Discover

Summer ZooCamp

Looking to go a little WILD during summer break? Zoo New England offers the perfect opportunity to learn about amazing wildlife while having a blast!

ZooCamp at Franklin Park Zoo

Tap into your wild side and learn about animals while spending your days at the Zoo! Campers will explore the Zoo, find out about animal adaptations, how we can help our animal friends, and even meet some creatures up-close! Zoo educators will lead campers through an adventurous week of learning about their favorite animals and their incredible adaptations by engaging in hands-on activities, playing animal-related games, and making crafts. Whether you're already an animal expert or interested in becoming one, this camp is for you!

Scholarships:

Franklin Park Zoo ZooCamp offers scholarships to support access for children from low-income households. To apply for a scholarship, please complete a ZooCamp Scholarship form found below.

If you are offered and choose to accept a scholarship, you will then be asked to fill out the ZooCamp registration forms. If you are applying for a scholarship, you do not need to register your child on January 9th.

Scholarships are due on Saturday, April 20th, we will begin reaching out to offer scholarships after that date. Please note, we will continue to accept scholarships after that date, but will reward as we are able.

ZooCamp Scholarship application

ZooCamp Themes

Ages 4-5: Zoo Explorers (Session 9)

Exploration is all about self-discovery and adventure. Your child will get to see the Zoo’s many exhibits and interact with a wide variety of species!

Ages 6 - 10:

Zoo Explorers (Sessions 1, 3, 5, 7)
Exploration is all about self-discovery and adventure. Your child will get to see the Zoo’s many exhibits and interact with a wide variety of species!
Nature Detectives (Sessions 2, 4, 6, 8)
Are you ready to solve a mystery? We'll focus on animals that sneak around their habitat and disguise themselves in the wild.

Ages 11 - 13: Junior Zookeepers (Sessions 7 & 8)

Want to be a zookeeper, biologist, or vet? This is the camp session for you. You'll shadow zookeepers, meet different animals and see special behind the scenes areas. Campers will help prepare animal’s food, clean stalls, and even see training important for animal health. The program also includes a fun and high-level curriculum consisting of games, activities and discussion. Some of the topics covered are predator vs prey populations, exhibit design, species survival plans, biology and surgery, behavioral analysis and so much more!

Please note, curriculum repeats.

ZooCamp Sessions:

Each session option is for a full day of camp, 9 am – 3 pm *

Session 1: June 24 – 28 Session Full/Waitlist Only
Session 2: July 1 – 5 (Please note, camp will not be held on 7/4)
Session 3: July 8 – 12
Session 4: July 15 – 19 Session Full/Waitlist Only
Session 5: July 22 – 26
Session 6: July 29 – August 2
Session 7: August 5 – 9 Session Full/Waitlist Only
Session 8: August 12 - 16 Session Full/Waitlist Only
Session 9: August 19 - 23 Session Full/Waitlist Only

*Session 9 is for a half day of camp 9 am – 12 pm. Please note, no extended care is offered for this age group.

Cost

The cost of ZooCamp is based on a sliding scale of annual income. Levels 1 and 2 of payment are required to send some income information to Zoo New England to confirm their status and payment. Level 3 of payment does not require any information provided. Before you begin registration, please read through our sliding scale information.
Income verification is due by May 10th, 2024.

Extended Care

Morning care will take place from 7:45am-8:40am. Purchase of morning-care only for the full week is $80.
After care will take place from 3:15pm-4:15pm. Purchase of after-care only for the full week is $80.
Purchase of before and after-care for the entire week is $150.
Single-day extended care (both morning and after-care) can be purchased for $30 per day. Parents/guardians can purchase a maximum of three single day extended care days.

Please note: A late fee will apply for late pick-up from extended care. Please see our FAQ page for more information regarding our policy.

Required Health Forms

In order to complete your registration, Franklin Park Zoo must receive a Certificate of Immunization for each child registered by May 10th, 2024.

Required health forms can be uploaded to the registration site or sent:

-By mail:
Franklin Park Zoo
Attn: Education Department
1 Franklin Park Rd
Boston, MA 02121

-By email (a scanned copy – please no photographs) to: FPZcamp@zoonewengland.org

More information about the Certificate of Immunization and Physical Report.

Medication Information

If your child requires medication to be administered during the camp day, you will be required to fill out a Parent/Guardian Authorization to Administer Medication form.

Please note: This form needs to be filled out only if your child may need medication administered during the camp day. If you are not sending your camper with any type of medication to Camp, this form is not required.

COVID-19 Policies

Please see our COVID-19 policy HERE.

Healthy Care Policy

Franklin Park Zoo’s ZooCamp Health Care Policy, found here, includes our policies on treating mildly ill campers, plan for administering mediaction (prescription and nonprescription) and our emergency health care procedure. A complete copy of the policy shall be furnished to parents/guardians upon request.

FAQ’S

You can find a list of Frequently Asked Questions here.

Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel your registration more than 2 weeks before the date of your camp week, a $50 cancellation fee will be charged to your account. If you cancel with less than 2 weeks’ notice, 25% of your camp cost will be refunded.

Contact Us

Please email FPZcamp@zoonewengland.org with any questions.

Parents/guardians may request copies of background check, health care and discipline policies as well as procedures for filing grievances.

This camp must comply with regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and be licensed by the local board of health.

ZooCamp at Stone Zoo

Tap into your wild side and learn about animals while spending summer days at the Zoo! Campers will explore the Zoo, learning about animals from all over the world and even meeting some up-close to discover their unique adaptations. Zoo educators will lead campers through an adventurous week of learning about their favorite animals, engaging in hands-on activities, playing animal-related games, and making crafts. Whether you're already an animal expert or interested in becoming one, this camp is for you!

Registration Process

During registration, please refrain from calling. Due to the volume of inquiries, we will be much better equipped to answer those via email so we can best keep track of each conversation. Please allow 1-3 business days for responses to emails regarding ZooCamp. Please email us at SZcamp@zoonewengland.org.

On your camper(s) designated registration day, a link will appear next to the dates outlined below. The link will appear between 12:00-12:15 p.m. on each given day. Please note, this does not mean that registration will only last fifteen minutes. This window of time allows us to activate our registration and post the link in a timely manner. Thank you for your understanding.

2024 Registration Dates

Ages 4-7: REGISTER
Ages 8-10: Wednesday, January 17: REGISTER
Ages 11-13: Thursday, January 18: REGISTER

Scholarships

We're so excited to be offering ZooCamp scholarships for the first time at Stone Zoo! Scholarships support access for children from low-income households. To apply for a scholarship, please complete a ZooCamp Scholarship form found below.

If you are offered and choose to accept a scholarship, you will then be asked to fill out the ZooCamp registration forms.

Scholarships are due on Friday, April 20. We will begin reaching out to offer scholarships after that date. Please note, we will continue to accept scholarships after that date, but will can only reward as we are able.

ZooCamp Scholarship Application

2024 ZooCamp Sessions

Each session option is for a full day of camp, 9 am – 3 pm.*

Ages 4 - 5

Session 10 (Half Day) Session Full/Waitlist Only
August 19 - 23
* Session 10 is a half day of camp, 9 am – 12 pm. Please note, no extended care is offered for this age group.

Ages 6 - 7

Session 1: June 17 - 21 (Please note, camp will not be held on 6/19)
Session 2: June 24 - 28
Session 3: July 1 - 5 (Please note, camp will not be held on 7/4)
Session 8: August 5 – 9
Session 9: August 12 - 16

Ages 8 - 10

Session 4: July 8 - 12
Session 5: July 15 - 19
Session 6: July 22 - 26
Session 7: July 29 – August 2

Ages 11 - 13: All Sessions Full/Waitlist Only

Session 7 Jr. Zookeepers: July 29 - August 2
Session 8 Jr. Zookeepers: August 5 - 9
Session 9 Jr. Zookeepers: August 12 - 16

Daily Descriptions

Monday: Pretty Funky Plants & Fungi

We’re going to start our week together by focusing on plants and fungi – the organisms that tend to stay out of the spotlight. Let’s learn about the plants & fungi that make our earth so green & bright.

Tuesday: Rockin’ Reptiles

The slithery and scaley! Our reptile friends, although they can seem creepy, have a very important role in their habitat. Today, we’re going to find out more about reptiles and hopefully leave with a new appreciation for them.

Wednesday: Beautiful Birds

Today, we’re going to take a closer look at our feathered friends! Birds big and small, flighted and flightless, all have some wonderfully unique adaptations and we’re going to familiarize ourselves with those adaptations today!

Thursday: Awesome Amphibians

Like the plants & fungi, oftentimes amphibians go unnoticed. Today, we’re going to give frogs, toads and salamanders the attention they deserve!

Friday: Magnificent Mammals

These are the creatures we typically know the most about. In our final day together we’re going to spend time with the furry, fuzzy and even prickly critters that we know and love!

*Please note that our ZooCamp curriculum repeats each week.

Session Description for Sessions 7, 8 and 9: Jr. Zookeepers

Have you ever wondered what a day in the life for a zookeeper is like? In this week-long session we will have the opportunity to shadow zookeepers and see Stone Zoo’s different animal and behind-the-scenes areas. Some of the tasks the Jr. Zookeeper will help with includes prepping animal diets and feeding, cleaning stalls, or observing animal training. This program includes a more challenging curriculum and hands-on experiences to give Jr. Zookeepers a feel for what it's like to have a profession in a zoo or animal and science related field. Some topics that may be included in the curriculum are animal behavior and training, exhibit design, zoo careers, local species, animal handling, and endangered species (and how to help them!)

*Please note that our ZooCamp curriculum repeats each week.

Cost

Extended Care

Morning care will take place from 7:45am-8:40am. Purchase of morning-care only for the full week is $80.
After care will take place from 3:15pm-4:15pm. Purchase of after-care only for the full week is $80.
Purchase of before and after-care for the entire week is $150.
Single-day extended care (including both morning and after-care) can be purchased for $30 per day. Parents/guardians can purchase a maximum of three single day extended care days.

Please note: A late fee will apply for late pick-up from extended care. Please see our FAQ page for more information regarding this policy.

Required Health Forms

In order to complete your registration, Stone Zoo must receive a Certificate of Immunization for each child registered by May 10, 2024.

Required health forms can be uploaded to the registration site or sent:

-By mail to:

Stone Zoo
Attn: Education Department
149 Pond Street, Stoneham, MA 02180

-By fax to: 1-781-438-9517, Attn: Education Department

-By email (a scanned copy – please no photographs) to: SZcamp@zoonewengland.org

More information about the Certificate of Immunization and Physical Report.

Medication Information

If your child requires medication to be administered during the camp day, you will be required to fill out a Parent/Guardian Authorization to Administer Medication form.

COVID-19 Policies

Please see our COVID-19 Policy.

Health Care Policy

Stone Zoo’s ZooCamp Health Care Policy includes our policies on treating mildly ill campers, plan for administering medication (prescription and nonprescription) and our emergency health care procedure. A complete copy of the policy shall be furnished to parents/guardians upon request.

FAQ’S

You can find a list of Frequently Asked Questions here.

Cancellation Policy

Contact Us

Please email SZcamp@zoonewengland.org with any questions.

Parents/guardians may request copies of background check, health care and discipline policies as well as procedures for filing grievances.

This camp must comply with regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and be licensed by the local board of health.

Counselor in Training Program at Stone Zoo

ZooCamp 2024 is looking for Counselors in Training!

If you're a former ZooCamp participant aged 15-17, you're eligible to apply for the CIT program at Stone Zoo!

CITs will be supervised by ZooCamp staff and will be responsible for assisting them with maintaining a fun, safe, and educational environment for the campers. This is done by modeling ZooCamp expectations, assisting campers with activities, and encouraging participation throughout the week. The CIT program will provide teen volunteers with experience in conservation, education, working with children within a camp setting, classroom management, and working as part of a team.

Applications are due April 1, 2024

Job Description

Application

Qualifications: An applicant must ...

Be a student aged 15-17. Grade/age verification may be required.
Have completed at least one session of ZooCamp at Stone Zoo as a camper.
Commit to one full week of summer ZooCamp, 8:30 am – 3:30 pm, Monday – Friday.
- Commit to three mandatory trainings in the spring.
- Thursday, May 23^rd from 4:30 pm-5:30 pm (parent/guardian attendance required)
- Saturday, May 25^th from 10:00 am-2:00 pm
- Wednesday, June 12^th from 4:00 pm-6:00 pm

Arrive on time and stay for their entire shift, each day, with reliable transportation to and from the zoo.
Enjoy interacting with children.
Have interest in conservation and zoos.
Have a strong desire to uphold Zoo New England’s messages, mission, and goals.
Adhere to all ZooCamp and Zoo New England policies and procedures.
Complete the Center for Disease Control and Protection’s “Heads UP” online training upon acceptance to the program.

CITs will:

Assist Camp Counselors and the ZooCamp Director with all aspects of camp for ages 4-10.
Learn how to lead different components of ZooCamp including games, crafts, and activities.
Learn about the animals that call Stone Zoo home to better teach campers.
Learn how to handle select ambassador animals at the discretion of the Education Department Staff.

Benefits:

A great learning experience that’s fun and contributes to the zoo and to participants in camp programs.
Resume-building skills and opportunities for professional development.
Community service hours for school, sports teams, etc.
Membership to Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo for yourself and your family.

Cost:
$115

COVID-19 Policies:

Submitting proof of COVID-19 vaccination is optional.
COVID-19 Policy

FAQs:

Visit Frequently Asked Questions

Cancellation Policy:

If you need to cancel three weeks or more before the start of your camp week, 25% of your payment will be refunded, minus a $10 service fee. If you are cancelling three weeks or less before the start of your camp session, no refunds will be issued.

Contact Us:

Please email us at SZCamp@zoonewengland.org if you have any questions! Please note: parents/guardians should refrain from emailing regarding applications, please encourage your CIT to email us.