Technology and Summer Camps: What Is a Tech Camp?

The advance of new technologies is so relentless that it sometimes catches us off guard in an almost inexplicable way, leaving people in their mid-twenties feeling obsolete when surprised by new applications — think Snapchat or Periscope. That new generations — not of technologies, but of children — are being brought up in a world of technology, apps, and so-called smartphones is a fact that, although sometimes hard to believe, is very much happening. Videos of children (and not-so-children) who can operate the latest tablet model perfectly, yet cannot dial a single number on a rotary phone or unlock a non-touchscreen handset from ten years ago, are now commonplace — viral, as they say.

Technology Camp in Madrid

It is because of this new society and these new generations of boys and girls that reality has pushed leisure and free-time companies like ours to devise activities geared — nothing more, nothing less — towards these new times. Among the various activities and options that have emerged in recent years, at Natuaventura we have committed to a technology camp in Madrid, which after its first year stands out as a highly recommended educational leisure option for all those boys and girls whose curiosity and interest in technology goes beyond the ordinary.

The strength of a technology camp lies in the well-worn idea of learning whilst having fun. But in this case we have the advantage that our campers are eager to discover the new activities, surprises, and ideas we propose to them each day, which means success in this participatory and playful learning concept is almost guaranteed.

Which children is it designed for?

Technology camps present themselves as a unique activity for all those boys and girls aged between 7 and 14 who show a curiosity and preference for technology and invention that goes beyond sport or simply computer games. These children are sometimes mistakenly labelled as unsociable or withdrawn. This could not be further from the truth. Like any other child, they simply need the right stimulus to activate one hundred per cent of their capacity for attention, interest, and leisure. To put it plainly: a child who does not want to play football in the school playground does not mean they are not a sociable, well-adjusted child with endless interests and a desire to learn and do new things.

What activities take place at a technology camp?

The specific activities that take place at this type of technology camp are very varied — precisely because the aim is to offer the widest possible range of options, so that the boys and girls receive as many opportunities for learning as possible. Just as a traditional summer camp features various games, cultural excursions, and different sports, creating a very complete activity schedule; at a technology camp we combine inventing apps — App Inventor, for those in the know — with the swimming pool, creating stop-motion videos with 3D printing, and robotics with the most entertaining camp games.

In this way, the technology-specific activities do not occupy anywhere near 100% of the time at camp. There is room for everything, and we must not forget that this is a summer camp in every sense of the word. These technology activities do of course require prior preparation. Equally, for them to run smoothly and the end result to be a success, the materials and resources used must be of good quality, in proper working order, and checked before each activity. We cannot expect to teach 3D printing techniques and development if our printers are not capable of printing what we ask of them, for example.

Learning in a New Setting

A technology camp also introduces all these playful learning elements within a natural environment that, just as with any other summer camp, encourages direct interaction with the natural world, takes us out of our everyday routines, and creates a uniquely enjoyable atmosphere of community and fun.

Technology camps have, without any doubt, come to stay. The experience of our first technology summer camp in Madrid was an outstanding success, with nearly 80 boys and girls from all over Spain who went home smiling, with new knowledge acquired and — above all — with a great many new interests and an eagerness to learn much more. If you can learn about what you love, do it whilst having fun, and be surrounded by friends, why not take the opportunity?