SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- In addition to its fascinating Gold Rush past, the Sacramento area is rich with an amazing array of state-of-the-art museums and historic sites that offer visitors the chance to explore California's fine art, history, science, and wildlife treasures all year long. And while all the 29 participating local museums offer a wealth of experiences just waiting to be explored, a few museums offer specially-designed activities and programs perfect for inspiring and engaging children during the more leisurely summer months.
Outlined below is a sampling of available summer programs and activities coordinated by local museums:
Four-Day Aerospace Summer Camp at the Aerospace Museum of California - June 11-14 & August 6-9
This four-day camp introduces aviation to students ages 13 to 17 and includes pilots language, aircraft basics, flight controls, forces of flight, weight and gravity, basic flight data, weather considerations, flight planning, traffic patterns, computer tools, and aviation history. For more, visit www.aerospaceca.org.
Hands on Archaeology at the Maidu Museum & Historic Site - June 25-29
Learn what was it like to live on a ranch in the early days of Roseville's history! Kids ages 8-11 can participate in an archaeological dig to uncover artifacts from Roseville's ranching era. They'll learn about archaeological tools, techniques and methods for reconstructing the past. For more, visit www.roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum.
Earthworks Garden FunCamp at Fairytale Town - June 25-29 & July 23-27
Fairytale Town offers plenty of green-thumb fun in this gardening camp. This FunCamp covers the basic essentials of home gardening with a focus on environmentally "green" practices. Campers will also receive an up-close perspective on Fairytale Town's own unique gardens and plants. For more, visitwww.fairytaletown.org/educational-programs/day-camps/.
Crocker Kids Book Club at the Crocker Art Museum - July 10 & August 14
Keep children excited about reading during summer vacation with the Crocker Kids Book Club. A unique program to engage and entertain boys and girls, the book club pairs museum-themed classics of children's literature with gallery experiences that relate to the characters' adventures. For more, visit www.crockerartmuseum.org.
Robot Renegades at the Discovery Museum Science & Space Center - August 6-10
Perfect for kids ages 10-13, robots are everywhere! In this fun-filled five day camp, campers will explore different robotics concepts such as engineering with LEGO Mindstroms® and programming with NXT. Campers will build and program robots while learning how robots influence our world. For more, visit www.thediscovery.org.
Family Overnight Safaris at the Sacramento Zoo - June 29; July 7, 13, 21, 27; August 3 & 11
Sacramento Zoo Family Overnight Safaris make for a great, safe, mini-vacation - without the drive! Guests can experience a unique side of the Zoo with friends and family without the rush of the daytime crowds and meet some of the animals up close and personal. As night falls, guests camp out under the stars just yards away from dozing flamingos. Make this a memorable experience that will last a lifetime for everyone in your family or small group! For more, visit www.saczoo.org.
For a more complete listing of available summer class and children's camp activities, visit www.sacmuseums.org/summercamps.html.