Camp Invention
What is Camp Invention?
- Who: Creative kids entering grades K-6.
- What: An artistic summer day camp filled with fun, hands-on STEAM adventures, led by qualified local educators, designed to spark creativity, build confidence and ignite a lifelong love for learning.
- Where: Over 1,500 camp programs run nationwide in schools, community centers and other local facilities.
- When: Camp dates and hours vary by location. Some locations offer Extended Day hours to fit families' busy schedules – check your specific site for details.
- How Much: Pricing starts at $285 or ~$9/hour. Payment plans are available at checkout. See your local camp for exact pricing.
- Why Choose Us: Kids thrive at camp as they jump into hands-on fun and grow through enriching STEAM experiences carefully crafted to spark joy and ensure the development of persistence, adaptability and creative problem-solving skills.
This year’s exciting new program inspires curiosity and helps kids build essential STEAM skills through collaboration with friends and one-of-a-kind creative problem-solving experiences. Campers explore hands-on challenges and open-ended adventures designed to encourage new discoveries and bring big ideas to life!
Campers team up with real-world inventors and unlock their invention superpowers to solve challenges in their community and around the world! They miniaturize top-secret innovations, safeguard their designs using cryptography, and protect their intellectual property from the Infringers, who are duplicating inventions! In a race against time, children time travel to ensure their ideas are patented and protected against the Infringers.
Campers sharpen their detective skills as they investigate a series of mischievous pranks with Cap E. Bara and a fleet of robotic capybaras. Inspired by the inner mechanics of their capybara, campers create sleuthing gadgets to help them collect bits of fluffy fur and reveal a trail of animal tracks. Then they examine suspicious splatters, forensically analyze the evidence and discover a surprising twist!
Children build confidence as they ride the waves of entrepreneurship and catch their first big break! Inspired by the modern-day surfboard design, they dive into hands-on buoyancy experiments, paddle their way through salty challenges and generate ideas for unique, innovative products. Then they sketch, design and build prototypes before creating an innovative billboard boat to “make waves” in the market with ocean advertising.
Campers stretch their imagination, build a DIY rocket and launch a mission to transform a faraway planet’s atmosphere, terrain and ecosystem for future habitation. After a high-energy Rover Race to collect important data and samples, they design and build inventions for navigating the intense conditions of their planet. In their Space Lab, they make new discoveries as they hatch a mysterious animal egg and encounter a dazzling crystal surprise.
Our Parents Say It Best
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“Camp Invention helped my daughter explore in a safe and nurturing environment. It fostered her creativity and built her self-confidence!”
Alison F.Easton, PA
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“My grandchild gained knowledge, confidence, friends, a sense of cooperative learning, an openness to other's ideas and an opportunity to have so much fun while learning!”
Alexa N.Anderson, SC
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“My kiddo is typically hesitant to go to camp. But every morning of camp, he was up early with a smile and excited to go. He can’t wait to do it again!”
Amanda H.Richardson, TX
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“My 6-year-old struggles with focus in school and tends to forget that learning is fun. We've signed him up for Camp Invention the last two years and have seen his excitement for education grow, simply by doing hands-on activities and being fully engaged.”
Courtney S.Lewisburg, PA
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“My son had zero complaints. That's very unusual for him. He loves all the hands-on creative play.”
Beverly L.Akron, OH
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“My son recently attended Camp Invention, and it was an absolutely phenomenal experience for him. The camp’s focus on creativity, problem solving and innovation truly sparked his curiosity and imagination.”
Tara T.Wayne, NJ
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“I had three kids in the program for the first time this year. On the first day they were all pretty skeptical if they would like it. After the second day they loved it. By the end of the program my oldest said his new hobby is inventing things!”
Amie J.Ingleside, IL
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“I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect with this camp as it was our first time, but it exceeded our expectations. My son had the best time and was so excited to show off his inventions. It spiked his creativity and he made some friends in the process.”
Jenna M.Lowell, IN
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“Our son came home every day from camp with an exciting story about what they had worked on that day. He mentioned new names of friends he met at camp and new skills he had learned while at camp.”
Ashley P.New Palestine, IN
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“My child would not stop talking about the activities and making new friends. She looked forward to camp each day and said she didn’t want it to end!”
Ashley S.Paulding, OH
Here’s what an action-packed day looks like at our science-fueled, artistic summer camp:
Morning Experiences
Led by qualified local educators, campers kick off each day with high-energy morning games that encourage creativity and teamwork. Next, they tackle two of the all-new experiences above to stretch their imagination and explore hands-on STEM challenges.
Games & Lunch
Campers refuel with packed lunches and head outside – or to the gym – to enjoy action-packed games with friends.
Afternoon Experiences
Campers keep the learning going in two confidence-boosting afternoon activities where they explore innovation and world-changing inventors. As their fun-filled day wraps up, children keep the inspired ideas coming as they wind down with problem-solving games before pickup.
The learning doesn’t end when camp is over! Camp Invention has long-term benefits, including better school attendance, a higher GPA and improved test scores, and it helps build essential skills like creative problem-solving and collaboration. Read the stories below to learn how campers have gone on to win national STEM challenges, become published authors, emerge as patented inventors and more!