Discover Historic Naperville This Summer at Camp Naper

Are you looking for new adventures this summer? Whether your child is an explorer, detective, artist or all of the above, Camp Naper has programs that are sure to delight and engage.

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Located in the heart of downtown Naperville, Naper Settlement’s entire 12 acres offer exciting and educational opportunities for campers in grades 1 through 8. Camps run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., include all supplies and a snack, and are led by experienced, adult counselors.

“Naper Settlement is proud of our reputation in the community for offering families exceptional summer enrichment opportunities that incorporate hands-on learning in a fun and unique environment,” said Nancy Smith, director of learning experiences in a press release.

One-day and two-day camps are new this year. A “Sampling of Summer Fun” starts off the camp season on June 17 with “Fizzy, Gooey, Soaring Science Day Camp,” followed by four unique camps: “Every Day is Earth Day Camp” on June 18; “Recycled Art Camp” on June 19; “Geocaching and Letterboxing Day Camp on June 20; and “Sundials to Satellites” on June 21. Choose a one-day camp or the entire week.

During the two-day camp, “Drip, Scribble and Sketch,” the museum’s grounds are a blank canvas as campers paint, sculpt, sketch and make prints of the blooming gardens and historic buildings. “Geo Quest,” also a two-day camp, will have campers experiencing the evolution of scavenger hunts from Letterboxing to Geocaching, using traditional and technological orienteering.

Five-day camps include Treasure Hunters, Treasure Hunters Extreme, Secret Seekers and Archaeology. The popular three-day Civil War camp includes an overnight stay in the fort with an option for a parent to participate in the overnight, too.

Naperville resident Susan Newhouse said her son, Roman, loved the Archaeology camp last summer.

“He felt at home right away. The camp counselors greeted him with a warm smile every day and welcomed him to the community,” she said. “When my husband and I came to pick him up, he gave us a tour of the Settlement and talked about all the things he had learned.”

Susan said she was most impressed by the closing celebration at the end of the week when each child gave a presentation about an aspect of the camp.

“Those skills they used – collaboration, teamwork and public speaking – are skills they will use in the future,” she said.

For Roman, the best part of the camp was when he found real artifacts like parts of a china plate and tiny decorative beads while sifting through the dirt from a real archeological dig.

“Naper Settlement is awesome,” he said.

Join Naper Settlement with a family season pass and save $20 on five-day camps. Members receive discounts and tickets worth a total of $682 that can be used anytime during the year. To register for camp, call (630) 420-6010.

Submitted by Naper Settlement