ArchiKids Camp held at 44 E. 32nd St. NYC 10016 (718)768-6123 www.archikids.org

Now in its fifth year, ArchiKids’ school vacation camp, ArchiCamp, offers kids ages 9-13 a unique opportunity to explore New York City architecture. A child doesn’t need to aspire to a career in architecture to enjoy ArchiCamp; he or she just needs a strong sense of curiosity and a desire to explore and test new ideas. Campers experiment with form, structure and materials, their imagination and creativity being the only constraints. The goal is to explore the three-dimensional world, something that kids rarely get to do in school. Spatial visualization is recognized by experts as an important factor contributing to success in a wide variety of professions. This skill also helps students recognize patterns and systems that can enhance an understanding of complex ideas. While the projects’ educational component is very real, the point is for the kids to have fun and not even notice that they are learning sophisticated concepts and skills. Each day a specific architectural concept is presented and then the kids work on an engaging, hands-on building project related to that concept. In the afternoon, the group visits a building or neighborhood relating to the morning’s project, which not only reinforces the project’s concepts, but also offers campers a special view of New York City. ArchiKids is run by Yves Roger, an architect who has been working as a teaching artist in NYC schools for ten years. He develops architectural activities that captivate young people and bring ideas alive.