Hours
- Camp is 10 a.m. – 3 PM, daily.
- Before Camp is 8 – 10 AM, daily
- After Camp Day is 3 – 5:30 PM, daily
Museum Teachers and Assistants
All of our teachers are certified school teachers or museum professionals. They all have experience working with children and enjoy hands-on interactive activities. All of our teachers and assistants have passed a background check.
Supervision
Campers are supervised at all times and are escorted on restroom breaks. Parents are not permitted to stay in the classroom. If you feel that your child is unable to remain in camp owithout you for more than a few minutes, you probably should wait a year before you send him/her to camp. Our summer programs promote independent learning and socialization. Parents are not allowed to remain in the classroom during program hours.
For your child’s security all campers MUST be escorted to and from their camp room by a parent or guardian and signed in and out EVERY DAY. We realize leaving your contact information each day may not always be convenient. In the event of an emergency, we want to have the most accurate contact information for you. Attendance cards contain list of authorized adults for pick-up and emergency contact information. We ID at pick-up from the information you provide on the Attendance Cards on the first day of camp. Please make sure to include your contact information if you will be picking up your camper.
Camper behavior expectations are posted in each room and are emphasized throughout the week. Classroom rules are: listen carefully and follow instructions, participate in classroom activities, respect others, respect property, and Have Fun Learning. In case of a severe behavior problem, we will call you and ask you to pick up your child. At our discretion, your child may be allowed to return to camp the following day.
Emergency Contact Information or To Leave A Message
Please call the Education Office at 713-639-4651 or 713-639-4625 and a staff member will deliver your message to the appropriate person. After 5:20 PM, please contact Museum Services at 713-639-4601 and a staff member will deliver your message to the staff in the Extended Day program classrooms.
Attire
Campers should dress in comfortable clothes and closed-toed shoes that may get messy. Bring a mask!
Electronic Devices
Bringing valuables like cell phones, electronic games, etc. to the museum for use during lunchtime and extended day is at the discretion of the parent and HMNS is not responsible for loss or damage to camper or scout’s valuables.
Lunch
Campers can bring a lunch or order a lunch to be delivered. Campers ages 6 -12 are supervised in a camp room while they eat lunch. Campers eat their lunch while watching an educational video. No videos or movies are shown during instructional time in camp.
HMNS Hermann Park
We are thrilled to have Sodexo as our partner providing new dining options at the Houston Museum of Natural Science main museum location. Sodexo is introducing Catering by Periodic Table which will include limited box lunch options from the Periodic Table Café.
Campers and Scouts can pre-order a meal to be delivered by Catering by Periodic Table. To order a lunch for your child from Catering by Periodic Table please visit: https://hmns.ezplanit.com/#/welcome to place an order. Please select your camp or scout class from the calendar view. Online orders must be placed by 10:15 AM the day before the lunch is to be delivered. For questions, please call Catering by Periodic Table Café at 713-639-4699.
Houston Museum of Natural Science Sugar Land
For campers attending the HMNS Sugar Land location, you may bring a lunch from home. Please check hmns.org/summercamps for any updates regarding lunch orders in Sugar Land.
Inclement Weather Policy
In the event of inclement weather we will make every effort to make an announcement about camp closure as quickly as possible. Updated information will be available on our camp hotline at 713-639-4652 and announced on social media. If camp is closed due to inclement weather, there will be no refunds or exchanges.