West Newsmagazine 4-5-17

36 I SUMMER CAMPS & OPPORTUNITIES I
Give your Child an
Edge this Summer!
April 5, 2017
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
By JESSICA MESZAROS
@WESTNEWSMAG
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
Summer camp STEM crafts mix fun
and learning
Go to www.sylvanlearning.com/noel for the Sylvan nearest you!
CHAMINADE SUMMER CAMPS
2017
For some kids, making homemade slime
and craft stick towers isn’t just a temporary
distraction. It’s a crafty introduction
to basic chemistry and an early lesson in
engineering and architecture.
Crafts are a long-standing summer camp
tradition. In addition to forming teambuilding
skills and fostering creativity,
some crafts can teach children valuable life
skills in a way that’s more hands-on than a
textbook lesson.
For students with a passion for science,
technology, engineering and math [STEM],
crafts can serve to jumpstart valuable lessons
outside the school environment. According
to Project Lead the Way, a program used by
local schools to inspire transformative learning,
crafts also can help prevent students
from losing “the equivalent of two months of
grade-level math and reading skills.”
Science
Summer camp is usually an outdoor
experience, which means campers are literally
surrounded by lessons in science and
biology in all directions. Science lessons
can be as simple as making a Discovery Jar
of local plants or exploring constellations
on a clear night. In addition to outdoor
activities, crafts like homemade slime combine
fun with a sneaky chemistry lesson.
Slime kits can be purchased at many local
craft stores or can be made from scratch
by mixing glue and gradual amounts of
liquid starch. Kids can customize their
experiments with food coloring and glitter.
For older campers, adding powdered black
iron oxide creates “living” slime that can
be manipulated with a magnet.
Technology
Summer camp is usually seen as a
chance to step away from technology.
An example of a STEM craft that emphasizes
engineering and architecture.
However, when it comes to STEM skills,
educational mobile apps can serve as
inspiration for crafty creativity. According
to Project Lead the Way, apps like Scratch
and Scratch Jr. provide elementary and
middle school students with interactive
stories, games and animations to explore.
For older kids, apps like App Inventor
allows young enthusiasts to invent their
own app, and DroidScript allows aspiring
code writers of any age and experience
level to learn basic Javascript used for
creating Android and Apple apps.
Engineering
It’s easy for kids to build small structures
that highlight engineering skills
without the use of toxic or dangerous
components. Kids can build a variety of
easy and harmless structures from craft
sticks, clothespins, rubber bands and clips.
Crafts that showcase engineering might
also serve a functional purpose by teaching
kids to work with their hands. Craft
stick catapults and harmonicas require
only craft sticks and rubber bands, and
can be used as lessons about basic construction
and physics.
See STEM, page 40
ENRICHMENT, ARTS & ATHLETIC CAMPS
FOR GIRLS & BOYS GRADES 3 - 12
www.chaminade-stl.org/summer_camp
Because Summer Should Be Fun!
GROWING
GREAT
KIDS
Resident Summer Camp 2017
YMCA CAMP LAKEWOOD
888-FUN-YMCA
90 minutes south
of St. Louis
VISIT US!
Come to an Open House from 1-4 pm
April 9 • April 30 • May 21
Tour the property & talk to staff
camplakewood.org
For kids ages 6-17
5200 acres & private lake
U.S. & international staff
Traditional & wilderness camps
Leadership programs
Many exciting activities