Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Build, test, tinker, and try again: Maker Labs centers summer days on hands-on STEAM projects that give children room to create their own solutions. The program mixes guided discovery with open maker time, so campers can explore engineering, physics, biology, robotics, and playful experiments while using maker tools for invention-focused projects. Outdoor recreation, free time, team-building, and reflection games break up the project blocks and keep the day varied.
The weekly rhythm gives each day a different focus. Engineering activities explore structures and vehicles; physics projects put movement and projectiles into action; biology introduces plants and living systems; robotics uses electricity, motors, circuits, and robots; and Friday’s Maker Madness opens the door to chemical reactions, food science, sewing, and other cross-disciplinary ideas. The wider Maker Labs project library also reflects the same build-and-discover approach through towers, toys, instruments, marble activities, catapults, and rubber-band cars. Children alternate between focused maker blocks and more open periods for free time, outdoor recreation, and social activities.
Rather than asking children to copy one finished model, the program emphasizes experimenting, making mistakes, troubleshooting, and learning from what happens. That structure suits curious makers who enjoy building with their hands, testing ideas, mixing science with creativity, and having enough freedom to take a project in their own direction.
| Ages: | 5–13 |
| Type: | Day |
| Gender: | Co-Ed |
| Adventure: | Adventure, Exploration, Outdoor |
| Technology: | Technology, Robotics, Engineering |
| Academics: | Academics, Science, Physics, Biology, Chemistry |
| Arts: | Arts, Fine Arts, Arts & Crafts |
| Meals Type: | Partial |
| Time: | 08:00 AM - 03:00 PM |
You won’t be charged yet. The camp will contact you to confirm all terms first.
You can still submit a quick request to let the camp know you’re interested.
Summer camp follows a repeatable daily framework with different STEAM themes across the week. Campers arrive during a flexible check-in window, begin with a team-building icebreaker, and then move into maker time. Snack and free-time blocks separate the longer activity periods, with another maker session after lunch and a reflection block of trivia or games before the final snack and flexible check-out period.
Each weekday gives the maker work a different lens. Monday focuses on engineering through structures and vehicles. Tuesday uses physics to explore movement and projectiles. Wednesday turns to biology and experiments involving plants and nature. Thursday centers on robotics, including electricity, motors, circuits, and robots. Friday becomes Maker Madness, where the program can branch into chemical reactions, food science, sewing, and topics that do not fit a single category.
The teaching approach is intentionally experiential. Children are encouraged to create, explore, make mistakes, and discover what works rather than reproduce a single prescribed result. Hands-on projects connect STEAM concepts to physical building and experimentation while giving children space for imagination, creativity, and troubleshooting. The same framework gives campers repeated chances to return to maker work, reflect on what happened, and try another approach during the day.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:00 - 8:30 AM | Check-In |
| 8:30 - 9:00 AM | Icebreaker Activity (Team Building) |
| 9:00 - 10:00 AM | Maker Time |
| 10:00 - 10:30 AM | Snack and Free Time |
| 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Free Time |
| 12:00 - 12:30 PM | Lunch |
| 12:30 - 1:30 PM | Maker Time |
| 1:30 - 2:00 PM | Reflection Activity (Trivia and Games) |
| 2:00 - 2:30 PM | Snack and Free Time |
| 2:30 - 3:00 PM | Check-Out |
Snacks are included as part of the summer camp day. Two separate snack and free-time blocks break up the schedule, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. A dedicated lunch period is also set aside around midday.
Program leadership includes prior experience as an instructor and leader in summer camps and after-school programs. The teaching approach gives children enough structure to create and explore while learning through hands-on experience. Experimentation, tinkering, building, and learning from both successful attempts and mistakes are central to the program rather than simply copying instructions. Program development also draws on STEAM builds such as rubber-band cars, catapults, and earthquake-safe structures, connecting engineering ideas to projects children can physically test.
Families are invited to reach out with questions, concerns, commentary, or feedback about the program. Half-day attendance can also be discussed directly with the program, which offers personalized planning for families interested in a shorter day.
Check-in runs from 8:00–8:30 AM and check-out from 2:30–3:00 PM, with both windows described as flexible. Families interested in a half-day format can request a personalized plan. Summer sessions may meet at different school-based sites, so families should follow the location tied to their selected session rather than assuming every week meets at the organization’s Walnut Creek contact address.
