STEM Programs Near Me

Farm Camp is run from our 1-acre school farm in the Mission Terrace neighborhood. We provide an opportunity for children to connect with nature while directly participating in the daily rhythms of farm life. Our day camp is designed to inspire a connection with and love of the natural world, and also a chance to get hands dirty in fun and educational ways. Activities include animal care for our chickens, weeding, watering, mulching, harvesting, compost care, crafts and free play. Children should bring snacks and lunch and come prepared to get dirty!

Drone Explorers: STEM Missions is an exciting indoor program for students in grades 4–8. Kids will learn to fly and code real drones while solving hands-on, real-world challenges. Each session blends science, technology, and teamwork in a fun and engaging way. No prior experience is needed—just curiosity and creativity. All equipment is provided, and classes are held safely indoors.

One last sweet week before summer ends! Campers will revisit our Candyland theme with new sculptural projects and plenty of colorful fun. It’s a bright, happy finale to a summer full of creativity and imagination. Messy Art Lab Summer Camp Info 🌈 Art Show Each week ends with a special Art Show, where campers proudly share their amazing creations with family and friends! It’s a joyful celebration of their creativity and the wonderful work they’ve done all week. 🕘 Schedule Drop-off: begins at 9:00 AM Pick-up: 2:45–3:00 PM Aftercare: available 3:00–5:00 PM Aftercare Details: Aftercare can be purchased as a weekly package. We do not offer aftercare on Fridays. If you’d like to book individual aftercare days, please email Betty@messyartlab.com for availability. 🧺 What to Bring Please help your child come prepared for a fun (and messy!) creative day. 🚫 No nuts or nut products of any kind, please. -Two healthy snacks (morning & afternoon) -Lunch (no candy, gum, or sugary drinks) -A refillable water bottle -Comfortable, paint-friendly clothes -A jacket, sunhat, and layers for outdoor play -Sunscreen applied before camp -A full change of clothes (just in case!) 🧒 Camper Requirements To keep our camps safe, fun, and creative for everyone: -Campers must be 4 years and 6 months old by the first day of camp. (We’re not able to make exceptions to this policy.) -Campers should be able to follow safety instructions and engage in activities for about 30 minutes at a time. -Campers must be fully potty-trained and able to use the bathroom independently. -Please share any medical, behavioral, or developmental information (such as allergies, neurodiversity, or trauma) during registration. This helps us prepare thoughtfully and ensure a positive, supportive experience for every child. (All information is kept confidential.) 💰 Refunds & Cancellations We know plans can change! Please review our camp refund policy below: 100% refund for cancellations made within 24 hours of registration. All enrollments include a non-refundable 20% deposit. Cancellations made 30+ days before the camp start date: refund minus the 20% deposit. Cancellations made within 30 days of the camp start date: No refund unless we can fill your spot, in which case you’ll receive camp credit minus the 20% deposit. All cancellation requests must be sent in writing via email. Transfers to another camp week may be requested (based on availability). A 20% fee applies for transfers requested within 30 days of the original camp week.

Enjoy a well-rounded summer at NoVA PlayLabs and avoid the summer brain drain. Our Summer Camps offer a good mix of fun and academics, learning and chill time, and quiet activities and active play. We will spend time outside playing and eating snacks and lunch. Students will be grouped by grade level and rotate among different stations. We maintain a small 1:8 instructor/student ratio in order to give personalized attention to each student. For ages 5-14. Please pack two snacks, a lunch, and a water bottle (water refilling station is available). NO phones or tablets are allowed. Parents may call or text at any time (571-250-7719) to ask about their kids. 🤧 Our make-up policy for illness is very generous in order to encourage sick students to stay home 💲Fees are non refundable, but can be used towards another week, based on availability. 👶👶 Early Registration discount does not apply to the sibling discount. Final fee for the sibling is $325 and the discount will be refunded to you.

🧱✨ Build, Create, and Imagine at GrowFit’s LEGO® + All-Sports Camp! Calling all young builders, creators, and problem-solvers! GrowFit’s LEGO® + All-Sports Camp gives kids in grades 1–3 the perfect full-day experience—mornings filled with hands-on LEGO® building challenges and afternoons packed with high-energy All-Sports fun. It’s the ultimate blend of creativity, engineering, and movement! ⭐ Why Choose GrowFit’s LEGO® + All-Sports Camp? 🧱 Hands-On Building & Challenges: Campers dive into themed builds every day—bridges, vehicles, towers, robots, and full LEGO® worlds. Each project boosts imagination and engineering skills. 🧩 STEM Learning Made Fun: Kids practice problem-solving, design thinking, and early engineering concepts while experimenting with structures, motion, and simple mechanisms. 🤝 Teamwork & Creative Collaboration: From group builds to friendly challenges, campers brainstorm, build, and celebrate each other’s creations. 📈 Full-Week Immersion: Projects progress throughout the week, giving campers time to refine skills and complete larger builds. Drop-ins not available for this specialty camp. Camp Details 🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Full-Day Program) 🧱 Morning: LEGO® Camp (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM) 🏅 Afternoon: All-Sports Camp (12:00 PM – 4:00 PM) 📍 Location: The Plex Drop-off: 8:45–9:00 AM at the BACK of The Plex. Pick-up: 3:30–4:00 PM at the BACK of The Plex. Early pick-ups accepted at the same location. What to Bring: Comfortable clothing Water bottle Two snacks Lunch GrowFit has over a decade of experience running engaging, kid-centered camps. Our LEGO® + All-Sports Camp inspires creativity, problem-solving, and confidence—while giving kids the movement and fun they need each afternoon. Your child will come home excited to show you what they built, imagined, and discovered!

🧱✨ Build, Create, and Imagine at GrowFit’s LEGO® + All-Sports Camp! Calling all young builders, creators, and problem-solvers! GrowFit’s LEGO® + All-Sports Camp gives kids in grades 1–3 the perfect full-day experience—mornings filled with hands-on LEGO® building challenges and afternoons packed with high-energy All-Sports fun. It’s the ultimate blend of creativity, engineering, and movement! ⭐ Why Choose GrowFit’s LEGO® + All-Sports Camp? 🧱 Hands-On Building & Challenges: Campers dive into themed builds every day—bridges, vehicles, towers, robots, and full LEGO® worlds. Each project boosts imagination and engineering skills. 🧩 STEM Learning Made Fun: Kids practice problem-solving, design thinking, and early engineering concepts while experimenting with structures, motion, and simple mechanisms. 🤝 Teamwork & Creative Collaboration: From group builds to friendly challenges, campers brainstorm, build, and celebrate each other’s creations. 📈 Full-Week Immersion: Projects progress throughout the week, giving campers time to refine skills and complete larger builds. Drop-ins not available for this specialty camp. Camp Details 🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Full-Day Program) 🧱 Morning: LEGO® Camp (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM) 🏅 Afternoon: All-Sports Camp (12:00 PM – 4:00 PM) 📍 Location: The Plex Drop-off: 8:45–9:00 AM at the BACK of The Plex. Pick-up: 3:30–4:00 PM at the BACK of The Plex. Early pick-ups accepted at the same location. What to Bring: Comfortable clothing Water bottle Two snacks Lunch GrowFit has over a decade of experience running engaging, kid-centered camps. Our LEGO® + All-Sports Camp inspires creativity, problem-solving, and confidence—while giving kids the movement and fun they need each afternoon. Your child will come home excited to show you what they built, imagined, and discovered!

A Week-Long, Hands-On Science + Cooking Adventure! Get ready to mix, measure, taste, and experiment! Kitchen Scientists is the perfect camp for curious kids who love to explore how science comes alive in the kitchen. Throughout this week-long, hands-on camp, young chefs become real scientists as they investigate chemical reactions, experiment with microbes and enzymes, and test their super-taster senses. Each day features a unique science theme, hands-on experiments, and delicious cooking challenges. Campers will end the week with an exciting Cook-Off Competition to show off their new culinary science skills! All Summer Campers receive a free TCSL t-shirt!

Build, Code & Engineer the Future Step into the world of innovation! Tech Explorers gives teens hands-on experience with electronics, 3D printing, robotics, and engineering challenges. Throughout the week, campers build circuits, design 3D models, and explore electromagnetism discovering how technology powers the world around them. Whether they’re curious about engineering, love experimenting with gadgets, or enjoy solving complex problems, campers will gain confidence applying real-world STEM skills in a fun and engaging environment. All Summer Campers receive a free TCSL t-shirt!

Farm Camp is run from our 1-acre school farm in the Mission Terrace neighborhood. We provide an opportunity for children to connect with nature while directly participating in the daily rhythms of farm life. Our day camp is designed to inspire a connection with and love of the natural world, and also a chance to get hands dirty in fun and educational ways. Activities include animal care for our chickens, weeding, watering, mulching, harvesting, compost care, crafts and free play. Children should bring snacks and lunch and come prepared to get dirty!

We are offering 11 different art camps/ new curriculum for Art Camps this summer. Art Camp at All Things Art Studio is the best way to experience total immersion in a summer art program! It's fun & and students get a chance to delve into their creative selves without crazy time restraints. Students will also get to Tie Dye an All Things Art Studio Camp Shirt (or other item for repeat campers) on Day 1! (included in the fee of camp). In the mornings, they will be working on individual projects, and the afternoon art academy will give them a relaxed but focused exercise in fine arts. There will be landscape drawing and painting, and still life exploration. We explore drawing, clay, printmaking, textiles, weaving, watercolor, acrylics, tempera paint, glazing & more! We will work with canvas, clay, watercolor, tissue paper and many other types of medium as well. Every camp is a different curriculum, so please register for as many as you can :) It's an amazing week for students, they meet and make new art friends and enjoy the warm summer weather. Bring a sack lunch each day and a water bottle, We will have outdoor lunch & walk in the neighborhood- plus outdoor "en plain air" instruction in their daily journal/ sketchbook. Bring it on! Some of our Elementary, Middle School and High School groups will be offered at the same times & days (convenient for families with older & younger children). But the Camps will be separated by the groups and have different curriculum and locations within the studio. (MS/HS have a seperate registration with separate curriculum)

Students will assume the role of a veterinarian and learn how to perform a tip-to-tail feline exam, living at home with a cat, other feline animals in the cat family, and identify cat body language. Each student will take home their own stuffed animal that they will adopt to their family and tools necessary to take care of them. Day 1: Intro + Greeting our Cat Patient Day 2: Tip to Tail Feline Exam and Cat Body Language Day 3: Cat Home Life and a Stress Free Cat Day 4: Blood, Tigers, and Lions Day 5: Lacerations, Immune System, Vaccines, and Graduation

Drop-off summer camp for 3-6 year olds. 3-5pm, M-F

Get ready for a week packed with creativity, color, and hands-on fun! Our Slime & Ceramics Camp gives young makers the best of both worlds—messy, stretchy, sensational slime and beautifully hand-painted ceramics. From glitter and glow-in-the-dark slimes to fluffy, crunchy, and scented varieties, kids will learn slime-making techniques that spark imagination and sensory play. On the ceramics side, campers can pick from a variety of pieces to paint or try simple clay-building projects that let them express their unique style. With guided instruction, plenty of creative freedom, and a relaxed, supportive atmosphere, every child will finish the week with a collection of custom slimes and ceramic treasures to take home. It’s the perfect blend of art, science, and pure fun—ideal for kids who love to create, experiment, and get a little messy! ​For full day please pack a NUT FREE snack and lunch. Half day only a NUT FREE snack. PLEASE EMAIL A PDF REGISTRATION FORM & MEDICAL PRIOR TO THE START OF CAMP TO bethel@thegigglingpig.com

Don't worry about a sitter! Give yourself a parents' night off and send your child to our Kids' Night Out! Pizza party dinner will be included, as well as multiple arts and crafts, and a big, instructor-led project! $40 for the first child and $35 for additional siblings. Each child will go home with a full bag of art that they create.

High School Big Idea Lab Create and Deliver a TED-Style Talk! Rising Grades 9–12 | 1:30–4:30 PM Reston, VA – Highest Speak Center If your high schooler likes sleeping in during the summer, this afternoon camp is perfect! Great communicators don’t just speak well — they share ideas that inspire people to think, act, and lead. In this exciting High School Big Idea Lab, students will develop and deliver their own TED-style talk while learning the key elements that make persuasive and motivational speeches powerful and memorable. High school is when communication skills truly start to matter. Students are expected to present projects, participate in discussions, interview for leadership roles, and soon apply for college and internships. Yet most students are rarely taught how to develop a strong idea and present it in a compelling way. That’s exactly what this program focuses on. Throughout this high-energy 5-day program (3 hours per day) students will brainstorm ideas, write short speeches, and learn how to present them in a clear, engaging, and confident way. Students will learn how to: • Develop a powerful idea worth sharing • Organize and write a talk with clear structure • Use storytelling, persuasion, and motivational speaking techniques • Incorporate elements used in successful persuasive and inspirational speeches • Speak with confidence and presence • Manage nervousness while presenting • Deliver a talk that feels natural, thoughtful, and impactful Students will practice multiple speaking rounds throughout the week, receiving individualized feedback and coaching from instructors. Expect creative brainstorming activities, speaking games, collaborative exercises, and presentation challenges that make learning both fun and energizing. By the end of the week, students will deliver their own TED-style presentation and experience what it feels like to confidently share an idea with others. Presentation recordings will be provided for parents and students. Daily Structure Part I • High-energy icebreaker activities • Brainstorming and idea development • Speech writing and structure • Practice through games or breakout exercises Break (15 minutes) Please bring a snack and drink. Part II • Speaking practice rounds • Storytelling and delivery coaching • Presentation challenges • Individualized feedback • Wrap-up We always have at least two instructors to ensure students receive personalized attention and plenty of opportunities to practice speaking. For this program, Highest Speak founder Sumedha Bahri — Patent Attorney, Adjunct Professor, Federal Orals Coach, Keynote Speaker, and Stand-Up Comic — will be teaching alongside one or more of Highest Speak’s engaging instructors. This program is fun, fast-paced, and confidence-building, and students leave with communication skills that will help them in school, leadership roles, interviews, and future careers. ** NO prerequisites needed. Spots are limited and camps typically sell out. Reserve your spot today!

Join us for a special day of cooking, playing, crafting, and tasting! Kid-chefs will get to craft their own breakfast, lunch, and sweet snack throughout the day, spend time outdoors, create fun food-inspired art, and much more! General Schedule: 9:00-9:30 am - Arrivals & Activity Centers I 9:30-10:00 am - Circle Time, Story + Stretching 10:00-11:30 am - Cooking Activity 1 + Brunch 11:30-12:45 pm - STEM Activity + Cooking Activity II 12:45-1:15 pm - Lunch + Quiet Time 1:30-2:30 pm - Outdoor Play and/or Art Projects 2:30-2:45 pm - Snack 2:45 - 3:00 pm - Sharing Circle and Pick-Up Max of 26 students in this camp.

Students will assume the role of a doctor and learn how the body and organs work, how to use medical instruments, and even tie knots like a real surgeon. Each student receives their own stethoscope that really works. Each child receives a diploma as a graduate of Little Medical School at the completion of the course. Day 1: What is in the Doctor’s Bag? 1. Name and define 3 instruments used by doctors 2. Perform parts of a doctor’s exam using the 3 instruments 3. Understand the purpose of each instrument Day 2: All about the Heart! 1. Explain heart facts and how it works 2. Identify the different parts of the heart and know what it looks like 3. Discuss how the stethoscope aids in hearing normal and abnormal heart sounds Day 3: All about the Lungs! 1. Understand how lungs work 2. Explain how lungs exchange air for oxygen and carbon dioxide 3. Discuss what lung function tests measure Day 4: Digesting Digestion 1. Name and explain the organs of digestion 2. Understand how the entire process of digestion works and explain it to others Day 5: Is there a Surgeon in the House? 1. Discuss the concept of “scrubbing” 2. Suture and tie surgical knots 3. Explain how a surgeon works as part of a team

Things are about to get messy! Mad Science blends art and experimentation as campers explore cause and effect through fizzy reactions, mixing colors, and hands-on sensory projects. This high-energy week is perfect for curious minds who love to test, tinker, and create with a little bit of chaos.

Build, Explore & Launch Into Space Blast off into a week of space exploration! NASA LEGO Camp lets campers choose a NASA-themed kit and spend the week building their model while learning about the science, engineering, and missions behind it. From rockets to rovers, campers discover how real spacecrafts are designed and assembled—all while developing hands-on STEM skills. Whether they dream of exploring space, love building, or just enjoy creating intricate models, campers will gain confidence as they learn and build like real engineers—and take their completed kit home! All Summer Campers receive a free TCSL t-shirt!

Are you ready for a summer filled with adventure, learning, and fun? At Sundial Farmstead, we offer experiences on a real, working farm where children can explore, create, and grow! A Day at Camp: Each day begins with a gathering of singing and readings from a classic book, followed by rotations through farm activities, morning snack, hands-on agriculture or forestry lessons, and creative handicrafts. After lunch, campers will enjoy free play and relaxation before diving back into an afternoon rotation of activities - sports, nature study & science notation journals, and additional farming activities. We wrap up each day with group clean up time. This ensures that kids learn how to maintain a well-ordered environment and leave camp feeling satisfied with their accomplishments!

This combination class offers children a sampling of art projects using various media such as painting, clay, watercolors, collage, and pastels. It is amazing what you can create when you explore with your imagination. A variety of materials are used to create your many masterpieces – Many projects are “built upon” each class, so that students experience a variety of mediums and take home several projects. Projects are new every session & seasonal, so sign-up for all sessions.