Booking a summer camp for a Hamilton kid this year means sorting through a long list of options that range from genuinely excellent to expensive babysitting with a STEM label on it. Here is what to look for and what to watch out for.
Small groups matter more than the curriculum description
A camp that advertises "coding" or "engineering" can mean anything. The thing that actually determines whether a kid learns something is the ratio of instructors to kids. Groups of 6 to 10 are where real learning happens. Groups of 20 or more are where kids wait around while someone else gets help.
Ask what the kid goes home with
The single best indicator of a hands-on camp is whether the camper brings something home every day. If the answer is "they work on a group project that stays at camp," that is a flag. If the answer is "they keep everything they make," that is a program that takes the hands-on part seriously.
Local vs. franchise
National franchise camps are not always bad, but they tend to run on standardized kits and scripted lesson plans. A local Hamilton shop running its own camp has more flexibility to follow the group's interest, adjust the pace, and let a kid who wants to go deeper actually go deeper. It also means you can walk in and ask questions before you book.
What Print and Play offers this summer
Kids STEM Day Camp runs weekly Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM, for ages 7 to 12. Each week covers 3D printing, coding, and electronics. Every camper takes home a project every day. Groups are intentionally small. Cost is $450 per week, with the civic holiday week of August 4 to 7 running four days at $360.
Teen Engineering Evening Sessions run Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 PM for ages 13 to 17. Teens design, build, test, and iterate on a weekly project using real engineering tools. Cost is $150 per week.
What to skip
Skip any camp where the primary activity is watching instructional video. Skip camps where the kid works on a tablet the entire time and calls it "coding." Skip any program that cannot tell you, specifically, what the camper will make and take home.
The best summer camp is the one a kid actually talks about when they get home.