2026 New Year's Day Camp

New Year's Day Camp at ONSC @ Lake Fayetteville

📅 Thursday, Jan 1 – Sunday, Jan 4, 2026

📍ONSC at Lake Fayetteville – 599 E Lakeview Dr, Springdale, AR 72764

⭐Ages 7 - 14

❄️ Start the new year with four days of outdoor exploration, science activities, and winter fun at ONSC’s Lake Fayetteville Day Camp! Campers will dive into the magic of winter, exploring how animals and plants adapt to the season. Together, we’ll learn to spot animal signs like tracks and scat, identify winter trees, discover unique weather phenomena, and so much more!

Highlights include

🔍 Embark on field investigations with our Teacher Naturalists during guided hikes.

🎨 Let creativity bloom with eco-art projects

🎉 Enjoy exciting games and activities to stay active and engaged throughout the day.

📝 Learn nature journaling to record their experiences and discoveries, nurturing a deeper connection with the world around them.

🔬 Experience fascinating science lessons that bring the wonders of the natural world to life.

📍 Located at ONSC’s Lake Fayetteville location, our day camps combine the benefits of being outdoors with the chance to immerse in our science classrooms for lessons and activities.

Scholarships

We strive to make ONSC programs accessible and affordable for all. In addition to ONSC's regular scholarship fund, we have been given a generous grant from the Walton Family Foundation so we can provide more camp scholarships. Apply here for a scholarship.

Registration

Step 1: Purchase tickets below

Step 2: Complete the Camper Registration Form​ for each camper

Step 3: Be on the lookout for a packing list and info packet which will be sent out before camp to the email address you provided!

More ONSC Camps

We have 2-day, 3-day and 4-day camps scheduled throughout the year. Visit www.onsc.us/camps to learn more about all of our camps!

Chaperones:

We have a limited number of free tickets for parent chaperones. We will need at least one male and one female chaperone for each age group with a maximum of 6 total chaperones. We strive to assign chaperones to field groups that don't include their own child(ren), to allow all students an authentic feeling of "camp independence." However, exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis.

An interview and background check are required to become a chaperone. 

Daily Schedule (tentative)

• 9:30 - 10am: Drop-off

• Morning Session: Field investigation (guided hike), nature journaling, active games

• 12pm: Lunch (bring your own packed lunch)

• Afternoon Session: Eco-art and activities, games, science lessons (bring your own snack)

• 5 - 6pm:  Pick-up

Guided Hike Topics

Natural Science Topics – Adaptations and Natural Selection, Food Webs, Geology and the Rock Cycle, Human and Cultural History (Osage Native Americans and Settlers), Phenology and Seasonal Changes, Succession and Natural History, Symbiosis, Water Quality-Biotic and Abiotic Testing, Weather, Weathering and Erosion, Watersheds, and The Four Spheres: Atmosphere, Biosphere, Geosphere, & Hydrosphere

Wilderness Exploration Topics – Mentality for Outdoor Exploration, Physical Preparedness, Wilderness Safety, Monitoring and Adjusting for Environmental Conditions, Emergency Action Plans, Comfort Management, Materials and Tools Found in Nature, Wild Edibles and Foraging, Water Quality and Purification

About Ozark Natural Science Center

ONSC offers a unique, immersion-based approach to learning about nature and the natural sciences. Students visit us for authentic science learning experiences that are correlated with national and state science learning standards and provide in-depth education in biology, ecology, geology, social studies, and nature art – all while students have fun hiking and experiencing nature. Camp activities include  hikes, team-building, games, art, and small-group activities.

Ticket Refund Policy

• Refunds up to 1 week before the event: Tickets are refundable minus any applicable fees (processing, administrative, etc.) until 7 days before the event.

• Refunds within 1 week of the event: For refund requests made less than 7 days prior to the event, a 50% refund will be given.

• No refunds within 24 hours of the event: Refund requests made within 24 hours of the event are not permitted, except in exceptional circumstances and only with approval from ONSC administration.

*Please note that all refund requests must be submitted in writing to jill.bowman@onsc.us. Refunds will be processed within 7-10 business days.

About the Instructors

Visit www.onsc.us/staff to learn more about our Teacher Naturalists and other staff.

Questions? 

Please email Program Manager, Breana Patterson at breana.patterson@onsc.us with any questions about ONSC Camps