Children entering PreK4 or K will visit Heckscher Farm, explore our forest, and meet our live animals. Each weekly theme will be chock full of age-appropriate, hands-on adventures both inside and out. Children will also create art projects. Each class is taught by an early childhood professional with previous teaching experience at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center. Our indoor and outdoor classroom areas are set up with play opportunities unique to each themed session.

Campers will explore all aspects of the Stamford Museum & Nature Center in this hands-on, exciting camp. From Heckscher Farm and our nature trails to streams and ponds, campers will work with animals, plant in our garden, study vernal pool amphibians, and more. Each session will consist of a mix of field studies, farm experiences, live animal interaction, arts and crafts, and nature exploration specially designed to get older campers excited about the outdoors.

Immerse your camper in the daily chores and activities of our Heckscher Farm. Campers will be responsible for helping with daily chores such as grooming, exercising, feeding, and cleaning farm animals, and will also help with weekly produce harvest and planting in our organic garden. Learn how to properly exercise and provide enrichment for animals, explore our hay lofts and barns, and hang out in the pastures! Kids will also participate in hands-on cooking and farm crafts, and will work as a team to create a special tasty treat that they will share on Fridays for lunch.

During five action-packed days children (ages 8-12) may become a beekeeper, a farmer, a naturalist, a vegetable gardener, a chef, an artist, a treasure hunter, or a scientist!

Woodcock Nature Center's State Licensed Summer Camp is a chance for your child to explore our beautiful 149-acre preserve through hands-on activities that bring them closer to our local wildlife. Some weeks even have a Friday night campout option for campers and their parents to set up tents, roast some marshmallows, and enjoy all the wonders a star-filled Woodcock night has to offer! (More info below. PreK and older groups only.) The ratio of staff to campers is 1 to 6 or better and the maximum number of campers per group is 16. Registration for each camp week closes at Noon the Thursday prior.

Children get a fun week of zoo-based activities, tours, and behind the scenes experiences. Each day patrollers tour an area of the zoo (Rainforest, Predators, Farmyard, Hoofstock) and have a special presentation by our keeper staff. The activities may include making enrichment items for the animals, watching training procedures, learning about new exhibits and more. Each week also offers some of our zoo presentations and introduction to our education animal collection. We offer zoo related games, crafts and activities for the younger groups. The sessions for the older children may include hands on activities involving tracking, scientific observation, and artifact identification. Zoo Patrollers also take part in all special summer shows offered by the zoo. Each day includes time for a snack and a little air-conditioned break! Special Friday activities include a carousel ride and a trip to the gift shop. Sessions are scheduled for children ages 6 to 8, 9 to 11 and 12 to 14. Zoo Patrol takes place in our Research Station and throughout zoo grounds. Children arrive at 9 AM and leave at 12:30 PM.