This isn't a high school physics class or engineering seminar; it's Sunnyvale's Camp Galileo, a day camp combining science, art and outdoor recreation for Bay Area youth. The camp is a partnership between four organizations—Galileo Educational Services, the San Jose Tech Museum, the nonprofit foundation Art in Action and children's educational activity producer Klutz—aimed at "exposing youngsters to enrichment activities in art and science," camp director Curtis Schneider said.

"The kids get a chance to be exposed to a really rich curriculum," he said. "It offers a lot of opportunities for kids to grow."

The five-week camp, which runs through mid-August at Cumberland Elementary School, differs from the typical day camp. Topics change weekly, exposing campers to a variety of subjects. Each day has three rotations of art, science and outdoor learning activities centered on the week's theme. One day, campers might build a Mars rover; on another, they paint Impressionist-inspired works.

Campers are divided by grade, with first- and second-graders in one group and third- through fifth-graders in another. Both sets get hands-on classroom experiences with the aid of team leaders and professional instructors.

"We try to teach them the skills they need to really know how to do things," Schneider said.

The interactive approach is what Jasper Louie, 9, enjoys most about Camp Galileo.

"I like the hand-on science," he said. "We actually get to do things, which makes it a lot more fun."

One of the more popular activities is the design challenge, a science-based problem the campers must solve. During Mars Explorers Week, campers had to build a container to protect an egg from an 8-foot drop.

"The kids get to build whatever they want to meet the challenge," Schneider explained. "We basically say, 'Here's all the stuff; have at it.'"

Camp Galileo also features more traditional activities, like spirit days and all-camp games. "We have the basic camp fun," Schneider said. "We have the kids singing, dancing, doing cheers."

With seven Camp Galileos throughout the Peninsula, this is the 3-year-old organization's first time in Sunnyvale. The response has been "overwhelmingly positive," according to Schneider, and he estimates about 40 percent of the enrollment is made up of return campers.

Much of Camp Galileo's success has been due to support and favorable word of mouth from parents.

"The parents really believe in us. That's why it's so popular," he explained. "We have a lot of ambassadors."

Parents also influence what their children learn at the camp. Surveys are emailed every Friday with questions about what offerings they want to see. This year's programs were based on the top responses from last year.

"Every year is different," said Schneider. "None of this year's programs will be repeated next year."

Schneider says it is likely Camp Galileo will return to Sunnyvale next summer.

"I can't think of any other camp where kids have as much fun as they do here," he said. "The kids have a ball."

For more information about Camp Galileo, visit www.campgalileo.com or call 800.854.3684. The Cumberland camp runs to Aug. 13.