Exciting Camps and Activities for Summer 2023

A love of learning lies at the heart of science, and STEM camps are in a much better position than the classroom for revealing the adventure in inquiry and for igniting a lifelong passion for discovery. Some camps even incorporate art for the full STEAM experience — because despite the stereotypes, creativity belongs in both the lab and in the studio.

Steamoji (Redmond) 

Steamoji offers science education with a maker mindset, introducing kids to fabrication, physical computing, engineering, digital arts, coding and applied design. The organization’s summer day camps fold science into engaging projects, such as building catapults to topple opponents’ towers and designing working light features for their room.

Ages: 5–15

Cost: $350–$550

iD Tech (Seattle, Bellevue) 

Students get a taste of college life at these campus-based summer STEM camps where coding, game development, robotics and design are part of the curriculum. In one-week or two-week overnight camps, students of all skill levels get a chance to use the best tech with instructors who are professionals in the field.

Ages: 7–18

Cost: $979–$4,599

KidsQuest Children’s Museum (Bellevue, online)

KidsQuest Children’s Museum in Bellevue offers virtual and in-person Explorer and Adventure camps. Weeklong half-day Explorer camps for the younger kids have themes such as science, art, nature or engineering. Full-day adventure camps for older kids incorporate art, science and hands-on activities into the programming.

Ages: 3–10

Cost: $125–$475

Girls Rock Math (multiple locations) 

Numerous studies show that until middle school, girls are just as skilled and interested in math as boys. Girls Rock Math uses thematic creative materials and a social learning model with positive role models to ensure that girls continue to think of math as fun and themselves as capable. Girls Rock Math is specifically designed for children who experience inequity in STEM; the camps are appropriate for girls and those on the gender spectrum who identify as transgender, agender, nonbinary or questioning.

Grades: 1–8

Cost: $350–$460

Camp Tech Revolution (Seattle University, University of Washington) 

With its dizzying number of options that range from podcasting to advanced robotics and 3D modeling, with numerous coding languages in between, Camp Tech Revolution has plenty to offer your camper, as long as they have any kind of interest in technology at all. These weeklong day camps on the University of Washington and Seattle University campuses prioritize experiential, hands-on learning and serious skill building, but still incorporate fun and exciting weekly events. Discounts are available for multiweek enrollment.

Ages: 6–16

Cost: $699–$899

Girls Who Code (online) 

These entirely virtual camps for girls and nonbinary students are offered as either a two-week immersion or a six-week self-paced camp during which students gain computer science skills and prepare for careers in tech. In the immersion program, students build a series of short games. In the self-paced program, students choose one of three tracks: beginner web design, beginner to intermediate cybersecurity or beginner to intermediate data science.

Ages: Grades 9–12+

Cost: Free

Young Engineers (Seattle) 

Each five-day day camp offers a different theme: Candyland, Lego Architecture, Mad Science or Famous Scientists. Based in the Phinney Neighborhood Center in North Seattle, these camps teach a new mechanical engineering topic and a motorized Lego build each day, and end with a short movie and a walking field trip to the zoo.

Ages: Grades 1–5

Cost: TBA

Open World by DigiPen (Redmond, Bothell)

DigiPen’s new series of summer workshops focuses on the fun and hands-on aspects of STEAM fields of the future. One- and two-week workshops in game design, art, coding, robotics, music and sound design, and more include a special visit by an industry guest.

Grades: K–12

Cost: $999–$2,299

Pacific Science Center (multiple locations) 

Pacific Science Center is back to a full pre-pandemic selection of a dozen or more camp options for each age group. With wide-ranging choices from food science to on-site explorations at Mercer Slough to robotics, Pacific Science Center makes learning fun with messy, tasty, gross or adventurous themes for all types of kids. New for 2023, the center will offer an array of exciting themed summer camps at Salish Sea Elementary School in South Seattle’s Othello Square.

Grades: Pre-K–8

Cost: $228–$654

Kids Science Labs (Seattle) 

Kids Science Labs offers half- and full-day camp options with different themes: design, earth science, mixtures and medicine. Kids learn science through hands-on, inquiry-based problem solving that looks a lot like play.

Ages: 4–12

Cost: $350–$550

Bricks 4 Kidz/Beam Experiences (multiple locations) 

Parents have known for a long time that Lego is equal parts play and learning. Bricks 4 Kidz summer camps use Lego to teach STEM concepts and help kids develop critical thinking, collaboration, innovation and communication skills. At the same time, the interactive design format supports social growth and self-discovery alongside technical learning.

Ages: 5–12

Cost: $225–$320

Up next: Drop-in Camps