Camps

At Engineering For Kids, our camps are carefully structured to provide your child with the enrichment he or she needs to grow and thrive. Our camps run in the spring, winter, and summer for your convenience. Our programs come in many varieties to accommodate your schedule, such as half-day camps, full-day camps, and holiday break camps. We also host camps on scheduled days off for reasons such as professional work days, teacher conference days, etc.

Just a few of these beneficial opportunities include:

• Teamwork: Most of our camps schedule fun and engaging teamwork activities that teach children the value of investing in others.
• Resilience and motivation: Our challenging programs help to teach kids how to keep trying. This also helps them feel accomplished when they succeed, which develops their will to learn.
• Decision-making: Our uniquely structured activities help children establish and build upon great decision-making skills, which can help build confidence.

In addition, the wide range of activities and classes that we offer encourage children to try new things, which is a beneficial skill that can be applied in several instances throughout adulthood.

Thank you so much for helping make our STEM night such a great success! The Engineering for Kids stations were a huge hit and the students were really engaged and interested in all of the hands-on learning that you guys brought! We can’t thank you enough for making our event so great! – Melanie

Summer Camps | 2022

Harding Academy, Nashville TN 2024

Contact Harding Academy for pricing.

June 3 – June 7

• 8:30-11:30 AM (GR. 3rd – 7th) – MinecraftEdu: Traveling Into the future
• 12:00-3:00 PM (GR. 3rd – 7th) – World Games Engineering STEM Camp
• 12:00-3:00 PM (GR. K- 2nd) – Jr. Twisted Fairy Tales STEM Camp

June 10 – June 14

• 12:00-3:00 PM (GR. k – 2nd) – Jr. STEM Camp (Wings, Wheels, and Sails)

June 17 – June 21

• 8:30-11:30 AM (GR. 3rd – 7th) 3D Printing-Minecraft Creations
• 12:00-3:00 PM (GR. 3rd – 7th) Electronic Game Design- Invader Defense-Alien Invasion.
• 12:00-3:00 PM (GR. K-2nd) – Jr. Digging For Dinos STEM Camp

June 24 – June 28

• 8:30-11:30 AM (GR. 3rd – 7th) Orbiters and Landers STEM Camp
• 12:00-3:00 PM (GR. K-2nd) – Jr. Engineers Under Construction STEM Camp

July 8 – July 12

• 8:30-11:30 AM (GR. 3rd- 7th) 3D Printing-Super Heroes STEM Camp
• 12:00-3:00 PM (GR. 3rd – 7th) – Out of this World STEM Camp

July 15 – July 19

• 8:30-11:30 AM (GR. k – 2nd) Zany Zoo Engineers STEM Camp
• 12:00-3:00 PM (GR. k – 2nd) – Jr. World Games Engineering STEM Camp

July 22 – July 26

• 8:30-11:30 AM (GR. 3rd – 7th) Missions and Mechanics STEM Camp
• 8:30-11:30 AM (GR. k – 2nd) Jr. Playful Playground Engineers STEM Camp
• 12:00-3:00 PM (GR. 3rd – 7th) –Wreck-it-Week STEM Camp
• 12:00-3:00 PM (GR. k – 2nd) –Jr. Space Pioneers STEM Camp

Register Here

WILLIAMSON COUNTY RECREATIONAL CENTERS SUMMER CAMPS 2024

June 3rd-7th @ Nolensville Recreational Center

• 9AM – 12PM; K-2nd (AM ONLY) Jr. Robotics Lab STEM Camp
• 9AM – 12PM (3rd-8th (AM) Momentum Madness STEM Camp
• 1PM-4PM (3rd-8th (PM) Robotics 101STEM Camp

June 10th-14th @ Longview Recreational Center

• 9AM – 12PM (k-2nd (AM) Jr. Engineers Under Construction STEM Camp
• 9AM – 12PM (3rd – 8th (AM) Amazing Race STEM Camp
• 1PM-4PM (3rd-8th (PM) Robotics Robo Games STEM Camp

June 17th – 21st @ Fairview Recreational Center

• 9AM – 12PM (k – 2nd (AM) Jr. Robotics Lab STEM Camp
• 1PM-4PM (3rd-8th (PM) Amazing Race STEM Camp

June 24th – June 28th @ Franklin Recreational Center

• 9AM – 12PM; K-2nd (AM ONLY) Jr. Robotics Lab STEM Camp
• 9AM – 12PM (3rd-8th (AM) MinecraftEDU-Traveling Into the Future
• 1PM-4PM (3rd-8th (PM) World Games Engineering STEM Camp

July 8th – July 12th @ Longview Recreational Center

• 9AM – 12PM; K-2nd (AM ONLY) Jr. Digging For Dinos STEM Camp
• 1PM-4PM (3rd-8th (PM) Robotics – Robo Battles

July 15th – July 19th @ Franklin Recreational Center

• 9AM – 12PM (3rd-8th (AM) Amazing Race STEM Camp
• 9AM – 12PM (k- 2nd (AM) Jr. Space Pioneers STEM Camp
• 1PM-4PM (3rd-8th (PM) Robotics- Rescue Robots STEM Camp

July 22nd – July 26th @ Nolensville Recreational Center

• 9AM – 12PM (3rd-8th (AM) Electronic Game Design-Racing Games-Motocross STEM Camp
• 1PM-4PM (3rd-8th (PM) World Games Engineering STEM Camp

Register Here

Out of this World Camp

During Out of this World camp, students will explore three fields of engineering: aerospace, civil, and chemical. Collaborating with their Space State teams, they will design and construct a variety of projects that will enable mankind to safely inhabit the moon.

Heroes Week STEM Camp

During Heroes Week, students will explore the fields of environmental engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering as they design and construct tools that will help them protect the world, as all good superheroes do.

Engineers Under Construction Camp

Put on your hard hats engineers and join us for our Engineers Under Construction! In this camp, students work hard to apply their knowledge of construction to save the beach from erosion and build their very own city from the ground up. From roads and tunnels to buildings and skyscrapers, students discover that no job’s too tough for an Engineering for Kids engineer!

Jr. Coding 101 STEM Camp

During this camp, our Youngest Engineers will be introduced to the basic concept of coding. This class is a mixture of fun and learning using a robot and computer to create, design and code their way through an array of mazes and endless engineering learning experiences. Students will also color code commands with special markers, program their bots and see it in action. Join us, in this fun and learning adventure of coding.

How Amusing STEM Camp

Ah, the thrill of an amusement park…zipping around on racecars, zooming through the loops of a rollercoaster, trying your luck at a floating boat game, Marble Run, Ferris Wheels, and more. During this camp, students will divide into theme park teams. They will challenge other teams in specific engineering-related contests with the goal of creating the most fantastic and thrilling theme park experience. At the end of the week, only one team will emerge as the winner and will be granted the prestigious honor of creating the world’s next great amusement park for children ages 0-99 to enjoy for summers to come!

Jr. STEM Camp – Wings Wheels and Sails

Everyone has to travel, and engineers are involved in all the steps of designing different modes of transportation as well as inventing and designing tools that aid in travel. During this camp students will explore areas of engineering such as mechanical, civil, marine, and aerospace engineering. They will explore the thought process behind road design, construct shapes that make sound bridges and test them, design a boat to float across the ocean, and discover and build designs that let us travel through the air and even into space.

Electronic Game Design: Racing Games

A racing video game is a video game genre in which the player controls a vehicle in a racing competition. In this lesson, the player controls the vehicle from a third-person point of view. The game may take place in any setting the creator chooses. From the famous NASCAR Daytona 500 to an imaginary space race, anything is possible.You see it all the time: children race their bikes around the cul-de-sac, so many students will already know the rules of the track. Students will design their own racetrack, race cars, and an environment to race them in. At the end of the program, everyone takes home a working game.

3D Printing Super Heroes

3D printers are one of the most widely applicable and fun inventions on the tech scene today! In 3D Printing: Superheroes To The Rescue, we will explore the basic concepts of 3D printing and computer-aided design, or CAD, to design and create our very own 3D printed superhero! Students will take their hand drawn design and learn how to extrude it into a 3D model that can then be modified to be printed in 3D.

Electronic Game Design: Racing Games – Motocross

Ladies and gentlemen start your engines! On your mark, get set, GO! Kids are drawn to the excitement of a race. They hoot and holler in anticipation that the car they chose will cross the finish line first. We will use the Engineering Design Process to create a storyboard that will outline the rules of play and characters for our game based on the basic rules of racing. Then, we will use Clickteam Fusion 2.5® to bring our storyboard to life with programming. At the end of the program, everyone takes home a working Windows-compatible game.

Electronic Game Design: Invader Defense – Bug Invasion!

Eek! The bugs are after our birthday cake!! In Electronic Game Design: Bug Invasion, we will create our own version of an invader defense game that is set in a home where we have to defend our birthday cake from an infestation of ravenous bugs! We will use the Engineering Design Process to create a storyboard to outline the rules of play and characters for our game. Then, we will use Clickteam Fusion 2.5® to bring our storyboard to life with programming. At the end of the class, everyone takes home a working Windows-compatible game.

Robotics: Olympics

This Robotics Olympics curriculum will introduce students to the concepts of building and programming robots in a competitive and fun way. During the Robotics Olympics camp, campers design and program robots to compete in a stimulated Olympic event, such as a sprint in a race, throwing a basketball and shooting a puck into a hockey goal. Students use LEGO Robotics and computers to learn the principles of robotics, computer programming and team work.

Robotics Robo Games

Robotics Robo Games curriculum is designed to introduce students to the world of not only building, but also programming basic robots. The challenge facing robotics engineers is that the robot knows only what is written into the program. The design of the robot must also be capable of performing the task at hand. Each day students will design and program their LEGO robots (EV3) to compete in games inspired by the classics such as Pong, and hide and go seek among others. Students will use their robots to take down their classmates in challenges designed to test and develop their creative programming skills.

Jr. Robotics lab-Simple Machines

We use simple machines everyday, but many times without even recognizing them. In Junior Robotics: Simple Machines United, students will explore the basic concepts of simple machines and how we use them to achieve even our most grandiose goals! Students will use LEGO® WeDo™ construction and resource kits to produce new and exciting builds that will be used to create Kelvin’s Amusement Park.

Amazing Race

111 years ago airplanes had not even made their first flight, yet today we can fly to the other side of the world in 12 hours! It is thanks to advances in technology that we are able to explore so much of the world. Over the next five days teams will have to work together to see who is able to travel the farthest around the world. This trek around the world will require students to design their very own boat, plane, and race cars, even a rocket!

Electronic Game Design: Invader Defense—Shark Attack!

Watch out! It’s a shark attack! In Invader Defense: Shark Attack, we will create our own version of an invader defense game that will allow us to protect a coral reef from hungry sharks. We will use the Engineering Design Process to create a storyboard and outline the rules of play for our game. Then we will use Clickteam Fusion 2.5® to bring our storyboard to life with programming. At the end of the class, everyone takes home a working game.

Electronic Game Design: Platform Games

During our Electronic Game Design : Platform camp, students will use Multimedia Fusion 2® to create their own video game. A platform game is a side-scrolling, Mario-type game where students program characters and a two-dimensional obstacle course. They attempt to avoid or overcome enemies and reach an end goal on multiple levels. At the end of the program, everyone takes home a working game.

Electronic Game Design: Invader Defense — Alien Invasion

Video games are everywhere and in almost every form you can imagine. In the Electronic Game Design: Invader Defense class, we will create our own version of an invader defense game where we will defend against an invasion. We will use the Engineering Design Process to create a storyboard to outline the rules of play and characters for our game. Then, we will use Clickteam Fusion 2.5® to bring our storyboard to life with programming. At the end of the class, everyone takes home a working Windows-compatible game.

Electronic Game Design: Tower Defense

Our castle is being invaded by a neighboring kingdom! In Electronic Game Design: Tower Defense—Medieval Invaders, we will create our own version of a Tower Defense game set in a far off medieval kingdom under siege by an army of knights! We will use the Engineering Design Process to create a storyboard to outline the rules of play and characters for our game. Then, we will use Clickteam Fusion 2.5® to bring our storyboard to life with programming. At the end of the class, everyone takes home a working Windows-compatible game.

Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Exploration! using little bits;

Eureka! Kelvin has finally done it! He has created a perpetual motion machine. But what is this?! An evil genius has stolen Kelvin’s masterpiece – oh no! Kelvin is now looking for a trustworthy team to develop and test new gadgets that will help him find and safeguard his perpetual motion machine. Explore the basics of mechanical, electrical engineering and logic based programming as students use littleBits® and work together to design gadgets, tools, and machines that will help Kelvin get out of any sticky situation he may encounter.

MinecraftEDU: Medieval Redstone

MinecraftEDU is an expansive game that lets players design and create unique worlds with amazing structures. One of the more complicated aspects of MinecraftEDU is Redstone, which is MinecraftEDU’s version of electrical circuitry. This class will introduce students to the many uses of Redstone through a Medieval themed adventure of creation, exploration, and castle besieging, with students making mine cart tracks to help them gather resources, working together to build their kingdom, and designing traps to defend their castle, all with the use of Redstone.

MinecraftEdu: Traveling into the Future

Join us in an apocalyptic future, one where the earth has been ravaged by a series of natural disasters. Each day, students rely on the engineering design process to solve a series of challenges such as building a city on a series of islands, escaping from a bunker on Mt. Everest, and even building a rocket to land on the moon! Through application of engineering principles, students solve numerous challenges as they make their virtual world of Minecraft a safe place for humanity once again.

3D Printing –Minecraft Creations

3D printing and Minecraft both represent boundless opportunity for creating even our wildest of ideas! In 3D Printing: Minecraft Creations, students will explore the basic concepts of 3D printing and computer-aided design, or CAD, to bring their most awesome Minecraft creation to life! Students will take their Minecraft design out of the world of Minecraft and learn how to extrude it into a 3D model that can then be modified to be printed in 3D. 3D printing is a boundless new realm for engineers in every possible discipline, and we are excited to begin this journey with our students!

Robotics 101

The Robotics 101 camp, students will learn the basics of designing, programming, and controlling a fully functional robot. Using LEGO® EV3®, mathematical concepts, and engineering principles students will brainstorm, plan, test, and modify sequences of instructions to accomplish a given task. Students will also learn the sequence of communication between the robot, and the programmer by collecting and analyzing data using the robot’s sensors.

Robotics – Robo Battle

Robo Battles curriculum is designed to introduce students to the world of not only building, but also programming basic robots. The challenge facing robotics engineers is that the robot knows only what is written into the program. The design of the robot must also be capable of performing the task at hand. In this unit, students will experience both the designing and programming roles of being a robotics engineer. The students will explore different ways in which a robot could be utilized to engage in various battle challenges in a less competitive environment. Lessons include, tug of war, sumo bots, tanks and more.

Robotics: Rescue Robots

The LEGO® Robotics: Rescue Robots curriculum is designed to introduce students to the world of not only building, but also programming basic robots. Throughout this course the students will explore different ways in which a robot could be utilized to respond in disaster situations. Through discussion and hands-on activities, students will learn to differentiate technology from natural (not man-made) objects and discuss why these objects are considered to be technology. Also students will explore areas that humans cannot travel, such as the ocean floor and deep space, assist in the safe disposal of explosives and analyze data provided by sensors and react to it appropriately.

Design The Future

What does the future look like? Join us as we embark on an odyssey to explore the future of transportation, manufacturing and structural. Let’s take a look at the innovations of today and apply them to create the designs of tomorrow as we explore ways to harness clean energy and house a growing human population. Classes include Innovative Insulation, motorcycle Mayhem, Solar Sailing and more. Become an engineer and help Design the Future in a fun and hands on activities environment.

Engineering Investigators

Become a forensics engineer and help Kelvin find out who stole the blueprints for his secret, new design. Using principles of investigative science and forensic engineering, students will analyze evidence in the simulated crime scene using math, science, and technology. Embark on a new journey each day to decipher cryptic clues and biological codes, and help us identify the thief through chemical and mechanical analysis. Time is running out, and Kelvin needs your help!

Robotics: Mission to Mars

During the LEGO® Robotics Mission to Mars classes, students design and program robots to explore an unknown planet, find safe shelter, and collect soil samples from the planet. Students use LEGO® Robotics and computers to learn principles of robotics, computer programming, and teamwork.

Jr. Engineering Of Travel

Guten Tag! Travel the world with Kelvin and our core of engineers as we explore the continents in just five days. Everyone has to travel, and engineers are involved in all the steps of designing different modes of transportation as well as inventing and designing tools that aid in travel. During this camp, students will get their passports and travel to a new country every day by a different means! They will engineer their mode of transportation or tool to aid in transportation daily to get to their destination country. Students will explore areas of engineering such as Mechanical, Civil, Marine, and Aerospace engineering. Join us on an amazing adventure using the engineering design process as we engineer planes, cars boats and rockets to travel the globe and beyond.

Jr. Robotics Lab

The goal of this class is to introduce the students to the concept of what robotics is as well as give the students a chance to build and program their own robots. This class is a perfect mixture of fun and learning, using LEGO® WeDo™ education set. Students will build a variety of robots like an airplane rescue, a giant escape, and a sailboat storm. Students will also learn how to program and operate their creations using a laptop computer.

Jr. Inventors Workshop

We have opened up the workshop for a week of fun, creativity, and of course — engineering! Over the course of a week, students will invent new machines and explore creative design solutions using the Engineering Design Process. Discover how a wind-up toy works and design your own drawing robot inside the Engineering For Kids Inventor’s Workshop. A fun hands on exploration.

Electronic Game Design: Racing Games

Ladies and gentlemen start your engines! On your mark, get set, GO! Kids are drawn to the excitement of a race. They hoot and holler in anticipation that the car they chose will cross the finish line first. We will use the Engineering Design Process to create a storyboard that will outline the rules of play and characters for our game based on the basic rules of racing. Then, we will use Clickteam Fusion 2.5® to bring our storyboard to life with programming. At the end of the program, everyone takes home a working Windows-compatible game.

Missions & Mechanics (Mechanical Engineering)

This week of camp is all about the missions and mechanics of NASA’s Mars Rovers. Students will take an in-depth look at how the rovers safely land at carefully selected sites on the surface of Mars to carry-out scientific investigations. Students will closely examine the anatomy, tools, and technology the rovers are equipped with in order to understand how their work continues to deepen our understanding of the Red Planet. Each day, classes will use EFK’s Engineering Design Process to engage in exciting, hands-on STEM challenges with real-world connections to NASA and mechanical engineering.

Orbiters and Landers (Aerospace Engineering)

During this week of camp, students will take a comprehensive look at NASA’s landers and orbiters that are currently conducting important research on Mars. We will examine the anatomy of various orbiters and landers in order to gain a deeper understanding of how they assist in the work of NASA’s scientists and engineers. Students will learn about the technology and innovation that is required for aerospace engineers so we can, one day, safely transport human beings to the surface of Mars. Each day, classes will use the EFK’s Engineering Design Process to engage in exciting, hands-on STEM challenges with real-world connections to NASA and aerospace engineering.

Survival on the Red Planet (Multidisciplinary Science & Engineering)

This week of camp is all about understanding the science, technology, and engineering that will make human habitation on Mars possible. Students will learn about the Artemis Mission and how it is paving the way toward the ultimate goal of sending human beings to Mars. Students will explore topics that address humans’ basic needs for survival on the Red Planet, such as water, oxygen, solar energy, and protection from UV radiation. Students will engage in fun and exciting hands-on investigations, experiments, and building challenges. Students will work in teams to design and build a physical prototype of their own Mars base.

Electronic Game Design- Pong-

If you have ever played the common game of Keep Away, then you already have a basic understanding of Pong: Monkeying Around! We will use the Engineering Design Process to create a storyboard that will outline the rules of play and characters for our game based on the basic rules of ping-pong. At the end of the program, everyone takes home a working Windows-compatible game.

Jr. Scratch Space Pioneers Camp

Embark on fun journey to space with Scratch! Send an astronaut to the moon and defend your moon base from space rocks. Learn how to use Scratch to create and program sprites, backdrops and basic scripts. Create a new program each day, leave with evidence of your wild space adventure, and be inspired to explore the universe of programming as a Space Pioneer.

Jr. Engineers Under Construction

Put on your hard hats engineers and join us for our The Engineering of Cities! In this camp, students work hard to apply their knowledge of construction to save the beach from erosion and build their very own city from the ground up. From roads and tunnels to buildings and skyscrapers, students discover that no job’s too tough for an Engineering for Kids engineer!