Experience Our Camps

Gallons of green glowing liquids; strange objects flying through the air; messages written in secret code; robots that play soccer; mystery substances that change from solid to liquid in seconds. Is this a fictional account of a visit to another planet? No . . . it's a Mad Science summer camp! Our camps are truly unique experiences and encompass all of the fun and excitement that people have come to expect from Mad Science.

The Mad Science mission is to spark the imagination and curiosity of children in Maine by providing them with fun, entertaining and educational activities that instill a clear understanding of what science is really about and how it affects the world around us. We create a space where children “DO” science because we know that science is more than facts and formulas. At Mad Science, we use an experiential and inquiry based approach that gives your child a scientifically enriching experience because of the focus on questioning and experimentation. Throughout a week of camp, agency is inspired in children as they pose questions and actively search for answers to these questions. We see ourselves as the facilitators, providing the necessary tools, guidance, and concepts for children to embark upon these investigations.

Our Camp Objective

Our primary objective is to boost children's science proficiency and cultivate a budding love for science, all the while having fun. We aspire to produce an environment that is in every way safe, where encouragement, laughter and fun are the standard. How do kids learn, have fun, and stay actively engaged in our camps? One of our core philosophies that guides our curriculum, the training of our teachers, and is central to our programming, is we believe that kids learn best when they are having fun. How do we make science fun? These are our secret ingredients: interactive demonstrations, equipment that is the best in the field of elementary education, hands-on individual & group activities, problem solving group work, take home projects, active learning games, and outside activities to give children a chance to get exercise. Moreover, all Mad Science programs are developed by a team of professional educators, scientists, and entertainers to ensure they are accurate, educational, safe, and fun.

Our Philosophy

Mad Science is noted for its trademark 'edu-tainment' philosophy, which cultivates incredible enthusiasm and a sense of wonder in children. At Mad Science, we believe that children are born scientists. Children are naturally curious about the world around them, and we believe that we must harness that curiosity in today's youth in order to help foster a lifelong love of science and learning, Our adherence to our core philosophies and beliefs that science should be fun and inquiry based, allows us to continually engage our campers natural curiosity and desire to touch, see and do. We provide them with the opportunity to engage in hands-on exploration and witness truly amazing scientific phenomena.

Our Programing

We use an inquiry-based technique that allows even the youngest camper to enjoy learning. Click here to read more about inquiry-based learning. In our summer camps, an emphasis is placed on trying new things, learning by doing, and enjoying the process of discovery. We offer 5 different camp themes throughout the summer, Mad About Science, Junior Engineers, 3..2..1…Blast Off!, Robotics, and Spy Academy. All camp curriculums are developed by a professional team of educators and scientists. Furthermore, all camp topics are updated annually to make sure we are giving children the most innovative tools necessary to embark upon scientific discovery in a camp setting.

Let’s take a sneak glimpse into what a day of Mad Science Camp may look like! Through the implementation of interactive demonstrations, children will learn how a Mad Scientist can harness the power of a potato to create electricity. Through group work, children will experiment with a solar powered vehicle, make life saving inventions, and build a wind tunnel to test various flying devices. Through hands on projects, children may explore technology that is used to design and build robots, purify water, and learn the science behind security devices. All the while, Instructors are encouraged to seek out leadership opportunities for each individual camper, which will build confidence, foster responsibility and initiative.

Our Instructors and Staff

Mad Science of Maine hires qualified individuals with experience working with children and who are skilled at getting kids excited about learning. Many of our instructors are educators, teachers from a variety of school districts in Maine, and college students concluding their degrees. Each camp has a Lead and an Assistant Instructor. Our most experienced educators assume the role of Lead Instructor. At Mad Science of Maine, we expect our instructors to not only be passionate about science and be able to share that passion with children, but also to be able to have effective classroom management skills. Every instructor employed my Mad Science receives a criminal background check. At Mad Science, ee believe that the personal development of campers is nurtured by dedicated Mad Scientist who seek opportunities to build self-confidence, self-reliance, and independence in individual campers by praising effort and positive attitude.