Cancellation Policy
Activity fees are nonrefundable. No full or partial refunds will be given, except for camp cancellations with advance notice.
Activities
Experience Nature All Year Long
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Summer Camp (Grades 1-2): Cooking in the Outdoors
$285
This program is sold out. Visit the Activities Calendar for more upcoming programs. Take your campfire cooking skills beyond marshmallows! Learn how to build and tend a fire safely while discovering all the delicious foods you can cook over an open flame. Hands-on cooking fun and tasty experiments will spark your imagination and appetite. A $5 materials fee is included in this camp cost. Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies & Information for important information like what to bring to camp, check-in and checkout details, cancellation policy, and more.
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 3-5): Dodgewarts
$290
This program is sold out. Visit the Activities Calendar for more upcoming programs. Attention wizards and muggles—you’ve been accepted to Dodgewarts! Meet magical beasts, mix potions, discover herbology, compete for the Quidditch Cup, and so much more. It’s sure to be a spellbinding week! A $10 materials fee is included in this camp cost. Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies & Information for important information like what to bring to camp, check-in and checkout details, cancellation policy, and more.
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 6-8): Girls Explore Science
$280
Do you see yourself becoming a scientist someday? Whether your dream is wildlife biology, chemical engineering, or even professional baking, science is all around you! Explore the wonders of science at Dodge with live animals, hands-on chemistry experiments, campfire cooking, and more. Hike through prairies, forests, and wetlands to discover the diversity of life through birdwatching, pond dipping, and insect catching. Make new friends, try new hobbies, and uncover the excitement of science at every turn! Information You Need to…
Find out more »Blacksmithing Basics 1 with Coal Forge (8-session Series)
$450
This program is sold out. Visit the Activities Calendar for more upcoming programs. Join blacksmithing instructors from Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center for an eight-week dive into the basics of blacksmithing at Dodge’s forge at Shepard Farm! This course is designed to ignite your passion for blacksmithing and introduce you to the seemingly endless ways of shaping iron with fire and hammer. You’ll gain basic knowledge of iron and its characteristics, an understanding of the dynamics of forging using a coal forge, and the ability to safely shape…
Find out more »Elemental Yoga
$80
Join Yoga Therapist/Registered Yoga Teacher Elizabeth Fletcher for yoga outdoors at Dodge! During this five-week, mixed-level series, you'll move with each of the five elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space—to increase vitality and deepen your connection to the natural world. Each 60-minute class incorporates yoga and qi gong movements, breath, and guided meditation to align the body, mind, and spirit. Adaptations are offered to accommodate a range of students who can comfortably work on the ground. Required props: a yoga mat and a beach towel/yoga blanket. Recommended props: yoga block if you use one…
Find out more »Weather Science
$10
Rain, sun, wind, clouds—weather is all around you every day! Come explore the importance of weather and climate by collecting real-time weather data. Create your own weather report and weather journal to take home with you.
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 1-2): Storybook Squad
$282
This program is sold out. Visit the Activities Calendar for more upcoming programs. Step into adventures straight from your favorite books! Revisit beloved stories and meet brand-new storybook friends along the way. Bring your imagination as we encounter a most unusual squirrel, learn why dragons don’t eat salsa, follow two mischievous ants on an incredible journey, and so much more. Please note: campers will be in contact with and offered foods containing wheat, eggs, peanuts, and milk. This camp includes an additional $2 materials fee. Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies & Information for important information…
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 3-5): Mouse Trap
$280
This program is sold out. Visit the Activities Calendar for more upcoming programs. Discover the amazing world of mice through games, exploration, and even dissections! Build a cozy mouse house, test your taste buds with a cheese tasting, and experiment with snap trap machines (no mice harmed). It will be a squeak-tacular time! Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies & Information for important information like what to bring to camp, check-in and checkout details, cancellation policy, and more.
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 1-2): Farm Fun
$280
This program is sold out. Visit the Activities Calendar for more upcoming programs. Step into a week of farmyard fun at Shepard Farm! Taste fresh foods straight from the garden, meet resident farm animals like cows and chickens, and lend a hand with barnyard chores. Discover the sights, sounds, and smells that make life on the farm so special. Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies & Information for important information like what to bring to camp, check-in and checkout details, cancellation…
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 3-5): Pathfinders
$280
Blaze your own trail in a week full of outdoor adventures! Build fires, make shelters, test your aim at the archery range, and practice safe tool skills. Discover just how exciting it is to thrive in the wild. Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies & Information for important information like what to bring to camp, check-in and checkout details, cancellation policy, and more.
Find out more »First Heat: Coal Forge Blacksmithing Sampler
$140
Join blacksmithing instructor Lee Meilleur from Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center for a one-day blacksmithing workshop at Dodge’s forge at Shepard Farm! Get a taste of blacksmithing as it's been done throughout the ages in this introductory workshop, designed with newcomers in mind. You'll learn about traditional methods and equipment, including the coal forge, hammer, tongs, and anvil. Practice your technique by forging an S hook, a J hook, or a shape that has yet to be invented. Feel the force when shaping molten metal! No experience necessary.…
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 1-2): Bloom and Wander
$280
This program is sold out. Visit the Activities Calendar for more upcoming programs. The greenspaces and gardens of Dodge are bursting with blooms! Spend the week exploring the magical world of plants through hands-on, plant-inspired activities, nature walks, and art projects. Along the way, meet the insects and wildlife that depend on plants and discover how everything grows together. Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies & Information for important information like what to bring to camp, check-in and checkout details, cancellation…
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 3-5): Marvelous Minerals and Radical Rocks
$280
This program is sold out. Visit the Activities Calendar for more upcoming programs. Discover the power of rocks! Play rock games, build your own rock collection, and experiment with how rocks and fossils are formed. Use rocks and minerals to create art, make fires, and explore how people long ago used rocks as tools. Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies & Information for important information like what to bring to camp, check-in and checkout details, cancellation policy, and more.
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 1-2): Campfire Chefs
$290
This program is sold out. Visit the Activities Calendar for more upcoming programs. Do you have what it takes to be a campfire chef? Learn the basics of cooking over open flame as you build your own log stovetop and chop, cook, and create classic campfire recipes. Head home with your very own campfire recipe book! A $10 materials fee is included in this camp cost. Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies & Information for important information like what to bring to camp, check-in and checkout details, cancellation policy, and more.
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 3-5): Dodge Quest
$288
Adventure waits for no one! Are you ready? Sharpen the skills you’ll need to succeed as you build camps, level up your fire-building and cooking abilities, and prepare for friendly combat challenges along the way. Come take on the quest! An $8 materials fee is included in this camp cost. Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies & Information for important information like what to bring to camp, check-in and checkout details, cancellation policy, and more.
Find out more »Intro to Beekeeping
$280
Have you always wanted to keep honeybees, but didn’t know where to start? Here’s your chance! Learn beekeeping from Dodge staff at Shepard Farm in Cottage Grove. You’ll work bees throughout the entire season, starting from a new package in spring, harvesting honey at summer’s end, and preparing the hives for winter. Protective gear (bee suit, gloves, and veil) is required to work in the hives. Participants must provide their own gear. We recommend Mann Lake Bee & Ag Supply for gear needs.
Find out more »Nature Mandalas
$20
Slow down, look closely, and let nature spark your creativity! Inspired by the practices of forest bathing and morning altars, this two-hour workshop invites you to connect with the land and create art in collaboration with the natural world. We’ll ground ourselves in the peaceful setting of the woods, take time to wander and gather natural materials with care, and craft collages that reflect the season. Together, we’ll share our creations—then gently return them to the earth. Please dress for the weather and bring…
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 1-2): Sticks and Sparks
$280
This program is sold out. Visit the Activities Calendar for more upcoming programs. The woods are calling! Search the forest for the perfect walking stick, then hit the trails through Dodge’s prairies, woods, and wetlands. Scout a campsite and work together to build a cozy shelter with sticks and tarps. Practice fire safety as you start mini campfires, gather fuel, and keep the flames going. Wrap up each day with a fire-roasted snack and silly campfire stories. Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies &…
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 3-5): CSI: Critter Sighting Investigators
$280
This program is sold out. Visit the Activities Calendar for more upcoming programs. Tracks in the mud, feathers in the woods, unusual odors in the air—animal mysteries are all around the nature center! Who are these mystery critters and what have they been doing? It’s time to become a C.S.I. – Critter Sighting Investigator. Practice your observation skills as we explore the nature center, looking for clues and investigating the signs animals leave behind. Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies & Information for important…
Find out more »Summer Camp (Grades 1-2): Catch ‘Em All!
$280
This program is sold out. Visit the Activities Calendar for more upcoming programs. Calling all Pokémon fans—an adventure awaits at Shepard Farm! Search high and low for the real-life inspirations behind your favorite Pokémon as you investigate fields, gardens, and trails. With games, art, snacks, and plenty of outdoor adventures, dive into the world of Pokémon—just keep an eye out in case Team Rocket tries to crash the fun! Information You Need to Know See Camp Policies & Information for important information like what to…
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