Summer Conservation Camp

Camp Values

Lincoln Park Zoo strives to provide a camp experience that supports the whole child. We offer a safe and engaging environment that challenges and supports each camper as they try new things, make new friends, and navigate new situations.

We encourage campers to build resilience and practice their problem-solving skills. We support them in finding their own solutions to obstacles they face.

We provide opportunities for campers to practice leadership skills and develop empathy for people, animals, and the natural world.

Respect is the cornerstone of camp at Lincoln Park Zoo. Throughout each camp session, staff emphasize the Respect the P.O.N.Y. behavioral model (Property, Others, Nature, and Yourself) and guide campers to demonstrate that respect. We seek to be a place where all campers feel welcomed and included.

Our goal is always to address behavior challenges with patience and understanding. However, our counselors cannot devote excessive time to one camper at the expense of the whole group. Every camper deserves a supportive and balanced experience, and we appreciate camp families for reinforcing our behavior guidelines .

Registered families will receive more information about Lincoln Park Zoo Camp’s behavior policy in the welcome email they receive the week before their camp date.

Camp Themes

Theme A Expedition Naturalist: Week 1 (June 16–20) and Week 6 (July 28–August 1)

PreK: Birds of a Feather Flock Together
What makes a bird a bird? What is the difference between a mammal and a reptile? Campers will discover the answers to these and many more questions in this exciting week all about animal groups.

Rising Grades K–1: Camouflage and Coverings
From the smooth scales of snakes to the warm fur of black bears, animals protect themselves from the elements in many ways. Come explore the different coverings of some of your favorite zoo animals and discover how these coats help them to survive.

Rising Grades 2–3: What’s Size Got to Do With It?
Ever wonder how a mouse gets away from prey? Ants are so small—how strong can they really be? Why are giraffes so tall? Let’s dive into the world of big and small and discover size as a means of survival in the animal kingdom.

Rising Grades 4–5: Under the Skin
Giraffes stand almost 20 feet tall, but did you know they have the same number of neck vertebrae as you do? Learn about other awesome similarities between you and the wild inhabitants at Lincoln Park Zoo, starting from the inside out!

Theme B Home Sweet Habitat: Week 2 (June 23–27) and Week 7 (August 4–8)

Rising PreK: A Place Called Home
Whether it’s deep in the soil, up in a tree, down in the water, or inside a cozy cave, all animals need a place to call home. Campers will encounter creatures across the zoo and learn about all the places where they live.

Rising Grades K–1: Storybook Safari
Discover the zoo through the pages of some of your favorite books. Amazing animals have inspired many wonderful stories over the years, so come meet some of the magnificent animals that make the stories come to life! From the fuzzy bat in Stellaluna to the big bear in Bear Wants More, share in their stories while you learn about animals!

Rising Grades 2–3: Habitattitude
Where would you look to find your favorite animal? From the frozen tundra to toasty deserts, birds, bears, bugs, and other animals live in every part of the earth. Join us as we investigate the variety of animal habitats from around the world—along with the critters themselves!

Rising Grades 4–5: Conservation Heroes
How can you become a superhero for planet Earth? Through conservation! Join us as we journey through different habitats to learn about ways in which Lincoln Park Zoo is working to keep our planet and animals healthy and how you can help where you live!

Theme C Animal Artists: Week 3 (July 7–11) and Week 8 (August 11–15)

Rising PreK: Colorful Creatures
From pink flamingos and blue frogs to green parrots and white polar bears, the animal world is full of vibrant colors. Campers will explore a rainbow of animals and learn how colors help animals in the wild.

Rising Grades K–1: Artistic Animals
Did you know that some animals, such as humpback whales, sing beautiful and complex songs to impress a mate? Bees do a waggle dance to help other bees find food, male peacocks use brightly colored feathers to attract females, and spiders weave intricate webs to catch their prey. Come learn about these animals and other artists of the natural world.

Rising Grades 2–3: Animal Architects
In the heart of Chicago, it’s impossible not to notice the massive skyscrapers towering above your head. These human-made structures are certainly impressive, but they’re nothing compared to the giant mounds built by termites in Africa or the complex nests social weaver birds construct out of twigs and straw. Join us to learn all about amazing animal structures.

Rising Grades 4–5: Ingenious Animal Engineering
Did you know wolves affect rivers? Or that spider silk is stronger than a Kevlar vest? Dive deep with us as we explore the engineering talents of animals around the world and challenge these feats with our own designs.

Theme D All in the Family: Week 4 (July 14–18)

Rising PreK: Whose Hoof Is That?
Campers will explore the different types of tracks animals leave, like footprints, paw prints, slither lines, wing prints, and more. Campers will also learn about different types of animals and the adaptations that help them in the wild.

Rising Grades K–1: All in the Family
Who is a part of your family? How does it compare to zebras or a fish family? Come explore colonies, herds, packs, prides, schools, and more as we discover animal relationships.

Rising Grades 2–3: Leaders of the Pack
In the animal world, males are often dominant. But in a group of Japanese macaques, it’s the females who make the rules. Other groups are ruled equally by a male and female pair, living as a family and working together to raise their young. Explore the different groups animals form and find out who the real leaders of the pack are.

Grades 4–5: Caring for Young at the Zoo
Pups, kits, owlets, and cygnets are just a few of the “zoo-borns” you can find now and then at Lincoln Park Zoo. Learn about our scientists and vet care staff, who help these new additions make their way into our zoo world.

Theme E 12 Months of Animal Movement: Week 5 (July 21–25)

Rising PreK: Animal Movers and Shakers
How does a tadpole become a frog? How does a caterpillar become a butterfly? Campers will discover how animals move through their life cycles on their way to adulthood.

Rising Grades K–1: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, Animals Do It All
Some animals hibernate in winter, but many do not! If they don’t, how do they spend their time? What happens in the summer for animals that like the cold? Come take a journey through the seasons and learn how animals live their lives through changing environments.

Rising Grades 2–3: Animals Around the Clock
While some animals snooze all day, some hardly sleep at all! Discover the unique behaviors and sleep habits of some of the most interesting animals, from hibernating bears to nocturnal bats.

Rising Grades 4–5: Migrations Around the World
Monarch butterflies fly south in the fall, and some birds migrate at night. Come explore the why, the when, the how, and the hiccups that come along with these grand animal movements.