Mississippi Children’s Museum-Meridian is planning a summer of fun for area youngsters from summer camps to special activities on Mondays to pop-up events throughout the week.

“MCM-Meridian is planning a full summer of fun, educational opportunities for children and families in our area,” said Clair Huff, the museum’s director of education and programming.

The museum has six, week-long summer camps planned for students. Each camp will run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is appropriate for children ages 5 to 10.

“As an educational resource for families and children in our community, we are providing educational enrichment for children and childcare for working families through the camps,” Huff said.

“We employ area educators to lead our camps with museum staff assisting,” she said. “Each camp has a theme related to the MCM initiatives.”

This is the second year for MCM-Meridian to offer the summer camps, which turned out to be popular with area children last year.

Each camp day, attendees take part in activities related to the camp’s theme, as well as spend time playing in the museum exhibits. The maximum number of campers in each camp is 24 students.

Campers bring their lunch and a water bottle, but a morning and afternoon snack, as well as all materials and supplies, are included in the registration fee. The cost is $225 per camp or $202.50 for MCM-Meridian members.

Summer camps will kick off the week of June 12-16 with the theme of Camp Backyard. Students will get the chance to learn about plants, insects and everything outdoors. Ashley Yudt, a third-grade teacher at Poplar Springs, will be the instructor for the camp. Registration closes June 5.

Students can hop on board Missi the Traveler and explore six different countries in the World Explorers camp the week of June 19-23. Based on the museum’s geography exhibit, the camp’s instructor will be Nikki Ordway, an assistant teacher at Lamar School. Registration for the camp closes June 12.

Yudt returns to instruct Camp Creative I, a week-long camp from June 26 to June 30 aiming to bringing out participants’ inner artists. Students will be drawing, painting and playing on their way to creating masterpieces. Registration for Camp Creative I closes on June 19.

The museum will take a break from camps during the Independence Day holiday week, but will return the week of July 10-14 with Super STEAM Camp. Each day’s activities will center around a letter from STEAM — science, technology, engineering, art and math. Led by Ordway, students will conduct experiments, learn about coding and even measure and mix ice cream during the camp. Registration for Super STEAM Camp closes on July 10.

NASA Astro camp is making a return to the summer schedule and is slated for July 17-21. The camp is already sold out, Huff said. Led by instructor Ashley Eades, another third-grade teacher from Poplar Springs, participants will explore space and the universe with curriculum designed by NASA.

Winding down the summer will be Camp Creative II from July 24 through July 28. Led by Yudt, students will again learn about famous artists and create their own works of art using a variety of techniques and mediums. Registration for the camp closes July 17.

Also during the months of June and July, MCM-Meridian will be open on Mondays and will offer special activities for students.

“During the school year, we are closed on Mondays except on the Mondays when the children are out of school,” Huff said.

Special programming, called Magic Monday, will take place at the museum each Monday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. beginning the week of June 5. With the theme of “Hello Summer,” activities will include bubble wand and beach collages, garden games, story time, sidewalk chalk painting and ice cube paintings.

The June 12 Magic Monday will follow the theme “Science Lab” and will include kaleidoscope and straw rocket crafts, garden games, story time, how to grow a rainbow and a blooming flower experiment.

The remaining Magic Monday sessions will include “Once Upon a Summer” on June 19, “The ABC’s of Art” on June 26, “America the Beautiful” on July 3, “Under the Sea” on July 10, “Guide to the Galaxy” on July 17, “Christmas in July” on July 24 and “Monday Funday” on July 31.

Other summer events at the museum will include Movement Monday pop-up events at 3:30 p.m. designed to improve children’s physical and mental health. Program activities scheduled for the summer include yoga on June 5, an obstacle course challenge on June 12, line walking on June 19, stomp, wiggle, clap, tap on July 3, nature yoga on July 10, parachute games on July 17, balloon fun on July 24, and an egg race challenge on July 31.

Also this summer, MCM-Meridian is going to offer new activities at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. “Wonder Wednesday” will focus on STEAM activities with a fun twist. During “Know to Grow” on Thursday afternoons, participants will read a garden-related story and work together to complete a hands-on gardening activity. “Artful Friday” will focus on developing a child’s creative instincts.

For infants, toddlers and children up to age 5, the museum will offer its regularly scheduled programs this summer, including Rocky’s Book Club beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday through Friday. “ABC Come Play With Me,” a program designed to help younger children learn their alphabet and numbers, will be held each Tuesday at 10 a.m.

To learn more about the summer programs offered at MCM-Meridian, visit the museum’s website at mschildrensmuseum.org/meridian.