These camps offer a blend of traditional camp games and STEAM activities that will focus on honing a child’s creativity through thought, expression, and craft.
YMCA Fairfax County Reston Specialty Camps
SAVOR THE FLAVOR
Throughout the week, campers will learn basic kitchen skills, kitchen safety, measuring and mixing techniques, and how to follow simple recipes while making delicious breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and sweet treats. From decorating cupcakes and building colorful fruit kabobs to creating mini pizzas and no-bake desserts, each day is packed with creativity, teamwork, and tasty fun. Campers will build confidence, try new foods, and take home recipes to recreate with their families—because cooking is more fun when you can share it!
GREEN THUMB
Campers will plant seeds, learn how fruits and vegetables grow, explore soil and compost, and discover the important role of pollinators like bees and butterflies. Through fun outdoor activities, simple science experiments, and creative garden crafts, children will learn how farms and gardens help feed our communities. By the end of the week, campers will feel proud of what they’ve grown and gain a deeper appreciation for the journey food takes from seed to table!
HOUSEHOLD SCIENCE
Campers will explore exciting hands-on projects like baking soda volcanoes, rainbow milk reactions, homemade slime, balloon rockets, and simple kitchen chemistry—all while learning the “why” behind the fun. Using safe, easy-to-find materials, children will discover basic science concepts such as reactions, motion, density, and states of matter in a way that’s engaging and easy to understand. This camp sparks imagination, builds problem-solving skills, and shows kids that science is everywhere—even right at home!
THINGAMAJIG
We are going recycling-crazy! Campers will learn the importance of recycling and how to re-utilize everyday objects and turn them into STEM and art creations. Many of the creations are submitted to the YMCA’s Annual Thingamajig Invention Convention for a chance to win prizes!