and a water bottle daily.
Mystery Week – Sold Out!
And finally, we’ve saved our very favorite summer camp theme for last. What is it, you ask? Mystery Week, of course! What is Mystery Week, you ask? The fun of Mystery Week is that each day, the theme will be something a little different. Monday might be an Under-The-Sea Day, Tuesday might be themed around Pirates, and so on. The real fun of Mystery Week is that the kids won’t know the theme of each day until it comes around, meaning that our Explore & More Educators will ramp up the excitement for each day’s activities and surprise our Summer Campers with something super spectacular. How fun is that?!
Ages: 5 – 10
This camp is for ages 5-10, grades K-5. Kindergarten is the minimum grade to participate.
Date: Monday, August 21st – Friday, August 25th
Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Price per child: $325
Museum members receive a $25 discount.
