Camp Exploration 

So much to discover, only one summer! 

Explore Summer With Us! Adventure awaits with the Lindenhurst Park District. Camp Exploration is designed for children entering Kindergarten through 6th grade in the upcoming school year and has activities to suit interests! Whether your child is an aspiring explorer, a sports enthusiast, or simply looking to make new friends, our camp offers a wide range of activities and opportunities to create lasting memories. Campers will take a field trip on Wednesdays, a pool day each week, and will have special activities planned each Friday. 

Camp Exploration is held at the Lindenhurst Park District Community Center and the surrounding Engle Memorial Park.  Campers will take advantage of all the amenities, including sprawling open space, soccer fields, gaga pit, skate/BMX Park, basketball court, in-line hockey rink, performance pavilion, playgrounds, full-sized indoor gym and track, and walking paths.

NEW IN 2025

• Camp Exploration now has dedicated camp locations for age groups; register based on the grade your camper will be entering in the FALL 2025 school year. 

• Improved registration process in 2025!  Click, Add to the Cart, and Check out! Summer Camp Registration? CHECK!

• Add 2 legal guardians and 2 emergency contacts (4 individuals); these contacts will automatically be approved to pick up your child and may be contacted in emergency situations. Update your child's contacts in real time, anytime in your member account!

**Returning Families – Don’t forget to update you camper’s shirt size and grade level**

LITTLE Explorers

Grades K & 1

Drop-Off/Pick-Up Location: Parkman Pavilion

Little Explorers is where our youngest adventurers begin their journey of discovery!  This fun-filled camp is designed for Kindergarten and 1st grade campers, to explore the wonders of nature, arts, sports, and teamwork in a safe and nurturing environment.  Through hands-on activities like nature walks, simple science experiments, arts and crafts, and fun challenges your camper will develop their curiosity, creativity, collaboration and make new friends!

Exploration SQUAD

Grades 2 & 3

Drop-Off/Pick-Up Location: Tent

Campers in 2nd & 3rd grade will dive into outdoor adventures, creative and expressive activities, dabble in STEM missions, and challenge themselves through games and sports! Whether they are crafting imaginative projects, discovering secrets of nature, or working their way through a competition bracket, our camp is designed to empower campers to be bold, independent thinkers!  This camp is all about variety, balance, and FUN to keep campers engaged, active, and excited every day!

Explorer WARRIORS

Grades 4-6

Drop-Off/Pick-Up Location: Skate Park Pavilion

Explorer Warriors is designed for grades 4-6 who are ready to LEVEL UP!  Kids will develop independence through complex and challenging experiences nurturing their craving for independence and social interaction.  With a focus on choice and autonomy these Warriors will “create their own adventure” by giving input on the activities of the day. Through sports and challenges, creative and expressive pursuits, STEM missions, and social and collaborative activities, kids will take on responsibility helping to increase their independence and self-confidence, while developing skills. Is your camper ready to Level Up? We’re ready to challenge them!

What to Bring – Label all items with your child’s name

• NUT-FREE lunch
• Water Bottle
• Sunscreen (spray preferred)
• Bathing Suit
• Towel
• 2 nut-free snacks
• Change of clothes
• Hat and/or sunglasses

Registration Just Got Easier!

Advanced registration is required!

Improved registration process in 2025!  Click, Add to Cart, and Check out! Summer Camp – CHECK!

• Daily Registration – pick and choose individual days throughout the summer! No minimum required. Note: Most Wednesdays are Field Trip Days and require separate registration.  NEW this year, choose all your days from one simple calendar, add to cart, and checkout. It’s THAT easy! Daily registration must be received at least 7 days in advance. Registration may be accepted after the deadline if space is available; subject to a $40 late fee. No Camp July 4.
• Weekly Registration – The best value! Register for the weekly session and the Wednesday Field Trip is included! Register by the advertised weekly deadline below. Registration may be accepted after the deadline if space is available; subject to a $40 late fee. No Camp July 4.
• Wednesday Field Trips – Strictly looking for adventure? Only want certain trips? With Field Trip Only registration you can pick the trips for your camper for the whole summer from one simple calendar! Register for one or all! But remember, spots are limited and fill up quickly! Field Trip registration must be received at least 7 days in advance. Registration may be accepted after the deadline if space is available; subject to a $40 late fee. No field trip June 4 or August 13.

Visit our website, call, or stop into our Commuity Center to get registered!

• Choose your camp based on the grade your child will be entering this fall.
• Choose your week(s), individual day(s), and/or wednesday field trips
• Returning Families- update your child’s age and t-shirt size.
• Weekly Registration must be received by the advertised weekly deadline and Daily/Field Trip registration must be receive at least 7 days in advance to avoid an automatic $40 late fee.
• Registration may be accepted after the deadline if space is available; subject to a $40 late fee.  
• NEW – All campers must include up to 2 primary guardians and 2 emergency contacts during registration. Those listed will be approved to pick up your camper and may be contacted in emergency situations.

Camp Exploration Themes, Schedule, and Deadlines

Week	Dates	Theme	Special Activity	Field Trip	Weekly Registration Deadline
Week 1	June 2 – June 6	Garden Explores	Plant Take Home Garden	No Field Trip	5/27 @11:45pm
Week 2	June 9 – June 13	Space Camp, It's Out of this World!	Tour our Galaxy	Launch Trampoline Park 880 Lakeside Dr. Gurnee	6/2 @11:45pm
Week 3	June 16 – June 20	Zoo-tastic Fun	Animal Quest	Racine Zoo 2131 N. Main St. Racine	6/9 @11:45pm
Week 4	June 23 – June 27	Chefs in Training	Smores Solar Oven	Meadowhill Aquatic Center 1501 Maple Ave Northbrook	6/16 @11:45pm
*Week 5	June 30 – July 3 no (camp 7/4)	Stars, Stripes & Summer Fun	Tie-dye (Thursday)	Top Shelf – Ice Arena 6152 W. Grand Ave Gurnee	6/23 @11:45pm
Week 6	July 7 – July 11	Game On! – Sports Week	Campers vs Counselors Giant Beach Ball Soccer *Color wars*	Chicago Dogs – Baseball Game 9850 Balmoral Ave Rosemont	6/30 @11:45pm
Week 7	July 14 – July 18	Mysteries of the Deep	Water Games	Meadowhill Aquatic Center1501 Maple Ave Northbrook	7/7 @11:45pm
Week 8	July 21 – July 25	Light, Camera, Action!	Talent Show	Bowlero 316 Center Dr Vernon Hills	7/14 @11:45pm
Week 9	July 28 – Aug. 1	Ultimate Hero Challange	Bubble Bash – Jason the Juggler	TBD	7/21 @11:45pm
Week 10	Aug. 4 – Aug. 8	Carnival Spectacular	In-house Carnival	Action Territory 12345 75th Ave. Kenosha	7/28 @11:45pm
Week 11	Aug. 11 – Aug. 15	STEAM Discoveries	Pizza Party & Science Experiments	No Field Trip	8/4 @ 11:45pm

Weekly Themes

Get ready for an EPIC summer at camp! We've got a lineup of themed weeks so awesome, you won't want to miss a single one:

Garden Explorers: Unleash your inner botanist! Dig into the world of plants, pollinators, and growing your own food. Get your hands dirty with gardening, nature crafts, and games that'll cultivate your green thumb.

Space Camp, It’s Out of this World: 3...2...1...BLAST OFF! Explore the cosmos, build and launch rockets, map constellations, and learn about planets and stars. It's a stellar adventure of discovery and cosmic fun!

Zoo-tastic Fun: Calling all animal lovers! Get wild exploring the animal kingdom. Explore habitats, animal behavior, and conservation through hands-on activities and games. It's a roaring good time!

Chefs in Training: Time to get cooking! From tasty treats to essential kitchen skills, you'll whip up culinary masterpieces. Experience teamwork, creativity, and healthy eating while creating delicious snacks. Please note: common household allergens may be present.

Stars, Stripes & Summer Fun: Celebrate Independence Day with a patriotic BANG! Enjoy American-themed games, water fun, and explosive science activities. It's a red, white, and blue celebration of fun and friendship!

Game On! Sports Week: Get in the game! From soccer and basketball to relay races and unique challenges, it's a week of non-stop action, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

Mysteries of the Deep: Dive into an ocean of marine exploration! Explore aquatic life, create your own sea creature, and don’t forget the water games! It's perfect for anyone who’s looking to chart the course the depths of the ocean!

Lights, Camera, Action! Ever dreamed of being a movie star? Or directing the show? This is your chance! We'll be exploring all the parts of movies and stage performances from production to final product! What role will you choose in our show?!

Ultimate Hero Challenge: Think you've got what it takes to be a superhero? Join the Ultimate Hero Challenge! You'll face incredible challenges, test your skills, and prove you have what it takes to be a true hero. Bring your mental and physical strength to overcome this super feat!

Carnival Spectacular: Come one, Come all! Play classic carnival games, join silly challenges, and maybe earn to juggle! It's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser with laughter and excitement at every turn! Step right up for thrills and excitement!

STEAM Discoveries: Take an epic adventure in to the world STEAM!  We’re talking crazy contraptions, awesome experiments, and mind-blowing discoveries! Plan to build, tinker, and play your way through seriously cool projects.

The Fine Print

Exploration Camp Fees - Camp runs from 9:00am - 3:00pm

• Session (“Weekly”) Registration – Monday –Friday $200-NR
• Daily (“Drop-In”) Registration - $45 – per day (NR)
• Wednesday Field Trips - $66 – per day (NR)
• Week 5 (July 4) – Weekly Registration - $160-NR

Parent Orientation - Thursday, May 29 - 5:30 - 6:30pm

All families are encouraged to attend!

• Parents – meet our staff, listen to a presentation and get all of your Camp Exploration questions answered.  You will also tour our summer camp location!
• Campers – Meet camp counselors, see their camp space, and become familiar with our building.  Camp staff will provide supervision and facilitate play while parents are in orientation.

Newsletter - A weekly newsletter, including a calendar will be sent to the email on file the Friday prior to the start of the camp week with a schedule of events and activities planned.  Activities and scheduled events may change throughout the week due to weather and/or unforeseen circumstances.

Early Bird and Stay & Play 

Start your day with a smile or keep the fun going with our Early Bird and Stay & Play Camp!  Whether your camper is an early riser or loves to linger in the excitement, these extended hours are packed with engaging games, creative activities, and plenty of laughter.  It’s the perfect way to make new friends, explore favorite activities, and enjoy extra moments of camp magic!

Early Bird

7:00am-9:00am

$14 – per day

$65 – per week ($52 – Week 5)

Stay & Play

3:00pm-5:30pm

$20 – per day

$95 – per week ($76 – Week 5)