SummerFun Classes
The 2012 SummerFun schedule is finally here. Check below for descriptions of every class.
Hastings Museum’s SummerFun Classes are your ticket to adventure!
From American Girls of Today to Children at Play in the 1860s, from Seusseum Fun to Grossology. Plus a whole lot more! Hastings Museum summertime classes are geared toward making summer a learning adventure.
To register, call Hastings Museum at 402-461-4629 or download (.pdf) and mail the registration form. Class details are listed below by date (and in the .pdf).
Scholarships: The Ashley Kulwicki Scholarship is available for students to participate in Hastings Museum SummerFun Classes. To apply, students must qualify for the Free or Reduced Lunch program. Funds are awarded on a first come, first serve basis. Limit one class per child. To apply, download the form (.pdf) or stop by Visitor Services at the Museum. Please return applications at least two weeks prior to the start of the class. Contact Russanne Erickson, curator of education, at 402-461-4629 for more information.
| Cost for Classes | Members | Non-Members |
| Space Camp, Art Classes Camp Exploremore All Others |
$45 $165 $35 |
$50 $180 $40 |
Note: Grade levels refer to the grade your child will enter fall 2012. SummerFun Classes require advance reservations. Fees are due at time of enrollment.
Photo Disclaimer: Registrants and participants permit the taking of photos and videos of themselves and their children during Hastings Museum activities for publication and use as the Museum deems necessary.
Sign-up deadline for each class is the Friday before. In order to provide adequate supplies deadlines are firm.
June 4-7
Brilliant Barbie and Her Fabulous Science Careers (Grades 1-2)
June 4-7, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: June 1
Barbie has been leading the way for fashion and career dreams of young ladies since 1959.This dynamic personality shows no limits to her talents and skills; whether she’s digging for dinosaurs or skiing the Rockies. We’ll explore her post college career choices in Medicine, Animal Sciences, Paleontology and Space Exploration; all the while keeping up in style!
American Girls of Today (Grades 3-6)
June 4-7, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: June 1
Follow in the footsteps of American Girl’s of the Year Kanani, Lanie, Jess, and Kailey. Travel to Hawaii to explore the beaches and coral reefs that Kanani lives near and study the wildlife, both on land and in water, in this tropical paradise. Investigate nature in your own backyard, including butterflies, flowers, trees, and birds, just like Lanie. Like Jess, when she went to Belize with her parents, we’ll go on an archeological dig back in time. Learn what life was like hundreds of years ago and how it compares today. There will be a lot to see on the California beaches that Kailey visits everyday, such as the aquatic life that lives in the tide pools. We’ll discover how these creatures rely on one another for survival and what we can do to protect them.
June 11-14
Children at Play in the 1860s (Grades K-1)
June 11-14, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: June 8
Ever wonder what children did for fun 150 years ago? It was a time of change and turmoil in the United States. Adults were moving and fighting for a better life for their families. Hardships were many, but children found ways to have fun through play. We’ll play some of our great-great-great grandparents’ favorite games, such as Hunt the Slipper, The French Roll and more. Children will try country and town games as well as those played by children traveling by ships or wagon trains…and just wait until the traveling circus comes to town!
You Are Here: The American Civil War (Grades 3-6)
June 11-14, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: June 8
Travel back to 1861 as the first shots of the Civil War are heard in Fort Sumter, South Carolina. You’ll experience life on the homefront and warfront in the North and the South by sampling foods, playing popular games during the time, practice breaking secret codes and creating your own, participating in camp life, and exploring our temporary exhibit Liberty on the Border: A Civil War Exhibit. Students will follow a person who may have lived during the Civil War and roll the dice to discover what happened to them.
June 18-21
Seusseum Fun (Pre-K)
June 18-21, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: June 15
Thing 1 and Thing 2 know just what to do.
Seusseum fun things just for you.
Picnic with Sneetches
Who love parties on beaches
And with Horton discover something new.
Children will enjoy exploring the wonderful stories of Dr. Seuss while practicing new skills. We’ll get Wacky on Wednesday, picnic with the Sneetches and learn more about our natural world with Horton. Favorite adults are always welcome.
Wild Nebraska (Grades K-1)
June 18-21, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: June 15
Each day will be a new discovery of air, land, and water wildlife that calls Nebraska home. Children will get to observe animals in their natural habitats, explore how they adapt to changing environments, and find out what they need to survive. We’ll do all this and more through outdoor adventures, tasty snacks, active games, reading, and art.
June 25-28
The Ingredients of Art (Grades K-2)
June 25-28, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: June 22
Art is everywhere! On walls, in books, on computer screens, in design and function of everyday items. Paper and paint brushes create art, but think of all the other possibilities! Creative materials are limited only by the imagination of the artist. Students in this class will discover colors, shapes, textures and patterns formed by raw materials that may surprise you. We’ll create art from food, found objects, fiber, colored liquids and more. Art lovers will play with clay and experiment with fingerprints. This class will open up a whole new world of artistic possibilities!
Art Through the Ages (Grades 3-6)
June 25-28, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: June 22
The visual arts date back nearly 35,000 years with the earliest cave paintings of animals. This class will introduce children to the major periods in art (Renaissance, Impressionism, Baroque, Cubism and America’s contribution -Abstract Expressionism and Pop art), as well as the major artists responsible for these periods (Leonardo, Monet, Cezanne, Warhol and Picasso.) Participants will create some of their own art in the styles of the masters and learn to “read” a painting to understand it.
July 9-12
Grossology (Grades 4-6)
July 10, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: July 6
During our most disgustingly experimental class yet, we’ll discover how maggots did their share during the Civil War and which part of your body has the most germs. You’ll learn how to make fake wounds and what foods can turn your pee a different color or smell. Let’s hope you aren’t too grossed out to each your lunch! Note: This class will provide 2 snacks. Students will need to bring their own lunch.
Let’s Have a Pow Wow (Grades 2-6)
July 12, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: July 6
Join us as we celebrate good times Native American style. Students will learn dances, play games, make dance regalia and prepare their lunch, Bison Tacos. Favorite adults are welcome to join us as we play a popular guessing game, I-ou’-tin, during the last hour of class. Note: This class will provide lunch and 2 snacks.
July 16-19
Junior Scientists (Grades K-1)
July 16-19, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: July 13
Come explore the wonderful world of science. Science is an integral part of everyday life and naturally engaging for young children. Hands-on experiences are the key to loving and learning through science exploration. We will dive into the four disciplines of science – Physical, Life, Health and Earth. Children will get to experiment with liquids, solids and gas. Find out how to make ice cream from a liquid and a solid, what will happen when you mix soda pop and candy, and how to color celery and flowers.
Space Came (Grades 2-3)
July 16-19, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: July 13
Children love to reach for the stars and Space Camp will show them how to use their natural curiosity in exploring the world above their heads. We will find out why the Moon seems to follow you around and why the Sun and Moon look bigger near the horizon than higher in the sky. Students will explore the awesome Aurora or northern lights and how best to see them and when. We will learn the summer and fall constellations along with many of the brightest stars in the sky. You will get to make your own sundial and much more!
July 23-26
Around The World in 4 Days (Grades 2-3)
July 23-26, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: July 20
For a long time man’s dream of traveling to the 4 corners of the world seemed impossible, but during the late 19th century, railroads connected continents making that dream possible. Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg declared he could go Around the World in 80 days. Nellie Bly took his challenged and accomplished it in 72 days. We’ll follow Nellie’s route and learn how much the world has changed in the last 122 years.
Solar System Safari (Grades 4-6)
July 23-26, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: July 20
Explore the Solar System and the celestial bodies contained within the Sun’s enormous gravity. How far does the Sun’s influence extend beyond the planets? We will also investigate upcoming NASA missions to Jupiter and Pluto as well as ongoing missions at Saturn and Mercury. Learn why the Moon goes through a series of phases every 29.5 days and why we see eclipses of the Sun and Moon only occasionally. We will also hear Native American stories that attempt to explain why certain sky events, such as eclipses, occurred. We will visit all the planets and many of their moons on our Solar System odyssey.
July 30 – August 1
Camp Exploremore (Grades 3-6)
July 30-August 1, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Signup Deadline: July 27
This 3 day experience will feed your brain and your body. Join us for an active exploration at Lochland Country Club, Hastings Museum, and Prairie Loft. Earn your first MBA (Mind Body Activity) by swimming, gardening, digging for fossils, playing sports, going on a nature hike, watching a 3D film, and more! Students will prepare and cook their snacks and lunch each day under close supervision. This camp will take place at 3 different locations: Lochland Country Club (Monday), Hastings Museum (Tuesday), and Prairie Loft (Wednesday). Students will need to be dropped off and picked up at each location.
