Themes

Designed by expert curriculum directors. It’s hands-on, using real tools and simple materials to make something extraordinary.

Primo

Pre K – K (in the fall)

  • Exploring Light and Shadow

    Our shadows go with us everywhere! But where do they come from? We will observe the sun as a source of light, and explore the cause and effect of light and shadows at different times of the day.

    • Observe the changes to shadows during the course of the day. Synthesize how this relates to night and day.
    • Investigate creativity with shadows – drawing, painting, and shadow puppets will inspire campers’ imaginations.
    • Utilize different multi-sensory light sources such as flashlights, LEDs, light projectors, and even natural light in combination with materials that respond to illumination.
    • Become a scientist as you explore the properties of transparent, translucent, and opaque materials in relationship to light.

  • Sound and Movement

    Sound and movement have been important to humans since the first human discovered dance! This year we will investigate rhythm from a multi-cultural perspective. There is a science to the sense of hearing, but there is also an element of art and social-emotional engagement that is intensely creative.

    • Study how our ears work to help our brains process sound.
    • Develop fine motor skills and rhythm with instruments.
    • Explore through art the close relationship between music and emotions.
    • Let it all go with kinesthetic experiences that will develop your gross motor skills, cognitive processing, and emotional intelligence.

  • Myths and Legends

    Come discover the stories of the before-time. Experience ancient myths and legends, and learn about local Native American folklore. Play with Coyote and Raven while exploring elements of character and theater. Are you a trickster or a hero?

    • Learn about oral storytelling traditions in different cultures.
    • Investigate different versions of traditional fairy tales!
    • Think about character traits in stories, and how to tell a story dramatically.
    • Complete the theater experience writing your own myth, creating characters, rehearsing, and performing for an audience.

  • Marvels of the Natural World

    Slow down and really pay attention. Investigate nature all around us – that we can only see if we look carefully. Insects and spiders, dirt and rocks, leaves and sticks transform with magnification. You can visit a whole new world.

    • Become an entomologist as you study the physical science behind all kinds of creepy crawly things!
    • Expand your critical thinking skills as you compare and contrast humans with bugs, birds, and other kinds of mammals.
    • Experience magnification and the detail it adds to your observation – then use it for art.
    • Explore different kids of artistic expression with natural materials, including Native weaving and pottery!

  • Building and Engineering

    Calling all architects and engineers! Design, build and test your structures as you learn to apply different construction principles. Since working with friends is not only fun but also very helpful in the creative process, you will develop construction strategies in collaboration with your peers.

    • Learn the basic engineering design process as you experiment with balance, gravity, measurement, symmetry, and spatial relationships.
    • Develop your divergent thinking as you prototype different three-dimensional designs in different environments.
    • Play with different combinations of materials including rocks and logs, metal and magnets, and new and recycled materials as you test their impact on your structures.

Spark

Grade 1 – 5 (in the fall)

  • Forts and Forces

    Campers become architects and engineers as they dive into the world of fort-building and the invisible forces that will test their structures. From gravity to earthquakes to wind, they’ll discover how these forces can strengthen or topple their creations.

    • Start with an earthquake resistant building, and then move on to wind and weight resistant structure challenges. End the week with collaborative fort-building, combining lessons learned about strength, balance, and teamwork.
    • Balance form and function, learning that style and utility can coexist. Explore ways to make creations visually appealing.

  • Powered by Nature

    Environmental change becomes a platform for innovation as campers reimagine how we consume and make energy. By exploring renewable sources, campers discover that sustainability is not just science … it’s a way of life. Harmony with nature can be both powerful and beautiful.

    • Key maker projects include wind powered and solar powered creations.
    • Build art installations that blur the lines between the natural and human-made worlds.

  • Invisible Engine

    It’s propulsion week and campers explore how air can be harnessed to make things move, fly, and stomp into action. By interacting with air as a resource, campers discover that science is everywhere, even in what we cannot see. From kites to vehicles to airplanes to rockets, campers will learn how invisible forces like thrust, lift, and drag shape the world around us.

    • Key maker projects include air powered vehicles and an introduction to aerodynamics. Compete with your own design or replicate Guinness World Record paper airplanes for distance traveled or hang time!
    • Air also powers art. Make and use simple atomizers to spray paint and create patterns and gradients that can’t be achieved with a traditional brush.

  • Watts Up? Interactive Installations

    Turn imagination into immersive experiences! Campers design glowing mazes and circuit-powered murals, using switches, LEDs, and buzzers to bring their creations to life.

    • Work together to build a life-size maze enhanced with basic circuitry for a custom user experience.
    • Create interactive art that shines on its own, but together they form a larger collaborative mural that blends visual art with sensory experiences.

  • Playscapes

    Did you know that playing improves the way your brain functions, stimulates new neuron growth, boosts creativity, improves your relationships with your friends and relieves stress? That’s why we’re building our famous DIY Carnival that is 100% designed and run by you!

    • Design, build, and run your own carnival including all of the booths, games, and prizes.
    • Investigate the meaning and importance of play and find opportunities to incorporate systems of play into everything you do.
    • Explore why logic and rules are needed to create structured play (sports and games) versus non-structured play.
    • Offered the week of 6/29.

Techs

Grade 3 – 8 (in the fall)

  • Game Design

    Design and conquer custom Minecraft parkour maps that challenge players’ skills and creativity! Dive into the world of level design by testing existing maps, understanding player psychology, and crafting your own unique parkour challenges. Small teams will work collaboratively to plan, build, and refine epic Minecraft parkour maps.

    • Learn the art of game design through iterative testing and peer feedback.
    • Create maps that balance difficulty with player engagement.

  • Redstone Workshop

    Unlock the power of Redstone as campers learn to build circuits, machines, and interactive inventions that bring their worlds to life. From simple switches to automated farms, campers explore science and engineering concepts through challenges and creative problem‑solving. Finish the week with a Redstone Expo where each camper showcases their own custom creation.

    • Learn Redstone basics like power sources, circuits, repeaters, comparators
    • Imagine and build sensor-based machines or large automated structures

  • Screencasting

    Step into the director’s chair and bring your Minecraft stories to life through filmmaking! Work with your team to plan, build, and star in original short videos. Start with a fun house-building contest to build confidence and teamwork, then dive into crafting your cinematic masterpiece.

    • Learn the basics of planning, filming, and editing short videos in Minecraft.
    • Collaborate to create imaginative builds and storylines for your film.
    • Premiere your finished movie for an audience at the end of the week!

  • WorldEdit Engineering

    Unleash your creativity while learning command-line tools like WorldEdit to transform Minecraft worlds at the speed of code! Build breathtaking maps for both creative expression and survival challenges.

    • Design your own custom maps using advanced building tools and techniques.
    • End the week with stunning maps showcasing your artistic and technical prowess.

  • Minecraft Multiverse

    Become an Interdimensional Architect and embark on an epic journey across a network of interconnected camper-created Minecraft worlds. Using portals, teamwork, and creativity, they must build, explore, experiment, and ultimately restore stability to the fractured Multiverse.

    • Learn about the multiverse, dimensions, and basic commands
    • Imagine, build, link, and manage multiple camper-defined worlds, each with its own biome, physics, and mysteries
    • End the week with a multiverse showcase and guide others through your creation