Starting soon

Camp Bold.

A free 31-day STEM challenge. Fifteen minutes a day to build, code, explore space and play with math, inspired by the genius of the African diaspora.

Get your tracker See the 31 days
Two smiling kids at a workbench building a cardboard rocket and a small robot, with blueprints and a laptop in front of them.
  • 31days of missions
  • 15minutes a day
  • $0no cost, no sign-up needed
  • 3 to 12grades, with a little-kids track

How it works

Fifteen minutes. Then put it down.

Most missions use paper, tape, coins and whatever is around the house. Do the mission, check the box, and go outside. Start on any day that works for your family. Camp Bold is self-paced, and once it opens it stays open.

  1. Pick your start day

    Day 1 can be tomorrow or next month. Your 31 days begin when you do.

  2. Print the tracker

    Write your goal at the top and check off a box after each mission. Print it or fill it in on a screen.

  3. Do the daily mission

    Each day has one short, hands-on task. A grown-up helper is welcome but not required for older kids.

  4. Share your progress

    Snap a photo of your tracker each week and send it in for a shout-out on our camp wall.

Four weeks, four themes

Build it. Code it. Map it. Count it.

Every week has its own theme, a hero to meet, and a book to read when the 15 minutes are up.

Illustration of a cable bridge at sunset beside large gears.

Week 1 · Days 1 to 7

Engineering and Building

Bridges, towers and parachutes. Learn how builders in Mali replaster the Great Mosque of Djenne by hand every year, then design something strong with what you have.

Read: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Young Readers Edition, by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

Illustration of a friendly robot using a laptop beside a glowing network diagram.

Week 2 · Days 8 to 14

Code and AI

Write instructions a robot can follow, build loops with paper and pencil, and ask the big question: who decides the rules when a computer learns?

Read: Hidden Figures, Young Readers' Edition, by Margot Lee Shetterly

Illustration of the Earth centered on Africa, a telescope, a moon and a galaxy over an acacia landscape.

Week 3 · Days 15 to 21

Space and Earth Science

Watch the moon, track the weather and meet Mae Jemison and Benjamin Banneker. Finish the week by designing your own mission patch.

Read: Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed, illustrated by Stasia Burrington

Illustration of the numbers one to five made from beads, cowrie shells and triangles with a geometric border.

Week 4 · Days 22 to 28

Math and Patterns

Make your own Ishango-style tally bone, count in Twi, Yoruba and Kiswahili, and find the math hiding in kente cloth and beadwork.

Read: Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker

Days 29 to 31 are Showcase Days. Pick your favorite project, make it better, and present it to your family. Then check off the last box and celebrate.

The 31-day plan

One mission a day.

Open a week to see the daily missions. Missions are written for grades 3 to 12. Younger kids can team up with an older sibling or a grown-up.

Week 1: Engineering and Building Days 1 to 7
  1. Day 1Build a paper bridge between two books that can hold ten coins.
  2. Day 2Test your bridge. How many coins can it hold before it fails? Fold it a new way and test again.
  3. Day 3Build the tallest freestanding tower you can from 20 index cards and a little tape.
  4. Day 4The Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali is replastered with mud by the community every year. Sketch a building made from materials found near your home.
  5. Day 5Design a parachute for a toy figure. Drop it three times and measure how long it takes to land.
  6. Day 6Read about William Kamkwamba, then sketch a machine that could solve a problem in your neighborhood.
  7. Day 7Reflection day. Pick your best build from the week and make it stronger.
Week 2: Code and AI Days 8 to 14
  1. Day 8Write exact step-by-step instructions for making a snack. Have someone follow them word for word, then fix what went wrong.
  2. Day 9Draw a 5 by 5 grid treasure map. Write arrow commands that lead a friend to the treasure.
  3. Day 10Write a loop in plain words, such as "repeat 4 times: clap, stomp, spin." Turn it into a drawing pattern.
  4. Day 11Teach a pretend robot to sort ten household objects using only rules you write down.
  5. Day 12Sort the same objects a second way. What changed? Talk about who gets to decide the rules when a computer learns from examples.
  6. Day 13With a grown-up, try a beginner block-coding activity and make something move on a screen.
  7. Day 14Reflection day. Sketch an app idea that would help your neighborhood.
Week 3: Space and Earth Science Days 15 to 21
  1. Day 15Step outside at night and sketch the moon. Write down its shape and where it sits in the sky.
  2. Day 16Make a shadow clock with a stick in the sun. Mark the shadow at three different times.
  3. Day 17Build a planet walk. Use steps and household objects to show how far apart the planets are.
  4. Day 18Read about Mae Jemison, who in 1992 became the first Black woman in space. Write three questions you would ask her.
  5. Day 19Record the temperature and sky three times today. Predict tomorrow, then check.
  6. Day 20Benjamin Banneker published almanacs in the 1790s. Make one almanac page with your own weather and moon predictions.
  7. Day 21Reflection day. Design a mission patch for a trip you would love to take.
Week 4: Math and Patterns Days 22 to 28
  1. Day 22The Ishango bone, found in Central Africa, is one of the oldest known math tools. Make your own tally bone from clay or paper and add a pattern of notches.
  2. Day 23Count from one to ten in Twi, Yoruba or Kiswahili. Teach someone at home.
  3. Day 24Design a kente-inspired or beadwork pattern. Describe its math: repeats, symmetry and color counts.
  4. Day 25Cowrie shells were used as money in many parts of West Africa. Make a price list, then practice making change with real or pretend shells.
  5. Day 26Go on a shape hunt. Find ten shapes at home and sketch each one.
  6. Day 27Read about Katherine Johnson. Write three word problems and trade with a partner.
  7. Day 28Reflection day. Invent a math game and teach the rules to your family.
Showcase Days Days 29 to 31
  1. Day 29Choose your favorite project from the month and improve it one more time.
  2. Day 30Make a poster or a short video that explains your project to someone new.
  3. Day 31Present to your family, check off your last box, and send in a photo of your finished tracker.

Free printable

Your Camp Bold tracker.

Set a goal, check off each day, and keep it on the fridge. Print it at home or save it as a PDF and fill it in on a tablet.

Open the tracker Get weekly emails

Camp bookshelf

Read when the 15 minutes are up.

One book for each week. Find them at your library or favorite bookstore.

  • Week 1

    The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

    William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. A boy in Malawi builds a windmill from scrap.

  • Week 2

    Hidden Figures

    Margot Lee Shetterly. Young Readers' Edition. The Black women whose math helped launch rockets.

  • Week 3

    Mae Among the Stars

    Roda Ahmed, illustrated by Stasia Burrington. A picture book about young Mae Jemison and her big dream.

  • Week 4

    Counting on Katherine

    Helaine Becker. The story of mathematician Katherine Johnson and her work at NASA.

Questions

Camp Bold FAQ

Do I need to sign up?

No. Everything on this page and the tracker is free to use right away. If you want the weekly emails, create a free family account.

I am starting late. Is that okay?

Yes. Your 31 days start when you do. Camp Bold never closes, so you can run it in summer, over winter break or any month that works.

What do we need to buy?

Nothing special. Paper, tape, coins, index cards, pencils and things from around the house cover almost every mission.

What grades is this for?

The daily missions are written for grades 3 to 12. A Camp Bold track for Pre-K to 2nd grade is coming soon.

Does my child need a computer?

Only one mission asks for a screen, and a grown-up can help with it. The rest are hands-on and away from devices.

Can a classroom or co-op use Camp Bold?

Yes. Teachers and homeschool groups are welcome to use the plan. Tell us about your group and we will keep you posted.

Ready for Day one?

Print the tracker, grab some paper and tape, and start your first mission.

Get your tracker Join for Free