O‘ahu Nature Adventure Camps for Keiki
Week-long Nature Adventure Camps On O‘ahu
2131 Makiki Heights Drive, Honolulu | Call: 808.955.0100 x126 | Email: nac@hawaiinaturecenter.org
Our week-long Nature Adventure Camp for keiki, who are 6 to 11 years-old, will be held during the next school break. Kids can go tech-free and high touch in nature in this five-day program held Monday through Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. Our program is led by expert environmental educators who specialize in outdoor exploration with hands-on education.
We provide 1 teacher for every 10 students to ensure that every child gets the best experience possible.
O‘ahu Nature Adventure Camp for 6 to 11 year-old Keiki
Amazing Ahupua‘a: Lessons From the Past
Join us for an adventure-filled week of exploring the ahupua‘a, a traditional Hawaiian land division extending from the uka (uplands) into the kai (sea). In Makiki Valley, part of the Waikīkī Ahupua‘a, we’ll encounter native and introduced plants utilized by Hawaiians, a restored loʻi (taro patch), and many ancient rock terraces once used for growing food. For a view of the entire Waikīkī Ahupua‘a, we’ll spend a day hiking to Pu‘u ‘Ualaka‘a (Roundtop). All week long, weʻll play Hawaiian games, make nature crafts, and find ways to take care of the land and sea. Through practicing laulima (teamwork), aloha (respect, compassion), and mālama ‘āina (caring for the land) each day, we’ll discover how these important values that guided sustainable living in the past can also positively shape our present and future.
Week 1 (June 1-5) – SOLD OUT
Week 5 (June 29-July 2) Closed Friday, July 3 – Independence Day (Observed) – SOLD OUT
Week 9 (July 27-31) – SOLD OUT – CLOSED MONDAY 7/27 DUE TO HURRICANE DOUGLAS – PLAN TO RESUME TUESDAY 7/28, CONDITIONS PERMITTING
Animalia: Exploring the Animal Kingdom
The Animal Kingdom—which most certainly includes us—is the Kingdom of Sentience. Everywhere you look, should you look closely enough, deeply enough, and with enough patience and heart, you will find a being whose personality, mind, and emotion beg recognition. Join us for a week of exploration into the Kingdom where—in the words of Dr. Jane Goodall—the animals we’re going to encounter [including ourselves] “ . . . are way, way, way, way more intelligent than we used to think!”
The week will debut an innovative blend of Hawai’i Nature Center’s mission to connect children and families to nature, and Dr. Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots program mission to empower young people to affect positive change in their communities. By developing what the Roots and Shoots Program identifies as “Compassion Traits,” and through the program’s 4-Step Formula for action, Hawai’i Nature Adventure Campers will help build a better, more connected tomorrow.
Week 2 (June 8-12) – SOLD OUT
Week 6 (July 6-10) – SOLD OUT
Week 10 (August 3-7) – SOLD OUT
Sensorama: Rediscovering Our Senses in Nature
What better place to rediscover your senses than out in nature! In our modern world of screens and time crunches we spend little time paying attention to our senses! In our busy life styles we might miss the green leaves glittering in the sun, the remarkable patterns of a butterfly, the rich sweet smell of flowers, the smell of rain (that’s called petrichor!), the sound of wind in coconut fronds, waves crashing on the reef, the roughness of rocks, the tickle of a millipede. Come join us as we pause and bring awareness to our senses while we explore the beauty and science of the stream, garden and forest.
Week 3 (June 15-19) – SOLD OUT
Week 7 (July 13-17) – SOLD OUT
Week 11 (August 10-14) – SOLD OUT
Going Green: A Week on Sustainability
We are here to celebrate our earth this week through ways that we can “Go Green!” or challenge ourselves to live waste free! The natural world and sustainable choices will guide us as we learn around Makiki Valley. To spark our imaginations on ways to live and build in harmony with the environment, we’ll spend a day in the forest and discover the many nature-inspired designs of biomimicry. It’s sure to be an exciting week of outdoor adventures, nature crafts and games – we’ll have fun exploring nature while minimizing our impact on the environment! By embodying sustainable practices, we actively protect our one and only home, and ensure its health for generations to come.
Week 4 (June 22-26) – SOLD OUT
Week 8 (July 20-24) – SOLD OUT
Fall NAC: October 5 – 9, 2021 | Registration opens in August
Healing Through Nature
Many of us may feel we live an enriched and healthy life style without really knowing how nature deprived we really are! Especially in a world that is now rapidly changing, it is ever so important for us to go outside! Recent studies have shown that outdoor spaces are a remedy for physical and psychological health. Research for around the globe is finding that people who live around green spaces have lower anxiety levels and fewer health complication. This week we will take full advantage of a free prescription called NATURE! Students will participate in mindfulness nature hikes, become attuned with their senses while fishing and most importantly feel connected to the natural world. Students will practice malama aina by sowing seeds, turning compost and planting starters. Join us as we find the healing powers of nature that are less seen and more felt!
Registration opening soon!
Day Camp Hours
8 am – 3 pm (extended care available from 3 – 5 pm)
Gear Up & Get Ready
- Eat a hearty breakfast.
- Wear clothes and closed-toe (hiking or athletic) shoes that can get wet and dirty.
- Put on mosquito repellent and sunscreen at home.
- Leave anything expensive, valuable, or fragile at home.
What to Pack Daily
- Small backpack
- Water bottle
- Morning snacks (and pm snack for 3 to 5 pm extended care) and a big lunch (no refrigeration)
- Extra change of clothes, raincoat/poncho and water shoes
- Sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses
- Swimsuit and towel for beach day field trip
CANCELLATION POLICY We reserve the right to cancel the program and/or Extended Care if we do not have minimum enrollment. In this rare case, we will contact you as soon as possible and refund the program and/or Extended Care cost. If you cancel within seven days of the first day of each camp, your enrollment is non-refundable for any reason.
REFUND POLICY With at least seven-days notice prior to the program’s start, we will refund your tuition. However, a $50 cancellation fee per child per week and administrative processing fees will be charged.
LATE REGISTRATION FEE A $30 late registration fee per child is applicable to those who enroll in camp within 14 days of the start date of each week of camp.
THIRD PARTY REGISTRATION POLICY Hawai’i Nature Center will no longer accept third party registrations or registrations on behalf of other friends or family–the registering child’s parent or guardian must be the individual to complete and submit all registration information. If we determine that a third party has completed your child’s registration, your registration will be cancelled and we will refund your tuition. Please note, a $50 cancellation fee per child per week and administrative processing fees will be charged.
