Uncle Carl’s Camp is designed for discovery, exploration & creativity. Come explore new and old worlds with us!
About "Uncle Carl"
Charles Kauffman, fondly known as Uncle Carl, brought his museum from South Dakota to North Newton, KS in 1940. He spent the next eighteen years bringing history and the outdoor world to life for children and adults at the Kauffman Museum. In keeping with Uncle Carl’s tradition, Kauffman Museum offers discovery-oriented, hands-on summer camps for children.
2025 Uncle Carl’s Camps
Charles Kauffman, fondly known as Uncle Carl, brought his museum from South Dakota to North Newton, Kansas, in 1940. He spent the next two decades bringing history and the outdoor world to life for children and adults at the Kauffman Museum on the Bethel College campus. In keeping with Uncle Carl’s tradition, Kauffman Museum offers discovery-oriented, hands-on summer camps for children. Come explore new and old worlds with us!
Payment
Payment must be included with registration. For information about becoming a Kauffman Museum member or about need-based scholarships, contact the museum. Cancellation policy available upon request.
Questions?
If you have questions about the camps or Kauffman Museum, please contact us at 316-283-1612 or by e-mail at kmcamps@bethelks.edu or kauffman@bethelks.edu
Let’s Play Prairie Animals
June 9-13, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. | Age: 4 to 5 (not yet in kindergarten)
Let’s play, sing and read about prairie animals! We’ll learn about the buffalo, Western Meadowlark, honeybee and more. What do these animals like to eat? How do they move? Let’s explore together.We’ll spend time outside as well as inside, so come ready to play!
Application deadline: June 6
Maximum enrollment: 16
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructor:
Amy Regier
USD 373, Newton, KS
Ecology Explorers
June 16-20, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. | Age: 9 to 12 (Completed Grade 3-6)
Get ready to do some outdoor science on the Kansas prairie! In this very hands-on camp, we’ll explore our home ecosystems through observation, experimentation, and creativity. Find out why our grasslands are an “upside-down rainforest,” what forces shape our landscape, and all the creatures – big, small, and microscopic – that live here.
Application deadline: June 13
Maximum enrollment: 16
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructor:
Allan Saylor
Grassland Groupies, Wichita, KS
A Day in the Life of a Bug
June 23-27, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. | Age: 6 to 8 (Completed Grade K-2)
Bugs, bugs, and more bugs – come ready to learn about a bug’s life! Each day you will explore bugs through a lesson or a craft. The last day you will build a bug hotel to take home.
“The smallest creatures often hold the key to the grandest mysteries of our ecosystems.”
– Rachel Carson
Application deadline: June 20
Maximum enrollment: 16
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructor:
Aaron Voth
USD 373, Newton, KS
Watercolor My World 1
June 30-July 3, 9 a.m.-11:00 a.m. | Age: 6 to 8 (Completed Grade K-2)
Explore a variety of techniques for working with watercolors. Campers will use objects from Kauffman Museum exhibits as subjects for their artwork. Come paint your world!
Application deadline: June 27
Maximum enrollment: 16
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructor:
LaDonna Unruh Voth
USD 373, Newton, KS
Watercolor My World 2
July 7-11, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. | Age: 9 to 12 (Completed Grade 3-6)
Discover a variety of techniques for working with watercolors. Drawing from observation, campers will use nature and objects from the museum exhibits as subjects for their artwork. Come paint your world!
Application deadline: July 3
Maximum enrollment: 16
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructors:
LaDonna Unruh Voth
USD 373, Newton, KS
VISIT US
27th and North Main St.
North Newton, KS 67117
Across from the main campus of
Bethel College
CONTACT US
(316) 283-1612
kauffman@bethelks.edu
Mailing address:
300 E. 27th Street
North Newton, KS, 67117-1716
HOURS
Tue-Fri 9:30am-4:30pm
Sat-Sun 1:30pm-4:30pm
Closed Mondays and
Major Holidays