Build-It-Yourself Camps

2024 Dates: July 15–19
Rising 3-8 grades
Cost: $895

2D games and videos are so last fall. If you want to be a hot shot game designer or animator, you must move from the 2D world to the 3D world.  Build-It-Yourself is looking for a few hotshot artists and computer game designers to create knock-your-socks-off 3D computer graphics.

The Mission:
Learn to think and express your ideas in three dimensions. You must create a video of an exotic 3D rocket ship that navigates through a fantasy universe. Then, you must create a flock of animated aliens.

2024 Dates: July 22–26
Rising 3–8 graders
Cost: $895

Wanted: Minecraft Artists and Builders

Advanced civilizations have Sphinx-like monuments, Taj Mahal-like structures, and Google-like laboratories that inspire creative builders to invent amazing contraptions. You will build a state-of-the-art Minecraft laboratory where you can invent to your heart’s content.

Minecraft, one of the most popular computer video games today, enables builders to exercise their creativity in previously impossible ways. Building complex machines, designing logic systems, and creating imaginative structures are enabled in this 3D virtual world. Inventors will experience the thrill of building in a fun, artistic environment.

Advanced Minecraft builders may introduce Redstone contraptions into their designs.

Skills you will exercise: Minecraft construction techniques | architectural design | presentation skills | teamwork | defender of creative thinking

NEW for 2024
2024 Dates: July 29–August 2
Rising 3–8 graders
Cost: $895

Rube Goldberg was an inventor/artist who dreamed of incredibly clever machines to solve very important problems. We could sure use a few more like him today, ‘cause we’ve got a major problem . . . the world needs more jokes!

Your mission is to work in teams to design and build the ultimate JDD – Joke Delivery Device. A quarter will put the whole contraption into motion. One team’s link will trigger the next team’s link and so on, until finally, a joke sign springs into action.

You can earn a ton of money making people laugh.

Skills you will exercise: construction | simple to complex machines | presentation | tasty treats

2024 Dates: August 5–9
Rising 3-8 graders
Cost: $895

Build-It-Yourself is looking for some hot-shot inventors to fix the global economy. Huge deficits, high unemployment, and looming inflation have everyone down in the dumps.

Your mission is to build robots that create value, entertain, offer a service, put people to work, and pay their inventors handsomely. One young Build-It-Yourself engineer and his robotic sidekick raked in $27.25 in one day!

Combining programming, robotics, some premium quality junk, a dash of artistic flair, and a bank vault load of entrepreneurial imagination and spirit will drive your cash flow into positive territory and put your P&L solidly in the black.

Bill Gates … the next generation of builders will soon be ready to carry your torch!

Skills you will exercise: art | construction | programming | imagineering | presentation | high finance

2024 Dates: August 12–16
Rising 3–8 graders
Cost: $895

Humans have a nasty history of wanting what others have. Do you have what it takes to design and build the most formidable fort in the land to protect your treasures?

The Problem:
The world is in chaos! Evil doers are stealing everyone’s candy.

The Correctocrats say, “Can’t we all just get along?”

The Mighticans say, “Survival of the fittest. We must must be strong!“

The Middletarians say, “Give me candy or give me death!”

The Mission:
Build a mighty castle that can protect the Queen’s candy.

You must build a fort from cardboard boxes, plastic trash bags, scraps of wood and other premium quality junk.

You must defend your position from scurrilous scoundrels who want to take your candy. Be warned! They may be armed with wet projectiles, stink bombs, and slanderous insults.