This holiday season the Fleet Science Center offers options to help keep kids active and learning during the winter break.

The Fleet's full-day Winter Science Camps begin on Monday, December 19, and are available through Friday, December 30. The camps take place at the Science Center and feature fun, educational, hands-on activities.

Multiple science camps will run concurrently. The Fleet's Winter Science Camps run the full two weeks and are for grades 1-3. ThoughtSTEM is offering two different science camps, Star Wars Minecraft Experience and Coding & Circuits Camp. The camps run for a week each and are for grades 4-6.

In the grades 1-3 science camps kids can learn about the science behind magic and illusion; build towers and bridges to examine engineering; create roller coasters to discover how gravity and inertia work; and devise a plan for exploring the planets in our solar system. Camp activities are designed to be hands-on, encourage inquiry and make science learning fun and accessible.

For grades 4-6, the Fleet will partner with ThoughtSTEM to host the Star Wars Minecraft Experience camp and the Intro to Coding & Circuits camp. For the Star Wars Minecraft Experience, future programmers learn how to create custom lightsabers, build droids, construct an entire Minecraft mini-game and even learn how to "use the force." For the Intro to Coding & Circuits camp, kids create their own music makers, animatronic devices, Pokemon adventures and asteroid dodging games.

The Winter Science Camps extend the Fleet's mission of bringing science education to curious minds of all ages in ways that are fun, engaging and accessible.

Camps run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees can sign up for a single day or enroll for multiple days of fun! For the Fleet Winter Camps, Grades 1-3, prices are $55 per day for members, $60 per day for nonmembers. For the ThoughtSTEM Star Wars Minecraft Experience and Intro to Coding & Circuits camps, Grades 4-6, prices are $65 per day for members, $70 per day for nonmembers. 

A full list of Winter Science Camp activities is included below. More information can also be found on the Fleet website here:

http://www.rhfleet.org/events/winter-camps

Please note: no camps are available on Friday, December 23, and Monday, December 26

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Full Camp Descriptions:

Fleet Winter Science Camps, Grades 1-3

Price:  $55 per day for members and $60 per day for nonmembers.

December 19: Inside Your Insides. Investigate bones, blood, digestion and other amazing systems of the human body. December 20: Magic & Illusion. Make color-changing potions, observe the fascinating nature of dry ice and learn illusion tricks that will impress your friends! December 21: To the Extreme. Explore explosive earth events, crazy weather and other thrilling science activities! December 22: Maker Mania. Join the Maker movement! Craft, tinker and create your own incredible devices. December 27: Build It! Get busy with tall towers, bridges and other construction challenges. Explore the Fleet's newest exhibition-The Art of the Brick! *An additional charge of $8 is included with registration for access to The Art of the Brick exhibition. December 28: Chemistry Craze. Explore the basics of chemistry through loud, colorful and shocking activities. December 29: Physics Fun. Make roller coasters and parachutes and discover how inertia, gravity and momentum are a part of our everyday lives. December 30: Space Traveler. Decide what skills and equipment you would need to explore moons, planets and more in our solar system and beyond!

ThoughtSTEM Winter Camps, Grades 4-6

$65 per day for members and $70 per day for nonmembers.

Week 1: Star Wars Minecraft Experience

December 19: Minecraft Modding: Lightsabers & Blasters. Design and build your own custom lightsabers and blasters with cool special effects and new textures. December 20: Minecraft Modding: Use The Force. Recreate classic Star Wars force powers, like Lightning and Force Push, or make up your own that you can try out on your friends (or your enemies)! December 21: Minecraft Modding: Droids. Create your own loyal Star Wars R2-D2 or BB-8 Unit that obey commands like "defend," "attack" or even "build a house." December 22: Minecraft Modding: Escape the Death Star. Design and create your own Star Wars mini-game complete with custom schematics, textures and mobs! Choose your side: join the Empire to restore order, or join the Rebels and fight for freedom!

Week 2: Intro to Coding & Circuits Winter Camp

December 27: Coding & Circuits: Pokemon Catcher. Design and code your own mini Pokemon adventure that links to the real world with buttons, knobs and blinking lights. December 28: Coding & Circuits: Asteroid Dodger. Create an asteroid dodging game that lets you control a spaceship using light. December 29: Coding & Circuits: Music Maker. Turn your Arduino into a musical instrument that you can play just by waving your hands. December 30: Coding & Circuits: Animatronics. Bring inanimate objects to life with sensors, motors and lights. Make your project spin and move on its own or have it respond to your inputs!

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The Fleet is available to showcase demonstrations of Winter Science Camp activities for media previews either here at the Fleet or in your studio. Fleet educators and demonstrators can be available to relate the science ideas behind each demonstration, and we can even bring the kids.

To schedule a media preview of Fleet Winter Science Camps, please contact Fleet Science Center Public Relations Manager Nathan Young at 619-685-5743 or nyoung@rhfleet.org.