Brooklyn Science Spot
Summer Programs

About Brooklyn Science Spot Summer Programs

Brooklyn Science Spot’s Weekly Summer Programs

Brooklyn Science Spot’s Weekly Summer Program takes the spirit of Carmelo the Science Fellow’s classic classes and stretches it across whole weeks of messy, hilarious, seriously fun science. Each week is a new thematic adventure—full-day and half-day options available—so kids can dive deep into a topic, then return for a completely different experience the next week.

“Inspired By "Carmelo the Science Fellow"

Weekly themes inspired by Carmelo the Science Fellow

Our curriculum is built on the beloved themes Carmelo has run for years: think wild chemistry, creature encounters, engineering challenges, space missions, and “gross but cool” biology. Each week centers on a big idea—like “Things That Go Boom (Safely),” “Don’t Bug Me,” “Dino Detectives,” “CSI Brooklyn,” “Cosmic Construction,” or “Geo-World Explorers”—and every day within that week layers on new experiments, builds, and discoveries tied to that theme. Kids don’t just skim a topic; they live inside it for five days.

What a week looks like

Run multiple hands-on experiments every day (mixing, building, testing, revising).
Meet live animals when the theme calls for it (bugs, reptiles, and classroom critters).
Tackle engineering builds like bridges, rockets, roller coasters, and contraptions.
Explore chemistry with foams, fizz, color changes, slimes, and “wow” reactions.
Connect science to art with projects they can proudly take home.

Each Friday ends with a fun “show what you know” moment—a mini science fair, demo, or challenge where kids share favorite experiments, builds, or discoveries from the week.

Brooklyn Science Spot after-school programs that span every domaine of science

Brooklyn Science Spot after-school programs are designed as a rotating menu of themes so children experience the full spectrum of science over the course of a season:

Physics & Engineering: Kids build bridges, roller coasters, catapults, and marble runs, testing how force, motion, gravity, and friction work in real time. They tweak designs, measure outcomes, and learn that failure is just data in disguise.
Chemistry & Kitchen Science: Young scientists mix safe household ingredients to explore reactions, color changes, bubbles, and slime. They learn to make predictions, observe carefully, and connect what they see to real-world chemistry.
Biology & Creature Features: Children meet live animals, examine shells, feathers, and bones, and explore habitats, adaptations, and life cycles. They practice gentle handling and develop respect for living things.
Earth & Space Science: From volcano models and rock samples to mini “weather labs” and simple space missions, kids explore our planet, the atmosphere, and the universe beyond.
Technology, Robotics & Coding: Through simple robots, circuits, and kid-friendly coding platforms, children learn how technology works and how they can control it, not the other way around.

Across all classes, we weave in observation, measurement, data collection, and reflection, so kids build genuine scientific thinking skills.

Brooklyn Science Spot
Summer Themes

Brooklyn Science Spot summer themes your child will participate in:

Dino Detectives
Don’t Bug Me
CSI Brooklyn (Junior Forensics)
Things That Go Boom (Safely)
Gross but Cool Science
Cosmic Construction (Space + Engineering)
Rocket Science & Space Explorers
Geo-World Explorers (Rocks, Volcanoes, Earth)
Mad Inventors & Builders
Kitchen Chemistry Lab
Creature Feature (Reptiles, Mammals, Amphibians)

Ocean Commotion (Under the Sea Science)
Weather Wizards & Climate Kids
Light, Color & Glow Lab
Gross but Cool Science
Simple Machines & Chain Reactions (Rube Goldberg Week)
Robot Rampage (Circuits, Bots, and Coding Basics)
Eco-Engineers (Recycling, Habitats, Sustainability)
Pirate Science & Treasure Maps
Superhero Science (Forces, Strength, “Powers” Explained)

Full-day and half-day options at Brooklyn Science Spot

To fit different families’ schedules and kids’ energy levels, we offer both full-day and half-day programs:

Full Day:

Ideal for campers who want the complete experience—morning investigations, outdoor time, lunch, afternoon builds, and a big end-of-day challenge.

Half Day:

A concentrated burst of science for younger campers or those doing multiple activities over the summer, with the same rich themes in a shorter format.

Both tracks follow the same weekly theme; full-day campers simply get more time to go deeper, experiment more, and build larger or more complex projects.

Looking for STEM learning throughout the school year? Explore our After School Programs, School Trips, and Holiday Camps to keep your child’s curiosity growing all year long.

Inquiry, humor, and real science

Every week is led by energetic instructors trained in Carmelo’s signature style: lots of humor, high engagement, and genuine inquiry. Kids are encouraged to ask questions, make predictions, get things “wrong,” and try again. We want them laughing, moving, and talking about what they see—because that’s where real scientific thinking starts.

Our hands-on STEM summer programs are built around inquiry-based learning, encouraging children to ask questions, experiment, solve problems, and explore the world through discovery. This educational approach helps develop critical thinking, creativity, and confidence while reflecting best practices promoted by the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), one of the nation’s leading organizations dedicated to excellence in science education.