Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is bringing back summer day camps in a big way with eight week-long sessions for grades K-8 this summer.

‘The goal is to introduce them to the zoo in a different way,” Zoo Director Joel Hamilton said. “This is one other way for younger families to help support the zoo and learn and have a little bit of education for the summer in a fun way.”

This is the first full session of camps at the new facility but not the first time to have day campers on site.

“We did a trial run of four days during the holiday break,” Hamilton said. “We just wanted to see how it was going to go over and how the kids would enjoy it and modify some of the lessons if we needed to and get prepared for the summer.”

At the old location in the middle of Gulf Shores, the zoo did only one weeklong camp per summer but with this new format “this is a full-fledged camp experience,” Hamilton said.

Camps run from June 5 until Aug. 4 with no camps during the Fourth of July week.

Attendance costs $225 per week per camper or $200 for families with a zoo membership. Extended stay will be offered beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. Actual camp times are 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and the extended stay will cost $40.

The class breakdown will be based on grades kids will enter in the fall with four groups for kindergarteners and first graders, second and third graders, fourth and fifth graders and sixth through eighth graders. There are four different camp topics per group and they will be alternated throughout the summer.

Offerings across all four groups include colorful creatures and animal adventurers for the K-First class, roaring and snoring and zoo detectives for the second and third graders, animal training and zoolympics for the third and fourth graders and zoo crew and STEAM-based activities for sixth through eighth graders. Click here for a full list of camp topics and the weekly schedule.

Hamilton said besides providing special activities for the kids during summer months, the zoo will also benefit from the exposure and having more guests visit the site.

“We are a nonprofit and we depend on our guests coming through the gate and our community and our donors,” Hamilton said.

Included in the registration price are:

• One week registration for 1 camper

• Two camp T-shirts

• One reusable water bottle

• One snack per day provided by camp (lunch must be brought daily by camper)

For more information on the camps, click here.