Summer Camp - KID Museum

Summer Camps

Be a KID with us as we invent, explore, and make our way through the summer! KID Museum’s camps are designed and led by our professional maker educators to help your child develop real-world skills through fun, hands-on projects. Join us and make it a summer to remember.

four campers show off their cardboard recreation of the iconic Iron Man suit, complete with glowing lights.

Two campers work together to engineer a tower out of popsicle sticks.

About Our Camps

Details:

Week-long camps running Monday – Friday, June – August
- Join us each Friday at 3:30 PM for the camp showcase: it’s your chance to see what the campers accomplished!
- No camp June 29th – July 3rd
Camps are 9 AM – 4 PM (aftercare available)
Grade Levels:
- 2nd – 3rd, 4th – 5th, 6th – 7th, & 8th – 9th
Please select camps according to your child’s Fall 2026 grade level

Are KID Camps Right for My Kid?

KID Museum welcomes and celebrates all children as makers and aims to create an inclusive environment that supports a range of learning needs. Our trained staff can provide supports such as the Take-a-Break Room and social narratives to help campers feel comfortable and confident during their day, but we are not able to provide individualized, one-on-one support.

Our team of highly skilled Maker Educators have thoughtfully designed camps to engage learners in projects that align with cognitive, social-emotional, and fine motor skill development of the listed age/grade range. Please see our policies below for more details and resources.

Summer Camp Listings

Week 1: June 22 - June 26

KID Museum Bethesda Metro Center

2nd - 3rd grade: KID Arcade

Engineer Classic Games

Step into the KID Arcade! Design and build classic games like plinko while mastering maker skills in cardboard, circuitry, textiles, and engineering. Work as a team to transform the museum into an epic arcade!

4th - 5th grade: Code Crushers

Build Confidence in Coding

Explore the world of coding through hands-on, tech-powered challenges! Campers will experiment with programmable tools, guide robots through obstacles, and create simple interactive games while learning the fundamentals of sequencing and computational thinking. This camp blends problem-solving, creativity, and playful exploration to build confidence in crucial skills.

6th - 7th grade: Toy Makers

Bored By Toys? Reinvent Them!

Design and create brand-new toys! Make brand-new creations or reimagine old designs by taking toys apart, modifying their parts, and re-engineering them into something unique. Campers will build skills in electronics, sewing, and engineering design as they create their one-of-a-kind toys!

KID Museum Davis Library

2nd - 3rd grade: Wizard KIDs

Create Your Own Magic

4th - 5th grade: Space KIDs

Explore Space Through STEM

Embark on an out-of-this-world adventure! Campers will dive into the science and technology behind space exploration, discovering how scientists, astronauts, and engineers solve real-world problems on earth and in space. They’ll experiment with sensors, 3D modeling, and creative coding as they design tools for future missions, imagine life beyond Earth, and more.

Week 2: July 6 - July 10

KID Museum Bethesda Metro Center

2nd - 3rd grade: Time Travelers

Explore the Evolution of Innovation

Journey across time to discover how people have invented, engineered, and created throughout history. Campers will experiment with simple machines from ancient times, explore modern tools like 3D modeling, and imagine the technologies of the future. Through hands-on building and creative exploration, they’ll discover how innovation has shaped the world — and how they can shape what comes next.

4th - 5th grade: KID Arcade

Engineer Classic Games

Step into the KID Arcade! Design and build classic games like pinball while mastering maker skills in cardboard, circuitry, textiles, and engineering. Work as a team to transform the museum into an epic arcade!

6th - 7th grade: Innovative Art Lab

Blend Art, Science, and Engineering

Reimagine art! Experiment with the fusion of art and engineering to design projects that move, react, or transform. Campers explore techniques like kinetic sculpture, natural dyeing, and creative fabrication to reinvent everyday materials in expressive ways. This camp encourages experimentation, curiosity, and artistic problem-solving as students create pieces that are both inventive and visually striking.

KID Museum Davis Library

2nd - 3rd grade: Space KIDs

Explore Space Through STEM

4th - 5th grade: Wizard KIDs

Create Your Own Magic

Week 3: July 13 - July 17

KID Museum Bethesda Metro Center

2nd - 3rd grade: Super KIDs

Design and Build Your Hero Identity!

Ready to save the world? Campers become superheroes as they design their own superhero identities and build the gear to go with them. Using cardboard construction, circuits, textiles, and wearable design, they’ll create gadgets, costumes, and tools inspired by their character’s powers.

4th - 5th grade: The Light Lab

Explore Light, Color, and Circuits

Discover the science and art of illumination. Campers will build projects that play with light, such as paper circuits, glowing accessories, or small light-based sculptures, while learning how LEDs, color, and brightness work together. Along the way, they experiment with light painting, explore color theory, and use creative fabrication techniques to design pieces that shine.

6th - 7th grade: Cardboard Engineers

Master Advanced Building Techniques

Campers will practice physical prototyping as they use advanced cutting, joining, and structural techniques to bring their ideas to life. With cardboard as the primary medium, campers prototype wearable art, moving structures, and other imaginative builds while applying the engineering design process. By the end of the week, each student creates a large-scale cardboard project that showcases their craftsmanship and creativity.

8th - 9th grade: Music Makers

What Does YOUR World Sound Like?

Explore the art and technology of music production through hands-on experimentation. Campers will use Scratch to code and create a music sampler with simple DIY instruments and use digital tools to mix loops, beats, and synthesized sounds. As they develop rhythm and composition skills, students also experiment with performance and video to create a short music piece or music video.

KID Museum Davis Library

2nd - 3rd grade: Making Camp

Go Off-Grid at KID

Gather around our indoor “campfire” to create imaginative projects inspired by the spirit of camping, without ever having to go outdoors! Campers will gain a wide range of maker skills as they explore all the important parts of extreme camping: living off the grid, surviving in the wild, and — most important of all — telling effective campfire stories.

4th - 5th grade: Skill Builders

Explore A New Skill Every Day!

This camp gives campers the chance to try it all! Each day highlights a different studio, building confidence in textiles, woodworking, electronics, and cardboard construction throughout the week.

Week 4: July 20 - July 24

KID Museum Bethesda Metro Center

2nd - 3rd grade: Space KIDs

Explore Space Through STEM

4th - 5th grade: Wizard KIDs

Create Your Own Magic

AbraKIDabra, alakazam, it’s time for KID’s wizarding camp! Step into a world of imagination as you design and build your own magical artifacts. Campers explore sewing, circuitry, and creative fabrication to bring enchanted tools and whimsical creatures to life. Throughout the week, they’ll practice real maker skills while crafting the props and gear of their wizarding world.

6th - 7th grade: Movie Makers

Design, Build, and Film Your Own Stop-Motion Production

Lights, camera, action! Bring stories to life through stop-motion animation. Campers learn the full production process: storyboarding, building sets and props, sculpting characters, and filming scenes with stop-motion techniques. Through prototyping and creative direction, students learn how design, storytelling, and technology come together to create a polished animated short.

KID Museum Davis Library

2nd - 3rd grade: KID Arcade

Engineer Classic Games

4th - 5th grade: Code Crushers

Build Confidence in Coding

Week 5: July 27 - July 31

KID Museum Bethesda Metro Center

2nd - 3rd grade: Wizard KIDs

Create Your Own Magic

AbraKIDabra, alakazam, it’s time for KID’s wizarding camp! Campers explore sewing, circuitry, and creative fabrication to bring enchanted tools and whimsical creatures to life.

4th - 5th grade: Space KIDs

Explore Space Through STEM

6th - 7th grade: Innovation HQ

Build Advanced Skills, Then Show Them Off

Campers will start the week by building skills across multiple maker studios: circuits, cardboard construction, textiles, woodworking, and digital tools. As campers gain confidence with techniques and equipment, they plan and create an open-ended project of their own design. This camp blends guided skill-building with independent creativity, giving students the tools and freedom to bring ambitious ideas to life.

8th - 9th grade: Textiles

Take Textile Skills to the Next Level

Dive deep into the Textile Lab to develop advanced sewing and design skills. Campers explore fiber arts, learn to read and modify sewing patterns, and experiment with construction techniques to create custom pieces such as bags, pillows, or wearable accessories. This studio-focused camp encourages precision, creativity, and craftsmanship as students bring their ideas to life through fabric and design.

KID Museum Davis Library

2nd - 3rd grade: Make It Move

Build Moving Machines and Explore the Science of Motion

From vehicles to vibrating creatures, campers will design and test their own moving creations through hands-on engineering challenges. They’ll explore how motion works by building simple machines, experimenting with structure and stability, and iterating on their own designs. This camp encourages creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving as kids bring their ideas to life through motion-powered projects.

4th - 5th grade: Maker Mash-Up

Reimagine Everyday Objects With Unexpected Materials

What if clothes were made of cardboard or bugs were built from circuits?

Campers will rethink everyday items by building with unconventional materials, experimenting with unusual textures, and remixing ideas through hands-on fabrication. This camp encourages curiosity, flexible thinking, and inventive problem-solving as kids create projects that are anything but ordinary.

Week 6: August 3 - 7

KID Museum Bethesda Metro Center

2nd - 3rd grade: Making Camp

Go Off-Grid at KID

4th - 5th grade: Skill Builders

Explore A New Skill Every Day!

This camp gives campers the chance to try it all! Each day highlights a different studio, building confidence in textiles, woodworking, electronics, and cardboard construction throughout the week.

6th - 7th grade: BioTinkering

Put Science to Work!

Campers will take on creative, biology-themed challenges like designing prosthetics, building imaginative machines inspired by body systems, and experimenting with robots to model how cells move and respond. This camp blends science, problem-solving, and playful invention to help students explore living systems in a whole new way.

KID Museum Davis Library

2nd - 3rd grade: Time Travelers

Explore the Evolution of Innovation

4th - 5th grade: KID Arcade

Engineer Classic Games

Week 7: August 10 - 14

KID Museum Bethesda Metro Center

2nd - 3rd grade: Make It Move

Build Moving Machines and Explore the Science of Motion

4th - 5th grade: Maker Mash-Up

Reimagine Everyday Objects With Unexpected Materials

What if clothes were made of cardboard or bugs were built from circuits?

6th - 7th grade: Engineering Big: Mini Golf

Above-Par Creative Collaboration

Take on a large-scale engineering challenge: designing and building custom mini-golf holes! Campers explore advanced cardboard construction, circuits, and simple motors to create moving obstacles and interactive features. Working collaboratively, they plan, test, and refine their designs before ending the week with a full mini-golf course reveal and friendly tournament.

KID Museum Davis Library

2nd - 3rd grade: Super KIDs

Design and Build Your Hero Identity!

4th - 5th grade: The Light Lab

Explore Light, Color, and Circuits

Week 8: August 17 - 21

KID Museum Bethesda Metro Center

2nd - 3rd grade: Innovation Foundations

Build Confidence with Core Maker Skills

Explore the foundations of innovation through hands-on projects across cardboard construction, simple circuits, textiles, and more. Campers learn essential tools and techniques as they design, experiment, and iterate on a series of engaging builds.

This camp is designed to build confidence, spark creativity, and introduce the engineering design process in a welcoming, open-ended environment.

4th - 5th grade: Innovation Foundations

Build Confidence with Core Maker Skills

This camp is designed to build confidence, spark creativity, and introduce the engineering design process in a welcoming, open-ended environment.

KID Museum Davis Library

2nd - 3rd grade: Innovation Foundations

Build Confidence with Core Maker Skills

This camp is designed to build confidence, spark creativity, and introduce the engineering design process in a welcoming, open-ended environment.

4th - 5th grade: Innovation Foundations

Build Confidence with Core Maker Skills

This camp is designed to build confidence, spark creativity, and introduce the engineering design process in a welcoming, open-ended environment.

Summer Camp Policies & Code of Conduct

Once you’ve purchased a camp, you will receive a confirmation email of your registration as well as a link to create a profile in our new iClasspro customer portal. Our new portal will contain all of your essential family information as well as the KID Museum Summer Camp policies and Code of Conduct stated below. Please note that you must agree to the terms in iClassPro in order for your child to attend.

Attendance/Make-Ups

KID Museum does not guarantee that camps canceled due to circumstances beyond our control will be made up. If KID Museum cancels camp for any reason, we will provide a refund. We do not offer make-up camps or refunds due to a child’s inability to attend.

Accessibility & Inclusion at Summer Camp

KID Museum welcomes and celebrates all children as makers and aims to create an inclusive environment that supports a wide range of learning needs. Our staff receive training in trauma-informed and inclusive practices, and we provide supports such as the Take-a-Break Room, noise-cancelling headphones, and social narratives to help campers feel comfortable and confident during their day.

While we strive to meet the needs of as many campers as possible, please note that we are not able to provide individualized, one-on-one support. Campers who require consistent 1:1 assistance are welcome to attend with a county-assigned paraeducator. Families seeking paraeducator support can learn more or submit a request by contacting Montgomery County Public Schools Extended School Year Services.

Withdrawals, Refunds, & Transfers

Cancellations

Full refund (minus a $20 processing fee per child per week) if canceled by May 22, 2026
50% refund (minus a $20 processing fee per child per week) if canceled up to two weeks before the start of camp week.
No refund if canceled less than two weeks before the start of camp week.

Transfer Policy

Camper transfers from one session to another will only be made if space is available. All transfers are subject to a $20 fee.
Changes to registration can be made up to two weeks before the camp starts.

KID Museum Code of Conduct

It is the goal of KID Museum to provide a safe and supportive environment for all camp participants. Children who attend camp are expected to follow the Code of Conduct below and to interact appropriately in a group setting. The Code of Conduct will be reviewed with campers at the start of the first day in order to ensure their understanding and agreement.

KID Museum does not tolerate the following:

Any form of physical or verbal abuse or threat of physical harm.
Continued disrespect towards others and/or disruption of the program.
Vandalism, stealing, or tampering with equipment.
The use of any and all illegal substances.
Bringing weapons of any kind, the making of weapons, or using objects as weapons.
Any disregard for our health and safety protocols.

When a camp participant does not follow the Code of Conduct, we may take the following steps:

Staff will redirect the child to more appropriate behavior.
If the behavior persists, a discussion will take place to remind the child of the behavior guidelines and camp rules. A parent will be notified that this discussion took place.
If a problem persists and the child continues to disobey behavior guidelines and camp rules, KID Museum reserves the right to remove the child from camp indefinitely.
No refunds or credits will be issued for campers who are removed from camp. Children who are removed from camp must be picked up by an authorized adult within 60 minutes of notification.

KID Museum reserves the right to modify, repeat, accelerate steps or not use the outlined processes as the situation demands.

Electronic Devices

We encourage campers to leave electronic devices at home, including cell phones. If a camp requires a laptop or tablet, KID Museum will provide the technology to all campers. KID Museum is not responsible for any lost items.

Inclement Weather

In cases of inclement weather, KID Museum will be closed if County or Federal Government offices are closed. On days in question, please call 301-941-4905 and/or check our site for up-to-date information on closings and delays. We cannot guarantee our ability to make up the missed day of camp.

Drop-Off & Pick-Up

Drop-off: 8:45 AM – 9:00 AM

Pick-up: 4:00 PM

Aftercare Pick-up: M-TH, 5:30 PM

Aftercare

Aftercare is available for purchase during the registration process for Monday – Thursday, 4:00 – 5:30 PM. We do not provide aftercare on Fridays. Please purchase aftercare during your registration process if you will need it as space is limited.

If aftercare spots have not been filled, day-to-day registration will be available at the front desk of each of our locations, but space is not guaranteed.

Please note that we cannot accommodate late pick-ups. If you are more than 15 minutes late, we will charge a $10 fee and $1/ minute thereafter to cover the cost of our staff overtime.

Release Agreement

By registering your child you agree to the following:

Although every effort is made to provide a safe environment, I recognize there is always a risk of an accident occurring. By submitting a registration, I agree to release and discharge KID Museum from any and all liability and/or claims or damages arising out of personal injury that occurs during my student’s participation in onsite or offsite KID Museum programs. I agree to be responsible for any medical bills incurred resulting from illness or injury in such programming. Students are expected to carry their own accident and medical insurance. If necessary, I authorize KID Museum staff to authorize medical treatment for my child.

Photo Release

By registering your child, you consent to KID Museum’s use of their image and likeness as shown in any photographs, videotapes, motion picture film, or electronic images and any audio recordings made of the participant’s voice in whatever way KID Museum desires, including television, print, website, and social media platforms. Furthermore, you consent that such photographs, films, recordings, electronic images shall be the sole property of KID Museum.

Nondiscrimination Statement

KID Museum prohibits illegal discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, immigration status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, family/parental status, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, poverty and socioeconomic status, language, or other legally or constitutionally protected attributes or affiliations. Discrimination undermines our community’s long-standing efforts to create, foster, and promote equity, inclusion, and acceptance for all. Some examples of discrimination include acts of hate, violence, insensitivity, harassment, bullying, disrespect, or retaliation. This Policy affirms the Board and KID’s belief that each and every student matters, and in particular, that educational outcomes should never be predictable by any individual’s actual or perceived personal characteristics. The Policy also recognizes that equity requires proactive steps to identify and redress implicit biases, practices that have an unjustified disparate impact, and structural and institutional barriers that impede equality of educational or employment opportunities.

What To Know Before You Go: Summer Camp FAQs

What should my child expect at camp?

We’ve created step-by-step guides for both Bethesda Metro Center and Davis Library that we hope will help you and your child envision their day at camp.

Do you provide transportation to and from camp?

No. Each child must be brought to camp and checked in AND out each day by a parent, guardian, or other authorized adult as listed on the KID Museum Camp Form. We will not allow children to leave with anyone not named on this form.

How does camp drop-off work?

Children must be dropped off outside of camp by an accompanying adult. KID Museum staff will be waiting outside to check children in (please see below for more specific directions). You will not be able to leave your child unattended before the designated drop-off time.

Davis Library Location: KID Museum staff will be waiting outside the main entrance of the museum (the lower level of the library) for drop off and pick up.
3 Bethesda Metro Center Location: KID Museum staff will be waiting outside the front door, located on the main plaza, AND on the sidewalk downstairs at Bethesda Metro Kiss & Ride.

KID Museum Davis Library Location

Where: 6400 Democracy Blvd, Lower Level, Bethesda, MD 20817

Enter KID Museum via the Bells Mill Road entrance to the Davis Library.

When: 8:45 am – 9:00 am

KID Museum Bethesda Metro Center

Where: 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 140, Bethesda, MD 20814

Bethesda Metro Kiss & Ride Address: 4800-8068 North Ln, Bethesda, MD 20814

Main entrance is located on the Bethesda Metro Center plaza, directly underneath the KID Museum sign.

When: 8:45 am – 9:00 am

How does camp pick-up work?

KID Museum will not dismiss your child to anyone other than those adults designated on the KID Museum Camp Form — no exceptions! You must notify KID Museum of any changes to the pick-up plans in writing. All adults picking up children must show ID before they are able to leave. KID Museum staff will be outside to check children out.

KID Museum Davis Library

Where: 6400 Democracy Blvd, Lower Level, Bethesda, MD 20817

Same as the drop-off point.

When: 4:00 pm

KID Museum Bethesda Metro Center

Where: 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 140, Bethesda, MD 20814

Same as the drop-off points.

When: 4:00 pm

What happens if my child can't attend a camp?

Please notify KID Museum if your child will not attend camp due to illness, emergency, or other contingencies. You may leave a detailed phone message by calling the KID Museum front desk at 301-941-4905 or sending an email to info@kid-museum.org. Per KID Museum policy, no refunds or make-ups will be provided for any missed sessions.

Why are campers grouped by grade?

KID Museum has age restrictions in place for all of our camps and workshops. We choose to use a child’s grade level, rather than their age, for the reasons detailed below. We require that all parents adhere to these restrictions when signing up for KID Museum activities. With this in mind, we do not make exceptions to our age/grade policies and will not issue refunds for noncompliance.

SAFETY: Your child’s safety is of the utmost importance to our staff. Children of different ages have vastly different levels of motor skill mastery and ability to retain instructions, and therefore require different levels of facilitation and supervision for the same tasks. By separating children by age group, KID staff can make the appropriate choices around tools and materials and staff to student ratio to keep every child safe.
STANDARDS: Most schools attended by KID makers follow national or state standards in their curricula. Because of this, KID educators can generally assume a set of common experiences for children in a certain grade, even if they attend different schools, and design programs based on these experiences.
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SKILLS: Even if a child is advanced beyond their grade level intellectually or physically, they may still be developing emotional skills that older children have mastered. For this reason, teaching a younger child a skill may look very different than teaching an older child the same skill.

How do you handle lunch?

Each camper should bring a non-perishable lunch and a drink. Campers may not share food. Please do not include nut products in lunches or snacks. Campers will have lunch outside unless prohibited by weather.

What should I pack for my child?

Labeled water bottle
Nut-free snack
Nut-free bagged lunch. Lunches will not be kept in coolers, so please include an ice-pack. Campers will not have the option to heat up their lunch.
Closed-toe shoes (shoes with wheels and open-toe shoes are strictly prohibited)
Sweatshirt
Hair tie (for long hair)
Sunscreen, hat, etc. for outdoor lunch/play
An extra shirt, shorts, swimsuit or towel may be needed occasionally if there are any outdoor water activities. We will do our best to notify you in advance of these activities.

What Parents & Guardians Have Said
About KID Museum Summer Camps

It was a great experience. I appreciate that it is a calm, organized learning environment that develops an interest in STEM.

Exceeded my expectations.

My child was engaged all day and given the opportunity to be creative while learning new things. She came home with tangible products of her work that she was proud of.

She has more comfort with and curiosity about electronics.

He loved camp. It has inspired him to do more maker stuff at home - instead of playing xBox all of the time!

Engaging, new content that taught her a tradition from my culture that I had not attempted myself.

He is already eager to sign up for next year.

Access For Every Maker

We partner with organizations throughout the DC Metro Area and beyond to provide free and reduced-cost opportunities to teachers, students, and families to participate in our programming.

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