ODC-Network

2023 Summer Camps

We are excited to embark on our 2023 summer camp season!

Included below are camp descriptions, age ranges, and locations for you to start planning out your summer. We have 3 expectations for campers who attend ODC camps: Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Adventurous. Our camp leaders help all campers to achieve these expectations, and we all strive to make each camp a fun and enjoyable experience. One week prior to the camp, you will receive information via email about your camp. Questions you have before then can be directed to camps@outdoordiscovery.org. We can’t wait to see you this summer!

Choose an age range below to view camps, dates, locations and registration information.

4 - 6 Years Old
6 - 11 Years Old
7 - 10 Years Old
8 - 12 Years Old
10 - 16 Years Old

Be sure to log on to our registration system before February 1st to make sure your member information is up to date so the registration process will go smoothly for you.

*Para leer las descripciones de cada campamento en español, por favor seleccione el lenguaje español al lado derecho de esta página.*
Apply For Financial Assistance
Sponsor A Camper

Thank you to those who have chosen to sponsor 2023 Camp Scholarships!

 

Anonymous Individuals

Bilingual Camp Available
We are excited to offer our bilingual camp again this year! With the help of Vanessa Gutierrez, the ODC Network’s Community Outreach and Inclusion Manager, our Wetlands and Wildlife camp will be taught in both English and Spanish!

Bilingual Camp (Spanish & English)

Quick Links

Camps At A Glance
2023 Camp Brochure
Become A Member

Frequently Asked Questions

Once all slots are filled for a camp, a waiting list will be generated by our online registration system. Be sure to complete the registration even if it says a camp is full to ensure your child is added to the waiting list.

Members will receive a 20% discount on all camps when they log-in during the registration process. Become a member here. Be sure to log on BEFORE February 1st to make sure your membership information is up to date. This will help your camp registration go smoothly.

  • 100% refund 30 days before the camp start date
  • 50% refund 29-14 days before the camp start date
  • 0% refund 13 days or fewer before the camp start date
  • Reusable water bottle
  • Snack
  • Close toed shoes or sandals that can get dirty and wet
  • A lunch if required

4-6 Year Old Camps

Time/Location: 9:15AM – 12:15PM @ Park Township location
Fee: $80 Non-Members, $64 Members or Park Township residents
Description: This is the perfect camp for those campers who love adventure! We will be exploring all that Park Township has to offer. We will look for animals, play games, and explore different habitats.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Time/Location:  9AM – 12PM @ ODC
Fee: $80 Non-Members, $64 Members
Description: Does your little one like to play in mud? Would they like to be an explorer for the day? In this camp we will do all that and more! We will spend our time outside listening to stories, creating crafts, hiking, and exploring different habitats.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist
Time/Location:  9AM – 12PM @ ODC
Fee: $80 Non-Members, $64 Members
Description: This camp is for your little ones who are wild about animals that fly! Whether it’s birds, bats, or insects, there are a lot of creatures that can fly! We will go on daily explorations with tools in hand to help us uncover what flying animals live here and discover just how cool they are. 
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist
Time/Location:  9AM – 12PM @ ODC
Fee: $80 Non-members, $64 Members
Description: This camp is for your little ones who are wild about animals! From turtles and frogs, to birds and fish, we will go on daily explorations with tools in hand to help us uncover what animals live here.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist
Time/Location:  9AM – 12PM @ ODC
Fee: $80 Non-Members, $64 Members
Description: Campers will explore some of the strange, gruesome, ‘yucky’ things animals do to survive. Throughout the week your little one will sift through the mud, dissect an owl pellet and play a variety of games that teach them about why animals do the icky things they do.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist
Time/Location:  9AM – 12PM @ ODC
Fee: $80 Non-Members, $64 Members
Description: Does your little one like to play in mud? Would they like to be an explorer for the day? In this camp we will do all that and more! We will spend our time outside listening to stories, creating crafts, hiking, and exploring different habitats.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist
Time/Location: 9:15AM – 12:15PM @ Park Township location
Fee: $80 Non-Members, $64 Members or Park Township residents
Description: This is the perfect camp for those campers who love adventure! We will be exploring all that Park Township has to offer. We will look for animals, play games, and explore different habitats to see what kind of adventures we can have.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist

6-11 Year Old Camp

Time/Location: 9am – 4pm @ ODC  (Friday pickup @ SCA)
Fee: $390 (no member discount)

Description: Get into a creative state while celebrating our beautiful Michigan at the Outdoor Discovery Center in Holland! In this very special 4-day program, we partner with the ODC to offer four full days of nature and art. Explore the outdoors and see some native Michigan wildlife up-close with the Naturalists from the Outdoor Discovery Center in the morning from 9:00-12:00, and join the SCA from 12:00 – 4:00 for art-making centered around our Michigan landscape.

In the morning, explore nature off trail and up close, or try your hand at frog catching and fishing! The ODC has a variety of Michigan habitats that you will explore and be inspired by, as well as native and captive wildlife to experience hands-on. You will be trekking throughout the preserve, so be sure to wear good walking shoes or sandals, and clothes that can get a little wet or dirty. 

The SCA takes on the afternoon with art-making centered around our Michigan landscape. Try your hand at paper-making using recycled papers and plant fibers, create prints inspired by our state’s wildlife with artist Trevor Grabill, and paint the landscape outdoors “en plein air.” You’ll snack on locally grown fruits and veggies and specialty treats throughout the week! A truly collaborative outdoor experience that’s rooted in the amazing natural wonders of our Great Lakes state! 

Students must bring a lunch, snack, and a water bottle. A second healthy afternoon snack will be provided by the SCA. Drop-off will be at the ODC at 9:00 am, and pick-up at 4:00 pm. On Friday only, Pick-up will be at the SCA at 4:00 pm for a closing exhibition of student art.

Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist
 
In partnership with the Saugatuck Center for the Arts

7-10 Year Old Camps

Time/Location: 9:15AM – 12:15PM @ ODC
Fee: $80 Non-Members, $64 Members
Description: This camp is for kids who want to learn more about animals and explore where they live. Campers will get to catch animals, identify them, and learn about their lives. We will discover animals both caught in the wild and from the Center’s captive animal collection during camp including insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds. We will again be offering this camp as a bilingual English/Spanish camp with the help of Vanessa Gutierrez, ODC Network’s Community Outreach and Inclusion Manager.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist
Time/Location: 9:15AM – 12:15PM @ Park Township location
Fee: $80 Non-Members, $64 Members or Park Township residents
Description: Does your camper think they have what it takes to uncover clues and get to the bottom of daily nature mysteries? In this camp we will study the evidence and gain a deeper understanding of nature in order to solve mysteries. It will get their hands dirty, bodies moving, and inspire curiosity about how the natural world works.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist
Time/Location: 9:15AM – 12:15PM @ various locations
Fee: $80 Non-Members, $64 Members
Description: Take a peek into Michigan’s past! Using our newly updated Cultural History Center as our home base, we will explore a recreated Woodland Period Indigenous Peoples summer village, try our hand at axe throwing and fire making with flint and steel like a 1700’s French Voyageur, and travel back to the 1800’s to explore a log cabin and discover how to work and play like a Pioneer child. This hands-on camp will include lots of activities and games to keep campers engaged and active.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist
Time/Location: 9AM – 12PM @ ODC
Fee: $80 Non-Members, $64 Members
Description: This camp is for kids who love animals and want to learn what it means to take care of those that call the Outdoor Discovery Center home. Campers will have the opportunity to help care for some of the animal ambassadors by learning about their different habitat, food, enclosure, and enrichment needs.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist

8-12 Year Old Camps

Time/Location: 9:15AM – 12:15PM @ Park Township location
Fee: $80 Non-Members, $64 Members or Park Township residents
Description: Have you ever played camouflage in a meadow or capture the flag in a forest? Or crossed the chocolate river on giant marshmallows? These games and more will be played during this great camp experience. Occasionally, we will take breaks from these fun large group games to explore nature and see what adventures we can get into. You never know what the day will bring!
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist
Time/Location: 9AM – 12PM @ ODC
Fee: $80 Non-Members, $64 Members
Description: Star in your own Nature TV episode! Campers will channel famous TV personalities such as the Wild Kratts and Jeff Corwin as they work on episodes of “Lights, Camera, Animals”. Campers will put their wild knowledge to use in an entertaining and educational video. You will be sent a copy of the final cut to share with family and friends. All materials will be provided.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Click here to register – you will be added to the waitlist

10-16 Year Old Camps

Time/Location: 9:30AM – 12PM @ ODC Cultural History Center
Fee: $100 Non-Members, $80 Members
Description: In this three day camp, campers will be coached by a certified archery instructor to establish or reinforce good technique and form. Even if they have never shot before, this camp will help them learn the lifelong sport of archery. They will experience using a variety of tools from ancient atlatls to modern compound bows at the Outdoor Discovery Center’s archery range. All materials will be provided for the camp.
Sorry, no bows from home may be used until inspected by our range officer.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Time/Location: 9AM – 12PM @ various locations
Fee: $100 Non-Members, $80 Members
Description: This three day Kayak Camp is designed for the young beginner paddler. The camp begins with an introduction to kayaking on a pond. Campers paddle their craft solo and develop skills that emphasize independence and self-reliance. Campers learn skills through a mix of instruction, demonstrations, games, and trips. The instructors demonstrate and discuss paddle strokes and techniques, rescue skills, and boating safety. The opportunity to explore local waterways from ponds to rivers makes this an exciting camp your child will not want to miss. All materials will be provided.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Time/Location: 9:30AM – 12PM @ ODC Cultural History Center
Fee: $100 Non-Members, $80 Members
Description: In this three day camp, campers will be coached by a certified archery instructor to establish or reinforce good technique and form. Even if they have never shot before, this camp will help them learn the lifelong sport of archery. They will experience using a variety of tools from ancient atlatls to modern compound bows at the Outdoor Discovery Center’s archery range. All materials will be provided for the camp.
Sorry, no bows from home may be used until inspected by our range officer.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Time/Location: 9:15AM – 12:15PM @ ODC Cultural History Center
Fee: $100 Non-Members, $80 Members
Description: Hone your outdoor skills at the Outdoor Discovery Center! While on daytime hikes, campers will learn to read a map, navigate, practice wilderness survival skills, build a fire and more!  This camp is geared toward those who aren’t afraid of a little adventure. All materials will be included for this camp, including the take-home survival kit. No pocket knives, weapons or matches may be brought by participants.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Time/Location: 9:30AM – 12PM @ ODC Cultural History Center
Fee: $100 Non-Members, $80 Members
Description: This camp is for participants who have attended a previous ODC Network archery camp or been through lessons with one of our staff. The camp is designed to build on the skills learned in the Introduction to Archery Camp and improve the archer’s shooting proficiency at greater distances and improve distance judgment. All materials will be provided for the camp. Sorry, no bows from home may be used until inspected by our range officer.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Time/Location: 10AM – 2PM @ various launch sites
Fee: $130 Non-Members, $104 Members
Description: Campers who have already been through an Outdoor Discovery Network kayaking camp or have experience paddling will enjoy this next level of kayaking! This camp will have the group visiting three different area kayaking sites including Macatawa and surrounding watersheds. Campers will solo paddle their boat all three days for 4-5 hours each day, breaking for lunch midday. This camp will meet at the launch sites. All boating materials will be provided, though paddlers are welcome to bring their own paddle or life vest.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM
Time/Location: 10AM – 2PM @ ODC Cultural History Center
Fee: $130 Non-Members, $104 Members
Description: Have you taken the ODC Outdoor Skills Camp and want to take your skills to the next level? If you want to build a better shelter, make fire without matches, safely drink “wild” water, and not get lost on your next excursion, then this is the summer camp for you. You will build on the skills that you learned in our introductory camp and gain a better foundation in outdoor skills and wilderness survival. All materials will be provided for this camp unless otherwise requested.
Registration required – starting on February 1st at 9 AM