Touch of Nature offers discounts to those who sign up early for summer camps

Registration is underway for the 2020 summer camps at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Touch of Nature Environmental Center. 

For those who sign up by March 13, early bird savings are available. Discounts range from $30 to $40 per camp session, depending upon the individual camps.

There are also discounts available for those who register for multiple camps, for families who have more than one child sign up for camps and for three-year-level Touch of Nature members.

Touch of Nature is offering a wide variety of experiential learning EdVenture Camps for children of all ages. 

All of the camps will take place at the 3,100-acre site located along Little Grassy Lake about 8 miles south of Carbondale, off of Giant City Road.

Each camp features a specific theme with related activities, with the outdoors as the focal point.

Campers can participate in all kinds of activities, including:

Exploring the Shawnee Forest. Zooming down a zip line. Rock-climbing. Making arts and crafts.

Water activities such as canoeing and taking paddleboat and pontoon rides.

Traditional camping pastimes like roasting marshmallows over a bonfire, hiking, relays, swimming and so much more.

Eco Camps are for children ages 7-10, with five sessions offered this summer:

Youth in the Wild Day Camp, June 8-12.

X-Treme Kids Day Camp, two different sessions are set for June 15-19 and July 6-10.

Aqua Adventures Day Camp, two different sessions are set for June 22-26 and July 20-24.

Explorers Camps are open to ages 10-13 and three sessions are available:

Wild Outdoor Week, WOW, Day Camp, June 8-12.

Shawnee Explorers Overnight Camp, June 15-19.

Adventures Underway Overnight Camp, July 13-17.

Voyageurs Camps are for youths ages 13-15 and they can choose three sessions:

Southern Adventures Day Camp, July 13-17.

Counselor-in-Training/Leadership Development Day Camp is a two-week camp set for June 29-July 3 and July 6-10.

Complete descriptions of each camp, along with pricing and online registration, can be found at ton.siu.edu/camps-and-retreats/edventure-camps/; by calling 618-453-1121 or emailing tonec@siu.edu to learn more.

In addition to saving money, parents are advised to register their children early because some camps accept a limited number of participants on a first-come basis and registrations fill early.