Camp Family Info
Welcome To The Summer of 2023!
Welcome!
Thank you for choosing Extreme STEAM Science Kids at Park Shore! We can’t wait to see you! We know you may have questions before arriving at Park Shore this summer, so we’ve gathered information to help answer some of those. You can always contact us with questions or concerns at 631-499-8580 or email us.
Curriculum Themes & Session Overview
At Extreme STEAM Science Kids summer camp, we believe that learning can be both fun and educational. Our indoor and outdoor classrooms include a hydroponic grow-lab, multiple gardens, a robotics room, an engineering room, and the ESSK cave complete with reptiles, fish and a pond ecosystem. Our campers have the opportunity to explore the natural world around them and learn about scientific concepts through hands-on activities that are engaging, challenging, and rewarding. Our experienced instructors guide campers through a variety of lessons, experiences and experiments designed to promote critical thinking, responsible citizenship, problem-solving, and creativity.
Our curriculum is designed to inspire a love of learning and encourage children to explore new ideas, ask questions, and develop their own interests. Campers will demonstrate learning through use of models, creative arts, mathematical computation and graphing. We will incorporate measuring, addition, subtraction, spatial reasoning, design process, and fine-motor skill development in all of our learning spaces. Through activities like nature hikes, building projects, and experiments, our campers gain a deeper understanding of the world around them and learn about topics such as adaptation, Earth’s natural history, ecosystems, and forces and motion. Robotics, mechanical and electrical engineering, life, physical and earth science, and coding will all be incorporated into each two-week block.
This summer we are bringing back field trips and campers will continue to host the successful Green-Thumb Market. In this event, campers create a unique monetary system and use it to sell the yard-garden and hydroponically-grown produce as well as themed crafts to parents and camp staff. We will also be making use of the sky trails, Bungee, Ninja course and rock wall for science experiments. Of course the summer would not be complete without our end-of-year cardboard boat Regatta!
By providing opportunities for children to learn through exploration and play, we believe that we can help them develop a lifelong love of learning and an appreciation for the natural world. Our campers leave with new skills, knowledge, and friendships that will stay with them long after the summer is over.
ALL FIELD TRIP DATES ARE TENTATIVE. MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!
Reminders: Science is MESSY! We use paint and dirt almost every day. Please send your camper in play clothes that can get dirty! Please send in recyclables such as plastic bottles with caps, corks, egg cartons, paper towel rolls and clear plastic food containers so that we can use them for some Extreme STEAM fun.
Block 1: June 26-July 7 (camp closed 7/4)
Adaptapalooza: Surviving and Thriving in a Changing World
Our first block will be centered on the theme of biological adaptation! In this unit, our ESSK campers will be exploring how living organisms adapt to their environment and how engineers can use the same principles to design and build solutions to real-world problems.
Throughout the unit, students will engage in a series of hands-on engineering challenges that will help them develop problem-solving skills and creativity. They will learn about different types of biologic adaptations, including behavioral and physical adaptations, and how living organisms use them to survive and thrive in their environment. They will also learn about the scientific method and how to ask questions, make observations, and draw conclusions based on evidence.
This unit will not only help your child understand the importance of adaptability in nature but also inspire them to become lifelong learners. By integrating the arts into our lessons, we aim to foster creativity, self-expression, and collaboration skills that are essential for success in the 21st century. Through hands-on experiments and engineering challenges, your child will develop a love for STEAM and the skills needed to solve real-world problems.
The activities listed below represent a glimpse of the fun which will take place across the Robotics Room, Grow Lab/Science Space, and our Engineering Room.
- Hands-on activities and experiments inquiring how living organisms, including humans, adapt to their environment with behavioral and physical adaptations.
- Observation and care for animals and fish in ESSK cave.
- Creation of habitats for our geckos in order to see how they adapt and behave with different levels of light.
- Planting and cultivation of tomato, garlic, sunflower, and pumpkin plants in our yard-garden and hydroponics lab. Graphing of growth
- Observation and recordings of how our garden plants adapt to reach optimal sunlight and water.
- Adding appendages to camp robots to demonstrate future human adaptations that might be necessary as our environments change.
- Planting and care of plants with unique adaptations such as “touch-me-nots” and “jewel weed” which propel seeds when touched, squirting cucumber and tickle me plants which curl when touched.
- Scavenger hunt to create stations for students to explore different physical adaptations (e.g. bird beaks, snake scales, butterfly wings
- Design and build a model of an animal that exhibits a behavioral adaptation, such as camouflage or mimicry
- Communicate like a firefly game
- Raising of caterpillars and baby praying mantises to observe how they camouflage and adapt to different environments around camp.
- Create robot camouflage to “hide” in certain areas on campus.
- Adaptation role-play games
- Designing and building a models of a vehicle or device that is adapted to function in an extreme environment
- Water strider STEM challenge
- Design and build a model of a device or tool that helps people adapt to a common problem, such as a wheelchair ramp or a hearing aid
- Campers will demonstrate their knowledge through models painted on stones and shells.
- Planting to compare growth in the greenhouse vs. nature.
- Explore sky-trail and rock wall while researching animals who have adapted to living in tree canopies, or climbing steep slopes.
- Field trip! Campers will visit the Sweetbriar Nature Preserve. July 6
Block 2: July 10-July 21
Paleontologists in Training: Excavating the Secrets of Prehistoric Life
This Jurassic Journey is an exciting science camp unit that invites campers on a journey through time to explore the animal and plant life of the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Through hands-on activities and research, students will learn about prehistoric creatures and how they successfully adapted to their environments and allowed them to be one of the longest-surviving Earth inhabitants.
Campers will explore the dinosaurs’ inability to adapt to a suddenly changed environment in the wake of an asteroid impact. In addition, students will engage in engineering challenges using recycled and upcycled materials to design solutions inspired by the challenges presented to plants and animals during prehistoric times. This unit will promote creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills while providing fun and educational experiences for students.
The activities listed below represent a glimpse of the fun which will take place across the Robotics Room, Grow Lab/Science Space, and our Engineering Room.
- Grow and care for plants that existed during dinosaur times, such as ginkgoes, ferns, and cycads
- Design and create dinosaur dioramas while creating life-like and period-accurate scenes.
- Campers will investigate, discuss, and research discoveries involving Coprolite, the favorite fossil of children, everywhere!
- Research and create models of dinosaur bones with pipe cleaners and upcycled materials.
- Campers will model volcanoes and eruptions as they research the volcanic activity that played a role in the dinosaur extinction event.
- Ice excavation of toys and nature items
- Save the dinosaurs! Students will explore and “invent” new robotic technology to help dinosaurs adapt to their post-asteroid environment
- Research the different types of marine life that existed during the Jurassic period, such as ammonites and ichthyosaurs. Compare modern-day marine life and create models of hybrids.
- Create clay and create cast and mold fossils of plants and shells.
- Create an animated dinosaur around Dash robot.
- Dinosaur balance game STEM activity
- Dinosaur sorting and classification based on time period
- Campers will paint models of dinosaurs on stones, and cultivate seedlings that existed during the Jurassic. They will then create a farmer’s market in which they pretend to sell their science-art and plants to the camp staff.
- Field trip! Campers will visit the Dinosaur Exhibit at Tanglewood Preserve. July 18
- Green Thumb ESSK Market! Campers will design a monetary system to be given to parents and camp staff to shop for camper-created crafts and our garden produce. Parents are invited from 10:00-11:00 AM July 21
Block 3: July 24-August 4
Eco-warriors: Preserving our Planet’s Ecosystems and Biomes
In our upcoming unit on biomes and ecosystems, your child will explore the diversity of life on Earth and learn about the importance of preserving our planet’s ecosystems. Through hands-on experiments, engineering challenges, and scientific investigations, they will discover how different plants, animals, and other organisms interact with each other and their environment. They will also explore the impact of human activities on our planet and learn about ways to reduce their ecological footprint.
This unit will help your child become better citizens and stewards of the Earth by fostering their sense of curiosity, wonder, and appreciation for the natural world. They will develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills as they explore complex ecological concepts and collaborate with their peers on engineering challenges. Most importantly, they will learn about the importance of taking action to protect our planet’s biodiversity and will be inspired to make a positive difference in their community and beyond.
The activities listed below represent a glimpse of the fun which will take place across the Robotics Room, Grow lab/Science Space, and our Engineering Room.
- Building mini-terrariums on scientific method and experimental design
- Building bird nests
- Pollinator simulation game
- Robotics food web maze
- Engineering an oil spill clean up
- Research and experimenting with different soils designed by students adding compost, egg-shells, and sand to see which grows successful plant-life
- Creation of commercials with robot actors for sustainability PSAs
- Research, graphing and blogging of tadpoles growth and behavior
- Creation and maintenance of garden and pond Ecosystems- yard-long plant teepees
- Research on how to attract beneficial insects
- Companion planting in gardens
- Shade cropping and vertical garden creation
- Planting and observation of native gardens
- Diorama and mini-science fair explaining each biome
- Creation of worm composting bin to help decompose food and plant waste from gardens
- Experiments recording temperatures inside and outside student-designed greenhouses
- Creating seed-bombs with native flowers
- Design and building of bee and butterfly houses
- Raising native ladybugs and release into campus gardens
- Nature walk and study of invasive species on the grounds
- Water quality testing of water in the hydroponic system.
- Cultivation of butterfly garden to attract swallowtail and monarch butterflies. Observation and raising butterfly larvae.
- Inquiry, observation and classification focused on ecosystems with creation of digital dichotomous key
- Microscope study of animal and plant cells with cell modeling in various media
- Designing and playing games with focus on creating a successful species when introduced to certain environmental stressors
- Invention of robots and habitats to help innovate ecosystems on the moon- space lander challenge
- Design and building bird feeders from up-cycled materials
- Graphing, research and study of the biodiversity in birds attracted
- Design, building and decoration of bug habitats with study and research of the biodiversity in organisms observed
- Examination, identification and research on plant species on Parkshore grounds, using iPad apps to identify species.
- Design of digital ecosystems in which students collaborate and create populations, communities, habitats and biomes
- Research and creation of robotic enhancements to preserve biomes and habitats
- Coding- design of predator-prey model game
- Food-web role playing game
- Bird-beak stem challenge
- Create a puppet fit to survive in a harsh biome with puppet show
- Field Trip! Making biome art at Heckscher Art Museum August 3
- Green Thumb ESSK Market! Campers will design a monetary system to be given to parents and camp staff to shop for camper created crafts and our garden produce. Parents are invited from 10:00-11:00 AM August 4
Heckscher Park Permission Slip
Block 4: August 7-August 18
Push, Pull and Go: Adventures in Forces and Motion
Get ready to move and groove! ESSK is all about exploring the exciting world of forces and motion through fun experiments and engineering challenges. During this block, your child will learn about the science behind motion, and use their creativity to design and build their own machines and devices to explore the forces that make things move.
Throughout the camp, your child will get hands-on experience with a variety of experiments and engineering challenges. They will build ramps and rollercoasters to learn about potential and kinetic energy, design and test their own parachutes to explore air resistance, and even climb a rock wall or navigate a ninja obstacle course to understand gravity and friction in action.
Along the way, they will learn the engineering design process, practice problem-solving, and develop critical thinking skills as they work together to tackle each challenge.
By the end of this unit, your child will have gained a deep understanding of the science behind forces and motion, and have a new appreciation for the engineering that makes our world move. Campers will be inspired to innovate new technology and engineer designs to help their community. They will leave with new skills, confidence, and excitement for STEAM that they can take with them into the future.
- Design and build a Rube Goldberg machine with blocks and dominoes
- Data collection and graphing from marble runs made with pipe insulation and upcycled materials
- Design and creation of simple machines that showcase at least one element of motion.
- Balloon rocket cars
- Design and creation of zip line for toys
- Designing and creating parachutes for toys with data collection and races!
- Building of structures to help plants grow and move in interesting ways
- Bottle rocket launches!
- Robotics demonstrations of Newton’s laws
- Popsicle stick paddle boat races
- Bowling with robots
- Magnet races
- Magnet compass
- Building a mini-motor
- Hoop gliders
- Experiments and data collection using Ninja course, Sky-trails, Bungee and Rock wall
- Making paper clips fly experiment
- Cardboard boat design and regatta. Parents are invited from 10:00-11:00 AM August 16 (rain date August 17)
Camp Dates
June 26 – August 18, 2023
Park Shore will be closed on Tuesday, July 4th in observance of the July 4th holiday.
Camp Hours
Regular Camp Hours: 8:45am – 3:30pm
Before Care begins at 7:45am
After Care ends at 5:30pm
Should you require additional information, our office is open Monday-Friday, 7am-5pm and throughout the summer Monday through Friday between 7:30am and 5:30pm to assist you. Our answering machine is activated between 5:30pm and 7:30am should you need to leave a message.
Calendars
Lunch
The PARK SHORE NUTRITIOUS and DELICIOUS HOT LUNCH MENU is prepared professionally with loving care while keeping our campers’ nutritional interests in mind. Lunch is always a fun time at Park Shore. Your child’s counselors will always be with their campers making lunchtime comfortable and enjoyable. Music every day at the Food Emporium makes lunch at Park Shore more than just a time to eat. Our Special Events team is always creating something fun and exciting to enhance our lunch experience as well.
Park Shore is pleased to offer Gluten Free lunch options for our campers with medical gluten issues. Park Shore is a Peanut Sensitive camp. Please contact our office if your child has any special medical dietary needs.
Your child is encouraged to eat the entrée of the day, however, in the event, he/she needs a substitute, the following sandwiches are available:
- Turkey • Tuna • American Cheese • Bologna • Salami • Bagel with Butter or Cream Cheese
Desserts will vary throughout the week and will include:
- Seasonal Fresh Fruit • Apples • Oranges • Pears • Jello
Park Shore is pleased to serve water and/or juice boxes upon request during all lunch periods.
We make every effort to create an enjoyable experience during lunchtime and want your child to be comfortable while eating. Please call the camp if you need additional assistance.
If your child brings his/her lunch to camp, please pack it in a brown paper bag clearly marked with your child’s name and camp group. The lunch will be placed in our walk-in refrigerator until lunchtime.
Transportation
After the first two to three days of Camp, the times of pick-up and take-home will become regular. Early dismissals will be held during the first week and on rainy days. Buses will leave approximately 15 minutes early on these days. Please call if you have any additional questions.
Health & Safety
In order to make sure we exercise every precaution to safeguard your child’s health, safety, and welfare, Park Shore is inspected by the Suffolk County Health Department. These inspections take place before our session begins and during the operation of our Day Camp. We follow all the regulations set by both the New York State and Suffolk County Health Departments, as well as the standards set by the American Camp Association (ACA). Our Campers are closely watched for any signs of illness by their group leaders and are assisted by our Registered Nurses. Our Health Office Staff is in constant attendance and can be found in Park Shore’s modern Health Care Center.
In order to keep our campers healthy, we ask for your cooperation in keeping home any child with a cold or other symptoms of illness. Your child’s medical form(s) must be completed by your physician and returned to camp. This is a Suffolk County Health Department regulation. Your cooperation in returning the medical form(s) in a timely manner is both appreciated and a requirement. We recommend that you make an appointment with your child’s physician now so that returning your child’s medical form(s) won’t be delayed.
Confidential Information
Please fill out your child’s Camper Profile Sheet carefully and thoroughly. In order for us to fully understand your child and to help make his/her adjustment to camp easier, this profile will be shared with your child’s Director. Please return this form with your child’s medical form.
Daily Photo Gallery
We look forward to another wonderful summer taking pictures of your children. These pictures will be posted on our website on a daily basis. We hope you enjoy getting a glimpse into your child’s experiences at Park Shore. To ensure the safety and security of all our campers, our Photo Gallery is only available to registered Park Shore families. In order to gain access to the Park Shore Photo Gallery, you must register at the Park Shore website and indicate whether you are a camp family, a school family or both. Your approval should come within 24 hours of registering.
Our Park Shore Environment
We appreciate your help in keeping Park Shore a “SMOKE-FREE” environment. Thank you for not smoking when at camp.
Visiting
Due to our safety protocols, our traditional parent visitation and late nights are temporarily suspended until further notice.
We respectfully request that parents cooperate with us and refrain from visiting Camp during the first week. Please call the office ahead of time if you would like to visit your child. Each group will have visitation either during the day or evening as detailed later on during the summer. We definitely want all parents to meet the group counselors and to observe their child’s group in action. By following a carefully planned routine, we are able to accomplish this goal without disrupting the overall Camp Program and without disrupting the adjustment of your child’s group.
WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM YOU MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE CAMP OFFICE IN ADVANCE:
- If you wish to take your child home early, your child will be waiting at the Director’s Office at the time you indicated. Please make every attempt to pick up your child before 3:15 p.m. to avoid being delayed by our regular dismissal.
- If you wish any other person to take your child home. Driver’s License or other photo ID is required.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS A PARENT TO TAKE HIS OR HER CHILD FROM PARK SHORE WITHOUT CHECKING IN AND OUT OF THE OFFICE.
Birthdays
If your child celebrates a birthday during our camp season, please call the camp office for information regarding party arrangements. We will, however, have one big Park Shore BIRTHDAY BONANZA in July and one in August celebrating all of our Park Shore campers’ birthdays. For the parent who would like to celebrate their child’s birthday during their lunch period, The Grill is available for such an occasion. Please call in advance to reserve your spot.
Swimming Pools
In the operation of our pools, the very highest standards of hygiene are consistently maintained. Our filtration plant is an integral part of our pool equipment and is tended by a Certified Pool Operator who makes constant tests of the water each day.
All three of our pools are heated, which adds to our campers’ swimming enjoyment. We use the Red Cross Swim Program taught by Red Cross trained and qualified Swim Instructors. Campers are placed into swim groups according to their swimming ability and age. They will be able to progress to their highest potential and receive either Park Shore or Red Cross swimming certificates.
Those Junior and Senior campers who are deemed ready are given a DEEP WATER TEST and those who pass are given a GREEN DEEP WATER BRACELET. This bracelet alerts all counselors and lifeguards that this camper is certified and allowed to swim in our deep water pool. This test is given on a weekly basis. YELLOW BRACELETS are given to our Junior and Senior campers who have the ability to swim in the deepwater section of our main pool. They are NOT allowed to swim in the Deep Water Pool.
We encourage all campers to wear their bracelet for the duration of the camp season. If for any reason the bracelet is lost or removed, a new bracelet will be given to that camper. We emphasize safety while having fun in the Park Shore swimming pools.
Towels
Park Shore will provide professionally cleaned terry cloth towels during each swim.
Sunscreen
For those parents who want sunscreen applied at camp, please send sunscreen labeled with your child’s name along with a note giving permission and instructions as to what you want to be done. The first coat of sunscreen should be applied at home before your child(ren) come(s) to camp.
Camp Clothing
Each camper will receive one (1) Camp T-shirt. T-shirts for our SUPER SENIORS, EXPLORERS & SUPER TEENS will be handed out at the beginning of camp or when their session starts.
Clothing & Equipment
Your child(ren) should bring two (2) bathing suits to camp every day. Other clothing items are not necessary. Baseball gloves should also be marked with your child’s name. Park Shore will exercise every care in safeguarding the clothing your child has in camp, but we cannot be responsible for the loss of any personal property. Do not send very expensive and valuable items to camp.
NO CHILD MAY BRING BASEBALL BATS, HOCKEY STICKS, TOY GUNS, WATER PISTOLS, TOY KNIVES, CELL PHONES, IPODS, IPADS, ELECTRONIC TOYS, OR ANY KIND OF TRADING CARDS TO CAMP.
Rainy Days
On rainy days, please dress your child in a raincoat, hat, and shoes appropriate for the rain, all clearly marked with their name. Our campers will participate in our rainy day schedule of activities that will take them to all of our indoor facilities. When we know it will rain for the entire day, our Senior campers will leave the grounds and go bowling or to the movies. Please DO NOT send your child with spending money to buy snacks or play video games when they leave Park Shore as they will not have time to participate in these activities.
Cell Phones
Cell Phones are NOT allowed at camp because they create a distraction while campers are busy at an activity. All calls can be made from the main office. Parents who need to contact their child can call our office or Travel Directors when necessary. Parents of travel campers will be given the cell phone number of their child’s Travel Director. See specific travel information for more details.
Bullying
Park Shore is no place for socially cruel behaviors. The physical and emotional safety of our campers has always been and continues to be, our number one concern and priority. For this reason, bullying of any kind will not be tolerated. Parents will always be informed to assist in eradicating this behavior, if this negative behavior cannot be stopped our tolerance policy will be enforced and the camper who is doing the bullying will be asked to leave camp.
Travel Guidelines & Rules
Visit Us
450 Deer Park Road
Dix Hills, NY 11746
Tour Hours
M-F: 10am - 3pm
S-S: 11am - 2pm (February - June)