MSU Tollgate Farm Summer Camp 2025

MSU Tollgate Summer Farm Camp 2025 

Summer Camp fun starts at Tollgate! Summer Farm Camp engages campers in all aspects of farm life including helping to care for goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens, ducks, and ponies, assisting in our fields where we grow a variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers, and preparing daily snacks in our Garden Kitchen. We also have classic camp activities such as tie-dye, fishing, and canoeing, and all the campers enjoy a wagon ride around the farm! 

Weeklong, hands-on projects in every camp focus on different science, technology, engineering, and math topics, and throughout the week campers have multiple opportunities to express their individual creativity through art. On Friday afternoons, caregivers are invited to attend our Camp Showcase where campers perform camp skits and show off their projects from the week! This summer, we are offering three different camp themes for two separate age groups. Please see descriptions below for special activities included in those themed camps.

Animal Camp: Farmyard Friends (Entering Fall 2025 Grades 1-3) - June 16 - 20, July 21-25, August 11 - 15

Get in touch with your wild side and interact with all the animals here at Tollgate Farm! 

Fur, fluff, and feathers! Come to Tollgate to befriend some goofy goats, sheepish sheep, and conversating chickens and ducks. Life on a farm isn’t all about domestic animals though-- campers will also learn about the wonderful wild animals in the forest, pond, and sky! Spotlight activities include milking a goat, egg dissection, and a journey into the life of bugs. 

Animal Camp: Junior Farm Hand (Entering Fall 2025 Grades 4-6) - June 16 - 20, July 21-25, August 11 - 15

Attention all animal lovers!  

Our Junior Farm Hand campers will spend the week getting to know the ponies, goats, sheep, rabbits, ducks, and chickens here at Tollgate Farm. In addition to daily animal chores, we’ll experience specialized care including ultrasounds and hoof care. And because our animal obsessions reach beyond the farmyard, we’ll explore the identification and adaptations of wild animals that inhabit the Tollgate forests, fields, and water. 

Survival Camp: Experience the Wild (Entering Fall 2025 Grades 1-3) - June 23 - 27, July 14 -18, August 4 - 8

Go on a Tollgate adventure this summer with our hands-on survival camp! 

This survival-themed camp is for younger campers with a knack for exploration! Campers will spend a large part of their week at Tollgate out in the forest getting their hands dirty with their new camp friends while learning the basics of shelter and navigation. With the guidance of educational leaders, we’ll practice archery, learn how to identify some native birds, and go on a treasure hunt! 

Survival Camp: Wilderness Warriors (Entering Fall 2025 Grades 4-6) - June 23 - 27, July 14 -18, August 4 - 8

Learn the steps of survival to conquer the wilderness! 

The greatest tools for survival are all around us-- we just have to know how to use them. Throughout this camp week, campers will learn how to thrive in an unforgiving environment by practicing wilderness first aid methods, identifying edible plants, and starting fires with minimal resources. Some highlights of the week are tracking wild animals, building shelters, and archery.  

Water Camp: Splish Splash (Entering Fall 2025 Grades 1-3) - July 7 -11, July 28- August 1, August 18-22

Let’s fish, canoe, and play with water together!  

Water, water, everywhere! During this week, we’ll go on a water scavenger hunt around the fields, animal pens, and all over Tollgate Farm. How do farmers make sure their plants get all the water they need, but not too much? And the animals need water, too! We’ll also explore life in the pond and the wonderous vernal pools in the forest. If we’re lucky, we may even get a little rain. We’ll end the week with some water play on our giant slip and slide! 

Water Camp: Water Wonders (Entering Fall 2025 Grades 4-6) - July 7 -11, July 28- August 1, August 18-22

Explore the wonders of water! 

Campers will spend the week taking a “deep dive” into water science! Tollgate Pond will be the centerpiece of our investigations as we explore the wide variety of life found both inside the water and around the shore! See some aquatic friends up close with fishing and experience the joy of water recreation with canoeing. We’ll also be able to play in water by concluding the week with some fun on our giant slip and slide!

Cost: $395 per week/per child, $60 for add-on aftercare option per week/per child

CANCELLATION: If cancellation is needed, please be prompt. Cancellations from June 1 through 2 weeks prior to your first day of camp result in a $100 cancellation fee. No refunds 14 or fewer days from first day of your camp week. For all cancellations made prior to June 1st full refunds minus a $25 processing fee will be given.