Exploration, Creation Goals At Camp Invention

For Max Dubbe and Cody Clemons, things just couldn’t get much better. At their disposal were heaps of cardboard boxes, yards of plastic tubing, coat hangers, paper bags, tin cans, empty cereal boxes, egg cartons, tin foil, pipe cleaners and rolls and rolls and rolls of tape.

Their mission: to create a command station for making contact with aliens in the galaxy.

Any size. Any shape. Anything goes.

Mixed in with the creative process were some lessons disguised as helpful hints. Teacher Sheri Baron talked about planes and joints, cones and domes, towers and columns and bridges. Then, those structures found their way into the command stations.

“The object is to explore and create. The project is open-ended so kids will use creativity,” Baron said. “And they get to use all those rolls of tape, markers, toilet paper rolls… they get to go crazy with it here.”

“Here” is Camp Invention, a five-day whirlwind of hands-on activities that teach math, science, history and the arts to kids going into grades two through six. Each day’s activities builds on those of the previous day, with an emphasis on creative thinking.

Inventure Place, home of the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio, started Camp Invention in 1990 with two camps. Since then, it has become a national program. Last year, there were 305 camps across the country.

Last week’s camp was held at Brentwood Elementary School.

Three different programs ensure that kids who attend Camp Invention year after year won’t end up doing the same activities.

Brentwood’s program included the command station creation session called “Tape Me To Your Leader,” a “Probability Carnival” where kids created their own games and then figured out the probability of winning them, and “Marble-ous Inventions” where kids learned about the physics of motion while playing with shooters and cat’s eyes.

One of the most popular sessions lets kids do something they’d likely never be allowed to do at home - take apart electronics and poke around inside.

Asked to bring one electronic item or appliance with them to camp, kids had tons to tinker with: a microwave oven, telephones, a printer, VCRs, answering machines, a radio, coffee pots, corn poppers and curling irons.

Under the supervision of teacher Thom Bollaert, who first removed any dangerous parts and clipped all cords, kids grabbed screwdrivers and pliers and started undoing. Every so often, they stopped to talk about gears and screws and really examined what was going on in their machines.

“My favorite part of the radio was that it had, uh, one of those green things,” said Brentwood second grader Derek Sirek.

“A motherboard… ” prompted Bollaert.

Once they sufficiently dissected everything, kids collected their favorite parts and set to work making an invention of their own, something that would make their lives easier. The inventions don’t really work; the idea is just to be creative.

Brentwood students Clemons and Dubbe teamed up again to make a machine that will do their homework and chores.

“It really does anything we don’t like to do,” said Clemons, a thirdgrader. “Then we can play video games all day.”

Camp Invention will next be at the Pioneer School in Veradale Monday through July 14, and at the Discovery School July 17-21. Camp fees are $180 per child. To register, call Regional Coordinator Diane Garmire at (208) 664-8791, call toll free at (800) 968-4332 or log on to www.invent.org.

This sidebar appeared with the story: CAMP INVENTION

To register Camp Invention will next be at the Pioneer School in Veradale Monday through July 14, and at the Discovery School July 17-21. Camp fees are $180 per child. To register, call Regional Coordinator Diane Garmire at (208) 664-8791, call toll free at (800) 968-4332 or log on to www.invent.org.