HMSC Summer Science Weeks

Monday–Friday, July 13–17, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

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

For children entering grades 1–3

Get creative in the museum! Explore the museum galleries and be inspired to make your own art. Examine insects and make your own bug, investigate crystals and bead mineral bracelets, make a model fossil, and craft an animal diorama.

Monday–Friday, July 13–17, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, 1 Oxford St, Cambridge MA

For children entering grades 6–8

How do we know what we know? What clever tricks and tools have people used through time to understand the world? And how would you convince others of a groundbreaking new idea? Dive into the whys and hows of sciences such as physics, psychology, and geology in this program. We will see the invisible with microscopes and cloud chambers, construct and test models, and go behind the scenes at the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments with tools that scientists used hundreds of years ago!

Monday–Friday, July 20–24, 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, July 20–24, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

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

For children entering grades 6–8

Red garnets, purple amethyst, blue turquoise – these jewels are actually naturally made rocks and minerals! Learn the geology behind your favorite gems. Then learn jewelry techniques to turn real rocks, minerals, and semi-precious stones into earrings, necklaces, pendants and more in this class that combines art with science.

This class has an additional $10 materials fee included in the cost of the program.

Monday–Friday, July 27–31, 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 27–31, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

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

For children entering grades 4-6

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!

Monday–Friday, August 3–7, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, 11 Divinity Ave., Cambridge MA

For children entering grades 1–3

Practice age-old skills used by early civilizations in Egypt, Europe, and Central America. Try cuneiform and hieroglyphics, recreate a working oil lamp, practice with stone-age tools, paint with bugs, and make something to take home. Explore two archaeology museums and enjoy hands-on activities as you learn more about ancient peoples of the past.

Monday–Friday, August 3–7, 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, August 10–August 14, 9:30 am–12:00 pm

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

For children entering grades 1–3

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.

Monday–Friday, August 10–14, 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 and printmaking 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 17–21, 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.