ADVENTURE CAMPS 2024
Registration for 2024 Spring and Summer Camps is open!
Are you a kid or teen who is wild about animals? Do you have a passion to explore the outdoors? Sign up for Topeka Zoo summer camp! We offer 8 week-long camps that are geared for children ages 6-12. There are also two three-week sessions of teen camp that will be held in June and July that are geared toward students in 6th-12th grades. Registration is on a weekly basis. During these camps, your child will be busy exploring the animal kingdom through stories, games, interactive play, and lots of live animal encounters. Scroll down to read about each camp and sign up today.
Middle School Teen Camp
Description: Do you know a teen who loves nature? This camp is just for them! Join us as we meet live animals, talk conservation, and take trips to various ecosystems around Northeast Kansas. These weeks will also provide teens with the opportunity to talk to experts in many animal-related fields!
Theme: Exploration Weeks for Teens
Time: 8:30-3:30; however, times may vary slightly depending on our trip for that day.
Cost: $165/student/week (plus tax) for FOTZ members
$190/student/week (plus tax) for non-members
Limit: 20 students/week
Middle School Teen Camps are for students currently enrolled in 6th-8th grade (2023-2024 school year). Students can be 12 if they're in 6th grade currently.
NOTE: If your child is currently in 8th grade and going into high school in fall 2024, they must do Middle School Teen Camp. High School Teen Camp is for students who have completed at least one year of high school already. There are no exceptions to this rule.
All three weeks of teen camp are meant to complement each other, as we will be doing different activities each week. They are designed in such a way that you can sign up for any individual week or all 3 of them.
Middle School Teen Week 1: June 10-14, 2024
Middle School Teen Week 2: June 17-21, 2024
Middle School Teen Week 3: June 24-28, 2024*
*This week will include an optional overnight off-grounds from June 28th into June 29th; more information on that will be provided closer to summer and once registered.
For camp scholarship information, please see the link below!
High School Teen Camp
Theme: Exploration Weeks for Teens
Time: 8:30-3:30; however, times may vary slightly depending on our trip for that day.
Cost: $165/student/week (plus tax) for FOTZ members
$190/student/week (plus tax) for non-members
Limit: 20 students/week
High School Teen Camps are for students currently enrolled in 9th-12th grade (2023-2024 school year). High School Seniors who just graduated in 2024 are still eligible to attend. If your child is entering 9th grade next fall (in 2024), then they need to register for Middle School Teen Camp. There are no exceptions to this rule.
All three weeks of teen camp are meant to complement each other, as we will be doing different activities each week. They are designed in such a way that you can sign up for any individual week or all 3 of them.
High School Teen Week 1: July 8-12, 2024
High School Teen Week 2: July 15-19, 2024
High School Week 3: July 22-26, 2024*
*This week will include an optional overnight off-grounds from July 26th into July 27th; more information on that will be provided closer to summer and once registered.
For camp scholarship information, please see link below!
Youth Summer Camps
The following information is true for all weeks of youth summer camp (excluding Teen Camp):
Time: 9:00-3:00; No stay-late option
Cost: $155/student/week for FOTZ members (plus tax); $180/student/week for non-members (plus tax)
Age: 6-12 (Can be 5 if they have completed kindergarten)
Limit: 40 students/week
Registration is on a weekly basis and all camps are different. Weekly dates, themes, and descriptions are below.
There is a break the week of July 1-5, 2024.
Camp Details
Swimming: Each of the 8 weeks of youth summer camp will include a 2-hour trip to the Blaisdell Family Aquatic Center during one afternoon during the week (usually Thursdays). You will receive notice of which day this will occur by the first day of that camp week and are welcome to send life jackets, floaties, etc. with your kid on that day. Parents and other adults are more than welcome to join us at the pool. We do have a system worked out for beginner swimmers and will have several counselors stationed in the shallow end. If you have any concerns about the pool visit, or would like your child to be stationed in the shallow end with a few counselors, please call 785-368-9137 or email education@topekazoo.org.
Cancellation Policy: If you cancel your camp registration 15 or more days before the start date, the Zoo will refund the registration fee, except for $10 for single-day camp registrations and $25 for the week-long registrations. This fee is applied per child per camp you cancel. The Zoo will not refund any registration fees if cancellation occurs within 14 days of the start date. If space is still available, you may transfer your registration to another camp week for no additional fee. If transferring, it must be to a camp within the same season (i.e. spring camp to spring camp). Please contact (785)368-9137 or education@topekazoo.org to cancel or questions.
Involuntary Removal Policy: If your child's registration in camp is revoked due to behavioral and/or non-compliance issues, then your ability to register for future camps will be forfeit for at least one calendar year from the date of the incident. The zoo reserves the right to extend this policy on a case-by-case basis.
Registration for all camps opens on Monday, January 15th, at 9:00am. Please call 785-368-9137 for more information. You can sign up for one or multiple weeks of camp at a time; payment required to secure registration.
For camp scholarship information, please visit the link below!
Thinking about a membership? If you are signing up for at least 3 camps, a family FOTZ membership pays for itself!
Click here to learn more about the benefits of becoming a member or sign up today.
KDHE Required Forms
The Topeka Zoo is a licensed School-Age Program through KDHE; as such, there are some forms we need returned before your child begins camp. These are kept on file for an entire calendar year–so you only need to fill them out once per camp year. These forms will be emailed to you at least two weeks prior to your first camp date, along with the camp letter which will explain all the logistics (drop-off, pick-up, what to bring, etc.).
Please contact the Education Department at 785-368-9137 or education@topekazoo.org with questions.