The STEM and Robotics Center

Day 3 of LEGO Master Builders Camp was all about building strong.

We started by learning techniques for making LEGO models sturdier, including overlapping bricks, layering plates, and giving our builds a strong foundation. Then campers learned about some famous bridges before taking on an engineering challenge: build a sturdy bridge across our “river” that could support as much weight as possible.

After several rounds of testing, adjusting, and rebuilding, every team passed the Ultimate Weight Test when their bridges held up two bricks and a cup of weights.

We also started planning our next creative build: our very own LEGO city. Each camper was assigned a city space, and tomorrow they’ll begin bringing the city to life.

UPDATE: Due to reports of downed trees and water on roadways, along with St. Tammany Parish Government’s recommendation to avoid unnecessary travel this morning, camp is canceled today.

We are sorry for the change, but everyone’s safety must come first. Please stay safe!

We are receiving many reports of trees down and water on roads. Our crews are out working to clear downed trees.

Please do not travel unless necessary this morning! Stay safe, St. Tammany!

Day 2 of LEGO Master Builders Camp was a birthday celebration for Ms. Janelle!

We started the morning by touring the Wacky Wildlife Zoo campers built yesterday. Then students took on an engineering challenge: build a birthday cake that was both tall and strong. Their cakes had to be at least 12 inches tall, have at least 3 layers, include a candle and decorations, stand on their own, and actually look like birthday cakes instead of towers. They also had to pass a carry test across the room without falling apart. Some cakes even included a 29 for Ms. Janelle’s “29th” birthday.

At lunch, we celebrated with cupcakes and a very sweet round of Happy Birthday.

In the afternoon, campers used their creativity to design the ultimate party center, complete with spaces like an arcade, snack bar, movie theater, gaming room, mini golf, bowling alley, and Ms. Janelle’s favorite: an escape room.

It was such a great day, and I loved getting to share my birthday with so many awesome, creative kids.

Day 1 of LEGO Master Builders Camp was all about teamwork, compromise, creativity, and wacky wildlife.

We started with a teamwork activity where campers worked together to complete a jigsaw puzzle. Then each camper was assigned an animal category: land, sea, or air.

After building their own animals, they teamed up with a partner to combine their ideas into one brand-new wacky animal we’ve never seen before. It was a fun way to practice compromise by finding ways to include parts of both partners’ ideas.

Campers also designed and built zoo enclosures and other features like a ticket counter, gift shop, and snack stand. As they worked on their zoo models, campers also visited our minifigure “store” to build a custom minifigure to use in their models this week.

Tomorrow morning, we’ll take a tour through our Wacky Wildlife Zoo!

Day 5 of Video Game Programming Camp wrapped up with classic platformer games.

Inspired by games like Mario, campers created their own platformer levels with obstacles to jump over, sound effects, a start screen, multiple levels, and a timer to track player progress.

This project pulled together a lot of what they practiced all week: player feedback, variables, game mechanics, testing, and making changes when something didn’t work the way they expected.

We also had another spinner tournament today. Congratulations to Olly on the win!

We have a second Video Game Programming Camp in July with 5 new games, so campers can come back and build something completely different. Details are at www.STEMandRoboticsCenter.com.

Last-minute camp opening!

Our LEGO Master Builders camp starts Monday, and we have 2 spots left.

With rainy weather in the forecast next week, it’s a great time for indoor creative building, problem-solving, and LEGO design challenges.

This camp is a great fit for kids who love to build, create, and see how far they can take an idea.

Register at www.STEMandRoboticsCenter.com

Day 4 of Video Game Programming Camp went to space.

Inspired by the classic game Galaga, students created their own space shooter games while continuing to work with clones, sounds, scores, and lives.

They also did a little algebra to make the game more challenging as the score increased. Summer or not, those math skills still come in handy.

Campers then remixed their games by changing the theme, sounds, characters, and other details to make each version their own.

We also held our first double-elimination spinner tournament at lunch. Congratulations to today’s winners, William and Connor!

LEGO Explore Robotics: UNEARTHED Days 3–5 update. Sorry for the late post. We were out of town with Space Ninjas at the American Robotics Invitational, and we’re finally getting caught up.

Our Explore students were busy building, coding, and learning about how archaeologists use sensors, radar, vehicles, and other technology to find and study artifacts.

They built and coded an Artifact Inspector, explored how radar can help locate objects underground, excavated artifacts from the LEGO model, and created vehicles to help move tools and discoveries around a dig site.

They also finished the week by building their team archaeology models and wrapping up the final spinner tournament.

Along the way, teams kept practicing what matters most: sharing ideas, testing their code, making changes, and working together.

Day 3 of Video Game Programming Camp was all about remixing.

Students took the Pong-style games they built yesterday and turned them into Breakout-style games. They learned how to use clones and broadcasting messages, which helped them add more game elements without having to rebuild everything from scratch.

We also had a surprise visit from Eric, who is teaching drafting at Delgado Community College this summer. It was fun having him stop by and check out what everyone has been working on.

And yes, the spinner battles are still going strong. The first spinner tournament is happening at lunch tomorrow.

Day 2 of Video Game Programming Camp moved beyond the basics and into what makes games feel responsive.

Students learned how player feedback makes a big difference, especially through sound effects. They built a Pong-style game, then customized it to make their versions unique. Everyone also got to playtest each other’s games and see how different the final versions turned out.

They also started working with variables by adding scores and increasing the speed as the score went up. That meant doing a little algebra to calculate speeds based on the player’s score. We have to keep those math skills fresh over the summer.

A lot of today was about testing, adjusting, and understanding why the game behaves the way it does.

And, of course, the spinner battles are in full force.