Do you know a child who loves to explore the outdoors? Sign them up for a summer camp at Iowa Lakeside Lab! We offer many summer camps for students entering PreK (4-year-olds) through 9th grade. See below for a list of our our 2025 offerings. Summer camp registration opens February 1st at 12pm each year, please register early to ensure a spot in our camps!
2025 Summer Camps
Age: Students entering 4yo Preschool
Dates: May 28 & 29 or July 28 & 29
Time: 9am - 12pm
Cost: $45 (t-shirt and snack included)
How does a caterpillar transform into a butterfly? Why are some smooth while others are fuzzy? Let's learn more about these baby butterflies and their incredible life cycle.
Age: Students entering TK/K
Dates: June 11 & 12 or July 8 & 9
Time: 9am - 12pm
Cost: $45 (t-shirt and snack included)
Big, bold, and beautiful - butterflies are fascinating insects. What are their wings made of? How do they drink nectar? Let's grab our nets and take a closer look at these fluttering friends.
Age: Students entering 1st & 2nd grade
Dates: June 3 - 5 or July 22 - 24
Time: 9am - 3pm
Cost: $95 (t-shirt, snacks and lunches included)
Do all reptiles shed their skin like snakes? How long can aquatic turtles hold their breath? Join us as we study these cold-blooded creatures and become reptile scientists! Lunches included.
Age: Students entering 1st - 3rd grade
Dates: June 10, July 10 or August 12
Time: 9am - 3pm
Cost: $25
At this partnership camp with ISU Extension, campers participate in a day of outdoor fishing fun! Investigate underwater invertebrates, learn about the parts of a fish and try to reel in as many as you can catch! Please bring a life vest and sack lunch.
Age: Students entering 3rd & 4th grade
Dates: June 16 - 19
Time: 9am - 3pm
Cost: $125 (t-shirt, snacks and lunches included)
*This camp includes field trips off site
Where's the best place to look for tadpoles? How do these wiggly creatures survive in their habitat? Get ready to romp around local wetlands in search of these alluring critters. Lunches included.
Age: Students entering 3rd & 4th grade
Dates: July 15 - 17
Time: 9am - 3pm
Cost: $95 (t-shirt, snacks and lunches included)
Learn how to survive in the wild! Campers will make shelters, purify drinking water, cook with a solar oven, practice plant and wildlife identification skills, and more! Lunches included.
Age: Entering 3rd - 5th grade
Date: July 9
Time: 9am - 3pm
Cost: $15
At this partnership camp with ISU Extension and Dickinson County Nature Center, discover the wizarding world of Harry Potter while also learning about nature and science! Click here for more information.
This camp will be hosted at Horseshoe Bend, North Side (2372 190th Ave, Milford, IA 51351)
*Please register Feb 10th at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/dickinson/
Age: Students entering 5th & 6th grade
Dates: June 23 - 26
Time: 9am - 3pm
Cost: $125 (t-shirt, snacks and lunches included)
*This camp includes field trips off site
Did you know frogs use their eyes to help them swallow their prey? They also absorb water through their skin! Be prepared to get wet and muddy as we head to the wetlands to learn more about these fantastic creatures! Lunches included.
Age: Students entering 5th - 9th grade
Dates: August 4 - 6
Time: 9am - 3pm
Cost: $155 (t-shirt, snacks and lunches included)
At this collaborative camp between Lakeside Lab and Okoboji Sailing Center, spend time on both land and water while learning valuable navigation skills, seeking treasure, and becoming a pirate on West Lake Okoboji! Campers spend mornings at Lakeside and afternoons sailing with OSC instructors. Lunches included.
Age: Girls entering 6th - 9th grade
Dates: July 31 - August 1
Time: 9am - 9am
Cost: $50
*Please note this is an overnight camp
Lakeside, ISU Extension and Dickinson County Conservation are excited to partner and bring you an all-girls, overnight camp focused on learning more about science, technology, engineering and math. Girls will engage in hands-on activities, team building challenges and even have the opportunity to meet local women from STEM fields. All meals included.
Age: Boys entering 6th - 9th grade
Dates: July 18 - 19
Time: 9am - 9am
Cost: $50
*Please note this is an overnight camp
Join us for our first all-boys, overnight camp focused on survival skills in the wild! Boys will engage in hands-on activities, team building challenges, career exploration and have the opportunity to meet local natural resources professionals in the area. Learn about water purification, fire building, navigation and more to see if you have what it takes to survive in the wild. All meals included.