Camp Invention 2023: Adapting for Different Ages and Learning Levels

Every year, our invention education experts at the National Inventors Hall of Fame^® (NIHF) develop an all-new curriculum for Camp Invention^®, filled with hands-on experiences that provide an appropriate level of challenge for students across a range of learning levels in grades K-6.

Read below to explore some of the primary and intermediate-level adaptations built into each of the four new modules in our 2023 Camp Invention program, Wonder!

Catching Air^™

Taking a confidence-building ride through physics, engineering and art, children design and build their own skate park. Throughout the week, they gain momentum and learn perseverance by taking on ramps and other features with their mini skateboards and practicing tricks of creativity and invention.

• Primary campers are encouraged to use a symbol or letter for their skate park logo designs, and intermediate campers are encouraged to use advanced lettering techniques
   
• Primary campers build one skate park feature in addition to their ramp and bowl or volcano, while intermediate campers are challenged to make three additional features
   
• Intermediate campers receive a pyramid feature to complete and add to their skate park
   
• Intermediate campers have the opportunity to take on advanced trick challenges

Invention Celebration^™

Children take on the role of event planners as they throw a party celebrating creativity and innovation! They invent a Party Assistant to help with their plans, explore the science of color with bubble art banners and experiment with sound vibrations as they make their own musical instrument.

• Primary campers have the option to add three sticks to their DIY instruments while intermediate campers add five
   
• Intermediate campers are challenged to add a moving component as a part of their party decorations
   
• Intermediate campers are challenged to make an extreme marketing invitation for their party
   
• Intermediate campers create a written composition of their own song

MimicBot^™

Children show their unique style when they transform a robot that mimics sounds into a one-of-a-kind animatronic stuffie. They explore biomimicry, genetics and adaptive creativity, and they learn how to use both inspiration from nature and the power of intellectual property to protect their creation from the idea-stealing Copy Cat.

• Primary campers receive more assistance while taking apart their MimicBot using screwdrivers
   
• Primary campers receive verbal instruction and are read sentence starters while following along in their Inventor Log
   
• Primary campers sketch or draw their work using few words, while intermediate campers are expected to write more detailed invention ideas
   
• Intermediate campers are challenged to use existing patent drawings to create a patent of their own
   
• Intermediate campers receive more advanced information about genetics, including an understanding of phenotypes and genotypes

Pop-Up Venture^™

Big ideas pop up as children design their own mini pop-up business! Building their entrepreneurship skills, campers learn how to make strong financial decisions as they use their startup funds. Then they develop creative marketing strategies to attract customers and achieve their business goals.

• Primary participants count the number of Pop-Up Bucks they spent using their Pop-Up Bank Card
   
• Primary participants work as a class to brainstorm ideas for their Pop-Ups
   
• Intermediate campers create an object to scale and measure its height and width
   
• Intermediate campers calculate the amount of the loans they receive
   
• Intermediate campers fill out more details on their income/expense sheet

Learn More About Camp Invention

To learn more about the latest all-new Camp Invention program, we invite you to visit our website. If you are interested in bringing this hands-on STEM experience to your school, contact us today!