Mad Science of Sudbury

Camp 1:  Claws, Codes & Constellations ($150.00 full week plus GST)

Mad Messages: Discover how to send secret messages to your friends using special codes! Children learn how to talk with numbers, just like computers, and create their very own code "crackers"!  In the afternoon, they become detectives and use their Mad Science observational skills to discover the writer of the "Mystery Letter".

Earth Awareness: How are we hurting Mother Earth? Discover how science will help us protect our planet. Children will understand the basics of water pollution, acid rain, and the benefits of solar energy. By actively recycling their own garbage, they will make their very own paper to take home and actually use!

The Science of Sport: What do football players, scientists and ballet dancers have in common? Explore how Newton helps us learn why we move the way we do, and improve the games we play.  Campers experiment with games and activities while learning how physical and chemical sciences affect their equipment, movement, and technique.

Nature: Play the nature scavenger hunt that combines science exploration with the animal kingdom! Campers learn about life cycles and animal habits, and even replicate an animal's footprints.

Space Day: Young astronauts explore the mysteries of the solar system.  Children will discover how astronauts live and work in space.  The sun, the moon, the stars, and gravity are only a few of the things that must be dealt with on this Mad Science space mission.

Camp 2: Moving With Science ($160.00 full week plus GST)

Jr. Engineers: Check out shapes and why they are so strong! Investigate arches, and geodesic domes. Discover why an egg’s shape is so strong and how you can find this shape in buildings. Test loads and build some bridges when you put on an engineer’s hat and learn about structures.

Machine Mania: Find out how wedges, screws and levers help us with our daily lives. Use simple machines to complete different tasks like lifting weights and launching marshmallows.  Run through an obstacle course and use teamwork to show how useful simple machines can be.

Crazy Chemistry: Become a Mad Science chemist as you learn all about the chemistry things that you encounter everyday in your house and school. Discover how chemical reactions are everywhere and how you can figure out if a chemical change has occurred right before your very eyes. Mix, mush and brew together different chemicals to create things that you can use in this hands-on outdoor chemistry lab. 

The Birds & The Beasts: Where do owls live and what do they eat? How do some bugs walk on water? How do ants collect all their food? These questions and more will be answered with a walk on the wild side of things to explore owls, birds and all kinds of bugs.

Shutterbugs!: How does a camera work? What does a lens do? How do our eyes work? What is a camera obscura? How does film capture light and store an image? How did the idea of motion pictures start and how did early filmmakers figure out how to make images move? All these questions and more will be answered in this hands-on program wherein campers get to experience all aspects of photography.

Camp 3: Chemicals, Cells & Crime ($150.00 full week plus GST)

The Organ Trail: The students will be introduced to the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, skeletal, and muscular systems.  In the process they will learn about some of the body’s most important parts: the heart, lungs, stomach, brain and more.  They will listen to their hearts, build models of their lungs and muscles, and observe the life-like replicas of real organs.

At the Scene of the Crime…: Campers are introduced to the notion of observation and its importance as part of the scientific method.  A mock crime scene is examined, information is presented in many formats, and the challenge is to sort and sift through the data in an effort to solve the "crime".  Several forensic techniques are also employed toward this effort.  The end of the day brings about a conclusion to the "crime", followed by a recap of the information and methods used to ascertain what actually happened.

Cell-ebration: The campers will be introduced to several cell organelles and their functions.  The membrane, mitochondria, nucleus, ribosome, and lysosome will receive most of the attention.  At times they will imitate the action of each of these parts with special emphasis on the nucleus and the role of DNA in directing and recreating life.  They will learn the basics of the code of life, and they will make a model of a cell including the organelles studied.

Radical Reactions: What holds atoms and molecules together? What happens to these bonds during chemical reactions? Mad scientists will use this day to study chemical reactions in depth. These reactions will include those that give off heat (exothermic), reactions that require heat (endothermic), reactions that proceed at a very fast pace, reactions that “go to far” and must try to return “home” (to equilibrium), and reactions that proceed in spite of the fact that they shouldn’t. 

Chemical Counting: Explore fundamental “nuts and bolts” of chemistry, starting with the principle of  “chemically counting” using the chemists’ unit of measure, a mole. Figure out the contents of a mystery solution using standard chemical reactions, and then campers will apply the principles of analysis in assaying real, off-the-shelf pain relief tablets for aspirin content. Cool molecular model building introduces chemical structure and bonding, and electrochemistry rounds out the day.  The topics here range from creating electrical current using chemical systems (exactly as a battery does) to plating (chemically bonding) one metal onto another.

Camp 4: Rockin’ Rockets & Aerodynamics ($175.00 full week plus GST)

From the earliest flying machines to the first rocket flights, this week long, hands-on program for children ages 7-12 (recommended ages) will allow them to build many different flying devices, see how Newton’s Laws of motion help explain how things move and how rockets fly and show them how amazing our Milky Way is.

The “Wright” Stuff – Children will explore the fundamentals of aerodynamics in this hands-on program about how things fly. From the basic principles of flight to building airplanes, testing them in wind tunnels, to hovercraft and balloon copter building, children will understand what makes things fly and how different types of aircraft fly. Campers will take home a rubber band powered airplane, various paper airplane designs, balloon copters and boomerangs.

Up, Up & Away! – This program will explore the role that wind and the movement of air plays on simple flying devices such as kites, hot air balloons and parachutes. Children will experiment with solar bags, parachutes and build their own kites and windsocks during this hands-on look at early flight.

The Milky Way – What is the Milky Way and how do we know what’s up there? Children will explore the celestial sphere, learn about celestial navigation and build their own sextant, sundial, planisphere and even a refracting telescope while discovering the wonders of the Milky Way.

 Newton’s Loco-Motion – Sir Isaac Newton was very curious about how things move. Discover Newton’s Laws of Motion and something called inertia in this hands-on program all about motion. Children will experiment to learn how inertia works and how gravity is a physical force that keeps all objects “stuck” to the Earth. They will build a “gravity simulator,” and an “inertia tester” to take home to continue their exploration of motion at home.

Rockin’ Rockets – Campers will learn the fundamentals of rocketry throughout this day including the parts of a rocket, the stages of rocket flight and how Newton’s third law applies to a rocket traveling to space. The children will build their own Estes Skywriter rockets, experiment with water rockets and stomp rockets during this fun, day filled with hands-on activities.

Welcome to “The Garden!”  Pre-School children from age 2 – 5 ($155.00 full week plus GST)

Soil and Seeds:  Children will learn where things grow, the different characteristics of seeds, and explore what seeds become. They will perform a seed dissection and compare their seeds to objects like pebbles, learn about the different ways that seeds are planted in nature, and how plants travel through their seeds. Children will make their own seed badges to take home!

Sun, Wind and Rain: Children will discover what types of weather are vital for a healthy garden. They will learn to identify basic weather conditions;  perform an experiment to learn about how waterfall and wind shape a garden. Children will make their very own sun visors to wear when they work in a garden!

Plants and Leaves: Children will explore the different parts of plants and leaves. They will, try some activities to learn more about their characteristics, from performing leaf rubbings to add to their camp journals to examining plants and leaves under a microscope—designed for preschoolers. Children will make their very own Budding Bean necklace to take home!

Flowers, Fruits and Veggies:  Children will investigate what plants produce. They examine the different parts of flowers, fruits, and vegetables using their microscopes, create their very own plants and flowers in their journals, and make frameable- prints of fruits and vegetables to take home!

Butterflies, Ladybugs and Bees:  Children will examine the other inhabitants of the garden, including butterflies, ladybugs, and bees, and learn how these creatures help a garden grow. They will learn about pollination, how bugs see, and basic bug anatomy. They will make their own butterfly bracelets to take home, together with the camp journal that they have been working on throughout “The Garden!” camp.

Accreditations

• ACA

Camp Focus

Academic and Pre-College Camps: Science

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