Makerspace Camps
Calling all Makers! We are thrilled to offer ten fun and interesting Makerspace camps during the morning and afternoon summer camp sessions to rising 1st - 8th grade students from June 17 - July 26. View the list of Makerspace camps below. All Makerspace camps are led by Joanne Papini, our amazing Makerspace teacher at Almaden Country Day School.
For any questions, please contact our Summer Camp Director, Catie Weston.
Let your imagination run free with our mega materials wall and variety of tools and components: toy motors, mini solar panels, LEDs, microcontrollers, 3D printers and pens, iPads, mini saws, drills, airbrush machine, green screen, laser engraver and so much more! Come learn new skills and techniques while discovering your favorite tools and materials!
Week 1 | June 17 - 21 | 9 am- 12 pm
Makerspace: Maker Mania (Entering Grades 1-3)
Camp Leader: Joanne Papini
Cost: $400
Everyday we’ll use a different tool or machine in the Makerspace to design gifts for friends, toys, art and household solutions. In addition to featured projects that teach common engineering mechanisms, makers will have an hour of free tinkering time.
Week 1 | June 17 - 21 | 12:45 - 3:45 pm
Makerspace: Enchanted Realms of Magic (Entering Grades 1-3)
Camp Leader: Joanne Papini
Cost: $400
Let’s create fairies, elves and gnomes and build them their own little whimsical world. Each maker will start by building a miniature forest foundation of trees, plants, flowers with colorful stones and faux rivers. Using our laser cutter, we’ll design tiny wood chairs, swings, doors, and bridges. For our magical winged creatures and gnomes we’ll use our imagination, some sparkle- and 3D printers! Each maker will bring home their world in a decorated paperboard suitcase.
WEEK 2 | JUNE 24 - 28 | 9 AM- 12 PM
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Makerspace camps are not running this week, however, we have many other amazing camps on offer. Click here to view our other Week 2 camps.
Week 2 | June 24 - 28 | 12:45 - 3:45 pm
Makerspace: Pet Imagineers (Entering Grades 4-6)
Camp Leader: Joanne Papini
Cost: $400
Let’s use the tools of the Makerspace to design our own special robo-pets. Campers/imagineers will explore the basics of animatronics by tinkering the insides of toys that wiggle and walk. After making prototypes of various designs, a final battery-operated pet design will include: upcycled toy parts and 3D printed pet accessories! To make pets snuggly, campers will also learn about flocking and working with faux fur, taking home a new special friend.
Week 3 | July 8 - 12 | 9 am- 12 pm
Makerspace: Solar City (Entering Grades 4-6)
Camp Leader: Joanne Papini
Cost: $400
Using the energy of our planet’s amazing sun we’ll build a miniature town with solar powered cars, lights, fans and more! Each maker will assemble and decorate a small lastercut house or store. Together we’ll discover what many 3V solar panels can do for our town. Makers get to take home a mini solar car or building.
Week 3 | July 8 - 12 | 12:45 - 3:45 pm
Makerspace: Minecraft Mania (Entering Grades 4-6)
Camp Leader: Joanne Papini
Cost: $400
Online and offline, it’s all things blockey using the tools and materials of the makerspace! Miners will mine with new friends in a secure “realm” controlled by our own server. After each hour of Minecraft play on our provided iPads, we will break for games and maker projects that teach fun engineering skills including: circuits, simple machines and blockey animatronics.
Week 4 | July 15 - 19 | 9 am- 12 pm
Makerspace: Maker Mania (Entering Grades 1-3)
Camp Leader: Joanne Papini
Cost: $400
Everyday we’ll use a different tool or machine in the Makerspace to design gifts for friends, toys, art and household solutions. In addition to featured projects that teach common engineering mechanisms, makers will have an hour of free tinkering time.
Week 4 | July 15 - 19 | 12:45 - 3:45 pm
Makerspace: Minecraft Mania (Entering Grades 4-6)
Camp Leader: Joanne Papini
Cost: $400
Online and offline, it’s all things blockey using the tools and materials of the makerspace! Miners will mine with new friends in a secure “realm” controlled by our own server. After each hour of Minecraft play on our provided iPads, we will break for games and maker projects that teach fun engineering skills including: circuits, simple machines and blockey animatronics.
Week 5 | July 22 - 26 | 9 am- 12 pm
Makerspace: Beginning Coding and Game Design (Entering Grades 4-6)
Camp Leader: Joanne Papini
Cost: $400
Whether you’re new to block coding or ready to try python or javascript, you’ll learn the basics of working with microcontrollers like Makey Makey, Microbit and Arduino. Every maker will create interactive projects that feature both offline, low tech mechanisms using 3D printed and laser cut animal shapes and lock box puzzles using servo motors. Back online we will add the code to program our designs. Makers can take home everything they make except the microcontrollers.
Week 5 | July 22 - 26 | 12:45 - 3:45 pm
Makerspace: Glowing Water Fountain (Entering Grades 4-6)
Camp Leader: Joanne Papini
Cost: $400
3D design your own miniature water fountain, complete with 3V battery operated water pump. Each maker will design and take home a colorful and relaxing water fountain, complete with 3D designed water plants and the tools to clean the water and pump.
About Joanne Papini
During her time teaching science, Joanne realized how much she enjoyed sharing with her students the amazing tools and technologies that are so much a part of 21st century learning.
This inspired her to start a business creating "maker" opportunities for her community through summer camps and after school workshops.
The innovative nature of the ACDS educators and community, and its makerspace filled with every kind of tool from manual to high tech, is what drew her to the school. At ACDS, she knows she has found her dream job being able to work alongside educators who share her commitment to kindness, joy, and lifelong learning.
Fun fact: Joanne is an entrepreneur having started many businesses of her own. She even auditioned for two reality shows: American Inventor (an Idol spin off), and Shark Tank! She came close to getting on Shark Tank with a sleeve towel invention. The experience of creating the towel and auditioning for Shark Tank confirmed how much she loves inspiring young people to invent!