Provide the perfect adventure for your young animal fanatic! Camps feature animal experiences, zoo expeditions, and hands-on, camper-driven exploration. Escape the ordinary - go WILD with Safari Camp at Denver Zoo.
Registration Information
Step 1 of Registration: Purchase a spot for your camper in the week and camp title of your choosing. No camper details will be filled out at this time.
- Members must log-in with their email on record that is associated with their membership to receive the discount. Click HERE to login, request password, or complete a membership look up. **Insider tip: log in to your account prior to registration opening to make sure you see your name, membership category, and expiration date in the upper right corner.
- Have a major credit card on hand and ready to go. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and AMEX.
- Complete your purchase. This step reserves your camper's spot.
Step 2 of Registration: After purchasing a camp, click HERE to fill out general questions about your camper(s) in the Parent Portal, including a brief medical history, sign waivers, etc. Campers cannot attend camp until this step is complete!
Have the following information available for this step in the registration process:
- Contact details including home and work addresses, and phone numbers for the parent/guardian that is filling out this information (and any additional parent/guardian)
- Name, and date of birth of camper
- Medical history for camper
- Name, address, and phone number of camper’s physician, dentist, and preferred hospital
- Name, address, and phone number of two emergency contacts
- Name, address, and phone number of any additional people (must be over 18) who are authorized to pick up camper
Costs
Members
- 5-day Camps - $285
- 4-day Camp (July 5-8) - $228
- 6-8th Grade "Conservation" Camp - $350
- 8th Grade Only "Animal Care 101" Camp - $365
Non-Members
- 5-day Camps - $310
- 4-day Camp (July 5-8) - $248
- 6-8 Grades "Conservation" Camp - $375
- 8th Grade Only "Animal Care 101" Camp - $400
Service and Accommodation Fees
- Cancellation Fee: Registrations canceled or rescheduled for reasons unrelated to changing state or municipality health guidelines for COVID-19, at least 15 business days before the date of camp, incur fees of $50 each). **Within 14 business days, all sales are final.
* All cancellations and transfers must be made via e-mail to Denver Zoo’s Guest Care Center at guestcare@denverzoo.org
Dates & Times
Running Weekly: June 6 - August 12
Camps run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Due to operating restrictions at this time, we are not able to offer Early or Late Care.
Important Information
Medication Administration Permission Form
If your child requires emergency, prescription, or over-the-counter medication during camp, a parent/guardian and the child’s physician must complete and submit a Medication Administration Permission Form two weeks prior to your child’s first day of camp. Any medication for a chronic illness such as asthma, allergies, or diabetes must be accompanied by a Care Plan written and signed by the child’s physician. Upon review of your camper’s forms, it may be necessary to meet with the parent/guardian to develop a Health Plan.
Accommodations for Special Needs
Campers of all abilities are welcome to register for camp. In order to meet our goal of setting all campers up for success, we ask that you please contact us if your child has any special needs of which we should be aware. We happily work with parents/guardians to make Safari Camp accessible to children with varying needs in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities act; however, we are unable to provide one-on-one or supplementary services. If your child needs to attend camp with his/her full-time care provider, special arrangements can be made, but must be scheduled several weeks in advance for security purposes. After undergoing a background check, the adult caregiver may attend at no charge.
ACCESS TO AWE SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Scholarships are available through Denver Zoo’s Access to Awe Scholarship Fund. Please apply for financial assistance when registering online.
Scholarships will only be awarded for one week of camp per child.
CONTACT US
Questions or concerns? Contact us at safaricamps@denverzoo.org!
Program Information
Weekly Programs For Kindergarten Through 8th Grade
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
**Campers must turn 5 years old by October 15th, 2022
Home is where the hooves are. If every animal has a habitat, how do zookeepers care for animals to make sure they each get what they need? Take a closer look at the enclosures of our favorite animal residents to discover how we’ve designed their homes to meet their specific adaptations and individual needs. How would you do it differently? We’ll still have to ensure the animals get everything they require to be healthy and thrive, so put on your zoo engineer hat if you’re up to the challenge!
Power up for this active class that explores animal "Zooper Powers" – fantastic features animals have that help them survive! Discover how things like sharp claws, keen eyesight, tough scales, powerful wings, and fast feet turn animals into super heroes in their environments. Power Pack campers will also discover their own, animal-like super powers!
Your camper will have an unbe-LEAF-able week connecting with animals and the natural world in Denver Zoo’s nature play camp! Young explorers will engage their sense of wonder and discovery as they literally dig into nature on the Zofnass Barclay Family Nature Play Trail; climb under bushes, find bugs, balance on stumps, and get their hands dirty. This camp is sure to ROCK – come play with us!
2nd and 3rd Grade
At Denver Zoo, we care for over 3,000 different animals! Your camper will think like a Denver Zoo keeper, discover the unique needs of our individual animals, and complete animal care challenges, such as designing a diet for a monkey and creating a playground for a three-legged dog. Do you have what it takes to be a Zooper Keeper? Join in on the fun and come explore the many ways Denver Zoo keepers care for our animals.
Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to track some of the world’s most covert and treacherous creatures. Campers will uncover incredible animal abilities and explore the zoo to learn how adaptations, such as camouflage, venom, and the ability to stalk silently, make animals super survivors! To successfully track these nearly invisible and almost silent animals, you’ll have to sharpen your science skills and strengthen your powers of observation. Make sure to snag a spot in this elusive camp before they all disappear. This message will self-destruct in 5, 4, 3, 2…
Your camper will have an unbe-LEAF-able week connecting with animals and the natural world in Denver Zoo’s nature play camp! Young explorers will engage their sense of wonder and discovery as they literally dig into nature on the Zofnass Barclay Family Nature Play Trail; climb under bushes, find bugs, balance on stumps, and get their hands dirty. This camp is sure to ROCK – come play with us!
4th and 5th Grade
Some are good at stealth, others have extraordinary healing capabilities, but the best of the best… they copy and duplicate the remarkable abilities found in others! Are you a Bio-Mimic? Are you cut out to clone and modify the adaptations of incredible animals and channel them into unique engineering marvels? What can we learn from a giraffe in order to build a better bridge? Why is the extreme durability of a rainforest seed important for saving elephants? What are the mechanics of bird-flight? Discover how to absorb the best adaptations of zoo animals and reassemble them in ways that can help both humans and animals!
6th through 8th Grade
Zooper Villains and Monsters (June 6-10, June 13-17, July 5-8, and August 1-5)
What makes a villain? Why are some animals looked at in a negative light or considered monsters? Why are vultures, bats or aye-ayes perceived as odd, scary or even “ugly?” Some animals have strange qualities, but they aren't necessarily bad. Help re-write the story of animals who have been painted as villains, simply because they are "eccentric." Are these animals actually monsters or the misunderstood geniuses of evolution?
Conservation Camp (June 20-24, June 27-July 1, July 18-22, July 25-29, and August 8-12)
Join Denver Zoo in its commitment to save wildlife in this special 6-8 grade camp. Meet conservationist at Denver Zoo and delve into the challenges, successes, and partnerships to save animals like the Lake Titicaca frog, cinereous vultures, and big horn sheep. Then take your knowledge on the road! Do your part to build a world where wildlife thrives by participating in REAL field conservation in Colorado. One or two days of this camp involves field trips doing conservation work in the Denver metro area.
Animal Care 101 (July 11-15) (8th Grade ONLY)
In this special week of camp, students entering 8th grade will interact directly with Denver Zoo’s animal care staff. Our team of Animal Ambassador zookeepers will teach campers the ins and outs of how they care for and train (small) animals. Campers will discover how keepers set goals for their animals, and how to create fun enrichment that helps our animals show off their impressive, natural behaviors. If your soon-to-be 8th-grader is hoping to work at a zoo some day, this camp will demonstrate what it’s all about!
Camp Schedules
View your camper's weekly schedule HERE.
Safari Camp Safety Measures
Denver Zoo follows local, state and federal guidelines when developing its programs, including the CDC Community Level prevention tool and COVID-19 Guidance for Children’s Day Camps. Additionally, Safari Camps collaborates with a contracted health professional to ensure best practice for camper health and wellness. Denver Zoo may adjust COVID-19 related policies or requirements of staff, volunteers, campers and families and will communicate those updates accordingly. As of June 8, 2022, Safari Camp COVID-19 specific guidelines are follows:
Face Coverings:
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- Community Level Low or Med: Face coverings are recommended indoors for staff, volunteers, and campers.
- Community Level High: Face coverings are required indoors for staff, volunteers, and campers.
Group Size: Camp groups will be set as recommended by CDPHE for children’s day camps as it relates to total group numbers, room capacities with social distancing, and/or any additional updates as they become available.
Physical Distancing: Children and staff will maintain physical distance as recommended by CDPHE for children’s day camps, as much as possible. In addition, camp groups will be kept separate from one another.
