JR Engineering

How to Access Projects

Your Ninja built hands-on projects this week — keep an eye out for what came home in their backpack!

The digital projects stay on our dojo computers. Your Ninja may have shown off a few during our Friday showcase for parents.

What We Covered This Week

Throughout the camp, Ninjas explored real engineering concepts at a JR pace using Snap Circuits, Makey Makey, ScratchJR, and lots of craft supplies. Click any topic to expand.

Meet Grace Hopper & Debug Snap Circuits

Met Grace Hopper — the inventor who coined the word "bug" after pulling a real moth out of a computer in 1947
Built paper-plate bugs of their own to take home
Used Snap Circuits to debug little broken circuits a Sensei had snuck in — racing teammates to find each other's mistakes
Learned that debugging is a real engineer's job — it's how every gadget actually gets to "working"

Wigglebot Robotics & Traffic-Light Circuit

Built a Wigglebot from a paper cup, a motor, and three markers — then watched it spin and draw wild circle art on paper
Explored what makes a robot a robot — it senses, decides, and moves
Wrapped the day by building a paper traffic-light circuit — wiring up real LEDs by hand
Took their first taste of simple circuits — how electricity flows from battery to light through a closed loop

The Scientific Method in Action

Learned the 5 steps of the scientific method — observation, question, hypothesis, experiment, conclusion
Made tissue-paper butterfly wings flap using static electricity
Designed and tested straw rockets — experimented with fin shapes, sizes, and angles to see which flew farthest
Recorded their hypothesis before each test — then compared it to what really happened (real scientist style!)

Inputs, Outputs & the Fruit Drum Kit

Coded a dance party in ScratchJR — their first time programming a screen using picture-block code
Hooked up a Makey Makey board and turned fruit into a working drum set — apples, bananas, even pencil graphite
Learned the engineering concept of inputs and outputs — touch becomes sound, motion becomes color
Tested which household items conduct electricity (and which don't) to make their own custom controllers

Shadow Projectors & the Gallery Walk

Built a Shadow Projector from a flashlight and cardboard tube — the week's capstone project
Experimented with light, distance, and shape to make giant or tiny shadows on the wall
Set up a Gallery Walk to show parents every invention from the week
Wrapped with lots of high-fives, hugs, and "I built this!" moments

What's Next?

Camp week is over, but the fun doesn't have to stop. Explore what's next for your Ninja:

AGES 5-7

12 Weeks
50 min

Get your child started early on STEM and Coding concepts with hands-on tinkering and simple yet powerful coding in ScratchJR and CodeSpark! Completely visual and tactile learning – no reading required!

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AGES 5-14

Mon–Fri
Half/Full Day

Between Minecraft, Roblox, Engineering, Digital Art and more, your child will have a blast with our seasonal Camps! Get ready for a week-long adventure they'll never forget.

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Or come in for a free 30-minute trial →

JR Engineering

How to Access Projects

What We Covered This Week

What's Next?

Moments in the Dojo

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