Sam Bridge Nurseries - 9:00 AM Pick
Sam Bridge Nurseries - 9:00 AM Pick
Railroad Museum of New England - various times Pick
Sam Bridge Nurseries - 9:00 AM Pick
Railroad Museum of New England - various times Pick
Sam Bridge Nurseries - 9:00 AM Pick
Sam Bridge Nurseries - 9:00 AM Pick
Ora Mason Branch Library - 4:00 PM Pick
Sam Bridge Nurseries - 9:00 AM Pick
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Free Computer Camp Workshops at Apple and Microsoft Stores
Earlier this year, we told you about science and technology camps in Fairfield County and throughout the state, but did you know that Apple and Microsoft offer FREE computer camp workshops at their retail stores? Spaces are still available for programs that range from movie making to game design. Kids can sharpen their computer skills with plenty of time leftover to head to the beach. Check it out!
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At Apple Stores nationwide, kids ages 8-12 can choose from two free workshops: Stories in Motion with iMovie or Interactive Storytelling with iBooks. Campers who enroll in the Stories in Motion workshop will learn how to make a movie from start to finish. Just like 'real' film makers, campers start by storyboarding their ideas. Once they have their movie in mind, they'll shoot video and compose an original score using GarageBand on iPads. Afterwards, they'll edit their film and pull it all together using iMovie on a Mac.
In Interactive Storytelling with iBooks, campers create their own interactive story books from start to finish. Once they settle on the story they want to tell, campers draw their illustrations on iPads followed by adding sound effects and multi-touch features using iBooks Author on a Mac. Each workshop spans three days and lasts for two and a half hours each day. At the end of each session, kids share their projects with everyone at the Apple Camp Showcase. A parent or caregiver needs to stay with campers in the Apple store throughout each workshop. As of this writing, there is still space available in Greenwich, New Haven, Danbury and Stamford with wait lists available for sessions that have already booked up.
Apple Store Locations:
Danbury Fair Mall, Danbury CT, 06810, 203.546.6340
Westfarms Mall, Farmington CT, 06032, 860.521.7997
356 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich CT, 06830, 203.302.6691
65 Broadway, New Haven CT, 06511, 203.498.8950
Stamford Town Center, Stamford CT, 06901, 203.658.1801
At Microsoft Stores, kids enrolled in the YouthSpark summer camp can learn about coding, movie making, digital photography and more. Smart Movie Making teaches kids how to direct, design and animate movies using Windows Phone and Surface Pro on a phone or tablet. DigiGirlz Smart Game Designing offers a girls-only opportunity for teens 13 and up to build and publish mobile games using TouchDevelop and ProjectSpark.
The stores also offer their Smart Game Designing camp to co-ed campers, as well as sessions for younger kids ages 11-13. Smart Game Coding is a workshop that offers the youngest campers (ages 8-10) the opportunity to learn how to code, design and develop kid-friendly games. YouthSpark CodeIT! offers another chance to learn to build apps and code games using TouchDevelop. And lastly, Smart Photo Taking teaches campers how to get the most out of their digital photography by utilizing PhotoSynth and Photo Fuse. Each camp session runs 2 hours a day for four consecutive days and camps run weekly through August 29th. Each store offers their own schedule, and groups are split into different levels: Jr Designers for kids ages 8-10, and two age groups for Designers, ages 11-13 and 13+. Since parents or caregivers need to remain at the Microsoft store during camp sessions, Microsoft offers free 30 minute Summer Camp for Parents sessions at the same time. There is still space available for a number of camp sessions at both the Danbury and Westfarms Microsoft store locations.
Microsoft Store Locations:
Danbury Fair Mall, Danbury CT, 06810, 203.546.1510;
Westfarms Mall, Farmington CT, 06032, 855.270.6581
Can’t make it to one of these free camp sessions? You can always check out our roundup of websites that teach coding to kids for free.
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