Themes and Projects
Every week of Camp STEAM features fun and educational projects, wrapped in that week’s theme. There are 4 themes with unique programming that each run twice throughout the summer. If campers join us for multiple weeks, or progress through projects more quickly, we have challenges and projects that continue to build from wherever they are, ensuring no matter what level a camper is at, we meet them there to start their journey!
Read on to learn about our themes, tools, as well as an example of a project that campers enjoyed during summer camp 2023, and subscribe to our e-newsletter to be the first to know what we have planned for summer camp 2024!!
In the world of Minecraft, campers can use their imaginations to create amazing things. During this week, campers will need to put their thinking caps on as they are presented with challenges all related to Minecraft. Campers will use our toolsets and choose the right materials, find the best processes, and complete design and build challenges all related to Minecraft. 3D printers, Codey Rockys, science experiments and so much more Minecraft-themed fun is waiting for them!
LEGO: Inventors | July 8-12 & August 6-9
Whether we build with code or LEGO, campers during LEGO: Inventors themed weeks will be challenged with STEAM projects using robots and much more, to create, discover and invent! Calling all dreamers, believers and creators – let’s see how using all STEAM disciplines to inspire our inventions can expand our learning, and expand our fun!
Minecraft: Builders | July 15-19 & August 12-16
Can’t get enough of Minecraft? This week, projects will focus on developing building skills. How can we program our robots to turn them into builders? Can we use Minecraft as a simulator to build and then test our theories with Ozobots? Need a part for that build? Let’s design it and print it out. Minecraft Builder week activities are completely separate from Minecraft: Designer week activities, and are designed to fuel the Minecraft fire in your child even more!
LEGO: Engineers | July 22-26 & Aug 19-23
Our LEGO: Engineers themed weeks offer programming that’s totally unique from LEGO: Inventors, giving our LEGO lovers twice the fun! Putting together LEGO bricks to build structures puts our engineering and structural knowledge to the test while giving our artistic sides time to shine! Much more than that, we’ll also use Minecraft, robots, 3D printers and our other tools to investigate STEAM areas with fun, LEGO-inspired projects all week long!
The tools campers will have an opportunity to use at Camp STEAM help their imaginations, their creativity as well as their code come to life! Taking things from the virtual to the real world, our tools help campers have a tangible experience and bring their ideas to life. All that, and they’re just super fun to play with! In addition to Chromebooks, the main tools campers will enjoy include:
Codey Rocky
Let’s work with a real, walking, talking robot! Our older campers will work with Codey Rockys to connect software and hardware to allow them to learn about programming while having lots of fun!
Ozobots
Ozobots are little robots that make coding come to life! They enable both screen-free coding with colours, as well as block-based programming. A fun and intuitive way for campers of all levels to learn the basics and even more advanced programming.
3D Printer
3D printers have so many practical applications, and let’s face it – are just really fun to play with! Campers will learn how to conceptualize a 3D design, then learn how to design it using software, then – you guessed it – actually print it out and test it!
Tinkercad
A web app for 3D design, electronics and coding, Tinkercad is a tool we use to support our project-based learning. Campers are able to bring what they imagine easily to life, from their imaginations to a 3D online model, and finally to life!
Minecraft
Campers know it and love it as a game, but did you know Minecraft allows campers to code within the game? Campers will use their artistic talent to create designs based on various challenges, then put those designs to the test by coding them and watching what happens!
LEGO Education, Spike App
Sure, LEGO is fun to build with on its own, but did you know LEGO can be used for so much more? Campers will use the LEGO Education Spike App, which links hands-on fun with digital coding experiences, bringing their LEGO creations to life!
Who doesn’t love walking or driving around their community and stumbling upon a food truck – or better yet – an army of food trucks, ready to serve up your favourite foods!? But what would it be like to have a food truck…what kind would you have? What would it look like? What would you serve?
During our Minecraft: Builders themed weeks, one of the projects campers will be working on is creating their very own food truck!
Not just any food truck though – first, campers will begin imagining and designing a logo and menu for the type of truck they want to create. They’ll build the physical food truck (well, a miniature version at least!), including the pieces that go inside, using visual and spatial planning tools.
Then, campers will replicate their designs in Minecraft by crafting the same food, and constructing a food truck model close to the one they built in real life. Next, using Tinkercad, they’ll create and “print” their sign, using perler beads.
How will we “cook” our food? Why, we’ll have to build a solar oven, of course!
And we can’t forget our chefs and owner/operators – campers will design a Minecraft-based image of themselves in a pixelated art piece.
All of that is just the beginning! Campers will also complete a number of food-related challenges online and offline, to round out their learning…and most importantly, their fun!
