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  • Location:
    Meadowside Nature Center
    5100 Meadowside Lane
    (located in Rock Creek Regional Park)
    Rockville, Maryland 20855
    Directions and Map

  • Hours of Operation:
    Tuesday - Saturday 9:00am - 5:00pm
    Closed Sundays and Mondays
    Park and Trails open: sunrise to sunset

  • Contacts:
    Phone: 301-258-4030

» Back to: » Parks home » Nature Centers » Meadowside Nature Center » Summer Camps

Summer Camps

Summer camps feature lively hands-on activities, games, nature walks, and crafts.
MNC offers both partial and full-day camps to meet the needs of you and your child.
Each week starts a new adventure. Come and be part of the fun!

Camp registration information

Registration Information

You can register for Meadowside Nature Center's summer camps online at www.ParkPASS.org, beginning January 10, or by calling Meadowside at 301-258-4030, Tuesday - Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.. You must have a ParkPASS account to register.

Camps for Pre-schoolers (Ages 1-6)

Wee Little Farmers Camp

Ages 3-5yrs
Join us for some down-home fun on the farm! Come on up to the Agricultural History Farm Park for a week filled with stories, activities and crafts. Campers will visit with real farm animals, too!
Meet at the Agricultural History Farm Park (18400 Muncaster Rd.,Derwood, 20855). A parent or caregiver must stay with their children throughout this camp. Please register the child only; no fee for accompanying adult. Camp meets at the Ag History Farm, but please direct questions to Meadowside Nature Center.
July 15-19, 9:30am-11am, $65, 225400 - FULL!!!

Camps for children (Ages 5-12)

Nature Detective Camp

Ages 6-10yrs
How do owls fly so quietly? What do frogs' eyes have to do with swallowing? Do we really need trees? Find the answer to these and other curious questions as we explore science in the park through hikes, fun experiments and creative arts & craft projects. We'll investigate stars, planets, bugs, birds, turtles and lots more. Includes a one-day field trip to a shark tooth beach!
July 15-19, 9am- 3:30pm, $275, 225549 - FULL!!!
Nature Detective - Extended Care: 3:30pm- 5:30pm, 225550

Rock Creek Safari

Ages 6-10yrs
Explorers wanted! This week we'll search for and learn about the wild animals (great and small) in the fields, forest, and streams of Rock Creek Regional Park. We'll observe wild and captive animals up close and personal, and get a personal audience with one of Meadowside's birds of prey. Through outdoor excursions, games, and projects we'll discover what's really out there in Rock Creek Park!
July 29-August 2, 9am- 3:30pm, $275, 225504
Rock Creek Safari - Extended Care: 3:30pm- 5:30pm, 225506

Rock Creek Water Week

Ages 6-10yrs
This camp is wet, wild and wonderful! Plan to get wet and dirty and have fun as we explore the Rock Creek watershed. Here are some of the many things we'll do this week: Turn over rocks in search of crayfish, insects, and fish...take a pontoon boat ride on the Needwood Queen, and look for beavers, birds and turtles...cast a line from the shores of Lake Needwood to catch sunfish, catfish, and bluegill...create artwork and make crafts...participate in games and other water-related activities.
July 22-26, 9am- 3:30pm, $275, 225452
Rock Creek Water Week - Extended Care: 3:30pm- 5:30pm, 225499

American Girl Camp

Ages 8-11yrs - Fulll !!!
Enjoy crafts, games, adventures, food and fun just like the American Girls! Activities include Molly's day at summer camp, Addy's Underground Railroad hike to freedom, Kirsten's day on the farm, and lots more. Most days include field trips to local sites; van transportation provided.
July 1-5* , 9am- 3:30pm, $250,
* No camp on Thursday, July 4

Wings of Wonder Camp

Ages 9-11yrs
From hawks to hummingbirds, this is the camp for kids who like to learn about birds and their amazing adaptations. They'll learn about raptors and help feed and care for Meadowside's birds of prey, find out how to identify local birds, take a field trip to see how bird banding is done, follow a bluebird trail, play games, and more.
June 24-28, 9am- 3:30pm, $275, 225502

Wildlife Caretakers Camp

Ages 10-12yrs
Wildlife lovers and aspiring vets won't want to miss this camp! Come learn by doing as we care for the birds of prey, snakes, turtles, and other animals that live at Meadowside Nature Center. We'll learn how to care for each animal, prepare their food and feed them, what they need to stay healthy, and much more. Camp also includes a behind-the-scenes visit to a veterinary clinic, and outdoor experiences that will help us understand how animals adapt to different living situations, how and why wild animals sometimes conflict with today's increasingly crowded world, and what we can do to give them a second chance.
July 15-19 , 9am- 5pm, $350, 225503 - FULL!!!

Camps for mixed ages (Ages 1-17)

Chesapeake Week

Ages 12-14yrs
Explore the Chesapeake Bay and the watershed region through sailing, camping, canoeing and more! We'll begin the week by exploring the Bay by boat as we hoist our sails, trawl for fish, and analyze water samples looking for microscopic life forms. Mid-week, we’ll hop into canoes to get a more intimate look at the Bay’s waterways, camp for two nights, and go fossil hunting. We’ll close out the week by examining the lives of people who’ve made the Bay their home throughout the years, including early American colonists and Native Americans living in long house villages.
August 12-16 , 8am-5pm M/Tu, then 8am W- 5pm F, $400, 225500 - FULL!!!

Grandparent-grandchild camp

Grandparent-Grandchild Nature Camp

Ages 6 and up
Create great memories with your grandchild as you participate together in fun outdoor activities and field trips like fishing, catching bugs, hiking, boating, and more. Please register and pay for each camper (both the young, and young at heart). The fee for grandchildren is $150, and the fee for grandparents is $100.
August 6-9, 9am- 2:30pm, $150 + $100, 225649

Archaeology camps

Archaeology Camp for Children

Ages 9-13yrs
Get a hands-on introduction to archaeology in this 5-day camp. Work side-by-side with Park Archaeologists on a real-live archaeological site, and do what archaeologists do. You’ll dig it! Reduced fees are available for qualified applicants. Email Heather.Bouslog@MontgomeryParks.org for more information.
Needwood Mansion
June 24- 28, 9am- 3pm, $270, 228149
July 1-5* , 9am- 3pm, $216, 228150 *No camp on July 4th
July 8-12, 9am- 3pm, $270, 228151 - FULL!!!
July 15-19 , 9am- 3pm, $270, 228152
July 22-26 , 9am- 3pm, $270, 228153
Archaeology Camp - Extended Care available: Kids can practice their atlatl skills (a prehistoric hunting weapon), go on a scavenger hunt, take a pedal boat ride on Lake Needwood, play board games and more during this supervised free time.
Needwood Mansion

Archaeology Leader Training Workshop

Ages 14 and up
Want to become an awesome camp counselor, get hands-on archaeological experience and earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours? Sign up for this ten-day workshop! In the first week, you’ll learn the basics of archaeological methods, get CPR training, and practice creating and planning camp activities. The second week we’ll dig into the real thing! You’ll work with campers, and have an opportunity to ask questions and get feedback in our counselors’ afternoon roundtables. Call 301-840-5848 for more information.
Needwood Mansion
June 17-21 and June 24-28 , 8am- 4pm, $395 228159

Summer Programs for Boy Scouts

Take some time out of your summer to get some hands-on fun and earn your Boy Scout badges at the same time! All programs are led by experienced and knowledgeable Park Naturalists at Meadowside Nature Center. Please dress for the weather.

Chemistry Merit Badge

Tuesday, July 9, 10am- 2:30pm
Learn how chemistry is used to improve our lives and the planet’s health with hands-on experiments. Don't forget your lunch!
Ages 10-17yrs, $45, #225449 - FULL!!!

Environmental Science Merit Badge

Wednesday, July 10, 10am- 2:30pm
To earn this badge, we'll study people’s impact on the environment, examine different forms of pollution, and learn what we can do to reduce our impact on the planet. Don't forget your lunch!
Ages 10-17yrs, $45, #225450 - FULL!!!

Geology Merit Badge: Wild Cave Excursion

Thurs. and Fri., July 11 &12, 10am- 5pm
Come learn about cave formations, cave life, and cave complexities! On Thursday, we’ll explore geology in the classroom through hands-on activities and experiments. And on Friday, we’ll head underground with a field trip to a wild cave in Shepherdstown West Virginia, where we’ll climb, crawl, and twist through passages that few others dare to explore! Don't forget your lunch!
Ages 10-17yrs, $120, #225451 - FULL!!!

Montgomery Parks summer camp refund policy

  • If Montgomery Parks has to cancel a Summer Camp, you will be notified and receive a full credit on your ParkPASS account, or at your request, a full refund (issued in the same form as received).
  • To withdraw from a Montgomery Parks Summer Camp, please submit a written request to the facility hosting your camp or program at least two (2) weeks prior to the start of the camp. Most facilities accept email as a “written request,” but please check with the facility hosting your camp or program. You may choose to receive a 100% credit to your ParkPASS account for future programs or classes, or receive a refund (issued in the same form as received), less a 20% administrative fee.
  • If your written request is received less than two (2) weeks prior to the start of the camp, no credit or refund will be issued unless your spot can be filled from the waitlist. If your spot is filled, you may choose to receive a 100% credit to your ParkPASS account for future programs or classes, or receive a refund (issued in the same form as received), less a 20% administrative fee.

Please allow 3-4 weeks to receive a check refund. Credit card refunds can take 5-7 days to appear on your credit card account, depending on your credit card company

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