Preparing for Camp
Hosting a camp takes some preparation in advance. Here are some recommendations from the Maker Camp staff.
Join the Maker Camp Community Group.
From your Dashboard you’ll see a private group for Maker Camp Sites where you can share ideas, ask questions, and find support. This group is also where we’ll post additional content, like recorded information sessions. Be sure to create your profile and join.
Recruit your campers.
Invite kids from your community to make! Use Maker Camp Digital Assets to promote your camp to the community. Get ready to take your campers on a great adventure. We’re interested in reaching and inspiring young women, as well as kids who couldn’t otherwise attend a camp. If your recruitment and outreach focuses on girls, low-income families, or any other groups who are not well represented in technology, we’d love to hear about it!
Select your projects.
Maker Camp projects are designed to inspire curiosity and creativity from leading makers and educators while remaining inviting and inclusive for all. Projects can create a standalone Maker Camp or be woven into other camp or educational programs.
Projects are generally grouped into six main categories: Arts & Crafts, STEM, Coding & Computer Science, Back to Basics, Fabrication, and Electronics & Textiles.
Use the Maker Camp online project library to select the activities that will be best for your campers. You can sort by age, amount of time needed, topic category and materials needed. You can also click “Favorite” for projects you plan to use, so that it’s easy to find them later.
Gather materials.
Maker Camps can be held with materials of all kinds. In general, collect recycled materials, lots of cardboard, craft supplies, and basic tools to get started. From there, you may add technology such as computers, microcontrollers, electronics components, STEM building kits, 3D printers, etc. Whatever your budget, you can host a Maker Camp.
Many materials best suited for making are abundant and free. While much of what you need might be already available in your home and/or organization, you may need to buy supplies for camp.
Each project in our library has a “Resources” tab that lists specific materials so you can plan accordingly. You can also sort Maker Camp projects based on the materials you already have. For more ideas about where to find items you’ll need and kits available through Maker Shed see Camp Materials.
Prepare your computers.
Check your camp locations’ access to the Internet and WiFi to ensure campers will have a good connection for online activities. Make sure your computers can access sites like Scratch and MakeCode before camp starts. Check your selected Maker Camp projects in advance and test that all websites work properly. Contact your IT department to grant access to the sites you’ll need. Don’t forget to check if YouTube works, too!
Some Maker Camp projects may require software that is new to you—and to your computers! Find out who has administrative privileges to load software and plan in advance. If you are planning online or hybrid camps, make sure your meeting software — such as Zoom or Google Meet — works.
You’ll also want to test your computer equipment, like webcams, projectors, and microphones, in advance. Plus, make sure any peripherals or microcontrollers you plan to use are able to connect to your computers. And be sure you have enough cables to go around!
Test-run the projects as you have time.
We strongly recommend that you try making the projects you select for your Maker Camp in advance of doing them with your campers. This gives you a chance to test your tools and materials.
But if you don’t have time to test in advance, don’t worry! You’ll develop your maker mindset too by learning alongside your campers.
Prepare your space.
Think about how your space and projects mix. Some projects are best done on a table with chairs, while others require lots of space to move around. Think about how you want to set up the materials for campers, and how they’ll flow around the space for the projects.
Prepare your digital space.
Share your Maker Camp program hours and details on your website or social media. Create a website, Facebook page or group, or other information-sharing, digital home for your camp. You may also want to select to be a part of the Science Near Me program. Simply select that option when completing your Camp Information form.
Connect with local makers.
Check out some of your community resources, especially any makerspaces or hackerspaces near you! If you choose to bring in local makers, double check with your location or organization about any rules and regulations that may be required to have them safely work with your campers.
