1-week session  Have you ever wanted to make your own silly or sweet plush toy? Transform your inventive design from sketch to lovable monster, playful stuffed animal, or useful accessory. Learn to use, adapt and create patterns; apply simple math and geometry to engineer your creations with felt, needle and thread; then add your own distinctive details using embroidery or embellishment. You’ll have sew much fun fabricating one-of-a-kind creatures and creations. Instructor: Georgina Swanson. You may register for multiple sessions; campers can make different creatures and creations each session.

Song Engineers (3rd-4th)

1-week session  What are the building blocks of a great song? Learn programs such as GarageBand and SoundTrap to gain a better understanding of the fundamentals of songwriting.  Add your own lyrics, and sing, rap, or play instruments if you would like to experiment with those skills. You will write an original composition and have the option to share it with the world. No background in music required. Bring your own headphones/earbuds (though some will be available). Instructor: Andrew Seymour (Week 1) and Carmen Hauser (Week 2). You may register for multiple sessions; campers can create new songs each session.

PM Camps

1-week session  Inspect insects, annelids (worms), and crustaceans (pill bugs) up close and personal. Analyze and dissect real specimens, with a focus on tiny invertebrates (animals lacking a backbone). You’ll learn how living organisms are built and what makes them function. Use microscopes for a closer look into the wonders of these small critters. Document your observations in a sketch journal just like a real scientist and bring it home to continue your adventures. Instructor: Seth Baker. Content will be the same in Week 1 and Week 3. Register for our Week 2 Vertebrates camp to learn about animals with bones.

Critter Science: Vertebrates (3rd-4th) UPDATED CAMP!

1-week session  Ever heard the expression, “You are what you eat”? Let’s investigate and examine the food we put into our bodies. We’ll learn to detect sneaky ingredients and decipher mysterious food labels. From field trips to science, art and growing projects, we’ll explore all aspects of the food chain. We’ll take an excursion with our food from farm to table and work to attract pollinators to the garden. Finally we’ll put all of this knowledge to use when we visit a community garden in Austin to work with real food crops. Instructor: Maya Barros-Odim. Content will be the same each session. In partnership with Seven Generations Ahead.

LEGO Engineering (3rd-4th)

1-week session  Identify challenges in your world and build solutions, on a miniature scale. Build a LEGO bridge, a mobile medical truck, a rocket – think big! Using LEGO Motorized Mechanisms, design and create vehicles, mini-robots, and motorized contraptions of all sorts. Some projects will incorporate instructions to follow while others will be free-form design, bringing out your inner inventor. Instructor: Scott Naber You may register for multiple sessions; campers can build different machines each session! 

Map Your World (3rd-4th) UPDATED CAMP!

1-week session  Decipher and create personal, imaginative and practical maps. Venture on a neighborhood walk to discover elements that form our own community. Then become an urban planner: plot a 2D map of an imagined place to translate into a 3D model with recycled materials or LEGOs. Discover both the beauty and functionality of maps in the process. Surprise guests from our local community will add to the fun. Instructor: Scott Naber. Content will be the same each session.

Mask Maker (3rd-4th)

1-wk session Sacred, practical and playful masks have been an important part of communities around the world since antiquity. Explore traditional masks and the cultures, traditions and values of the people who use them. Then express your own personal culture through the art of mask making using plaster, paint, and other creative embellishments. What symbols, colors, designs and more can be used to identify you? Each camper will turn their one-of-a-kind mask into a decorative work of art to be displayed in a gallery setting on the last day of camp. Instructor: Kim Jones. Content will be the same each session. Please dress for mess.

Minecraft: Create (3rd-4th)

1-week session  Join fellow campers to explore architectural and urban planning endeavors through Minecraft. We will collaborate to build a fully functioning city, balancing all of the necessary construction while respecting the landscape and environment around us. Campers will build their own homes and then move on from there, developing food and water sources, schools, parks, while overcoming fun challenges, all within a secure Minecraft world. Instructor: Griffin Waterman (Weeks 1&2); Jessica Baylian (Week 3). Previous experience with Minecraft is helpful, but not necessary. Content will be the same each session.

Minecraft: Explore (3rd-4th)

1-week session  Join fellow campers in a secure Minecraft world for creative design challenges. We will be using teamwork and problem-solving skills to create and read maps, tackle environmental challenges, and virtually explore architecture from different places and times. We’ll create our own adventures, build societies and systems, and plan treasure hunts in the immersive and creative world of Minecraft. Instructor: Peter Kolawczuk. Previous experience with Minecraft is helpful, but not necessary. 

Mythical Magical Art (3rd-4th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session  Unicorns! Dragons! Mermaids, fairies and wizards! Let your imagination soar as you create art inspired by mythological creatures. Fabricate an enchanting vessel to store artifacts and specimens of your own creation. Invent and artfully record your creatures’ habitat, diet and other distinctive characteristics. Craft otherworldly fur, hair or skin samples. Other artifacts you might make include a magic scepter or special potions. All art is possible in the fantastic world of the mythological. Instructor: Jocelyne Adkins. Content will be the same each session.

Time Warp Tales (3rd-4th)

1-week session Embark on a magical journey interweaving fact and fiction, history and hilarity! Inspired by the book series Time Warp Trio, explore drama, writing, drawing and painting to create and document our amazing original adventure story. We will integrate elements of performing and visual arts to excite and engage campers’ imaginations, culminating in a performance featuring costumes, scenery and script of our own design. Instructor: Rhona Taylor. You may register for multiple sessions; campers will write different plays each session.

AM Camps

Artbotics (5th-6th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session  This summer, the artists are taking over the exhibit hall…and the robots! Put your creativity to work as you channel your inner artist and collaborate with fellow campers to build an exhibit where robots and art collide. Exercise your artistic side as you learn about art, exhibit design, and how to build and program robots to make your inner vision interact with the world. At the end of the week, we’ll showcase our work to families and other campers in a one-day art show. Instructor: Jim Hayward.

Art for Social Change (5th-6th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session  Explore and share issues that matter to you through art making. We will learn about artists that make art as a platform for change and use a variety of media- painting, printmaking, sculpture- to create art that matters! Projects will include up-cycled We Believe Yard Sign paintings, clay figure sculptures, stencil printmaking techniques and more. Instructor: Jenny Raia.  Please dress for a mess!

Biking Adventures (5th-6th) ($210 per session) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Ready for a daily biking adventure? In this camp each day features a new theme, route, light yoga stretches and unique stops around the Oak Park area. We’ll learn and practice biking safety as we hit destinations such as Thatcher Woods, local cafes and recreation areas.  Sign up with a friend and get ready to make new friends – it’s time for a summer riding adventure! Instructors: Lindsay Smith and Anton Miglietta. Required daily items include a road-ready bike with gears (no dirt bikes), spare inner tube, bike lock, helmet, snacks, water bottle and closed-toe shoes. Bicycles should be inspected and tuned up at a local shop before the start of camp. Limited loaner bikes are available; please contact the camp director for details.

Breaking It Down (5th-6th)

1-week session Have a blast and try new moves, learn to choreograph and improvise. Explore the history and music that influence hip hop culture and the Breaking style of dance.  Then get fast and low with top rocks, down rocks, and freezes. You will show off your quick footwork in a showing on the last day of camp. Instructor: Maya Barros-Odim. You may register for multiple sessions; campers can try new dance moves each session! Note: all music will be kid-friendly.

Board Game Design (5th-6th)

1-week session  Take your board game playing know-how to the next level and become an inventor! In this camp you’ll start by playing popular and creative games to figure out how they work and what makes them fun — what logical thinking, math or memory skills do you use to play them? Use what you’ve learned to think outside the box and brainstorm ideas for your own tabletop games, then create and revise a prototype to play test with other campers. You’ll have fun creating a catch phrase to pitch your invention to your family and friends at a game release party on the last day of camp. Instructor: Shehara Brinson.

Carnival Game Maker (5th-6th)

1-week session  Do you enjoy playing skee-ball, ring toss, and other games of chance? Take your hand at designing and building your own versions of popular carnival and boardwalk arcade games. Flex your maker muscles as you turn recycled materials, LEDs, motors and more into interactive games large and small. From mini pinball machines to ball tossing catapults, you’ll be limited only by our collection of supplies and your imagination. Add the finishing touches, then invite your family and friends to test your creations at the end-of-week with a DIY carnival extravaganza. Instructor: Jocelyne Adkins. Content will be the same each session.

Frisbee Physics (5th-6th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Learn STEAM concepts such as force, velocity, pitch, angle, gravitational pull, lift, drag, angle and buoyancy. Students will predict the flight path of a frisbee and test their predictions.  We will take our physics lesson to the field and work on playing Can Jam, Frisbee Golf and Ultimate Frisbee. Instructor: Chris Hauser. Dress in comfortable clothes, with closed-toe shoes.

Minecraft Create (5th-6th)

1-week session Join fellow campers to explore architectural and urban planning endeavors through Minecraft. We will collaborate to build a fully functioning city, balancing all necessary construction while respecting the landscape and environment around us. You will build your own homes and then move on from there, developing food and water sources, schools, parks, while overcoming fun challenges, all within a secure Minecraft world. Instructor: Griffin Waterman. Previous experience with Minecraft is helpful, but not necessary. Content will be the same each session.

Pet Painting Pack (5th-6th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Explore the culture and community of pets through visual arts. Work independently and collaboratively to discover, learn, write, and share how pets warm our hearts. Explore the science of animal anatomy to best capture your furry friend’s likeness in movement or repose. A week of fitting in with the pack, honoring our furry friends–incorporating a variety of techniques to find your individual style. We’ll use photos (and possibly some live models!) to create a series of drawings and paintings. Instructor: Kimberly Viviano. Please dress for a mess.

Science of Sweets (5th-6th)

1-week session  Studying sugar sure is sweet! In this camp you’ll take a close look at the delicious science of sugar. Examine how temperature influences crystal formation and see first hand how science works to create different textures in sucrose. Density, saturation, and dynamic equilibrium are just a few terms you’ll explore while experimenting to make glass, rock, gummy, slimy and spongy sweets. Instructor: Angie Cataldo. Content will be the same each session. Note: All ingredients will be nut free.

Tinker Labs (5th-6th)

1-week session  Do you love experimenting and working with your hands? You’ll tinker with a variety of familiar and new materials using ideas from MAKE: magazine and a toolbox of maker supplies. You might fabricate a greeting card that lights up or an art-making bot. Boost your innovation, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking skills with new maker challenges each day, and immerse yourself in the captivating process of design and invention. Instructor:Tyler Banks.

Urban Biker (5th-6th)

1-week session  Explore Oak Park, surrounding communities, and nearby trails by bike with this chaperoned group. Practice street navigation and safe group riding, following rules of the road and fixing problems along the way. Learn self-sufficiency, independence and navigation! Rides will vary from 10 to 20 miles, depending on weather and campers’ enthusiasm, with pit stops along the way. Instructors: Guillermo Delgado and Peter Schwob. Required daily items include a road-ready bike with gears (no dirt bikes) and a spare inner tube, bike lock, helmet, snacks, water bottle and closed-toe shoes. Bicycles should be inspected and tuned up at a local shop before the start of camp. Limited loaner bikes are available; please contact the camp director for details.

PM Camps

Breakthrough Beading (5th-6th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Ready to take your Jewelry Making to the next level?  This intermediate class will focus on creating patterns and layering for a more intricate design.  We’ll use beading needles to explore bead weaving techniques as we build our stitch repertoire from Daisy Chain to Square to Flat Spiral stitches all while creating one of a kind necklaces, bracelets and rings. Instructor: Tania Wilson

Cardboard City (5th-6th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Design and construct a small-scale city with upcycled cardboard, and give all those shipping boxes a second life. Put on your urban planner hat and determine the essential parts of a successful community. Learn about the structural properties of different types of cardboard, from corrugated boxes to paperboard cartons. Then use this expertise to engineer and assemble buildings and structures for a preschool play area cardboard city to be installed in the children’s area of the Oak Park Public Library. All design, engineering, and construction will be camper-led. Instructor: Angie Cataldo. Content will be the same each session.

Frisbee Physics (5th-6th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Learn STEAM concepts such as force, velocity, pitch, angle, gravitational pull, lift, drag, angle and buoyancy. Students will predict the flight path of a frisbee and test their predictions.  We will take our physics lesson to the field and work on playing Can Jam, Frisbee Golf and Ultimate Frisbee. Instructor: Chris Hauser. Dress in comfortable clothes, with closed-toe shoes.

Know It, Grow It (5th-6th)

1-week session Ever heard the expression, “You are what you eat”? Let’s investigate and examine the food we put into our bodies. We’ll learn to detect sneaky ingredients and decipher mysterious food labels. From field trips to science, art and growing projects, we’ll explore all aspects of the food chain. We’ll take an excursion with our food from farm to table and work to attract pollinators to the garden. Finally we’ll put all of this knowledge to use when we visit a community garden in Austin to work with real food crops. Instructor: Maya Barros-Odim

Lift Off! Aeronautics (5th-6th)

1-week session  Investigate and test the dynamics of flight by building different aircraft models and learn first hand about combustion and trajectory by launching your own rockets. Investigate physics concepts such as energy conservation, buoyancy and the forces of flight. During the week you’ll design, build, and test airplanes, rockets, Chinese lanterns and more. The sky’s the limit as we explore the science of aeronautics. Instructor: Ryan VenHorst. Content will be the same each session.

Minecraft Create (5th-6th)

1-week session Join fellow campers to explore architectural and urban planning endeavors through Minecraft. We will collaborate to build a fully functioning city, balancing all necessary construction while respecting the landscape and environment around us. You will build your own homes and then move on from there, developing food and water sources, schools, parks, while overcoming fun challenges, all within a secure Minecraft world. Instructor: Griffin Waterman. Previous experience with Minecraft is helpful, but not necessary. Content will be the same each session.

MINDSTORMS Robotics (5th-6th) UPDATED CAMP!

1-week session  Imagine how you could change the world with a robot to command. Want to clean the ocean? Explore the solar system? Pick up your room? With Mindstorms, you’ll be on your way. Learn to design, build and program robots using LEGO’s most advanced robotics technology – Mindstorms EV3. Work as a team to complete projects and games created specifically for EV3. New to robots? Not a problem! Through the engineering design process, you will gain the skills needed to build and program robots and understand how technology works in real-world applications. Instructor: Jim Hayward. You may register for multiple sessions; you can take on new challenges with each.

Mythical Magical Art (5th-6th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session  Unicorns! Dragons! Mermaids, fairies and wizards! Let your imagination soar as you create art inspired by mythological creatures. Fabricate an enchanting vessel to store artifacts and specimens of your own creation. Invent and artfully record your creatures’ habitat, diet and other distinctive characteristics. Craft otherworldly fur, hair or skin samples. Other artifacts you might make include a magic scepter or special potions. All art is possible in the fantastic world of the mythological. Instructor: Jocelyne Adkins

Tinker Lab (5th-6th)

AM Camps

3D Modeling with SketchUp (7th-8th)

1-week session  If you can imagine it, you can build it in SketchUp! Learn to create models of objects and buildings with this easy to use 3D computer modeling program used by architects and designers. You’ll focus on creating a retail space or product of your own imagination. Start by drawing lines and shapes, then push and pull surfaces to turn them into 3D forms. Consider all the elements that make a building or object functional and distinctive, then bring it to life in three dimensions.  Instructor: Ryan VenHorst.

Breakthrough Beading (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Ready to take your Jewelry Making to the next level?  This intermediate class will focus on creating patterns and layering for a more intricate design.  We’ll use beading needles to explore bead weaving techniques as we build our stitch repertoire from Daisy Chain to Square to Flat Spiral stitches all while creating one of a kind necklaces, bracelets and rings. Instructor: Tania Wilson

Composing on Canvas (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Make music out of paintings! And then make paintings musical! Build creative connections between music and the visual arts and explore themes of line, texture, density and hue. Using Scratch as a platform, campers will create their own compositions incorporating visual icons that generate sound. Instructor: Chris Hauser.

Conspiracy Theories on Trial (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week camp Conspiracy theories are often created to help people make sense of our complex world – but can they stand up to tough scrutiny? Leverage your scientific curiosity and test your debate skills as you explore some of the most popular conspiracy theories out there and analyze the evidence. The week will culminate with a mock trial where campers will seek to reach a verdict about these confounding ideas. Instructor: Coming Soon!

Crime Scene Science (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Uncover how crime scene investigators use biology and chemistry to help solve crimes–from DNA and fingerprinting to blood-spatter analysis. Learn first-hand from seasoned police detectives how to interview witnesses, secure a crime scene and write a  detective’s report. Practice these skills yourself by taking crime scene photos and sketching key investigative elements.  Instructor: Coming Soon!

MINDSTORMS Masters (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Throw out the instruction book and push yourself to the next level of mastering LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robots. Tackle a new set of programming tasks to grow your  knowledge and experience with engineering and programming. You will design, assemble, and program custom creations to achieve your personal robotics goals while completing carefully mapped challenges that educate and entertain at the same time! Instructor: Jim Hayward Previous experience with LEGO Mindstorms is helpful, but not required.

Out of the Box: Cardboard Engineering (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session  Think outside the (cardboard) box and take a closer look at Mid Century Modern design. Work in small groups to design a small-scale, but functional, piece of furniture, such as a tiny chaise lounge fit for a cat or small dog. You’ll need to consider the structural properties of different types of cardboard, and the best way to join the individual pieces. Discover a world of design in this hands-on maker camp, and rescue all those shipping boxes from the recycling bin in the process! Completed designs will be displayed at the Oak Park Public Library following camp. Instructor: Angie Cataldo. Please dress for a mess.

Pop Culture 2021 (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Are you the next influencer? Inspired by 60’s Pop Culture icons such as Warhol and Rauschenberg, students will create an edition of prints and mixed media artworks highlighting current popular culture. In this camp, get ready to put your own artistic spin on favorite celebrities, fashion, food, entertainment, social media and technology! Instructor: Jocelyne Adkins. Please dress for a mess.

Urban Biker (7th-8th) ($225 per session) UPDATED CAMP!

1-week session  Explore Oak Park, surrounding communities, and nearby trails by bike with this chaperoned group. Practice street navigation and safe group riding, following rules of the road and fixing problems along the way. Learn self-sufficiency, independence and navigation! Rides will vary from 10 to 20 miles, depending on weather and campers’ enthusiasm, with pit stops along the way. Instructors: Guillermo Delgado and Peter Schwob. Required daily items include a road-ready bike with gears (no dirt bikes) and a spare inner tube, bike lock, helmet, snacks, water bottle and closed-toe shoes. Bicycles should be inspected and tuned up at a local shop before the start of camp. Limited loaner bikes are available; please contact the camp director for details.

PM Camps

Artbotics (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session  This summer, the artists are taking over the exhibit hall…and the robots! Put your creativity to work as you channel your inner artist and collaborate with fellow campers to build an exhibit where robots and art collide. Exercise your artistic side as you learn about art, exhibit design, and how to build and program robots to make your inner vision interact with the world. At the end of the week, we’ll showcase our work to families and other campers in a one-day art show. Instructor: Jim Hayward.

Art for Social Change (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session  Explore and share issues that matter to you through art making. We will learn about artists that make art as a platform for change and use a variety of media- painting, printmaking, sculpture- to create art that matters! Projects will include up-cycled We Believe Yard Sign paintings, clay figure sculptures, stencil printmaking techniques and more. Instructor: Jenny Raia.  Please dress for a mess!

Biking Adventures (7th-8th) ($225 per session) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Ready for a daily biking adventure? In this camp each day features a new theme, route, light yoga stretches and unique stops around the Oak Park area. We’ll learn and practice biking safety as we hit destinations such as Thatcher Woods, local cafes and recreation areas.  Sign up with a friend and get ready to make new friends – it’s time for a summer riding adventure! Instructors: Lindsay Smith and Anton Miglietta. Required daily items include a road-ready bike with gears (no dirt bikes), spare inner tube, bike lock, helmet, snacks, water bottle and closed-toe shoes. Bicycles should be inspected and tuned up at a local shop before the start of camp. Limited loaner bikes are available; please contact the camp director for details.

Creative Chef Workshop (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session This camp calls on the creative cook inside each of us. Sure, recipes are helpful but we really learn how to cook when we get creative and use our senses and observations. Inspired by the NYTimes Best-selling cookbook and Netflix series, “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” by Samin Nosrat, we’ll learn to explore food from all angles as we create delicious dishes together. Instructor:Cheryl Munoz. In partnership with Sugar Beet Schoolhouse. Note:This class is vegetarian and can accommodate food sensitivities and allergies.

Crime Scene Science (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Uncover how crime scene investigators use biology and chemistry to help solve crimes–from DNA and fingerprinting to blood-spatter analysis. Learn first-hand from seasoned police detectives how to interview witnesses, secure a crime scene and write a  detective’s report. Practice these skills yourself by taking crime scene photos and sketching key investigative elements.  Instructor: Coming Soon!

Disease Hunters (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Take on the role of an infectious disease expert! Learn about how different microorganisms cause disease and why some of these  diseases are so hard to treat. Grow bacteria in the lab, learn staining techniques, and learn how to identify some common viruses using a microscope. Finish the week by participating in a virus transmission simulation and learning how disease hunters track and locate the origin of an outbreak. Instructor: Coming Soon!

Frisbee Physics (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Learn STEAM concepts such as force, velocity, pitch, angle, gravitational pull, lift, drag, angle and buoyancy. Students will predict the flight path of a frisbee and test their predictions.  We will take our physics lesson to the field and work on playing Can Jam, Frisbee Golf and Ultimate Frisbee. Instructor: Chris Hauser. Dress in comfortable clothes, with closed-toe shoes.

MINDSTORMS Masters (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Throw out the instruction book and push yourself to the next level of mastering LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robots. Tackle a new set of programming tasks to grow your  knowledge and experience with engineering and programming. You will design, assemble, and program custom creations to achieve your personal robotics goals while completing carefully mapped challenges that educate and entertain at the same time! Instructor: Jim Hayward Previous experience with LEGO Mindstorms is helpful, but not required.

Pet Painting Pack (7th-8th) NEW CAMP!

1-week session Explore the culture and community of pets through visual arts. Work independently and collaboratively to discover, learn, write, and share how pets warm our hearts. Explore the science of animal anatomy to best capture your furry friend’s likeness in movement or repose. A week of fitting in with the pack, honoring our furry friends–incorporating a variety of techniques to find your individual style. We’ll use photos (and possibly some live models!) to create a series of drawings and paintings. Instructor: Kimberly Viviano. Please dress for a mess.

1-week session Explore the art of wire sculpting. Let your imagination soar as you shape and twist wire into garden art, mobiles, and jewelry using the natural world around you as inspiration. Learn wire work techniques such as wrapping and weaving. “Write” in cursive with twists of a single strand. Bend, curve, and coil with pliers or your hands, and embellish your art by incorporating objects such as beads, buttons, metals and fibers, as you work. Instructor: Tania Wilson. Content will be the same each session.

Full Day Camps

REACH Sailing (7th-8th) (Cost is $550)

1-week, full-day session  Learn to sail on Lake Michigan and explore the science, technology, engineering and math that sailors use every day. We’ll take a bus each morning to the Columbia Yacht Club. Using REACH, US Sailing’s STEM education curriculum, answer questions like: How does this boat float? What does geometry have to do with sailing? Does the wind pull or push a sailboat? Half your day will be spent inside the yacht club doing hands-on, sailing-related STEM activities, and the other half out on the lake on a J/22 sailboat with a US Sailing-certified instructor and five campers per boat. Campers will be grouped by grade, 5th/6th and 7th/8th. Instructor: Miranda Tucker. Price includes lunch at the yacht club plus daily bus transportation to and the departing school. In partnership with the Columbia Yacht Club.