If it’s Icky, Sticky, Slimy and FUN– It’s Gross Out Camp

Slimy salamanders, slugs, bugs and roly polies are all found as campers explore their world through hands-on field biology. It’s the kind of learning that kids thrive in – hands-on, in-motion and at a child’s pace. Gross Out Day Camp (GOC) serves campers entering first through fourth grade and counselors-in-training for youth entering fifth through seventh grade.  Fresh Air Family is holding 108 weeks of camp in 36 locations around Alabama. In the Birmingham area, there are 50 weeks of camp including Bessemer/Hoover, Homewood, Oak Mountain State Park, Trussville, Pell City, Vestavia and Gardendale.

Gross Out Camp, a program of Fresh Air Family, delivers award-winning science through the icky and sticky elements of nature. All of these activities have been proven to make kids smarter and more resilient. In this science camp, participants learn through a combination of creeks, woods, fields, and nature-based science experiments. As the slogan says “It’s science, but please don’t tell the kids.”

“We studied the best way to get the brain engaged and found it was the old way – through nature exploration. The kind of childhood that raised the Greatest Generation,” said Verna Gates, executive director of Fresh Air Family. “Our goal is to teach critical thinking and science provides a structure for decision-making.”

The camps run from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m, with an 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. option available. Financial aid is available by request. In 2024, Fresh Air Family awarded more than $62,000 in financial aid to camper families so they could attend camp. More at www.GrossOutCamp.org.

“We have never turned a child away because they couldn’t pay. We make a way,” said Gates.

The camps are sponsored by the Coosa Valley RC&D Council, Mid-South RC&D, ALA-TOM RC&D, Council, AOD Federal Credit Union, Daniel Foundation, Goodrich Foundation, Solon and Martha Dixon Foundation, Gardendale Parks and Recreation, Nolan Health Services and Alabama State Parks.

To find out more, find a camp near you, register for Gross Out Camp or learn how you can sponsor a child, visit them on the web at GrossOutCamp.org.

Founded in 2006, Fresh Air Family has served thousands of children and families in camps, weekend adventures and school field trips. The Gross Out Camp guarantee is tired, dirty children.

Fresh Air Family is dedicated to environmental and scientific education, outdoor exploration, and an appreciation of the beautiful and biologically diverse state of Alabama. It offers summer day camps, school field trips and weekend family adventures in the great outdoors. www.FreshAirFamily,org

Pictures from Gross Out Camp: