Chicago’s Best STEM Summer Camps for Kids Who Love to Build, Code & Create (Part 1)
When school is out, Chicago is full of possibilities and for parents looking to make the most of those three months, the city has no shortage of incredible summer camps to choose from.
Whether your child is the kind of kid who spends hours building in Minecraft, loves taking things apart just to see how they work, or has a creative energy that needs a real outlet, there’s something out there designed exactly for them.
We put together this guide to highlight some of the best summer camps in Chicago across four areas we’re passionate about: coding, gaming, creativity, and engineering. Because summer should be fun but it doesn’t hurt if it’s also the season your child discovers what they’re really capable of. Let’s see them!
💻 Coding Camps
1. 🎮 Roblox Editor: Create & Code Your World Campers use Roblox Studio to design 3D environments and code interactive games using scripting. This camp introduces programming logic, game mechanics, and creative design.
2. ⚡ Fortnite Designer: Game Development with UEFN Campers design, build, and publish original Fortnite games using Epic’s UEFN tools. This camp introduces game mechanics, collaboration, and creative engineering concepts.
3. 🥽 VR Creator: Fun with Unity and Oculus Campers build interactive games using the Unity engine and explore virtual reality with Oculus Quest. Students learn how coding, design, and physics work together to create immersive experiences.
🕹️ Gaming Camps
1. 🥽 VR Creator: Fun with Unity and Oculus Campers build interactive games using the Unity engine and explore virtual reality with Oculus Quest. Students learn how coding, design, and physics work together to create immersive experiences.
2. 🧱 Minecraft: Arcade Makers NEW! Campers design and build their own Minecraft mini-games while learning game design and coding fundamentals. This camp strengthens creativity, logic, and interactive problem-solving skills.
3. 🔴 Minecraft Redstone: Escape Room Adventure Campers master Redstone circuits, power systems, and automation while solving engineering challenges in Minecraft. Students design machines, build logic-based solutions, and apply problem-solving skills through hands-on projects.
🎨 Creative Camps
1. 📱 Content Creator: Build Your Brand Campers explore personal branding, photography, video production, and digital storytelling. Students learn how creators build audiences and develop engaging online content.
2. 🥽 VR Creator: Fun with Unity and Oculus Campers build interactive games using the Unity engine and explore virtual reality with Oculus Quest. Students learn how coding, design, and physics work together to create immersive experiences.
3. 🦈 Shark Tank: Create & Pitch Your Own Product! Campers design products, build startup ideas, and develop marketing strategies using professional tools. Teams pitch their ideas while learning entrepreneurship, collaboration, and presentation skills.
⚙️ Engineering Camps
1. 🤖 Battle of the Bots: Tournament of Champions Campers design and build robotic systems while learning mechanical engineering fundamentals. Teams compete in challenges that develop problem-solving, teamwork, and engineering skills.
2. 🦾 Junior Robotics: Programming with VEX 123 Campers program robots using the VEX 123 platform through hands-on challenges. Students build foundational skills in logic, sequencing, robotics, and teamwork.
3. 🚁 Drone Code: Programming with Python 3 Campers program Python-controlled drones to navigate obstacle courses and analyze data. This camp highlights the relationship between software, hardware, and engineering problem-solving.
Of course, if you’re looking for a place where coding, gaming, creativity, and engineering all live under one roof, you don’t have to look far! At iCode Ravenswood, we offer programs that bring all of these worlds together in a hands-on, supportive environment where kids genuinely thrive. Whether your child is a total beginner or already has some experience, there’s a place for them here.
Check out what we have going on this summer at iCode Ravenswood, and stay tuned for part two of this series, where we’ll be sharing even more great options for your kids this season. The list only gets better from here. 🙌
