Baltimore is a dynamic hub of innovative STEM technology in Maryland, so you can find many STEM camps for kids throughout the city in schools and centers.
These tech camps offer incredible programs for students already enthralled or those who want to try something new. The studies at these camps are balanced with physical exercise and time to enjoy newfound friends.
Most take place at schools, community centers, and even on college campuses, but no matter the location, your children will have a great time at any of these Baltimore STEM camps.
Panda Programmer
Panda Programmer holds fun computer science camps for rising 1st-8th grade students throughout Montgomery County, Baltimore. Kids can attend after-school classes and weekend and 5-day coding programs in half-day or full-day sessions.
Children just getting into coding begin by learning the kid-friendly Scratch coding language. Students with some programming experience learn to control machines in their robotics class. Training in Python and Javascript/HTML is available for more advanced students interested in a future coding career.
All Panda Programmer summer camps from June to August include outdoor play time, plus chess and ukelele classes! Dedicated teachers and low teacher-to-student ratios help kids progress quickly.
Steve & Kate’s
The camps at Steve & Kate’s are a welcoming place where your kids create stop-motion animation videos, learn to build and program robots, go through a gamified learning process for coding, and make cool STEM projects in their Tinker Lab.
Additionally, Steve & Kate’s Campers spend plenty of time outdoors with their peers as they play various sports and cool off on the gigantic slip & slide. Kids are always free to choose what they want to do.
They make it convenient for parents to figure out their children’s summer plans with day or full summer passes. Lunch and snacks are built into the cost, so sending your children off to camp every day is relatively easy.
Club SciKids
Club SciKids helps students tap into their inner scientists. Exciting science and tech courses are geared towards pre-K to 8th graders. Subjects include space exploration, veterinary science, Minecraft game design, robotics, coding apps, and more.
Club SciKids holds several weekly camps for different age groups, from 9 am to 4 pm with before and after-care. Each daily schedule includes active outdoor time with sports equipment provided.
Your child can choose a specific topic and come prepared to learn and have fun. Kids should bring snacks, lunch, and a water bottle each day. Many campers enroll in more than one week-long class to explore other exciting topics.
Friends School Baltimore
Friends School Baltimore offers their Creative Technology Summer Camp where children engage in design and innovation, robotics, videography, and non-stem activities like arts and crafts and dance.
Programs are designed per age-group levels for 4-13 year olds. Camps run in 2 and 4-week sessions, with an additional 8-week super-session. The schedule is 8:45 am-3:30 pm, plus optional long-day options till 5:30 pm.
Campers from all sessions get to swim each day, with plenty of time for enjoying outdoor activities on the spacious grounds. All your child has to do is be ready for some summer fun and exploration, as lunches and snacks are provided!
Along with its tech-focused summer camp, Friends School offers a full schedule of other fun programs. Parents are welcome to tour the school grounds before sending their children here.
The New Century School (TNCS)
The New Century School is a great place for students in grades K-8 to spend a week or more exploring new ideas. TNCS’s summer programs keep kids focused and involved in the thinking process.
Topics include culinary chemistry, ecosystem exploration, critical-thinking pathways learning, and exploring the science of magic in nature. During the program, kids develop curiosity about how things work in the world, as well as science and technology.
TNCS has a full calendar of time blocks for up to 10 weeks with a daily schedule of 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, plus extended hours. Students can bring their lunches and snacks or opt for healthy TNCS vegetarian lunches.
Check out our other guide on STEM camps in Washington, D.C.
Terrapin STEM Camp
Terrapin STEM Camps in Laurel, Maryland, are filled with hands-on STEM activities that challenge and inspire your child. The tiered-level classes are according to the completed school year.
Program I (K-1) introduces children to basic STEM concepts. Program II (grades 2-3) provides more challenge and introduction to coding and engineering concepts. Program III (grades 4-5) includes Scratch code game design, 3D printing, and engineering design.
A Leadership Program for camp counselor training is available to middle school students. All sessions are flexible depending on the group, so no one is left behind. Daily schedules include swimming at the Laurel Municipal Swimming Pool, team-building games, outdoor playtime, and lunch breaks.
Classes are held in week blocks at the Laurel Elementary School.
University of Maryland
The University of Maryland promotes youth participation in Maryland’s Statewide 4-H STEM Challenges. Classes on engineering, robotics, agriculture, and environmental science are explored in the program.
Teams of youth ages 8-18 throughout all Maryland counties work together in a Lego Robotics Challenge or a Robotics Engineering Challenge that takes place at the Maryland State Fair.
For the 4-H Lego Robotics Challenge, teams built robots using parts from Lego kits, such as Lego Mindstorms, EV3, or SPIKE Prime. This challenge involves bringing robotics into nature with bird watching and conservation.
The Robotics Engineering Challenge has 4-H team members build larger, more complex robots using robot platforms like Legos, Tetrix, and Vex. The challenge focuses on forest conservation and tree preservation during Eco-friendly resource extraction.
Maryland Science Center
Maryland Science Center is the longest-existing science center in Maryland and loves sharing all things scientific! That includes an on-site STEM workshop program teaching Scratch programming to kids ages 5-7 (ScratchJr) or 8+ (Scratch).
The 2-hour workshops take place during spring break and introduce all students, including homeschoolers, to the concept of programming. Kids learn to create gaming characters, interactive stories, and animations using Scratch.
The centrally located Maryland Science Center offers additional 2-4 hour science-based workshops like studying solar eclipses while making a stained-glass sun or making a seaglass tree while learning about how the ocean creates sea glass.
Check the center’s website for additional programs, as they are constantly adding new and exciting science-based workshops for kids.
National Aquarium
Baltimore’s National Aquarium hosts the amazing endowment-funded Henry Hall Summer Scholars program. Baltimore Public School students entering grades 5 through 12 are eligible to apply. Those accepted can enjoy this free summer camp at no expense to their families!
The 13 camps investigate marine biology, marine conservation, and marine habitats and take place all around the country in exciting 5-day study adventures.
Action camps for younger kids happen in and around the Baltimore area. They get to study marine life habitats at the Harbor or travel to the Chesapeake Bay to test water levels.
Older kids can join a camp for their age group that takes them to the Gulf of Mexico to build a remote-operated vehicle (ROV) or to study wave science. Another group travels to Jekyll Island in Georgia to study sea turtle life cycles, help injured turtles, and study turtle habitats.
Notre Dame of Maryland University STEM Camp
Notre Dame Maryland University has many opportunities for students K-10 who want to delve into exciting STEM topics. The week-long camps take place on the Notre Dame campus in Baltimore between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm.
This years camp theme is “Amazing Amusement Parks.” During these fun sessions, kids study the detailed engineering necessary to build amusement parks and rides. Interactive games teach all about the creativity and technical skills involved in building these fascinating entertainment venues.
Your child will enjoy STEM classes plus time for swimming, other outdoor exercise, and arts & crafts. The university provides lunch and snacks, so just make sure your child has a refillable water bottle and everything else is set for a fun week. Swimming and outdoor activities occur at the end of each day.