Creative Works (Art, Sewing, Movie Making)

 

Enchanted Creatures of the World – Gr. 1-3

Welcome boys and girls to our fantasy world of enchanting creatures like a Niffler, Elves, Fairies, Hobgoblin, Dragon, Narwal & Merpeople, Sea Serpents, Gnomes, Pixies, Will-o-wisp, and Unicorn! Projects include creating magical wands and good luck potions, sculpting clay creatures and creature houses; making goblin slime, painting, drawing, and dressing up as fantastic beasts. We will read stories, make masks, and use a variety of mixed media to create a magical world! LOTS of artsy fun, reading, and make-believe! Art Explorers guides young children in the transition from random scribbling to intentional drawing and helps them see how lines and shapes fit together to create recognizable forms.

Mini Masters – Gr. 1-3

Discover our fun and playful art camp with whimsical animals, people and nature, still life, simple landscapes, and 3-D projects. Learn about Great Artists like Matisse, Kusama, Ringgold, Picasso, Kahlo, Warholl and more. Campers gain self-confidence as they learn to draw, paint, sculpt, and collage. Create wonderful pieces of artwork while using a mixture of artist quality materials including clay, watercolor, paint, soft pastels, oil pastels, Art Stix, illustration markers, AquaStics, and more! Art Explorers guides young children in the transition from random scribbling to intentional drawing and helps them see how lines and shapes fit together to create recognizable forms.

New! Minecraft Dungeons & Stop Motion Animation Gr 1-4.  

Direct your own Minecraft movies using Minecraft Stop Motion Movie Creator kits. Stop motion animation is a fun filming technique in which objects (such as mini figures) are photographed in a series of slightly different positions so that the objects seem to move. Campers in groups will gather movie inspiration from their team fights in Minecraft Dungeons, an all-new action-adventures game where players must brave through dungeons in flight or fight. Then using ZU3D software and webcams, campers will create their own Minecraft Adventurevideo full of action and suspense, learn storyboard techniques, character development, film angles, lighting, special effects, and methods to add titles and rolling credits!

Mini-Figures are: Steve, Alex, Creeper, Charged Creeper, and Enderman

Take home ZU3D Stop Motion Animation Kit: software licenses, webcam, green screen, modeling clay, mini-set background, and handbook. A flash drive for camper’s video creations is also included.

Pirate Adventures Art Camp – Gr. 1-3

Ahoy Matey! So, ye Lads and Lassies want t’ be like a pirate aye? Well then…sign ‘er up quick! We will spend the week training our young sprogs in the way of piracy, painting, drawing, carving, map making, sculpting clay, and learning pirate lingo. Each day pirates follow complex treasure hunts and find long lost treasure chests. Through the course of the week young pirates can be found playing pirate games, singing sea shanties or telling tales of the high sea. Shiver me timbers…we have an exciting week! Our counselors shed their landlubber stories and don “Captain Names” during the week. Come get yer swagger on an’ share some o’ yer favorite piratical ramblin’s with yer mates!

Star Wars Galactic! Art Camp- Gr. 1-4

Join us for a Star Wars adventure! Let your imagination run wild as you create a model of BB-8, sculpt a wise Yoda, design an R2-D2 tote bag, and build a light saber. Team up to play our Star Wars Trivia Game, Zentangle the legendary Darth Vader, create your own space creatures, make alien slime, construct a Death Star, and even join the Rebellion effort with new Rogue One projects such as painting AT-ACT combat walkers and drawing K-2SO the galactic empire security droid. Come dressed as your favorite character on the last day of camp! So many projects and so much fun in only 1 week!

New! Spectacular Superheroes! – Gr. 3-6

Do you love superheroes and comic books? Do you imagine what it’s like to be in an Ironman suit, flying through Metropolis like Superman, or using the Lasso of Truth like Wonder Women? With this camp, we combine all of your favorite heroes (and villains!) into a week full of drawing, painting, sculpting, and more! Make a diorama of the Bat Cave, construct a glove with claws like Wolverine, paint a mask to keep your identity a secret, create magic weaponry, and even learn how to pencil and ink like professional comic book artists! Whether you’re an amazing avenger or an uncanny mutant, this camp is sure to be a lot of fun.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Gr. 2-6

Grab your suitcase, catch the train, and join the hunt to find the fantastic beasts who await your arrival! Explore our guide to Mythical Creatures and learn where to find them. In this special wizard camp away from the muggles of the world, you will design your own suitcase, construct a Bowtruckle, paint an Occamy egg and Merpeople, draw a Phoenix and Doxy, sew a loveable Niffler, make a Deathly Hallows necklace, sculpt the wild Erumpent, and invent your own incredible creature! Throughout the week, take notes, create a map and draw sketches in your special journal. When our travels come to an end, take home your suitcase of beasts and note-worthy journal.

Great Masters of the World! – Gr. 2-5        

Design, draw, build, paint, construct, engineer and sculpt as you explore the great artists, designers and architects of the world while creating your own distinctive flair! Travel throughout time as you experiment with thick paints like Van Gogh, go wild with clay a la Pablo Picasso, design 3D Nevelson sculptures, experience first-hand the challenge of doing Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings, discover the playful art of Matisse, and create the amazing works of Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keefe. Learn design engineering skills to build architect Julia Morgan’s Hearst castle and imaginative fairground rides, construct a prototype flying machine like Leonardo da Vinci, create 3D abstract architectural designs, and fashion rescue bots via Robin Murphy. This camp offers hands-on projects while combining art, architecture and engineering!

New! Famous Art Around the World- Gr. 1-5 

Grab your passport and explore your way through the world of ART that spans the globe! Using clay, watercolor, acrylics, charcoal, oil pastels, scratchboard, illustrator markers, and soft pastels, we will draw, paint, sculpt, photomontage, and construct 2D and 3D masterpieces. From the Grand Canyon and the Golden Gate bridge to Mayan Temples, Hawaii, and South American Llamas, we will travel through time and location as we create artwork in the style of famous artists like Magritte, O’ Keefe, Banksy, and Aaron Douglass! Inspired by work from North America, South America, Oceania, Africa, Asia, and Europe, campers create exciting projects that bring together artists and places from around the world!

New! Pokémon & Stop Motion – Grades 3-6

Welcome Trainers! Do you love the world of Pokémon and animation? Learn to draw, paint, and create your favorite Pokémon characters, sculpt them to life from clay, and make your own Pokémon stop motion video. Stop motion animation is a fun filming technique in which objects (such as clay figures) are photographed in a series of slightly different positions so that the objects seem to move. Using ZU3D software and webcams, campers create their own video full of action and suspense, learn storyboard techniques, character development, film angles, lighting, special effects, and methods to add titles and rolling credits!

Pokémon Characters you create in this camp include: Lugia, Alolan Vulpix, Poké Ball, Leafeon, Ditto, Squirtle, Charmander, Bulbasaur and Pikachu.  For extra fun, we encourage you to bring your own Pokémon cards and battle with other trainers at break or lunch times.

Take home ZU3D Stop Motion Animation Kit: software licenses, webcam, green screen, modeling clay, mini-set background, and handbook. A flash drive for camper’s video creations is also included.

All Things (Harry Potter) Magical – Gr. 3-5

Let your imagination run wild! From hippogriffs, dragons, house elves, basilisk, and owls, to sorting hats, dementors, potions, spells…and all things magical, come join us for the time of your life! Search for Horcruxes throughout the week, team up for our Harry Potter Trivia Game, and design a broom. Paint Hogwarts castle, sculpt Dobby or Kreacher house elf, draw mythical creatures, make a Marauder’s map, brew up Butter Beer, create your own wand and Death Eater’s mask, patronus, chocolate frogs, and lots, lots more! Bring your favorite HP book(s) to camp to freshen up on spells, characters, and discuss analogies to the muggle world today. So much magic to do!

Art Expedition I – Gr. 2-5

Grab your passport and head out on a bold art adventure! Using clay, watercolor, acrylics, charcoal, oil pastels, sand art, scratch art, foil and metal, wood and paper, we will draw, paint, sculpt, and construct 2D and 3D art projects that span the globe. Inspired by prehistoric cave drawings as well as Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Pre-Columbian, African, North American and Australian cultures, campers create fun and exciting projects that bring together art and history from around the world!

Some examples include: Stonehenge sculpture, Inuit wood burning, Aboriginal animal paintings, Mayan metal masks, Egyptian Scarabs and lots more!

Art Expedition II  – Gr. 2-5

Grab your passport and head out on a bold art adventure! Using clay, watercolor, acrylics, charcoal, oil pastels, sand art, scratch art, foil and metal, wood and paper, we will draw, paint, sculpt, and construct 2D and 3D art projects. Inspired by the cultures of Tahiti, New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Philippines, India, Japan, and Korea, campers create fun and exciting projects that bring together art and history from around the world!

Some examples include: Maori masks, Koi windsock designs, Taiko drummers and Poi/Hula dancer paintings, Origami, sculpture, Batik creations, Gauguin landscape, and lots more.

Sew For Fun! – Gr. 2-4

Campers will learn to translate an idea to a design on paper, sew by hand and on a machine under carefully managed sewing machine time. They will learn basic pattern making skills, safety skills and how to create patterns for their designs.  Once patterns are made campers will construct their designs using hand-sewing techniques and simple sewing machine stitches (straight and zig-zag). At the end of the week they will create a custom project from start to finish.  Examples of projects include: plush toy, tote bag, house shoes, apron, play cape and mask, pillowcase, and more! Sewing machines, fabric, and all sewing tools are provided. Students will take home their own personal sewing kit. Maximum of 10 students per camp.

New! Art Potpourri III (rotates each year)- Gr.2-5

Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture! No theme, just great fun creating wonderful pieces of artwork while using a mixture of artist quality materials including clay, watercolor, paint, soft pastels, oil pastels, Art Stix, illustration markers, AquaStics, and more!  Try your hand at Zentangle patterns, printmaking, sewing, and collage to create mixed media and 3D designs. As students work in these different media components, they will culminate in self-discovery and creation of original art projects with a distinctive flair!

 

Engineering, Robotics & Technology

 

Jr. Robot Maker I- Discover – Gr.1-3

Entry-level robotics and programming. Using LEGO® WeDo2™, our young creators build Milo the rover, a spy robot, musical instrument, glowing snail, dancing robot, moving satellite and a grabbing object tool with Lego bricks, and program their creations with visual drag-and-drop software. They create fun animal-themed computer games and develop stories with backgrounds, characters, and interaction, while learning coding fundamentals such as loops and variables. Throughout the week, campers make robots that move, discover how to use sensors and motors, and when ready, create more advanced building and programming projects, such as a hazard alarm, Spyrograph, racing car or launcher, design a device for drop and rescue, and challenge other bots to a Sumo wrestle!

Project: Make and build your T4 Transforming Solar Robot to take home. T4 is completely solar powered and can easily transform between a Robot, Insecta, T-Rex, and Drill Vehicle.

New! Jr. Robot Maker II- Imagineering Gr 1-3

Required: Jr. Robot Maker I or experience with WeDo2. This camp takes WeDo2 to the next level. Campers learn coding, invent machines, construct 3D models, and apply real-world concepts in physics, engineering, and architecture. Using Lego WeDo2™, KEVA, KNEX, and Cubelets, campers design a bot to assist someone with limited abilities or a rover that can rescue people, build a robot to play your favorite sport, create a mythical creature, invent a fantasy or quake machine, construct a bot to explore space, and erect sculptures, towers and contraptions. Imagineers progress through a set of challenges that prompt design thinking, communication, and teamwork. So much mind-bending fun and too little time!

Project: Build your own Dizzy, 6-in-1 Gyroscope to take home! Dizzy can transform into 6 different builds: Stilts, rover, swinging robot, tower spinner, scooter, and roller coaster rider.

New! Space Engineer – Gr. 2-4

Five, four, three, two, one…Blast Off! Have you ever wondered how rockets get into outer space? Or maybe you’re curious about how rovers and robots are used on Mars and in space exploration? Then this is the camp for you! Throughout the week campers will be tracking the International Space Station while learning about the Solar System, design and launch stomp rockets as they learn about propulsion, friction, force, gravity, and aerodynamics, and build two beginner-level Estes model rockets that they get to take home! Using Lego WeDo2, they will create brick models of a Satellite, Mars Rover, Lunar Lander, Spaceship, and lots more! Campers will also make their own “space gloves” and investigate how space suits are made safe from the environments astronaut’s encounter. Make way for the final frontier… this is a camp your child will not want to miss!

Young Robot Builder – Gr. 1-3

Do you know how robots actually work?  In this camp, you will discover the mechanics of how robotic machines work and move. Using snap circuit technology, build your own remote controlled “Mars -like” RC Rover which can perform up to 23 activities and explore the world with you! Learn the physics behind conductivity and circuitry and the principles that allow robots to function with Makey Makey. Design complete electrical circuits with unexpected items – like playdough, bananas, or liquids and explore the science behind this phenomenon! Using Lego Simple Machines, create simple machines and discover how they are incorporated into more complex machines. Wrap up the week by designing your own Roll-A-Robot project! This camp is packed with engineering concepts, fun and excitement! Campers take home the Mars RC Rover and Roll-a-Robot project created in camp.

Game Design and Coding/Programming

 

Jr. Program Engineer- Gr. 2-4

Making coding a snap! Using Blockly and Wonder coding apps, kids learn drag-and-drop visual block-based coding to program robots to dance, talk, and more as they follow the programs that you make for them. Create exciting coding adventures and characters for Dash & Dot using light, sound, sensors and movement in games and stories. With KEVA Planks, build obstacle courses, create mazes, and 3D models for robots to cruise through and learn about structural, mechanical and electronics engineering. Blockly teaches programming concepts like, loops, conditions, variables, and events. Wonder is a programming tool where kids create traceable paths of code, to see and understand what their robot will do—as well as when and why—and can program the robot to do multiple tasks in parallel. Kids increase their logical thinking, visual processing, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities by learning to code.

Code, Design, Animate with SCRATCH – Gr. 1-4

Love coding? Kids discover the basics using SCRATCH, a coding language designed for young kids, while creating animated stories, interactive movies, games, and artwork. Using colorful programming blocks, quirky graphics, and fun sounds that appeal to kids, they drag and “snap” together the blocks to make a character (sprite) walk, speak, play music, or interact with other sprites. Block based programming is grouped into categories according to what they do, such as “Motion,” “Looks,” and “Sensing.” With a rich library of built-in features for interactive applications, create 2D and 3D animations and movies. Use the art block to create images, illustrations, and sculptures. Kids develop problem solving skills and learn fundamental coding concepts such as sequences, loops, conditionals, variables, and functions as they learn to think creatively and reason logically. 
Scratch never ends, students can take it continually and develop more skill and sophisticated projects! 

 

Beginning Minecraft Adventures – Gr 1-3
(no experience needed)

Think Minecraft is just a video game? Think again. Create, explore, and put your problem-solving skills to the test. If you are a beginner or have played before, this camp is for you and can be taken repeatedly! Let’s pretend you’re alone in a mysterious new world, full of hidden dangers. You have only minutes to find food and shelter before darkness falls and the monsters come looking for you. What do you do? What we teach you might just save your life! Learn how to find resources; make a shelter; craft tools, armor, and weapons, and protect yourself from monsters. Campers also create their own adventure map as design, production, and test playing guide them. Campers learn how to work as a team as they take on the real-world jobs of programmer, game designer, artist, and architect. There are two modes of the game. The scenario above describes the survival mode. There is also a creative mode where there are no monsters and you will be able to fly around and have unlimited resources to build amazing creations and buildings. What kind of adventure you choose will be up to you!

NO Minecraft account is needed for THIS CAMP as we have licenses ready for in class use. Just come and learn the basics, as well as techniques and strategies of this great game!

If Campers wish to use their own Minecraft account, they must bring their login credentials with them. To purchase your own Minecraft™ account use this link: minecraft.net/store  Purchase a JAVA edition for desktop version of Minecraft™ ($26.95).

Minecraft Supreme – Gr. 2-6

This camp is for both the novice and experienced camper who have been playing Minecraft.
Minecraft™ has taken the world by storm with its block-building, digital game design that allows players to build, explore, create, collaborate, and even survive. With no set rules, you can build anything you can possibly imagine. During this week’s adventure, campers will learn different modes of playing. They will use cool mods as they escape monsters, build amazing structures, create maps, mine the world under their feet, climb the tallest mountains, and utilize robotic “turtles” to manipulate the vast world around them. They will learn real coding techniques to program their turtles to accomplish tasks while working as a team with other campers to unleash their creativity! Campers take on the real-world jobs of programmer, game designer, artist, and architect.

NO Minecraft account is needed for THIS CAMP as we have licenses ready for in-class use. With our licenses, campers can work in groups and interact with each other in their game.

 

Science

 

New! Minecraft Dungeons & Stop Motion Movie Making Gr 1-3.  

Direct your own Minecraft movies using Minecraft Stop Motion Movie Creator kits. Stop motion animation is an incredibly fun filming technique in which objects (such as mini figures) are photographed in a series of slightly different positions so that the objects seem to move. Campers in groups will gather movie inspiration from their team fights in Minecraft Dungeons, an all-new action-adventures game where players must brave through dungeons in fleet or fight. Then using ZU3D software and webcams, campers will create their own Minecraft Adventure full of action and suspense. Learn storyboard techniques, character development, film angles, lighting, special effects, and methods to add titles and rolling credits!

Sea Adventures – Grades 1-3

Arrrrrrrg! Welcome Me Hearties! Dive into our hands-on ocean adventure as we explore the many facets of marine biology! Sea Adventures will explore the crystal blue oceans studying the structure of our ocean zones, marine life like jelly fish and sharks, and environmental issues. In addition to our oceanography experiments and activities, no sea adventure would be complete without some pirate escapades in search of gold, gems, and of course, map making for buried treasure or learning the skill of orienteering with a compass as your guide.

Sample Projects: Ocean Zones in a Jar, Map Making, Knot Tying, Ocean Wave Bottle, Shark Tooth Necklace, Urchin Wind Chime, Shark Survey and Orienteering just to name a few. An exciting week with lots of make and take projects!

Young Physician – Gr. 1-3

Make NO bones about it; this camp is for the aspiring “future physician”. If your child enjoys checking out the cool gadgets and models in the Pediatrician’s office, sign them up! They will investigate how a knee joint works, discover their body has miles of blood vessels, hundreds of muscles, and many thousands of hairs. They will perform hands-on experiments as they learn about their brains, blood, and bones, check heart rates and listen to their lungs with their very own stethoscope.

Campers will: extract DNA and learn about genetics, test for germs, design a knee brace to restore range of motion, use “titration” to determine the amount of vitamin C, and build a spinal column and other creative models to take home. Your Young Physician will really have a pulse on the human body with this camp!

Young Scientist – Gr. 1-3

Does your child enjoy doing hands-on experiments and learning how things work? Then Young Scientist is for you!  Designed to meet the needs of children ages 6-8, this camp covers a broad range of fun and exciting science topics such as: Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Lab Process Skills. Sample Projects include a Grow–Beast Experiment, Wacky Window Paint, Super Bouncing Balls, Cosmic Rocket, Wurmz and Dirt, Diving Submarines and more! All activities meet or exceed the National Science Standards. Fun and excitement is fostered by great lessons and active involvement.

Secret Agent– Gr. 2-4

Everybody loves a good mystery. Mysteries can take us out of ourselves and lead us to explore the far reaches of our imagination. But mysteries don’t just happen in books or movies, “Who Dunnit” investigations happen in real life as well. Our young detectives will collect evidence and facts to find the culprit of a devious plot.Through hands-on projects, we will learn about forensic science and how detectives and forensic scientists use science and critical thinking to do their job. We will search for clues, collect and analyze evidence, draw reasonable conclusions and leave no stone unturned! In no time at all, you will be thinking like a detective.

Sample Projects include: spy decoder and missions, maze obstacle course, footprints, invisible ink, DNA, special agent badges and disguises, fingerprinting, and lots more!

New! Pokémon & Stop Motion – Grades 3-5

Do you love the world of Pokemon and animation? Learn to draw, paint, and create your favorite Pokémoncharacters, sculpt them to life from clay, and make your own Pokemon film. Create stories full of action and suspense by building a story arc with a beginning, middle, and end. Explore narrative elements, such as point of view, character expressions, climax, environments and conclusion. Stop motion animation using ZU3D software is an incredibly fun, hands-on way to make amazing films, using clay and armature-based figures, Pokemon mini-characters and other everyday materials. We provide campers with storyboard techniques, script writing, set design ideas, character development, film angles, lighting, special effects, and methods to add titles and rolling credits. This camp is the perfect mixture of art & technology for aspiring artist and movie makers.

For extra fun, we encourage you to bring your own Pokemon cards and battle with other trainers at break or lunch times.