Bright Ideas Turning the World
Summer Camps - 2016
Camps at The Sci-Tech Discovery Center
Newton’s Lab offers outstanding summer camps for kids that love to tinker and build. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that is sure to be the highlight of the summer. All of Newton’s Lab camps involve using real tools like hammers, drills, saws, and screwdrivers as well as materials like wood, plastic, and cardboard. Kids will be taught how to safely use the tools while also learning the basics of construction. A wealth of science and engineering is incorporated into every camp, but the kids don’t realize it because they’re having too much fun.
Bowling Ball Coaster
Week 1: June 13 – 17
The challenge of the week will be teams to create the longest and coolest roller coaster for a bowling ball. Kids will create the tracks, obstacles, and other fun elements to make a bowling ball travel the entire track distance. Concepts such as force, motion, energy, and momentum will be explored. Tool use and track construction will dominate the daily activities.
Spy School
Week 2: June 20 – 24
During this camp, kids will create a make-believe world fit for secret agents like James Bond. A spy’s most valuable assets are their gadgets so the kids will form teams to create and build spy gadgets like laser pistols (rubber band shooters), and secret code containers called Cryptex. They will also devise challenges and obstacles for the other teams to conquer. In order to survive and save the world they will need to diffuse the villain’s bomb (obviously pretend). It will be a great week of imaginative fun with some cool things to build and take home.
Lego Mindstorms Robotics
Week 3: June 27 – July 1
Teams will design, build, program a robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology. It all adds up to tons of fun while they learn to apply science, technology, engineering, and math concepts (STEM), plus a big dose of imagination, to solve a problem. Along their discovery journey, they develop critical thinking and team-building skills, and basic STEM applications.
Awaken Your Force
Week 4: July 5 – 8 (*No camp on Monday, July 4th)
In what is sure to be a memorable week, campers with recreate the vehicles of Star Wars. Teams will build make-believe speeders, space stations, and Starfighters. Using wood to build frames and left over electronics junk, the kids will fashion the cockpit of their vehicles.
Go-Kart Construction
Week 5: July 11 – 15
An annual favorite, kids will be off to the races in this fun filled week. Teams will design, build, and decorate their push-powered karts working out the details for the chassis, steering, and brakes. The week culminates on Friday when the public is invited to Race Day.
Storm the Castle
Week 6: July 18 – 22
Teams will design, build, and decorate fortresses, armor, launch devices, and ammo machines. Launch devices such as trebuchets, catapults, and slingshots will be designed to hurl water balloons toward the castle. The entire week will build towards Friday’s Epic Water Balloon Battle.
Mega Machines (Rube Goldberg)
Week 7: July 25 – 29
This will be a week of whimsical fun creating chain reaction machines like those made by Rube Goldberg where a seemingly simple task is made unnecessarily complicated. Teams will try to make a machine complete the task with the most steps. Success will require teamwork, problem solving, contraption design, prototyping and testing. Friday will be the big reveal when the machines are put to the test for all to witness.
Engineer It (Towers and Bridges)
Week 8: August 1 – 5
The advancement of our civilization has been greatly aided by innovations in construction bridges and towers. During this camp, teams will build their own versions out of wood to test the limits of their imagination. We will learn about basic bridge and tower design along with the construction techniques to building them strong.
Mission to Mars
Week 9: August 8 – 12
Space, the Final Frontier. This will be a week of imaginative creation. Teams will build vehicles, and environmental suits as if they were going to colonize Mars.
Roller Coaster Construction
Week 10: August 13 – 19
Everyone loves to ride roller coasters so building one will be even more fun. The group will design and build tracks, hills, and cars to provide a safe but thrilling ride to only the bravest daredevils.
Ages: Girls and Boys entering 4th – 8th grades
Days: Monday – Friday
Hours: 9a – 4p (extended care options)
Location: Sci-Tech Discovery Center in Frisco
Cost: $300
Note: At Newton’s Lab safety is always our top priority. Kids are expected to use the tools as instructed. Closed toed shoes are required and long hair should be secured. Team based projects will stay with Newton’s Lab at week’s end. Kids should bring a sack lunch each day.
