The real STEM camps.

A STEM camp spends most of its instructional hours on science, technology, engineering, or math — with a real curriculum, instructors who know the subject, and something the kid can show for it at the end of the week. Programs like iD Tech, Galileo, Engineering For Kids, Coder Kids, and Destination Science fit. A day camp with a Tuesday 'tech hour' does not, no matter what the website says. The clearest test: ask the camp what your kid will learn Monday through Friday. If they can't describe it, there's no curriculum to describe.

A typical week runs around $550. Most families pay between $340 and $924. That's well above the general day-camp average (around $150 a week), and the gap is the whole point — STEM costs more because real subject-matter instructors and small cohorts cost more. If a program is priced like a standard day camp, it's probably a standard day camp with a tech sticker. Real specialty STEM starts around $400 and climbs from there.

Ages 4–6 should stay mostly screen-free: Legos, simple machines, ramps, water play, anything physical. Skip the preschool coding camps — a five-year-old who loves blocks will get more out of three hours of structured building than half an hour on Scratch Jr. Ages 7–9 are a good moment for visual coding intros (Scratch, Minecraft: Education Edition) and LEGO robotics. Ages 10–12 can start writing real typed code — Python, JavaScript, Roblox game development, intermediate robotics. Ages 13 and up are ready for advanced tracks: web and app development, AI and machine-learning intros, competitive robotics, and university-style research programs.

Depends entirely on the camp. A good Minecraft program uses the game as a teaching canvas: redstone circuits as a hands-on intro to logic gates, command blocks as a real programming surface, modding in Java or Python, collaborative world-building that stretches into systems thinking. A bad Minecraft camp is supervised free-play with a premium price tag. Ask exactly what the kids will build across the week and what the instructor will teach them to do. The answer should be specific, not vague.

Six things separate a real curriculum from a STEM sticker. First, week-by-week learning goals you can actually read: 'on day three, campers learn conditionals and build an interactive story' — not 'campers will explore coding.' Second, named lead instructors with relevant backgrounds (a CS degree, a teaching credential, or a few years of industry work). Third, cohorts split by age, not one 6–14 blob. Fourth, something the kid built each week — a robot, a game, a wired circuit. Not a worksheet. Fifth, cohort size capped around 10 to 15 for serious programs. Sixth, an end-of-week showcase or portfolio. When most of these are missing, the curriculum probably is too.

Sometimes. A $1,500-a-week program should give you at least one of: a genuinely recognized lead instructor, hardware and software your kid can't get at home (3D printers, VR labs, actual wet labs), industry-standard tooling, an outcome that means something for college or competition, or small-group coaching. If the $1,500 camp is just a slick website and a nice building, you're paying for the brand. Compare against what a typical week runs in your metro — a big premium should come with a big reason.

The university name usually adds $300–$500 a week over a comparable non-branded program. You get campus facilities, occasional guest talks, and a line for the college app. What you often don't get is the university's actual faculty teaching the camp. Most university-branded programs are run by third-party operators who license the location for the summer. Ask two separate questions: who teaches, and who operates? A straight answer tells you whether you're paying for instruction or for the logo.

Coding camps (Scratch, Python, web development) are the biggest slice of the STEM world and tend to fit kids who are already comfortable on a computer at home. Robotics (LEGO, VEX, FIRST) is better for kids who learn with their hands — there's a real thing in front of them that either works or doesn't. General STEM programs (Galileo, Destination Science) rotate through topics and suit kids who don't know yet what they love. Bio and chem camps are rarer and usually live at universities. Pick based on what your kid is already curious about, not what you wish they were.