Summer Curiosity Camps
Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota, 224 Lamm Street, Mankato, MN 56001
About
Summer Curiosity Camps offer themed days where children play, learn, explore, and have fun through activities such as painting, crafting, sensory art, clay activities, and trying a pottery wheel. Campers may mix, create, and explore at Messy Masterpieces Camp, design and decorate their own flower pot, plant something to take home, help care for a garden space, learn beginner sewing skills while making a reusable bag using real sewing machines, create slime and test different textures, and explore the science behind gooey materials. Other camp days include designing and blasting off rockets, creating tie-dye projects, Fourth of July themed crafts and activities, hands-on STEAM challenges with building, designing, experimenting, and inventing, searching for clues to solve kid-friendly mysteries with forensic-style science activities, paper making by tearing, blending, pressing, and decorating recycled paper, experiments related to the science of flight, investigating how germs spread and where they hide through science activities and interactive experiments, designing sculptures and imaginative creations from recyclables, turning recycled items into art, and mixing, measuring, and creating simple kid-friendly recipes using fresh produce from a garden.
• Ages: Kindergarten–3rd Grade
• Schedule: $45.00 per day camps from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM, with drop-off beginning at 8:50 AM
• Price: $45.00/day. Separate registration required for each day.
Each Summer Curiosity Camp session runs from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM on specific dates that include June 3, June 10, June 17, June 24, July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22, July 29, August 5, August 12, August 19, and August 26, with staff waiting at the front desk until 9:05 AM. Drop-off occurs at the front desk, where caregivers check campers in with camp staff, provide a booking number, the name of the person picking up the child, and a signature; if arrival is after 9:05 AM, caregivers bring the child into the Museum and check in so camp staff can come get the camper. Each Summer Curiosity Camp has an exciting theme, intriguing activities, and time to play in the Museum, with the CMSM Loft serving as “Camp Central” for directly supervised experiences and additional exploration of Museum exhibits and programs as part of each camp day.
The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota education team consists of highly qualified and trained program educators, and the team is led by Minnesota Licensed Educators. The Museum’s mission is to ignite the natural curiosity of every child through the power of play in a dynamic, awe-inspiring environment. The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was granted official nonprofit status in 2006 and opened its doors at its current location in May 2015. Place-based exhibits and dynamic hands-on programming at the Museum reveal the wonders of STEAM, agriculture, and arts, highlight Southern Minnesota heritage and Dakota culture, and include STEAM activities throughout the Museum, ag education programming and exhibits in the Ag and Nature Lab and Alltech Farmyard, art installations created by local artists, and exhibits intentionally designed as robust educational resources based on local settings and landmarks.
Partnerships and special guest experiences connected to these programs include Living Earth Center for Plant, Play, & Grow Camp and Cooking Up Curiosity Camp; 3M for Stars, Stripes & ROCKETS Camp and Mission: Rocket Camp; MnDOT for Scrap Studio: Recycled Art Camp; Xcel Energy Foundation as “Proudly Presented By” for Early Out Camp and Early Out & Summer Break Curiosity Camp; CenterPoint Energy for Pollinators at Play; and sponsors US Bank, Abdo, Eide Bailly, First National Bank, and Federated Insurance for Payday Play Day, which focuses on financial literacy basics through interactive play stations and partner activities. Early Out & Summer Break Curiosity Camp is described as nurturing natural curiosity with hands-on STEAM activities, creative experiments, and Museum experiences, and Pollinators at Play is presented by CenterPoint Energy.
Testimonials from caregivers and visitors describe friendly and knowledgeable staff, new things to discover and experiment with, a wide variety of activities for families, and exhibits that are well thought out and creative. Reviewers note that staff are helpful, the space is clean, and that there are special areas for younger children, with some families choosing yearly memberships and long-term involvement as members, volunteers, and staff. Leadership at the Museum includes CEO Louise Dickmeyer, who has described getting to know the Museum as a member, customer, and later as a staff member.
Last updated July 26, 2026.
• Ages: Kindergarten–3rd Grade
• Schedule: $45.00 per day camps from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM, with drop-off beginning at 8:50 AM
• Price: $45.00/day. Separate registration required for each day.
Each Summer Curiosity Camp session runs from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM on specific dates that include June 3, June 10, June 17, June 24, July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22, July 29, August 5, August 12, August 19, and August 26, with staff waiting at the front desk until 9:05 AM. Drop-off occurs at the front desk, where caregivers check campers in with camp staff, provide a booking number, the name of the person picking up the child, and a signature; if arrival is after 9:05 AM, caregivers bring the child into the Museum and check in so camp staff can come get the camper. Each Summer Curiosity Camp has an exciting theme, intriguing activities, and time to play in the Museum, with the CMSM Loft serving as “Camp Central” for directly supervised experiences and additional exploration of Museum exhibits and programs as part of each camp day.
The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota education team consists of highly qualified and trained program educators, and the team is led by Minnesota Licensed Educators. The Museum’s mission is to ignite the natural curiosity of every child through the power of play in a dynamic, awe-inspiring environment. The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was granted official nonprofit status in 2006 and opened its doors at its current location in May 2015. Place-based exhibits and dynamic hands-on programming at the Museum reveal the wonders of STEAM, agriculture, and arts, highlight Southern Minnesota heritage and Dakota culture, and include STEAM activities throughout the Museum, ag education programming and exhibits in the Ag and Nature Lab and Alltech Farmyard, art installations created by local artists, and exhibits intentionally designed as robust educational resources based on local settings and landmarks.
Partnerships and special guest experiences connected to these programs include Living Earth Center for Plant, Play, & Grow Camp and Cooking Up Curiosity Camp; 3M for Stars, Stripes & ROCKETS Camp and Mission: Rocket Camp; MnDOT for Scrap Studio: Recycled Art Camp; Xcel Energy Foundation as “Proudly Presented By” for Early Out Camp and Early Out & Summer Break Curiosity Camp; CenterPoint Energy for Pollinators at Play; and sponsors US Bank, Abdo, Eide Bailly, First National Bank, and Federated Insurance for Payday Play Day, which focuses on financial literacy basics through interactive play stations and partner activities. Early Out & Summer Break Curiosity Camp is described as nurturing natural curiosity with hands-on STEAM activities, creative experiments, and Museum experiences, and Pollinators at Play is presented by CenterPoint Energy.
Testimonials from caregivers and visitors describe friendly and knowledgeable staff, new things to discover and experiment with, a wide variety of activities for families, and exhibits that are well thought out and creative. Reviewers note that staff are helpful, the space is clean, and that there are special areas for younger children, with some families choosing yearly memberships and long-term involvement as members, volunteers, and staff. Leadership at the Museum includes CEO Louise Dickmeyer, who has described getting to know the Museum as a member, customer, and later as a staff member.
Last updated July 26, 2026.
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