Wichita is known for its hot summers, but what does it have in store for kids this year?
Kids will have a blast enjoying the sunny summer days learning in a summer camp or having plain fun in the many events available this season. If you’re looking for family-friendly fun, Wichita offers that too!
Let’s just cut to the chase and proceed to read on and find out what Wichita has waiting for you this summer!

Where: Tanganyika Wildlife Park
Hours: 7:45 AM- 5:30 PM. May 23 – 27: Jr. Zookeeper Camp | May 30 – June 3: Zoo Vet Camp | June 6 – 10: Amazing Adaptations Camp | June 13 – 17: Mythical Animals Camp | June 20 – 24: African Animals | June 27 – July 1: Asian Animals | July 11 – 15: North American Animals | July 18 – 22: South American Animals | July 25 – 29: European Animals | August 1 – 5: Australian Animals

Kids ages 6-12 will have an unforgettable and entertaining summer this year!

 Each week of these camps will have a unique and different theme for campers to have a blast. There will be age-appropriate learning pods, playtime, and activities for kids to create, build, experiment, and interact with Tanganyika’s unique animals!

Where: 1000 S Hawkins Ln, Goddard, KS, USA
Hours: May to Labor Day: 9 AM – 5 PM. Every other date: 10:30 AM – 5 PM

This summer, visit Kansas’ most interactive zoo with the entire family!

With six feeding stations, animal rides, great exhibits, and more, Tanganyika Wildlife Park will provide you and the family with a fantastic day and experience.

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: 10:30 AM- 11 AM. Tuesdays.

Tot Tuesdays will also run through the summer months!

During this program, toddlers ages 3–5 and their participating adults will get to enjoy fun and interactive educational activities at the Zoo!

Where: Hutchinson Zoo
Hours: June 13 through July.

During these summer camps, kids will spend the week investigating why animals do gross things to survive through

Zoo tours, crafts, keeper chats, games, and animal encounters. There’s a different theme each day!

Where: Flint Hills Discovery Center
Hours: Grades 1-3 Sessions: Summer Fun: May 23-27 | Creature Features May 31-June 3 (4 days due to Memorial Day) | Ology Camp June 20-24 | America the Beautiful June 27-July 1 | Waves of the World July 25-29 | Prairie Keepers August 1-5 | Grades 4-6 Sessions: Prairie Keepers June 13-17 | Discovery Center Junior Intern July 18-22

During Summer Adventure Camp, kids will get to experience Manhattan, the Flint Hills, and the world like never before!

Kids will enjoy a unique experience with full-day, week-long sessions for students entering Grades 1-3 and special half-day, week-long sessions for students entering Grades 4-6 in fall 2022.

Where: 511 Lakeside Dr, McPherson, KS, USA
Hours: OPEN SWIM HOURS: Sunday – Thursday & Saturday 1 PM – 7 PM | Friday: 1 PM- 8 PM

Nothing says summer fun more than a water park!

Families will enjoy a 500-foot lazy river, a giant water slide, a diving well, an 8-lane 50-meter pool, a children’s splash area, a zero-entry pool, and more! Get ready to have a great time at McPherson Water Park!

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: Fourth Tuesday of the month, 6–7 PM

Wheeling Wild is a bike club designed for leisure riders.

If you are young, young at heart, and want to enjoy some bike riding at the Zoo this summer, make sure to join!

Where: Flint Hills Discovery Center
Hours: Saturday, June 4, 2022. 9 AM- 11 AM

Youth and adults who require a low sensory environment will make the most of Low Sensory Saturday, also during the summertime!

This low sensory experience will take place inside the Flint Hills Discovery Center, where the lights and sounds will be adjusted.

Where: 5397 W Zoo Blvd, Wichita, KS, USA
Hours: 8:30 AM – 5 PM (Summer)

It will be a big mistake to not visit the No. 1 outdoor family tourist attraction in Kansas this summer.

You will get to see more than 3,000 animals of more than 400 different species in a place dedicated to inspiring respect and conservation of wildlife and wild places.

Where: Museum of World Treasures
Hours: Monday, June 6, 2022, 1 PM – 5 PM

Summer 2022 is the time when the Museum of World Treasures will be transformed into a wizarding school for a week!

Witches and wizards entering 6-8 grades will have a blast with activities including the sorting hat placing each magician into their house before they hunt for Horcruxes, taking flight in a game of quidditch, learning the Latin influence behind spell-making and the chemistry behind potion-making, and so much more!

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: 9:30 AM, Twice a month: June 8, June 9, July 13, July 14, August 10, August 11, September 8, September 14

Kids ages 12-23 months will have a firsthand experience of the wonders of animals.

Class includes interactive learning and an animal visitor, and adult attendance is required. 

Where: Flint Hills Discovery Center
Hours: June 3, 10 AM- 3 PM

Kids will get to enjoy nature in the Outdoor Classroom at the Flint Hills Discovery Center!

They will get hands-on and up close to the true treasures of the Flint Hills.

Where: Exploration Place
Hours:June 4 and 5. Gates open at 6 PM- The show starts at 10 pm

This family-friendly show known as “the fireworks of the future,” will provide breathtaking views of 200 synchronized drones, fully choreographed with music!

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: 6:30 PM- 8 PM: June 10, July 8, August 6, September 3

Newborn kids through Kindergarten will get to wear their favorite pajamas for this evening class in which they’ll enjoy a lesson, crafts, a Zoo experience, a bedtime story, and a snack!

Kids are encouraged to attend in their pajamas and shoes.

Where: Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center
Hours: June through August

This year, your little ones will find so many options for summer fun at Cosmosphere!

Make sure to check out all the summer camp options.

Where: Flint Hills Discovery Center
Hours: 10:30-11:30 AM or 12:30-1:30 PM. June 7 Hands and Feet | June 21 We Like to Move | July 19 Wandering Water | August 2 Beautiful Bugs | August 16 Let’s go Camping

During this summer program, preschool-age children will discover the wonder of the Flint Hills where they live, and also look beyond the city limits in their exploration.

Every session includes story time, snacks, and a themed craft or activity!

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: June 11. 1 PM- 5 PM

This Citizen Science program connects people with Kansas’ native amphibians, creating a better understanding of the importance of conserving them.

People who are interested can attend a short training in which they’ll learn how to identify native frog calls, monitor a site, and collect data!

Where: Exploration Place
Hours: 9 AM- 4 PM. May 31- August 5

There are SO MANY options for adventure, fun, and science to make summers awesome at Exploration Place!

Campers will spend the summer exploring new topics, learning through hands-on interactive fun, making new friends, and creating memories to last a lifetime.

Where: 2333 Oak St, Manhattan, KS, USA
Hours: Open 9:30 AM – 5 PM Daily (March to Oct)

Home to 200 animals, the Sunset Zoo is a perfect place to visit with the family, especially during summer!

Have an up-close view of some of the world’s most fascinating animals such as tigers, primates, flamingos, and more.

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: 2- 3 PM: June 18, September 11

Elementary school students (grades 15) will get to learn about what happens beyond the “Employees & Animals Only” signs at the Zoo, including learning about the area they visit, how it works, and why the area is important to the Zoo operations.

Afterward, students will go behind the scenes and explore the area. 

Where: Museum of World Treasures
Hours: June 20, 1 PM- 5 PM 

Kids entering grades 5 and 6 will get to hop in a time machine and go back to a land of mythology and monsters!

During this camp, they will be learning the tales of Greek Mythology with real artifacts from Ancient Greece, playing Medusa Tag, making clay monsters, and doing a mock interview with gods and goddesses.

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: 6 PM: June 24, July 22, September 23

You can enjoy an after-hours safari at the Sedgwick County Zoo!

These evenings of guided tours are designed for individual groups who do not need to social distance from other members of the group. 

Where: Curious Minds
Hours: June 25, 10 AM- 2 PM

During this STEAM Expo Day and Children’s Business Fair, kids will explore the world around them with hands-on activities and experiments on science, technology, engineering, art, and math!

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: 5:30 PM: June 25, August 5, September 14

Families will get to enjoy this holiday celebration at the museum that captures the spirit of Christmas and all that makes it the most wonderful time of the year with lights, decorations, live music, caroling, warm holiday refreshments, and possibly an appearance from Santa himself!

Where: Exploration Place
Hours: 9:30 AM- 11:30 AM- June through July

During Digital Discovery Camps, campers will level up their coding, graphic design, and game design skills through a variety of programs, activities, and challenges.

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: Tuesdays on July, 9 AM–8:30 PM

During Twilight Tuesdays, families can enjoy the zoo and beat the heat during extended hours on Tuesdays in July!

This year, Twilight Tuesday will feature an evening concert with a new band each week.

Where: Museum of World Treasures
Hours: July 11, 1 PM- 5 PM

Spies-in-the-making entering grades 4-5 will have a blast during this week-long, top-secret mission to solve the ultimate mystery at the Museum of World Treasures!

During this summer camp, kids will decorate a personalized agent badge, take a fingerprinting class, solve clues throughout the Museum to track down the secret suspect, and more!

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: July 17, 10 AM- 2 PM

The whole family can visit the Children’s Farms for fun, games, and learning about different aspects of a real farm!

There will be different days with fun activities!

Where: 701 Kenwood Park Dr, Salina, KS, USA
Hours: 12:30 PM – 7 PM Mon to Sat | 12:30 PM – 6 PM Sundays | Late May to September

Choose among many fun attractions, thrill rides, four adventure slides, lazy rivers, or just try them all!

This Caribbean-inspired family-friendly low-cost aquatic park will make you feel like you’re on vacation! This is a great option to enjoy summer in the Wichita area!

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: August 6, 9 AM- 5 PM

Say goodbye to Summer with this Back to School Bash in which the zoo will offer discounted admission!

Admission for the Back to School Bash will be $3. Members get in free with a membership card and photo ID.

Where: 3650 East Avenue G, Hutchinson, KS 67501, USA
Hours: Tuesday — Saturday 9 AM — 5 PM, last tour at 3 PM | Sunday 1 PM — 5 PM, last tour at 3 PM | Mondays Closed except for Holidays.

This summer, live the unforgettable experience of walking 650 feet below the Earth’s surface in salt deposits!

Remember this amazing family day forever with great photos to remember it.

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: August 7, 2 PM- 4 PM

You will work with staff from the Sedgwick County Zoo in hands-on conservation science, which will increase volunteers’ awareness and understanding of our native box turtles.

Interested individuals must take a short training in order to participate.

Where: 145 North 4th Street, Clearwater, KS 67026, USA
Hours: May 25 – June 2: Monday – Sunday 1 PM-6 PM| June 3 – August 11: Monday – Friday: 1 PM -5 PM | Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Twilight Swim 7 PM -8:30 PM | Saturday and Sunday: 1 PM -6 PM

Clearwater Aquatic Center has many awesome features to offer you and the family!

Discover the 230,000-gallon pool, a large wading pool, a diving board, two drop slides, two high slides, and more!

Where: Sedgwick County Zoo
Hours: 10 AM- 11 AM: August 24, September 21.

Homeschool Expeditions are 60-minute classes that cover various topics including animal science, life science, and physical science.

Where: Curious Minds
Hours: August 28, 1 PM- 5 PM

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and sensory processing differences can have a fun, enjoyable, and interactive experience at the museum during Sensory Sensitive Sessions!

Children will enjoy a less crowded environment and noise-reducing headphones will be available.