Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Bay Area Kid Fun

Science and Technology Summer Camp


Wizbots Camp ~ Belmont, Menlo Park 


Featured at the Tech Museum, Stanford’s Robot Block Party, and San Mateo Times, Wizbots is Bay Area’s premier creative robotics and engineering program.  Kids in K-8th grade are continually challenged in our free thinking, inquiry based learning environment.  We supply laptops, LEGO robotics, LEGOS, crafts, and quality staff.  Kids bring their creativity and energy to the program.  Half day and full day camps.


Birthdays


Wizbots ~ Belmont 
Experience building robots with your friends!  Kids create their own real moving robots with motors and sensors.  Design your own custom birthday experience (from robot soccer to dancing robots) in our Wizbots lab.  It’s an unforgettable and fun experience with everyone hands on with LEGOS, LEGO Robotics, Laptops and Crafts!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Encinal Summer Camp Post


Wizbots and Synapse School, Summer Innovation Summer Camp

Wizbots (creative robotics programs) and Synapse School (accelerated private school) are teaming-up to offer cutting-edgeimaginativeacceleratedintegrated, and hands-on academic summer enrichment courses. These courses are designed as independent in-depth and project-based weeklong programs. Classes include Inventor's Camp, Robot Soccer, Thinking Math, Engineering Challenges, Literary Expeditions, and many more.

In Wizbots kids use LEGO® NXT Mindstorm Robotics.  Kids have a blast in our programs!

Ages: 5-13.
Location: Synapse School in Menlo Park & Wizbots Center in Belmont
Hours:  9:00am –4:00pm, Half-day 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Extended Care Hours: Morning - 8:00-9:00 am; Afternoon - 4:00-5:00 pm
Sessions: Week long camps between 6/13 - 8/19
Contact: 650.866.5824 or Sharon@wizbots.com
Tuition: Half-day $225/wk, .All-day (9am-4:00pm) $450/wk. Extended care morning - $40/wk, afternoon - $40/wk.
Discounts: Early Bird Prices through April 1st, 2011 - 10% off all camps, check site for other specials


Wizbots and Synapse Summer Camps
Wizbots Website

Saturday, March 12, 2011

FAQ

Most frequently asked questions from Parents:

Is this a Drop Off class?

Yes, Wizbots classes are meant for Parents to drop off their kids.  However, if you would like to stay you are welcome to.

What is the difference between Wizbots and the "LEGO Robotics" class?


Can I have a Wizbot's Birthday Party for my child?


What kinds of benefits does my child gain from coming to a Wizbots Weekly class?


Is a free development environment that I can download for either
Windows or Linux that we can use to develop a program here at home for use with the
NXT brick?




It's an $80 program.  If he wrote a program at home he could bring it in on a usb and transfer it to the brick.

This site has other methods to code the brick. 

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Wizbots Summer Camps

Wizbots and Synapse are partnering together to create awesomely fun and enriching summer camps for kids in the Bay Area.  Camps are located in Menlo Park and Belmont.

Check out our LEGO Robotics and engineering summer camps for kids ages 6-13.  Camps are hands on, engaging and fun.  High student to teacher ratio and lots of equipment such as laptops, Mindstorms, and crafts to explore with.

Check out http://www.summerinnovation.com for program information and registration!

Go to http://www.facebook.com/wizbots and click 'Like' for program updates!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Wizbots Homeschool Lab

Homeschoolers, have your own time to explore LEGO NXT robotics with the creativity in learning you desire. We tailor the lab to your group to enrich and reinforce what you’re currently learning.  Kids will learn first hand about friction, power, structural integrity and other concepts as they develop projects with purpose. The program develops and strengthens your child’s knowlege of programming, math, science and design. Small class size and knowledgeable staff encourage kids limitless In small groups, they brainstorm, collaborate, plan, test and present their creations. Besides having fun, your child will enjoy the critical thinking and team building experience.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Wizbots Physics

Create and launch catapults, vehicles, and machines as you learn first hand about physics and robotics in this hands-on course.  See how outcomes differ when you change elements and what leads to good or bad design.  Campers will grasp how the physics equations come into effect and will compare calculations to real world outcomes.  Once campers learn the rules of the world, we will be cleverly using them to our advantage.  Watch physics truly come alive as we incorporate robotics into the mix!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Summer Camp Offerings

Rube Goldberg- The Simply Complicated Machine

Experience physics firsthand as you surround yourself with the different simple machines such as pulleys, levers, and gears.  Collaborate as a class to create a giant machine that triggers an overly complicated chain of events to complete a simple task.  Campers will be challenged to create a 20 step machine to execute a very simple goal.  The project will be filmed and uploaded to savor for years to come.  Teamwork, engineering, ingenuity and persistence will all be utilized here, as campers have fun with this classic physics tradition with a modern LEGO NXT robotics twist.  Camp has very limited space, register early.  Watch out, you may be inspired to enter the national competition!

Ages: 10-13Y, June 13-17th, 9am-2pm, (5 days, $375)   $10/hour before and aftercare available

Min 6, Max 12

Robotics Inventor Camp

Invent working products with laptops and robotics!  Each day campers will have a new product challenge and must design and implement to achieve specified goals.  Learn empathy by designing for your customer as you also film a commercial to advertise your new product.  Be an engineer for a day as you strive to meet quantifiable goals.  Create a robotics game with your classmates and challenge them in play.  Be inspired with a creative brainstorm and collaboration for another project.  In this camp there is no one right way to solve a problem, as you learn the benefits and drawbacks of each design iteration.  File an application with your original idea to earn a Wizbots Patent.  Become a certified inventor by the end of the camp, ready to tackle future challenges!

Ages: 7-10Y, July 5-8, 9am-12pm, (4 days, $180)   $10/hour before and aftercare available

Min 6, Max 12


Robot Soccer Camp & Tournament
Enter an intensive weeklong competition of Wizball.  This is Wizbots' version of robot soccer where kids play in teams, program, design, build, and connect Wireless Play Station 2 controllers to their robots.  Collaborate with your team to form the winning strategy and then finish your robots in time for the tournament!  On the playing field you still need to be focused as victory hangs at a balance at your fingertips and you maneuver your robot for the winning score.  The game progresses every day as you try and figure out your opponent's strategy, form your own, modify and improve your robots.  The week builds up to a Wizball tournament that will take place at Synapse School in Menlo Park.  Kids gather and meet other campers to see how their robots measure up as they play for the gold!

Ages: 9-13Y, August 8-12, 9am-12pm (until 2pm on 12th) (5 days, $275)   $10/hour before and aftercare available

Min 6, Max 12


Engineering Challenges
Create and launch catapults, vehicles, and machines as you learn first hand about physics and robotics in this interactive and functional course.  See how outcomes differ when you iterate and change elements of engineering design.  There will be a new challenge every day, from making machines go fast, accurate, or meet specific goals.  Understand the transfer of energy and momentum and how power comes into play.  Learn more intricate programming of robots.  This course will bring campers a better understanding of how the world works around them so that they may engage in creating better solutions.