Falls of the Ohio State Park

Summer looms, as does the prospect of children whining of being bored. Stave off that complaint by enrolling your chldren at any of four summer day-camp programs at the Falls of the Ohio State Park. Kids tired of traditional summer day camps — sports, camping, swimming and the like — can indulge their passion for science instead.

But it’s not just youngsters who can have fun this summer at a Falls of the Ohio State Park camp; there’s one aimed at adults, too! The Falls Exploration Summer Camp for Adults gives grown-ups a chance to be a kid again.

Kenny Karem, author of “Probing the Wonders of the Falls,” will lead an exploration of Ohio River habitats, including the internationally renowned Devonian fossil beds. Campers will head outside every day to explore the wonders of the Falls of the Ohio, as well as examine specimens within the Interpretive Center. Senior citizens are especially welcome. This adult camp is June 1–3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fee is $80.

The Young Explorer Day Camps gives campers hands-on educational activities on science and history by exploring fossils, nature, Native American culture and more. The five-day camps are $100. Camp dates are June 7–11, June  21–25,  July 12–16, July 19–23 and July 26–30. Students in fourth through sixth grades attend from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., while while students in first through third grades go from 1 to 4 p.m.

The Teen Archeologist Camps show campers ages 11 to 15 what a career in archaeology is like. The camp is from July 1–3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and costs $100. Members of the Falls of the Ohio Archaeological Society will lead activities that demonstrate how archeologists use artifacts to learn about past cultures. A parent or guardian must transport the child to the archaeology digging site and remain with the child on the Saturday.

Families are welcome to watch the morning excavation then return to the Interpretive Center for “Archaeology Layer Cake,” certificate awards and the Archaeological Society meeting from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

The Paleontology Explorer Camp helps kids ages 11 to 16 learn what it would be like to be a paleontologist. Campers will learn how paleontologists unravel the billion-year history of life on Earth by studying fossils. A parent or guardian must attend the two off-site collecting trips. The camp runs from July 9–11, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the fee is $100. The registration form must include a hand-written paragraph explaining why the child wants to attend.

For this camp, on July 7–8 (Wednesday and Thursday), a parent or guardian must transport the child to the field collecting sites for the camp, which usually runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  

Day camps are sponsored by The Falls of the Ohio Foundation and State Park Interpretive Center. To register for a day camp, e-mail dani@fallsoftheohio.org or call (812) 283-4999.

- by Ivonne Rovira, Louisville Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Ivonne Rovira

A graduate of the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism in New York City, Ivonne Rovira worked as a reporter for the Miami News, The Miami Herald and The Associated Press. She has written articles for The National Catholic Reporter and The Courier-Journal. For more than 15 years, Ivonne wrote and edited articles aimed at middle-school children.