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Summer 2026 · Santa Monica

Summer Camp

Eleven weeks. Eleven builds. A real engineering project every single week.

RC cars, lightsabers, racing drones, arcade cabinets, mechanical clocks — each week is a themed build kids take home. June 15 through August 28.

Reserve a weekSee all 11 weeks
A camper soldering a project at the Forge workshop bench.
Dates

Jun 15 – Aug 28

Hours

8:30 AM – 4:15 PM

Ages

Entering 2nd–8th grade

Tuition

$750 / week

The summer calendar

Eleven weeks, eleven builds.

Sign up for one week or the whole summer. Each week stands on its own, so kids can join any time — and every week ends with something they engineered and get to keep.

01Jun 15 – 19

RC Car — Build & Race

Build and race a real hobby-grade RC car — from assembly to customization to park-day racing.

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02Jun 22 – 26

Lightsaber Engineering

Build and program a full-size, customizable lightsaber using real electronics and code.

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03Up next

Control-Line Airplane

Jun 29 – Jul 3

Build and fly a real airplane using classic mechanical flight controls.

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04Jul 6 – 10

Arcade Engineering

Design, wire, and program your own playable arcade cabinet.

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05Jul 13 – 17

Racing Drone Engineering

Build and fly a racing drone — from soldering to simulator training to park flights.

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06Jul 20 – 24

Mechanical Clock

Assemble a beautiful, working mechanical clock you can mount at home.

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07Jul 27 – 31

Super Soaker Engineering

Engineer and test a custom water blaster built from real components.

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08Aug 3 – 7

RC Car — Repeat Week

Additional RC Car session for campers who missed Week 1.

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09Aug 10 – 14

Woodworking — Choose Your Adventure

Learn woodworking skills and design a custom project from start to finish.

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10Aug 17 – 21

Robotic Arm Masterclass

Explore advanced robotics with sensors, actuators, and real code.

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11Aug 24 – 28

Best of Summer

Build multiple fan-favorite projects in one bonus end-of-summer week.

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Who it's for

Built for every kind of kid.

Forge Summer Camp is for all kids — not just the ones who already think of themselves as “engineering” or “STEM” kids. No prior experience required. Just curiosity and a willingness to try.

  • Love to build, tinker, and create
  • Learn best by doing
  • Are curious about how things work
  • Want to build something real — not just follow instructions
Two girls using 3D pens to build a project together at a Forge workbench.
A camper in safety glasses building a project at a workbench while other campers work nearby.
Why Forge is different

Real tools. Real materials. Real engineering.

Most STEM camps revolve around screens and worksheets. At Forge, campers spend most of the day actively building — not sitting and watching.

  • Hands-on, project-based learning every day
  • Real tools — soldering irons, woodworking, electronics, motors
  • One real project that takes the whole week
  • Every camper takes their build home
  • Small groups led by experienced makers and engineers
A day at camp

Build, break for the park, build again.

Hands-on build sessions morning and afternoon, a snack, and a midday walk to Gandara Park for lunch and outdoor play. At pickup, campers show off what they built that day.

A camper laughing and playing outdoors at Gandara Park near Forge.
Daily schedule8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
  1. 8:30–9:00 AM

    Drop-off window & check-in

  2. 9:20 AM

    Safety talk + Forge intro

  3. 9:30 AM

    Morning build session

  4. 10:30 AM

    Snack break

  5. 10:45 AM

    Second build session

  6. 12:00 PM

    Walk to Gandara Park — lunch & outdoor play

  7. 1:20 PM

    Back at Forge — afternoon build

  8. 2:50 PM

    Cleanup — every camper resets their station

  9. 3:00–3:15 PM

    Pickup window — show off the day's builds

  10. 3:15 PM

    Remaining campers checked into aftercare (billed)

  11. 4:15 PM

    Aftercare ends

Variable tuition

Cost shouldn't be the reason a kid misses out.

We offer a sliding scale for households up to roughly 120% of the Santa Monica median income. It's a partial adjustment, not a full scholarship — but for many families it makes a real difference. Income documentation is required, and every application is handled privately.

Apply for variable tuition
Before you book

Camp questions, answered.

Who can come?

Campers entering grades 2 through 8 in the fall. Each week is mixed-age and the projects scale to each kid's pace, so siblings and friends at different grades can attend the same week.

What about lunch?

Pack a lunch or order a hot lunch by the day or the week. We walk to Gandara Park around noon for lunch and outdoor play, then head back for the afternoon build.

What should my kid bring?

A water bottle, a packed lunch (unless you've ordered one), and closed-toe shoes. We provide all tools, materials, and safety gear. Everything they build is theirs to take home.

Is aftercare available?

Yes. Pickup runs from 3:00 to 3:15 PM; campers not collected by 3:15 are checked into aftercare, which runs until 4:15 PM and is billed separately. Please let us know in advance when you can so we can staff appropriately.

What's the cancellation policy?

Full refund minus a 3% processing fee if you cancel 14 or more days before the week starts. Transfers to another week are allowed up to 14 days prior, space permitting.

Pick a week. We'll handle the rest.

Spots fill as summer gets closer. Reserve the weeks you want now, or come tour the workshop first.

Reserve a weekBook a free tour