THESE CAMPS WILL BE TAKING PLACE AT OUR MAIN CAMPUS LOCATED IN SAN LUIS OBISPO
Registration opens April 15, 2026, at 10:00am: If you are new to our registration system, please create an account before this date and add all family members to make sure you are ready to "add to cart"
- Click the class title to register online via our ActiveNet registration website.
- Registration for each workshop will close 2 weeks prior to the workshop start date to allow for shipping of class materials. Please contact CommunityPrograms@cuesta.edu for potential registration within 2 weeks of the start date. Additional fees for shipping costs may be incurred for enrollment after the closing date for registration.
- All students should bring a nut-free snack and a water bottle to each session.
- If registering for two camps in the same week, students will have a supervised lunch
period from 12:00-12:30pm and must bring a nut-free lunch.
Ages 5-7
Creative Engineers
8:30am-12:00pm
Art meets engineering as campers design, build, and create imaginative structures and inventions. Kids will explore problem solving and creativity while enjoying open-play STEM stations for continued hands-on exploration.
Journey to Space
12:30-4:00pm
Blast off into an exciting space adventure! Campers will explore planets, rockets, astronauts, and the mysteries of our solar system through hands-on activities, creative building challenges, and space- inspired experiments. Young explorers will design rockets, create galaxy art, and imagine life beyond Earth. Each day also includes time for open-play STEM stations where campers can explore building materials, science tools, and creative challenges at their own pace.
Ages 7-9
Chemical Creations
8:30am-12:00pm
Come experience a hands-on world of fun as you conduct a variety of scientific experiments! You will work on and take home your very own Chemistry Lab Kit, enabling you to complete many activities! Learn and discover many different scientific concepts in an entertaining and innovative approach. You will be trained to work like a real scientist in the lab. You will also make and take home some cool chemical creations! Learn all about energy and molecules, create a crazy bouncy glob from glue, and some scary green slime! Make your very own UV bracelet and watch it react to the sun. You will also get to witness some amazing scientific demonstrations from your instructor. Watch snow being created and feel how cold it is! Experience a powerful magnet, magic sand, and many other exciting experiments in this fascinating and educational program!
AI SmartCore 4 Robot
12:30-4:00pm
Dive into the exciting universe of robotics by building and taking home your very own AI SmartCore 4 Robot! This remarkable kit features 4 separate modular smart vehicles that are powered by cutting-edge AI SmartCore technology! It allows All-Terrain Cube to navigate directions with balance and predictability; Enables Super Snake to entertain the most curious of four and two-legged friends; Empowers Turbo Trike to cruise at high speeds while maintaining control; and transforms Titan Tank into a roving explorer. Whether navigating tricky terrain, zooming at top speeds, or exploring new territories, every day promises hands-on fun and learning! With 42 easy-to-snap-together parts, a remote control, and a rechargeable LiPO battery, it’s perfect for new robot builders eager to master robotic engineering! Ready to build the future? Join us and let your imagination take flight!
Ages 5-7
Young Entrepreneurs
8:30am-12:00pm
Future business leaders start here! Campers will create simple products, design mini businesses, and learn about creativity, teamwork, and problem solving. Kids will practice pitching ideas, designing logos, and building their own mini marketplace. Each day also includes open- play STEM stations where campers can invent, design, and explore hands-on activities.
Mighty Builders
12:30-4:00pm
Put on your hard hats and become a young engineer! In Mighty Builders camp, kids willdesign towers, bridges, and creative structures using a variety of building materials. Throughfun engineering challenges, campers will learn about balance, strength, and teamwork. Campers will also enjoy open-play STEM stations filled with building tools, blocks, and hands-on exploration opportunities.
Ages 7-9
Future Architects
8:30am-12:00pm
Unleash your inner architect as you work on and take home your very own Architectural Design kit! Dive into the world of building design as you construct everything from simple arches and domes to iconic landmarks like the Sydney Opera House and the Eiffel Tower. With 20 awesome models to create, you’ll learn how real-world structures stand tall through hands-on fun! Challenge yourself as you explore architectural principles and engineering techniques, all while designing and building your very own masterpieces. As you build stadiums, skyscrapers, and even a Ferris wheel, you’ll discover the secrets behind how engineers and architects plan, design, and create the world’s most incredible structures. Ready to design and build your own towering creations? The sky’s the limit as you bring your engineering dreams to life and see the world of architecture from a whole new perspective!
X in 1 Robot Fun
12:30-4:00pm
If you are new to robot building, this is for you! Come assemble up to five different vehicles, three different dinosaurs, and two windmills as you work on and take home your very own X in1 Robot kit! You will construct ten animated building options with child-friendly parts that function indoors with the use of a Hand Generator, outdoors with the use of the XL Solar Panel, and indoors and outdoors with the Wind Powered LED. Developing manual dexterity and building confidence has never been this fun! You will also learn three separate renewable energy concepts: Hand Generator power, Solar power, and Wind power. With the aid of your instructor, you will utilize the colored instruction manual and work with over 115 pieces as you explore, create, and innovate! With Χ in 1 Renewable Energy Kit, the fun never has to end. Come unleash your inner robot engineer!
Ages 5-7
Oceanic Exploration
8:30am-12:00pm
Dive beneath the waves to discover the wonders of the ocean! Campers will learn about sea creatures, ocean habitats, and underwater exploration through science experiments, creative art, and engineering activities. From building mini submarines to exploring ocean currents, kids will experience the magic of the sea. Daily open-play STEM stations give campers extra time to explore science materials, build, and create.
Weather Lab
12:30-4:00pm
Become a junior meteorologist! In Weather Lab, campers will explore clouds, storms, wind, and rain through fun experiments and hands-on science activities. Kids will build simple weather tools, investigate how storms form, and learn how scientists study the atmosphere. Campers will also enjoy open-play STEM stations where they can experiment, build, and discover new ideas through play.
Ages 7-9
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
8:30am-12:00pm
Come join our Minds in Motion Crime Team in this fun and interesting program! We will provide you with all the tools you need to become your very own crime scene investigator. Learn all about forensics, searching for evidence, and gathering clues and bring home your very own detective kit! Working in groups, you will conduct many science experiments in our crime lab to solve the mysteries at hand. You will learn all about fingerprinting and how to classify them and bring home your very own fingerprint classification sheet! You will also perform chemical analyses and observations working with powders, liquids, and much much more! Be amazed at how much science plays a part in solving a crime. Come ready with your thinking caps and be prepared to use all the skills necessary to solve the crime of the century and help save the Minds in Motion Laboratory! We need you!
Sky High Engineering
12:30-4:00pm
Do you ever wonder how bridges span huge distances and how skyscrapers stay standing? Get ready to get your mind in motion as you work with and take home your very own Bridges and Skyscrapers Set! Learn all about basic structural elements and witness firsthand the forces acting on structural components! With your kit, you can build up to 20 model building experiments that each demonstrate a basic principle of mechanical physics or structural engineering in a hands-on way. Learn about the strength of materials as you compete with your classmate to see who can build the tallest tower using the pieces in this kit! Challenge yourself by building different types of bridges such a suspension bridge or cable stayed bridge. Come bring out the architect side of you as you enter the fascinating world of structural engineering and explore the magic of STEM!
Ages 5-7
Motion & Machines
8:30am-12:00pm
Get ready to move! Campers will explore the science of motion, simple machines, and how things work. Through ramps, wheels, pulleys, and building challenges, kids will investigate how objects move and how engineers design machines. Each day also includes open-play STEM stations filled with creative building materials and hands-on engineering exploration.
Inventors Lab
12:30-4:00pm
Young inventors will dream big and build their own creations! Campers will explore creativity, problem-solving, and design thinking as they invent new tools, gadgets, and imaginative solutions. Through fun challenges and collaborative projects, kids will discover the power of innovation. Daily open-play STEM stations allow campers to experiment, build, and continue inventing freely.
Ages 7-9
Cyber-Crawler Robot
8:30am-12:00pm
Build and take home your very own Cyber-Crawler Robot! This smart coding robotics kit entertains and teaches programming skills to inquisitive young future robotic engineers! With the aid of your instructor, you will each assemble your own robot that consists of 76 pieces. Once completed, a simple press-button programming keypad embedded on its cranium will send your Cyber-Crawler on its way! You can design obstacles and maze courses with your classmates and see how far you can go. With a maximum storage capacity of 64 tasks, your Cyber-Crawler Robot will be a terrific starter tool to learn the joy of coding! This very cool robot’s LEDs illuminate as it executes whatever you command. Come and join this fascinating and educational robotic experience!
Outer Space and Physics Fun
12:30-4:00pm
Come join an exciting world of space exploration as you build and take home your very own Orbiting Solar System Kit! You will assemble your own model, learn all about our planetary neighborhood, and watch the planets move around the sun with a wind-up motor inside. Set the planets in motion with a flick of your wrist! Take part in other exciting activities involving physics, air pressure, and density. Check out our real meteorite fragment sample! Watch a cosmic rocket shoot up fifty feet into the air! Be mesmerized as you assemble and take home your own stunt plane and learn about the four major forces of flight. You will also witness some neat demonstrations from your instructor. Watch as an egg is magically sucked into a bottle, behold a tornado being created, and much more in this fun and exciting program!
Ages 5-7
Survival Scientists
8:30am-12:00pm
What would it take to survive in the wild? Campers will learn basic survival science such as shelter design, water filtration, navigation, and outdoor problem solving. Through fun challenges and teamwork activities, kids will explore how science helps people survive in nature. Campers will also enjoy open-play STEM stations with hands-on exploration and creative building opportunities.
Backyard Biologists
12:30-4:00pm
Nature be comes our classroom in this exciting camp! Campers will explore plants, insects, animals, and ecosystems through observation, simple experiments, and nature-inspired projects. Kids will discover how scientists study living things and the amazing life all around us. Each day includes open-play STEM stations where campers can build, create, and explore science tools.
Ages 7-9
14 in1 Robot Adventure
8:30am-12:00pm
Come and take home your very own 14 in 1 educational solar robot kit! Every hour more solar energy reaches the Earth than humans use in an entire year! Learn how solar energy works and witness firsthand how this technology can harness the sun’s energy source. This kit contains unique components and parts that operate on land and water. Construct 14 different solar powered robots from functional to comical designs which include a tortoise bot, bug bot, paddle bot, tumbler bot, monster bot, big wheeler bot, car bot, surfer bot, and rowing bot! Working with its motor, gears, and solar panel, watch your solar bot come to life without any batteries as it uses the power of the sun. Take part in one of the alternative energies that is used most widely across the globe. Use your own creativity, put your mind in motion, and create your own designs!
Electricity & Magnetmania
12:30-4:00pm
Join us for an electrifying adventure in our Minds in Motion electronic lab! Dive into the exciting world of electronics and magnetism through hands-on experiments that will leave you buzzing with creativity. You'll take home your very own circuit kit, packed with 60 colorful snap-together pieces! Follow our fun manual filled with vibrant pictures to create up to 62 amazing experiments—like lighting up bulbs, powering spinning motors, and discovering the magic of magnets! But that’s not all! Get ready for jaw dropping demonstrations, including generating electricity with a handheld generator and watching a powerful magnet work its magic. Plus, you’ll be amazed as a special top levitates right before your eyes! Don’t miss this chance to unleash your inner inventor and explore the wonders of science in a super fun way that’s sure to spark your curiosity!
Ages 5-7
Animals & Art
8:30am-12:00pm
Campers will learn about different animals and habitats while creating fun art projects inspired by the natural world. From painting animal patterns to building animal homes, kids will explore how science and creativity connect. Daily open-play STEM stations allow campers to continue building, experimenting, and creating.
Project Wild
12:30-4:00pm
Inspired by wildlife conservation and outdoor science, campers will explore animals, habitats, and how people protect our planet. Through hands-on science activities, games, and creative projects, kids will learn about ecosystems and how living things depend on each other. Campers will also enjoy open-play STEM stations where they can build, explore, and experiment freely.
Ages 7-9
Hydropower Explorers
8:30am-12:00pm
Come explore the power of water by building models and conducting experiments with your very own Hydropower kit! Embark on thrilling hands-on activities as you assemble up to 12 working experiments. Learn how different devices are used to extract useful energy, from a waterwheel in a small stream to a giant turbine in a tidal power station! The full-color, 32-page manual offers illustrated instructions and scientific information. Build a sawmill, and a hammer mill to harness the energy of moving water to do different types of physical work! With your classmates, you will witness and investigate the intriguing properties of water. You can even construct a hydroelectric power station to generate electricity and light an LED! Learn where the energy in oceans and rivers comes from and discover how we can generate electricity from them. Come join in this educational and hands-on hydro-powered adventure!
Robo-Monorail Makers
12:30-4:00pm
Blast into the future of transportation and build your very own Robot Monorail System! Watch in awe as your RoboRails Robot balances on a single wheel and zips along a track, powered by a super-fast gyroscope and monowheel. You’ll be amazed at how steady your little robot is as it rolls along the track! Get ready to unleash your inner engineer with over 180 durable track pieces. You can follow the 26 awesome layouts in the manual or let your imagination run wild and design your own unique monorail system! With special connectors like the seesaw, splitter, and cross switch, you’ll add cool twists, turns, and challenges to your track that make it one-of-a-kind. Dive into hands-on experiments that explore cool physics concepts like rotational motion, acceleration, and angular momentum as you see gyroscopic forces in action. Are you ready to build the monorail of tomorrow? The adventure starts now!