Young Naturalists Summer Camp 2026

Young Naturalists Camp is a four-day adventure inviting campers to learn, create, explore, and play throughout the beautiful landscapes of Reynolda Gardens.

Throughout the week, campers will spend time with expert naturalists in the gardens, the Brown Family Conservatory, woodland trails, meadow, wetlands, and streams—enjoying full access to all that Reynolda Gardens offers. Each day features new exploratory stations, including a Garden Chef Station, where campers take part in hands-on culinary experiences using food grown at Reynolda, guided by culinary staff from Wake Forest’s Harvest Table. Campers will also participate in art and design projects inspired by the Wake Forest Maker Space, blending creativity, science, and exploration. In addition, campers will explore the waterways of Reynolda through a guided creek crawl—observing aquatic insects, salamanders, and other stream life, and engaging in STEM activities that invite them to design and build model waterways modeled after Reynolda’s own flowing systems.

Summer at Reynolda is full of simple joys, and campers will experience many of them—releasing ladybugs into the Sunflower House, creating a mini meadow, and enjoying hands-on moments that celebrate the season. Campers are guided by Gardens staff and trained volunteers, with a supervision ratio of one adult for every five campers. The week concludes with a special closing activity for family and friends, and each camper will receive a Young Naturalists Camp T-shirt as a keepsake of their week.

Please note: In inclement weather, the camp may move indoors to the Brown Family Conservatory.

For students who will have completed grades K-4 by June of 2026.

Session I: Monday–Thursday, June 15–18, 2026

Session II: Monday–Thursday, June 22–25, 2026

The programming is the same in sessions I and II.