Summer Camp!

School’s out for the year! (Yeaaah!!) And while we’re all happy that the summer weather has arrived, many parents can find themselves scrambling to find age-appropriate, fun-filled day camps for their kids. To help in this harrowing process we’ve researched some of the cool STEM-themed camps here in Toronto where we’re based.

This is our list of some of the coolest science activities we came across in the city -in no particular order:

1. Ryerson summer camps: Eureka (8-13 years old)- Ryerson summer camps are run by students in their various departments- we found one that sounded especially interesting for your 8-13 year old, the “Eureka” camp; this program is staffed by member of the Science and Engineering departments and while the focus is on scientific exercises, what’s great about this camp is that they also make time for physical play- hosting swimming, dodge-ball and volleyball games to name just a few.

http://ryersonsummerdaycamps.com/portfolio-item/eureka/

Ryerson Summer Camps: Design-a-bot (14-17 years old)

Another cool program at Ryerson is the “Design a Bot Workshop” camp- hosted by the Library’s Digital Media Lab. This one is for older kids and welcomes the 14-17 year old age group. This program teaches basic robotics, introduces 3D imaging software and the shows the campers the magic of 3D printing.

http://ryersonsummerdaycamps.com/portfolio-item/ryerson-design-a-bot-workshop/

Kids Learning Code: (8-13 years old)

Being an honest-to-goodness tech geek myself, this program is near and dear to my heart. Many predict that knowing how to code will be an essential skill for the next generation of students; essential or not, programming is lots of fun and this inclusive program will teach your child the basics. There is a “webmaker” program which introduces web programming as well as an “inventors” camp which shows them how to design their own tech tools.

http://ladieslearningcode.com/program/kids-learning-code/

Action Potential Lab: (3-5 year olds and 6-12 year olds)

The Action Potential Lab is an awesome space near Casa Loma that fuses science and art to give your child the best of all worlds during their camping experience. Topics at this year’s camp include photography, plant biology and DIY solar panels, just to name a few! There are two different programs offered at the lab, depending on your child’s age group.

http://www.actionpotentiallab.ca/camp/

Ontario Science Centre (5-14 years old)

No list of science camps in Toronto would be complete without mentioning the Ontario Science Centre! The programs at the Science Centre this summer boast themes such as: Engineering extravaganza and Bio Blitz. You also get a free t-shirt every week you’re signed up for camp here- you know how we feel about t-shirts! 😉

https://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/Camp/summer/

ROM (5-16 years old)

The Royal Ontario Museum is a great place to visit on any given day for kids wanting to learn about animals and dinosaurs, but it’s an especially cool place to be this summer for science enthusiasts with the inclusion of the Pompeii exhibit. Learn about the devastating volcanic eruption that flattened the region and how we’ve learned so much from what remained.

https://www.rom.on.ca/en/activities-programs/kids-events/summer-club-2015

That’s it for our list…we hope that something caught your eye, but if not have another look around online, we’re lucky enough to live in a city that has an abundance of cool summer programs for every taste.

Happy Camping!