Camp Invention Connect™| National Inventors Hall of Fame®

Camp Invention Connect

An At-Home K-6 Summer Camp Offering Real Hands-On Fun

Connect, create and collaborate from anywhere

For more than 30 years, kids across the country have found excitement and inspiration at Camp Invention®. Now, we’ve made our summer camp more accessible than ever before with Camp Invention Connect™.

Camp Invention Connect provides an opportunity for children in grades K-6 to safely explore hands-on STEM fun from home, at their own pace and in whatever format works best for them. We deliver an Innovator’s Toolkit directly to your door, with all the creative materials and step-by-step guides your camper needs to set up their very own Innovator Workshop and kick off hours of STEM fun. Participants have the option to join daily virtual coaching sessions with certified educators and fellow campers, where they can tap into the power of teamwork and build new friendships. Or they can tackle each STEM challenge on their own, using the guides found in the Innovator’s Toolkit and/or videos and other digital resources available online.

By providing all the materials and guidance kids need to dive into open-ended activities, we help them build the mindset they need to thrive, all while having the kind of fun they’ll never forget.

Choose the Camp Dates That Work for You

Let’s make this summer the best one yet

Encourage Any Learning Style

By giving kids the freedom to explore and experiment at their own pace and in a familiar environment, our program offers a fun and empowering experience for everyone.

Build Confidence

We believe every child can invent — and we make sure our campers believe it, too. Kids gain confidence and persistence as they bring their biggest ideas to life.

Promote Problem Solving

Our world needs more creative problem solvers. So our research-backed program is designed to help kids find their own solutions for any challenge.

Support Limitless Collaboration

Designed to transcend any boundary, Camp Invention Connect invites kids of all communities and abilities to work together online and learn that everyone has something important to contribute.

Choose your 2021 Camp Invention Connect dates

A schedule to join optional kickoff and collaboration sessions with fellow campers will be provided by your Camp Invention Connect Coach the week before your start date.

June

June 14-18

July

July 5-9

August

Aug 2-6

June 21-25

July 12-16

Aug 9-13

June 28-July 2

July 19-23

Aug 16-20

July 26-30

Aug 23-27

Here’s what an action-packed day looks like with Camp Invention Connect

Get Excited for Your Program

The Innovator’s Toolkit — packed with everything your camper needs — will be sent straight to your home ahead of the program start date, so you’ll be set for a week of hands-on fun and exploration!

When your package arrives, your camper can check out all their materials and set up their own space for creativity with their Innovator Workshop, complete with a Pegboard, Toolbelt and Maker Mat.

Camp Kickoff

Your child will join a certified educator — their Camp Invention Connect Coach — and fellow campers to start each day of camp with a live online session that includes icebreakers, module instruction and opportunities to collaborate.

If your camper can’t join live, don’t worry — you will have access to videos that go through each activity step by step.

Create and Invent

Following a quick break, kids get back together online to make, create and invent with their Coach and fellow campers.

Afternoon Hangout

After taking a break for lunch, kids join their Coach and fellow campers to socialize, build friendships and gear up for the rest of the day’s hands-on fun.

Unplug and Get Outdoors

Hands-on STEM exploration continues as kids enjoy screen-free time and get outdoors with high-energy activities.

Collaborate and Share

Each afternoon, campers regroup with their Coach online to complete their final challenge and proudly share their projects and inventions.

Check out what families are saying about Camp Invention Connect

Rating of 5 out of 5

“This was different from our online school because we got to talk to other kids and I didn’t have to just figure things out on my own. It was nice to be led by someone who helped me understand it. There were so many activities and they were really fun.”

Lydia

Age 7
Rating of 5 out of 5

“The experience between our school situation and Camp Invention Connect was night and day. This was especially true for my son, who struggles with traditional learning models. They had an absolute blast with each activity and loved sharing their ideas.”

Rachel

Parent
Rating of 5 out of 5

“We did a lot of building and I thought that was cool. I liked designing the LINK robot with all the cool stickers. I also really liked taking the LINK robot apart because I got to see all of the parts inside. It makes me feel more confident in building.”

Reed

Age 9
Rating of 5 out of 5

“My child is wanting to invent something and get a patent… My child has ADHD and this program kept his focus and interest. He was so proud of what he completed on each project and shows it off to everyone. I just want to say Thank You for this experience.”

Tami H.

Parent
Rating of 5 out of 5

“My favorite part was sharing my invention idea with everyone. Actually, no, it was making the invention. It was both! Dancing to the music on the computer was so much fun. Camp Invention is the most fun I’ve ever had!”

Amelie

Age 6
Rating of 5 out of 5

“It gave him more confidence, let him try new things and learn new things, helped him learn how to use technology in different ways to help him interact with people, gave him more of a love of STEM activities and helped him be more creative…”

Jennifer B.

Parent
Rating of 5 out of 5

“Our Camp Invention Connect experience was amazing. The virtual sessions really set us up for success. It was just the right amount of instruction and resource sharing and then gave the kids the opportunity to build and design for the day.”

Pete

Parent
Rating of 5 out of 5

“Our son was very shy when it first started, and it was so much fun to watch him blossom with his confidence with others and his abilities and creativity.”

Jill

Parent
Rating of 5 out of 5

“Gavin had a wonderful time. I was skeptical as he’s not a fan of virtual learning but this was a completely different experience. I am super impressed with how you were able to keep everyone engaged. He was so happy all week. Thank you soooo much! ”

Sara

Parent
Rating of 5 out of 5

“My son was able to build a “prototype” of an invention he’s always dreamed up of in his head. He loved creating things and it gave him something to look forward to in this stressful time.”

Allison L.

Parent
Rating of 5 out of 5

“On the last day of camp, he went outside and created a water cannon out of a large cardboard tube, a large Chewy box, hose and a Coke can (he shot the Coke can out of the tube with the hose).”

Angie

Parent
Rating of 5 out of 5

“As a parent, it was wonderful to see the innovative mindset that the experience has cultivated in my children. They were proud of their creations and were excited to share what they made with us and the other children.”

Jennifer

Parent

Delivering Imagination and Fun to Your Doorstep

The all-new 2021 Camp Invention Connect program, Recharge, covers a variety of STEM subjects through unique challenges inspired by world-changing inventors. Coaches help kids make real connections through instruction, teamwork and outdoor play. It all adds up to a one-of-a-kind experience that’s sure to get kids thinking, moving and creating!

Explore Open Mic City

As campers take apart and rebuild their very own wireless microphone, they amplify their big ideas to become creative entrepreneurs. They discover sound waves in action, hear from great inventors and make a powerful pitch to promote their own amazing invention.

Dive Into Duck Chuck Pond

In this fun physics adventure, kids create and test a device to launch rubber ducks across the world. After earning “quack coins” to buy materials to build their devices, they send their ducks to visit famous landmarks, testing fascinating concepts like trajectory and velocity.

Hike Through SolarBot Park

Kids make and adopt their own solar-powered, robotic crickets, and they jump into experimenting with circuits and energy. Using empathy to consider the lives of real insects, they create custom habitats — including a fun-filled cricket playground — for their awesome bots.

Road Trip to Road Rally Racetrack

Campers learn how to adapt as they design morphing vehicles to race across land and add prototype elements for moving through air and water. With inspiration from cool creatures including a “plantimal,” they modify their vehicles to submerge, soar or sprint in a Super Road Rally.