Just Announced!

Scroll down to check out our 2023 schedule of super cool Summer Fun classes. Each class name listed below is a red link so you can register and pay online. Registration is now open to Members only. Non-Member registration begins March 14.

Summer Fun Logo

We are thrilled to announce our 2023 schedule of summer classes for kids! We welcome all school-age learners and offer a variety of programs designed for students PreK–6 to explore the Hastings Museum.

The Ashley Kulwicki Scholarship is available for students to participate in the Hastings Museum’s Summer Fun program. To apply, students must qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Funds are limited. The scholarship covers 100% of the class fee. Limit one scholarship per person.

REMEMBER:
Members can register now. Registration for Non-Members begins on March 14. If you want to pay with cash or check, please download and complete the registration forms below. Forms can be dropped off at the Museum or mailed to Hastings Museum, 1330 N. Burlington Ave., Hastings, NE 68901.

2023 Class Prices Members Non-Members
Art Explosion $50 $60
Stroke of Genius $50 $60
All Other Classes $40 $50
Grandparents Camp $30 per student; adults free

Fees are due at time of enrollment and are refundable up to 7 days prior to the first day of class. 

New Point of View (Ages 4-5)
June 19-23, 1-3 pm (8/15)
Instructor: Katie Karr
You may have been to the Museum before, but you have never seen it like this! Each day, we will take on a new point of view and rediscover our exhibits. We will be as small as a bug crawling along the ground, explore our Kool-Aid exhibit while going on a rainbow color hunt, and search for stars in the dark!


July 17-21, 10 am-12 pm (8/15)
Instructor: Marie Law
Each day a new book will come alive with activities, crafts, and foods in the Laura Numeroff “If you Give…” book series. Follow along with the choices of Cat, Dog, Moose, Mouse, and Pig’s adventures and the hilarious trouble they cause all because of cupcakes, donuts, muffins, cookies, and pancakes.

Fairy Tale Science (Grades K-1 )
June 5-9, 1-3 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Marie Law
Fairy Godmother’s wand is broken! Become a master of matter by making a new wand. Construct a boat for the Three Billy Goats’ Gruff to bypass the Troll. Create a crystal garden for the seven dwarfs and engage in a week full of science experiments and fairytale characters’ stories.

June 12-16, 1-3 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Marie Law
Become a young entomologist in the Museum’s Outdoor Classroom. Learn all about bees, butterflies, spiders, and other creepy crawlies as we observe and explore a bug’s life and create our own creepy crawly projects.
Note: This class will take place in our Outdoor Classroom for most of the day. Hats or sunglasses, sunscreen, and water bottles are encouraged.

Toys and Games (Grades K-1 )
June 26-30, 1-3 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Russanne Hoff
Join us for a week of fun as we explore a variety toys and games! We will play board games while we learn about lady bugs and sea monsters, discover old timey amusements, have fun outdoors as we try our hand at GIANT games, make our own toys and games to take home, and more!

Extinct Things (Grades K-1) Sold Out!
July 10-14, 10 am-12 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Katie Karr
Why did the T-Rex go extinct? What is an Auk? How do animals adapt so they do not become extinct? This class will investigate the answers to these questions, and many more, as we dig for fossils, conduct an experiment to learn about tectonic plates, and go on an extinct animal search around the Museum.

Art Explosion (Grades K-1)
July 24-28, 10 am-12 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Katie Karr
It’s time to get messy! In this class, anything goes. We will paint with sponge bombs, use unusual tools for brushes, create a wacky animal collage, and so much more. Students will also bring home art materials to continue the fun after class! Note: Please send students in old clothes and shoes. Though we will do our best to contain our mess, we will be working with materials that will not wash out of clothing.

Backyard Science (Grades 1-2 )
June 19-23, 1-3 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Russanne Hoff
Join us to explore the Museum’s backyard while we investigate the science of trees, animals, water, and more through hands-on activities. We will also celebrate the longest days of the year while we discover more about the summer solstice. Note: This class will take place in our Outdoor Classroom for most of the day. Hats or sunglasses, sunscreen, and water bottles are encouraged.

Who’s Who (Grades 2-3)
June 5-9, 1-3 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Katie Karr
Who was the first person to make candy? Who made stop lights? Who programs rockets to fly to space? Each day, we will answer questions like these and investigate the masterminds behind some of the world’s most famous inventions. Together we will make our own candy creation, create a racecar, blast off a rocket, and so much more!

Museum Mishmash (Grades 2-3)
June 12-16, 1-3 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Russanne Hoff
This week will be five days of mishmash fun! We will explore the world of snails, find out more about things that are red, take a deep dive into the ocean, stack up fun with Russian nesting dolls, and celebrate National Clay Week as we mold a masterpiece.

Sense of Nature (Grades 2-3)
June 27, 9 am-4 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Katie Karr
In this class, we will use our senses to explore the world around us. Students will hear many sounds, explore the taste of different colors of apples, and search for signs of animal homes. We will also build texture boards to take home! Note: This class will take place in our Outdoor Classroom for most of the day. Hats or sunglasses, sunscreen, and water bottles are encouraged. Also Note: We will provide snacks, but students need to bring their own lunch.

Pioneer Craftiness (Grades 2-3)
July 11, 9 am-4 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Marie Law
“Westward ho!” Spend the day creating pioneer crafts such as a barn quilt, tin punching, candle making, and other historical projects as we step back into time. If you like, pack your lunch in a pail just like school children of yesteryear for this all-day class. Note: We will provide snacks, but students need to bring their own lunch.

Science Snapshots (Grades 2-3) Sold Out!
July 20, 9 am-4 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Katie Karr
This camp is full of different snapshots of various science topics. We will shoot for the stars with astronomy, code our robots to success, test the limits of physics with Newton’s Laws, examine meteorology, and create some fizzy art with the help of chemical reactions! Note: We will provide snacks, but students need to bring their own lunch.

American Girl Fun (Grades 3-6)
July 24-28, 10 am-12 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Russanne Hoff
The world of five American Girls will come alive in this class. We will learn about the life and times of Courtney (1986), Nanea (1941), Kit (1934), Claudie (1922), and Samantha (1904) through hands-on activities, Museum exhibits, games, and more!

Nature Nerds (Grades 4-6)
June 6, 9 am-4 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Russanne Hoff
We will spend the day exploring the natural world around the Museum. As a class, we will make a beehive. We will also tell campfire stories, go on scavenger hunts, observe and investigate plants and animals, and so much more!
Note: This class will take place in our Outdoor Classroom for most of the day. Hats or sunglasses, sunscreen, and water bottles are encouraged. Also Note: We will provide snacks, but students need to bring their own lunch.

Stroke of Genius (Grades 4-6)
June 14, 9 am-4 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Katie Karr
From Picasso to Seurat to Van Gogh and more, join us as we make one-of-a-kind creations inspired by some of art’s greatest masterminds. We will discover many artists, their style, and learn what makes their art stand out from the rest. Some of our masterpieces include a Starry Night that glows, crazy portraits, and paint bomb explosions. Note: Please send students in old clothes and shoes. Though we will do our best to contain our mess, we will be working with materials that will not wash out of clothing. Also Note: We will provide snacks, but students need to bring their own lunch.

June 19-23, 1-3 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Marie Law
Join us as we look at the history of those magnificent flying machines: past, present, and future. We will explore various types of aircraft including airplanes, helicopters, balloons, blimps, and rockets. Students will build a glider and other flyable craft, learn the science of air pressure with flight, and discover the contributions of aviators like Lindbergh, Earhart, and Sikorsky as they flew through the skies.

STEAM (Grades 4-6 )
June 26-30, 1-3 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Marie Law
Each letter of STEAM will come alive in this class! We will create chemical reactions, practice the laws of physics, engineer a protective chamber for an egg drop, construct a kaleidoscope, send messages with Morse Code, and more!

Photography 101 (Grades 4-6)
July 18, 9 am-4 pm (10/20)
Instructor: Russanne Hoff
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Learn from local photographers how to take great pictures of the world around you. Students will also be taught photo editing and put it all together with a photography project.
Note 1: Cameras and iPads will be supplied. Please do not bring your own camera or phone.
Note 2: We will provide snacks, but students need to bring their own lunch.

Grandparents Camp (Ages 4-10) Sold Out!
July 13-14, 9 am-1 pm (8/18)
Instructors: Russanne Hoff & Alli Granstrom
Join us for two days of birdtastic fun as children and their grandpeople will get up close to all things birds! This camp will include free choice time indoors and outdoors, story time, guided indoor and outdoor exploration, and creative activities. Participants need to bring a sack lunch. The Museum and Prairie Loft will provide healthy snacks both days. Each grand person can bring up to three grandchildren.
Note 1: Camp takes place at Hastings Museum on July 13 and at Prairie Loft on July 14.
Note 2: You can not register for Grandparents Camp online. Instead you must call: (402) 461-2399 or stop in the Museum.