HMSC Summer Science Weeks

Monday–Friday, July 14–18, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA

For children entering grades 1–3

Our planet is an exciting place! Explore geology and paleontology using the museum’s collections and exhibits. Study rocks, fossils, volcanoes, and earthquakes through experiments, specimens, stories, and models.

Monday–Friday, July 14–18, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA

For children entering grades 4–6

Investigate the ins and outs of skeletons! Using observations of skulls, bones, and live animals, we will explore how animals use their skeletons for protection, support, and movement. We will  see how bones and fossils can solve recent and ancient mysteries. Extend the fun and learning through experiments, puzzles, and crafts.

Monday–Friday, July 21–25, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA

For children entering grades 4–6 

Explore Earth from the inside out! Use experiments to investigate earth processes, learn how rocks, minerals, and fossils can be clues to the geologic past, and discover how volcanoes and earthquakes help us understand the structure of the planet.

Monday–Friday, July 28–August 1, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA

For children entering grades 1–3

Leaping lemurs, sluggish sloths, burrowing beetles, and cagey crows....Explore the world of animals as we travel through museum exhibits, observe live animals up close, and get to know these amazing creatures through crafts, games, and experiments.

Monday–Friday, July 28–August 1, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA

For children entering grades 4–6

Hone your observational superpowers and zoom in on the lives of animals while developing your drawing skills. Learn about elements of design such as contour, form, and texture as we sketch animals from the museum collection. Try other techniques such as collage, printmaking, and cyanotypes to capture plants and animals with the same elements of design. This art and science program is open to students of all skill levels and all materials will be provided.

Monday–Friday, August 4–August 8, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA

For children entering grades 1–3

Explore the amazing world of insects, spiders, crabs, and other invertebrates. Meet a tarantula, search for millipedes, and listen to the hiss of a giant cockroach. Invent a “superbug” to take home and compare to the feats of real invertebrates.

Monday–Friday, August 4–August 8, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA

For children entering grades 6–8

Have you ever wondered where islands come from or how plants, animals, and fungi get to a new island once it has formed? It might be easy to imagine how a bird or a floating coconut could make their way to a faraway island, but what about a spider or a deer? Join us for a week of island exploration where we'll use tools from science and game design to think deeply about the forces that shape island biodiversity. In this program we will use microscopes to investigate micro structures that help plants and animals survive in the open ocean, design our own islands with thriving ecosystems, and put it all together by creating a board game that models the fascinating dynamics of island biogeography.

Monday–Friday, August 11–August 15, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA

For children entering grades 3–5

Dive into the deep as we explore life in the salty, watery world of the ocean. Sharks, crabs, sea stars, and turtles are just a few of the marine creatures we'll study from incredible underwater ecosystems. Learn all about our blue planet by investigating real specimens, observing adaptations of live ocean animals, making crafts, playing games, and visiting our Marine Life and Swimming with Sharks exhibitions.

Monday–Friday, August 18–August 22, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA

For children entering grades 1–2

Jump into the water without getting wet! Study live marine creatures such as crabs, plankton, and sea stars. Learn about life in the sea by playing games, visiting ocean galleries, and getting crafty. Build a model of an octopus, urchin, or your favorite animal, tell a tale of sea monsters, and explore our connection to the deep blue sea.

This class is full. Please email Reservations to be added to the waitlist.

Monday–Friday, August 18–August 22, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA

For children entering grades 3–5

Use your creativity, curiosity, and enthusiasm to ask questions we can answer with science! Experiment with animal behavior, movement, and diet. Do fieldwork collecting outside and use microscopes to catalog what you found. Construct circuits and mechanical models. Investigate light, shadows, and what that tells us about distant planets. Meet scientists doing similar work and have fun!