FROSTBITTEN STEM CAMP™

Glide on over to the coolest camp in town where you’ll take a STEAMtastic journey through Challenge Island’s Winter Wonderland! Your icy adventure will include designing and decking out your very own Ice Hotel (where you and your STEAM Team can chillax) and using cool science to make frosty slime and frozen treats! This cool-as-ice camp is a not-to-be missed adventure for every wintery fan! 

Challenge Island Camps ARE BEING HELD IN A NEW LOCATION for 2025!! 

ALL CAMPS will be held at The Curiosity Place, powered by the Great Lakes Children's Museum, located in the Grand Traverse Mall. We have loved our summers at the GTA Children’s Garden, however, they are growing so big (Yay for the Garden!) that we needed to find a new location for our camps.  And we are SO excited to be working with The Curiosity Place and their new space!  All Camps will be indoors (not weather dependent, no porta-john(!), no bees/bugs, no sunscreen, & temperature-controlled) and in a space designed for exactly what we do!   

Bonus ALL DAY CAMP OPTION!! The Curiosity Place (CP) will be offering afternoon camps on the same weeks that Challenge Island (CI) Camps are running. 

IF YOU WANT or NEED YOUR CHILD IN CAMP ALL DAY, You can sign up for both camps. We will sign your child out of CI camp and into The CP Camp.  At the end of the day, you sign your child out of The CP camp. 

**Families registered for Challenge Island camp will have first opportunity to enroll their child into The Curiosity Place Camp for the same week.  After this, The CP camp will open registration to the public.  

*** The Curiosity Place will not be posting camps yet, please do not contact them until they are posted on their website  because **Challenge Island will be directly contacting those registered for CI camp to inform them of CP Camp options FIRST before the CP camps are posted for the public. **

Bonus for PARENTS!! Morning Drop Off (9-9:15 am) will be an easy outside car line drop off to help you get on with your day right away (details provided in the Camp Welcome Email) and Pick Up will be inside. 

Bonus for CAMPERS!! Every camp day comes with all-day free admission to The Curiosity Place!! It is SO cool! SO many new hands-on exhibits. (If you haven’t checked it out yet… yes, you REALLY should!).  New hands-on exhibits for families and kids 0-12 y/o.

CAMP FEE INCLUDES:

·       Our one-of-a-kind, award-winning S.T.E.A.M. curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math).

·       Opportunity for your child to develop their Socio-Emotional Skills and Life Skills in communication, collaboration, critical and creative thinking, flexibility, sociability, teamwork, initiative, leadership, grit, and perseverance. 

·       Hands-on STEAM Activities & Challenges EVERY day to grow and stretch our minds (fighting the summer slide).

·       Most of the challenges during camp will be team builds.  Some of the challenges will be individual builds that campers can then take home.  

·       Games, Songs, & Open Play EVERY day

·       Campers bring a water bottle and snacks/lunch.

·       A Challenge Island T-Shirt.

·       A Challenge Island Drawstring Bag – During the week, campers use their bag to bring needed items back and forth to camp and keep the bag at the end of the week.

 GENERAL INFORMATION:

- Camp is open to kids who have COMPLETED Kindergarten - 5th grade at the time they attend camp in the summer. REGISTER your camper BY the GRADE THEY WILL BE IN THIS FALL (2025-26 school year). Campers are placed in same/similar grade groups.  

- Camp will be held at The Curiosity Place (powered by the Great Lakes Children's Museum) located in the Grand Traverse Mall. 

- Sign-In/Drop-off CAR LINE will take place from 9:00 am - 9:15 am.  That’s right! You can check-In your camper(s) from the comfort of your car!  We cannot check anyone in earlier than 9 am. 

- Sign-Out/Pick-up is between 12:50-1:00 pm inside The Curiosity Place.  More information on Drop-Off and Pick-Up will be provided in the Camp Welcome Email.  Unless your child is attending The CP camp, then your pick up will after that camp.

- Experienced Teachers who are First Aid/CPR/AED certified, background checked and are Challenge Island Trained & Experienced. 

- If your child is a Girl Scout or Boy Scout, indicate this and scout level (Brownie, Junior, Bear, Wolf, etc.) on the registration.  We will share a list of what badges will be completed at camp. 

- A Camp Welcome email will be sent out 2 weeks prior to the start of camp with camp details.  If you have questions prior to receiving it, contact Renee Allen at rallen@challenge-island.com or 231-633-4955. 

- TO REGISTER, a $50 non-refundable deposit is required for each week of camp.  Deposits are part of the total cost of camp.  Payment in full is due no later than 4 weeks before the start date of camp.  If full payment is not made prior to 4 weeks from the start of camp, you could lose your spot in camp. 

- Cancellation Policy:  For cancellations made earlier than 4 weeks before the start of camp, a full refund minus the deposit will be given.  For cancellations made, within 4 weeks of the start of camp, a 50% refund will be given.  No refund will be given for failing to make full payment by the 4 weeks prior to the start of camp.

If you have questions,

contact Renee Allen at rallen@challenge-island.com or 231-633-4955.