Thinkery Camp

Be a part of an animal conservation team! Work in small groups to collectively find creative solutions to problems centering on animals across the globe. Campers will participate in maker activities using age-appropriate tools, grow their creative problem-solving skills in a small group setting, and build friendships. 

Big problems need creative solutions! In small and large groups, explore design-thinking and creative problem-solving to large, real-world environmental problems. Campers will participate in maker activities using age-appropriate tools, grow their creative problem-solving skills in small and large group settings, and build friendships.

Learn more about how the body works and how we can use our creative problem-solving skills to help care for others. Campers will participate in maker activities using age-appropriate tools, grow their creative problem-solving skills in a small group setting, and build friendships. 

Get creative in brainstorming solutions to real-world adaptability and accessibility needs. In small and large groups, explore design-thinking to determine how we can use technology to help more people access the world around them. Campers will participate in maker activities using age-appropriate tools, grow their creative problem-solving skills in small and large group settings, and build friendships.

How will the story end? It’s up to you and your friends! Campers will participate in maker activities using age-appropriate tools, grow their creative problem-solving skills in a small group setting, and build friendships.

Your story starts here! Explore all the ways that you can tell a story, including creative problem-solving in a roleplaying game developed by the campers themselves. Campers will participate in maker activities using age-appropriate tools, grow their creative problem-solving skills in small and large group settings, and build friendships.

You can help make your community a better place. Explore current problems in our community and develop creative solutions to overcome them. Campers will participate in maker activities using age-appropriate tools, grow their creative problem-solving skills in a small group setting, and build friendships.

What are the issues in our community that matter the most to you? Explore how to improve the place that we call home. Campers will participate in maker activities using age-appropriate tools, grow their creative problem-solving skills in small and large group settings, and build friendships.  

What is the price of Thinkery Camp?  
Thinker Member Price – $385
General Public Price – $425 
(Learn more about how to become a Member)  

Full payment is required at the time of registration to secure your child’s spot in camp.  

Thank you to all our Open Door Initiative donors who helped make our Thinkery Camp scholarship program possible.   
 
What is included in the price of my child’s Thinkery Camp? 
Your camp registration includes 30 hours of Thinkery Camp fun and learning, including hands-on activities. Your registration also includes access to the museum exhibits. 

When does registration open?  
Registration opens for Members on February 7 and the general public on February 14.  

Can I transfer my Thinkery Camp session to a different week?
If you are registered for camp and need to change weeks or sessions, there will be a $50 administrative fee once the change is approved. 

If you are interested in booking additional camp weeks, please call (512) 469-6201 or register online.  

Can I transfer my Thinkery Camp session to a different camper? 
No. The camp you sign up for is uniquely yours. Sessions are not transferable to other campers. 

What happens if the Thinkery Camp I want is full? 
You will know a Thinkery Camp session is at capacity when there is no option to select a paid reservation on the website. You will have the option to select to be notified when camp spots become available.  

Once camps are filled, a weekly email will be sent to those who select to be notified of any camp openings. Registration from that email notification will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. We cannot guarantee that spots will remain open.   

Camp fees include a $75 non-refundable fee. Refunds (minus the $75 non-refundable fee) are given for cancellations made at least two weeks prior to your camp start date. 

No refunds will be given for cancellations made less than two weeks in advance of the start date of your camp. If your child is unable to attend, the cost of your camp will be converted into a tax-deductible donation to the museum. 

If you are registered for camp and need to change weeks or sessions, there will be a $50 administrative fee once the change is approved. This request must be made at least two weeks prior to the date of the camp. 

If the camp you are registered for is canceled due to low enrollment or health and safety-mandated closure, you will be refunded your full tuition payment. 

How do you handle the grade distinction in the summer? 
The grades posted for each camp indicate the grade level your child will enter in the 2023–24 school year. 

 
What does child-led mean?  
At Thinkery, we believe one of the best ways for children to learn is through inquiry-rich, hands-on STEAM learning experiences. Throughout the camp experience, campers will explore questions of “how” and “why” as it relates to the week’s theme. Rather than be given a specific assignment or craft to complete, they will have the ability to choose their own projects, work at their own pace, and learn from each other.  

What skills will my child learn at Thinkery Camp?  
Campers will spend their time exploring STEAM concepts through collaborative games and activities, growing their creative problem-solving skills by tinkering, and developing their tool fluency through exploration. But how they use those skills will be up to them! At the core of their experience will be Thinkery’s hands-on, play-based approach to helping learners explore STEAM concepts and grow their social-emotional skills.    

What camper accommodations do you offer?  
To the extent reasonably possible, Thinkery Camps will make every reasonable effort to serve campers who require special attention or consideration. 

If you are interested in enrolling a child with a disability and may need reasonable accommodations to participate, please contact the Camp Management team (contact information below). Thinkery requests sufficient notice, when possible, to give time to arrange the accommodation.  This will allow us to set up a meeting to discuss our program, any restrictions or specific needs the camper may have, and determine what reasonable accommodations can be put in place to best support your child. Reasonable accommodations are available to campers with disabilities so long as the accommodation does not create an undue hardship for Thinkery and can be provided without posing a substantial or imminent safety risk. We also welcome camper aides but require all aides who attend camp to complete a background check before camp begins. 

Additionally, if your child has any other care needs (behavioral, medical, etc.), allergies, or any other needs you would like to discuss, please contact the Camp Management Team to discuss their needs as soon as possible. We want to prepare Thinkery Camp staff and educators in advance so we can make your child’s camp experience as safe as possible. 
 

Camps Team Contact Information: camps@thinkeryaustin.org 

COVID-19 Health and Safety Information 

Vaccination Policy  

This location requires everyone to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (completed a two-shot series) two weeks prior to the start of camp. Upon arrival on the first day of camp, you will be asked to present your child’s vaccination record. If you cannot provide proof of this record, your child will not be able to participate in the camp and you will not receive a refund.  

Mask policy   
Learn more about Thinkery’s masking policy here. 

If your child is sick, please keep them at home. 
Any camper showing signs of illness will be sent home. To save yourself an extra trip, it’s best to keep sick campers at home. 

Work with your camper ahead of time to practice good hygiene. 
Help your camper get familiar with important concepts like: 

• Frequent washing of hands with soap and water for at least 15-20 seconds each time 
• Avoid touching your eyes and face as much as possible 

• Maintain physical distance from other campers as much as possible 
• Cover your mouth and nose if you have to sneeze or cough. If you’re not wearing a mask, remember to cough and sneeze into your elbow (the “vampire sneeze”) or into a tissue, not into your hand. 

Read all of the caregiver information in your pre-camp packet, which will be sent out two weeks before the start date of your camp. 

Observe all written instructions and directions for curbside drop-off and pickup. 
 

What safety procedures are in place during mealtimes? 
Camp groups will eat lunches while socially distanced in classrooms or outside (weather permitting). Don’t forget to pack two snacks per day, as we have morning and afternoon snack time as well! 

Staff will supervise meal and snack times to ensure that campers are only ever eating the food they brought with them from home.