Summer Junior Engineering/Lego & Science \ Chess Camp
Columbus Junior Engineering Camp
Our Columbus Engineering Camp is engaged in the development of children’s creativity through playing and learning with Lego equipment.
Students are grouped according to age and are exposed to a variety of different themes to lead them to our Learning Outcomes throughout the week.
Students take part in group projects as well as individual and small group activities.Students learn new skills and have ample opportunities to implement these new found skills during the course of the week. Time is also allocated to “free play” each day. This provides students with the opportunity to develop their level of play with their new found skills. Columbus Engineering Camp is divided into three age groups.
- Using toy construction bricks the young engineer is taught by qualified individuals to construct colourful creations such as buildings, pyramids and towers.
- Children work in groups and get individual attention to ensure their day is filled with fun, as they learn the very basics of construction, balance, engineering and design.
Age: 5-7 years
- This workshop based summer camp allows children to develop their construction and engineering abilities.
- They will be taught the basics of structural engineering using plastic bricks and construction pieces by a qualified engineer.
- Both individual and group projects are carried out across the week, ensuring a fun-filled, highly educational week.
- Children will leave with a knowledge of structural engineering, the effect of force, balance and suspension.
Columbus Senior Engineering Camp
Age: 8-12 years
- This is the most advanced of our engineering camps.
- Here the older students are led by a qualified engineer in a week of workshops in structural engineering
- Plastic bricks and connecting pieces are used to create a wide range of constructions, including pyramids, skyscrapers, bridges and wind turbines.
- Students will also work on computer software at Columbus Club to learn about Robotics and its applications.
- Construction: This provides children with the opportunity to work on team building projects, as well as time to explore their own creativity through free building.
- Bridge Construction: Students will learn how “to come up” with their own design and implement it, as well as learning the importance of structural soundness.
- Machines and Mechanisms: Students learn to explore resources for physical science and technology including renewable energy and pneumatics.
- Forces and Energy: Students explore kinetic and potential energy through the construction of mechanisms and vehicles.
- Problem Solving: Students will discover ways to make vehicles go faster downhaill (e.g. change weight). We could ask them to make a bridge to span a certain distance but use the minimum amount of materials.
- Lego Technic: Students experience how to build vehicles with motors and gears (mechanical engineering).
- Measurement: Students learn how to measure distance, gearing down, gear ratios, calibrating scales etc.
- Renewable Energy Add-On Set: These kits allows students to learn all about renewable energy sources, and is compatible with the Machines and Mechanisms modules. These sets feature a solar panel, turbine blades, a motor/generator, LED lights and an extension wire.
- Midstorm: Lego at this level appeals to childrens who are interersted in computers, building and creating, programming and robotics.
Definition of terms
Your child will learn about Potential energy which is the energy of an object or a system due to the position of the body. For example, a Lego vehicle at the top of a slopr.
They will also experience the Kinetic energy of an object which is the energy it possesses due to its motion.
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. For example, the children will be taught why their vehicles come to a stop eventually. They will understand it the theoryas they work through some exercises in a practical way.
Pneumatics is a section of technology that deals with the study and application of pressurised gas to produce mechanical motion. Again students will learn solid knowledge in this section through hands-on approach using the various kits.
- Week 1: Tuesday, 4th June – Friday, 7th June
- Week 2: Monday, 10th June – Friday, 14th June
- Week 3: Monday, 17th June – Friday, 21st June
- Week 4: Monday, 24th June – Friday, 28th June
- Week 5: Monday, 1st July – Friday, 5th July
- Week 6: Monday, 8th July – Friday, 12th July
- Week 7: Monday, 15th July – Friday, 19th July
- Week 8: Monday, 22nd July – Friday, 26th July
- Week 9: Monday, 29th July – Friday, 2nd August
- Week 10: Tuesday, 6th August – Friday, 9th August
- Week 11: Monday, 12th August – Friday, 16th August
Times: 9.00am – 3.00pm
Pre-Camp 8.15am – 9.00am, Free of Charge
Post-Camp: 3.00pm – 6:00pm (€7 per hour)
Please Remember: Bring Morning Snacks, Packed Lunch, Bottle of Water
Fees: €140 & €150 for (3-4) age group
Bank Holiday weeks / 4 day weeks €125 & €135 (3-4) age group
We have broadened this Camp to include workshops in Chess and in Science. The feedback from the students has been very positive. Both workshops are hands on. Our weekly competitions are proving very popular with the students.