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We typically work on 2 different engineering and architectural projects per day. Projects typically start with an introduction and short presentation by the instructor followed by a design/building assignment. Students have access to approximately 100,000 pieces of LEGO materials to use in creating their engineering projects.

Students are introduced to engineering terminology that they are encourage to use throughout the class when identifying pieces, posing questions, or assisting each other. Instructors circulate and assist the children in realizing their project goals.

When the participants have satisfied basic requirements of a project, they are encouraged to further explore engineering applications of the principles and construction methods by inspecting, testing, modifying, and rebuilding. At the end of each class session, students are expected to dismantle their projects and put away their materials.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Play-Well recognizes that our in-person summer camps will need to be run with modifications. The following are precautions that we have implemented, and we will be following individual guidelines of the partner locations which host our programs as well as any applicable changes to the recommendations from local governments and CDC guidelines.

For our in-person programs this summer, all Play-Well Instructors will wear face masks, wash hands/sanitize often (and encourage students to do so), wipe down high contact surfaces, and set up their classroom to help maintain social distancing. Students will also have separate, pre-sorted and disinfected materials to use exclusively throughout the program. We will also be adjusting the maximum number of kids enrolled in each program to ensure these steps are adhered to, and will cancel class if staff is feeling ill.

Families can also help us make this summer a success! Before the start of camp, please talk to your child about how class will be different and what socially distant means. Do not send your child to class if they have any symptoms of illness or are exposed to someone who is experiencing symptoms. Also, it's a good idea to take students to the bathroom before class to help minimize those trips during class, and make sure they wash hands or sanitize both before and after class. Finally, we thank you in advance for being flexible and patient with our staff. This is not “business as usual.” We are working hard to adapt and accommodate all of the guidelines and requirements in order to offer programming to your students, and we thank you for your cooperation in these efforts.

Unfortunately, the campers don't get to take any of the LEGO materials home with them. We re-use the materials with our other summer camps and classes. If we saved projects, we would not have enough materials for our other summer camps.

• 1st, 2nd, 3rd Class Levers
• Motors, batteries, leads
• Compound gear trains
• Overlapping
• Crown gears / bevel gears
• Pneumatics and pumps
• Beam bridges
• Rack and pinion steering
• Belt drive transmissions
• Rack gears
• Cams and clutch gears
• Skid steering
• Connected systems
• Steering mechanisms
• Eccentric motion
• Differentials
• Gear drives, torque, speed
• Timing Mechanisms
• Load & stress testing
• Worm gear drives
• Moment of inertia
• Friction and Gravity

While there are some fundamental projects that are revisited in summer camps, our instructors offer advanced challenges and modifications for any model that will push even the most experienced Lego Maniacs to the next level! Our curriculum is flexible and adjusts to the interests and experience level of the students. With hundreds of projects to choose from and a constantly expanding curriculum, our instructors look forward to continually challenging the most advanced students to reach their full potential. We also encourage our students to communicate when they desire a new challenge that meets their building skill level. Our responsibility as instructors is to never leave any student bored or unchallenged!

Yes. Instructors expect that participants in either the Junkyard Challenge or Bash `Em Bots summer camps are already familiar with basic engineering concepts and techniques taught in our Fundamentals summer camps. These advanced classes require a more open-ended creative application of building techniques to accomplish specific goals and challenges. We strongly encourage students to take our Fundamentals summer camps before enrolling in our more advanced summer camps.

We ask that you sign your child in and out each day of the summer camp. To ensure the children's safety, our instructors stay in the classroom with the child until a parent / guardian is there to pick them up and sign them out. This also gives us the opportunity to get to know your family and touch base before or after class!

We encourage parents to come 30 minutes before the end of class if you would like to see your child's specific project. If you cannot come early, we suggest giving your child a disposable camera, which would allow them to save a "snapshot" of their project.

Unfortunately, we do not sell the Lego parts used in our summer camps and classes. We encourage parents to visit our website, play-well.org, and check the `materials' link which lists the places where we obtain pieces for our kits.

We will take one break midway through class. We do not provide snack but encourage parents to provide a peanut-free snack for their child. For parents of children allergic to peanuts, we cannot guarantee that Lego pieces in our kits are completely free of peanut oils.