Last week of JuneOpen
Week 1: Bridges and towers
Craft sticks, cardboard and tape, built and loaded until a bridge or tower gives way, then built again.
- Entering grades 3 to 8
- 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
STEM camp in Parsippany, New Jersey
Build something new every week
Headlamp is a six-week summer camp for children entering grades 3 to 8, in a rented classroom building. Each week has one theme, such as bridges, circuits or rockets, and ends with a Friday demo day for families.
- Entering grades 3 to 8
- Six weeks, late June to early August
- A demo day every Friday
Summer
A new theme every week
Book one week or several. Every week runs Monday to Friday, with the same day and a new build.
Summer
- First week of JulyOpen
Week 2: Circuits and light
Batteries, bulbs and switches, ending in a night light each camper wires and takes home.
- Entering grades 3 to 8
- 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Second week of JulyWaitlist
Week 3: Rockets and flight
Paper rockets, gliders and air-powered launchers, flown on the lawn behind the building.
- Entering grades 3 to 8
- 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Third week of JulyOpen
Week 4: Machines that move
Gears, levers, ramps and pulleys, built into marble runs and simple vehicles.
- Entering grades 3 to 8
- 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Fourth week of JulyOpen
Week 5: Water engineering
Filters, dams and boats that float, tested at tables and in tubs.
- Entering grades 3 to 8
- 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- First week of AugustWaitlist
Week 6: Design challenge
Each camper picks a problem, plans a build and tests it, for the biggest demo day of the summer.
- Entering grades 3 to 8
- 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Sample sessions.
Weeks open, fill and gather waitlists as families register. Our registration page has the latest.
Weeks by grade
Which weeks are open for your camper
Each grade pair has its own group, and a camper stays in it all week.
Entering grades 3 and 4
8 to 9 years
Adults to children: 1 adult to 8 childrenGroup size: 16Build-first weeks, with more guidance at each step
- Week 1Bridges and towers · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 2Circuits and light · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 3Rockets and flight · Monday to FridayWaitlist
- Week 4Machines that move · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 5Water engineering · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 6Design challenge · Monday to FridayOffered
Entering grades 5 and 6
10 to 11 years
Adults to children: 1 adult to 10 childrenGroup size: 20Campers plan before they build, and test twice
- Week 1Bridges and towers · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 2Circuits and light · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 3Rockets and flight · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 4Machines that move · Monday to FridayFull
- Week 5Water engineering · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 6Design challenge · Monday to FridayWaitlist
Entering grades 7 and 8
12 to 13 years
Adults to children: 1 adult to 10 childrenGroup size: 20Longer builds and a design brief of their own
- Week 1Bridges and towers · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 2Circuits and light · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 3Rockets and flight · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 4Machines that move · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 5Water engineering · Monday to FridayOffered
- Week 6Design challenge · Monday to FridayOffered
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Holds a place and covers each camper's file for the summer.
- Early and late care
- Extra hours before and after the camp day, booked by the week.
- Camp shirt
- The shirt campers wear on demo day, so families can spot the group.
Our registration page has the latest.
Sample programs.
Hands and builds
What the tables look like by Thursday
Marble runs, magnifying glasses and a beaker or two: campers do most of the work with their hands.
Sample photos.
Demo day
Every week ends on a Friday
Families come to see what the group built, test it and ask the builders how it works.
This summer
- Event
Weekly demo day
Every Friday at 2:30 p.m.
Campers show what they built and answer questions from family and friends.
- Event
Launch day
Friday of the rockets week
Rockets and gliders fly from the lawn, with families behind the flight line.
- Event
The big demo day
Friday of the design challenge
Every camper in the last week shows the problem they chose and what they made.
Sample dates.
Permit, ratios and routines
Who is with your camper, and how the day is run
The camp's state permit, how many counselors are with each group, and the routines we follow for tools, launches, heat and pickup.
License
Permitted by New Jersey Department of Health
Youth camp permit · NJ Permit # 000000Verify
Adults to children
1 adult to 8 children
8 to 9 years
Group size: 16
1 adult to 10 children
10 to 11 years
Group size: 20
1 adult to 10 children
12 to 13 years
Group size: 20
Capacity
70
Ages 8 years to 13 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Mandated reporter training
- Medication training
Safety routines
Sign-in at the door
An adult on your list signs your camper in and out at the door every day, and we ask for photo ID until we know you.
Tools and materials
Campers wear safety glasses for any build that needs them, and a counselor is beside any camper using a hand tool. Materials are chosen for the age group.
Launch days
Rockets and gliders fly on the lawn behind the building, from a marked line. Campers stay behind it until a counselor calls the launch, and a windy or wet launch moves indoors.
Heat, sun and weather
Outdoor blocks have shade and a water break between activities, and we move inside when it is very hot or stormy. Send your camper with sunscreen already on.
Allergies, medicine and illness
Tell us about allergies and medicine at registration, and we ask what we need privately. A camper with a fever stays home, and if a camper feels ill at camp, we call you and a counselor stays with them until you arrive.
Drills
Every group practices fire and shelter-in-place drills in the first week, so campers know where to go and who to follow.
Sample details.
From parents
What parents tell us
4.8
64 reviews
5★52
4★9
3★2
2★1
1★0
“My daughter explained her circuit to the whole family on Friday, wires and all. She was still talking about it at dinner.”
Zahida H., parent of a ten-year-old“Someone is at the door every morning, and the weekly sheet told me what each week would build. I knew what to pack before the first day.”
Lucinda B., parent of a nine-year-old“My son came home with questions I couldn't answer, which is what I hoped for. The older group got a real design brief.”
Sheree W., parent of a twelve-year-old
Sample reviews.
Questions
Questions parents ask first
We are glad to answer by phone.
Which children is camp for?
Camp is for children entering grades 3 to 8, about ages 8 to 13. Campers are in a group with others entering the same grades.
What is a day at camp like?
Campers arrive at 9:00 a.m., sign in at the door and join a circle where we share the day's challenge. There are two build blocks, lunch and outside time, and a short test-and-share at the end. Pickup is at 3:30 p.m.
What does a week build?
Each week has one theme: bridges and towers, circuits and light, rockets and flight, machines that move, water engineering, and a design challenge. Campers make several things in a week, and Friday is demo day.
What should my camper bring?
A backpack with a lunch and snack, a filled water bottle, closed-toe shoes, a hat and sunscreen put on at home. Everything else we supply. Phones and games stay home.
What happens in heat or rain?
We move activities inside when it is very hot, stormy or wet, and launches wait for a clear day. We text families before camp if anything about the day changes.
Save a place for the weeks you need
Registration opens in January. Register on our enrollment page, or call and ask about a week, pickup or the heat plan.