Camp Registration begins February 10 at 9:00 am for Kennebunkport residents and February 24 at 9:00 am for all others.
July 14-18 Underground Explorers
Day 1 – History Hunters
We dig for dinosaurs! We put on our paleontology hats and go looking for historical treasure! We learn the ins-and-outs of a paleontological dig and create our own 3D fossils.
Day 2 – Can You Dig It?
We examine bones! We use our observational skills to piece together the puzzle and figure out what kind of animal we’re examining. We learn about bone shape and function, as well as placement. We get to take home bones, so we can practice putting them together.
Day 3 – Pieces of our Past
We investigate artifacts! We learn about patterns of wear, and hypothesize about the use of unfamiliar items. We get to decorate a clay pot, and use the pattern to help us reconstruct fragments of a broken pot.
Day 4 – Buried Stories
We study ancient civilizations! We learn about Pompeii and recreate the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. We discover how certain conditions can preserve objects and help us better understand ancient cultures and historical events.
Day 5 – Ancient Artifacts
We unravel time! We discover how to date objects, using techniques like carbon dating and stratigraphy. We use a metal detector to find buried coins, and then use the skills we’ve learned to restore them to their former glory and figure out where they came from!
August 18-22 Robot RecruitDay 1 – Ready for Robots
This day is guaranteed to be the most fun introduction to robotics you have ever experienced! Get your introduction to real life robotics by getting hands-on using interactive applications that allow you to explore real world robot design. Experiment with automatons, remote control devices, and programmable robots by taking part in hands-on rotating stations. Stations feature intelligent robotic pets, line trackers, and Bluetooth enabled smart robots. Get your jitters out by participating in group active games that reinforce robotics concepts. Discover the thinking, sensing, & acting concepts of robots with exciting explorations using modular robotics kits. Link together various
smart cubes to build robots that can chase your cat, avoid heat, follow light, or guide you out of a dark room! Explorations go in more depth when Bluetooth cubes are added to your robotic creation and programmed with our tablets.
Day 2 – Circuit Science
From simple circuits to super switches, we will explore the exciting world of circuity. Get hands-on with an electronic discovery system that features printed circuit board blocks that snap together in different combinations. Discover series and parallel circuits by building different projects by snapping together magnetic circuit modules. Use an in-app augmented reality feature that will even give you X-ray vision by letting you see electricity flow through your project! Create a rover with your fellow campers, completing a working circuit board challenge to make your robot radio controlled. The concept of electricity and circuity will be reinforced when finish building a robot to take home.
Day 3 – Robots 101
We invite you to join us to learn more in depth applications of robotic technology by getting to DO robotics! Learn how DC motors work, gear trains & ratios, and transfer of motion with hands-on discoveries using cool science tools and gadgets. Experiment with a variety of robots to learn firsthand what robots are, what they do, and why humans make them. Real life robotic applications are explored with a robot like you might see in the movies that has a one-of-a-kind personality that evolves the more you hang out. Learn about humanoids by controlling a robot that has an inquisitive and responsive personality. Control a jumping and adrenaline, app-powered robot. Experience industrial applications with a robotic arm that allows real time interactive control to move blocks along an assembly line!
Day 4 – Use Your Common Sensors!
From active games that test your senses to experiments with robots that have complex sensory systems, this day is bound to be an out of this world sensory experience! This day is sprinkled with active educational games and hands-on investigations that teach about robot sensory systems. Start out the day learning why robots need sensors to interact with the world, experimenting with everything from range to tactile sensors. Use the world's smallest programmable robot to learn a
color-coding language and control its behavior on paper and tablets. Dive into experiments with another cool futuristic building block kit that enables a micro-universe of kinematic creation! Snap together blocks to create not only the physical body of the robot, but its behavior too! This camp day is packed full of experiments that impart intuitive understanding of complex systems and design principles.
Day 5 – Advanced Robotics
In this last day of camp, we will spend some time learning why programming robots is so much fun! Programming is introduced through a fun, active game that keep your mind and body moving. “Programming the Human Bot” cards & circuits are laid out by the Mad Scientist and campers work their way through a large-scale programming obstacle course. The basics of programming are expanded upon when we program a robot rover via a sequence of commands through a maze. Then, meet our very cool robot friends “Dash and Dot!”! Program them to deliver a message to a friend, have a dance party, navigate around sharp corners, or be on the lookout for approaching Mad Scientist’s. After learning Dash and Dot basics, we will experiment with a visual programming language that features drag and drop blocks of code to direct Dash & Dot around camp.