Week 3 is for the makers. Wild Builders: STEM in Nature is a hands-on engineering and design week at Sensory Garden & Play in West Milford, NJ. Using natural materials, simple tools, and real-world problems to solve, campers spend the week building, designing, and discovering the STEM that lives in the forest.
The Week at a Glance
Building with sticks, stones, vines, and natural materials
Engineering challenges: shelters, bridges, water flow
Design projects that mix art and science
Real-world problem solving: fixing, improving, inventing
Friday's End-of-the-Week Celebration and project showcase
Who It's For
Open to all campers ages 3–13. Projects scale by age — younger builders focus on hands-on play and exploration; older builders tackle design problems and team engineering challenges.
Daily Schedule
Activities may vary slightly due to weather or special events.
9:30 AM — Welcome activities, daily overview, and safety reminders
9:30 – 10:30 AM — Welcome games, songs, and nature hikes
10:30 – 11:00 AM — Snack break
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM — Science experiments, survival skills, and nature crafts
12:30 – 1:00 PM — Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 PM — Team building games
2:30 PM — Pick-up
Every Friday: End-of-the-Week Celebration with fun activities to mark the week's accomplishments.
Drop-off & Pickup
Camp hours: 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM. Drop-off and pickup are in the upper lot. Please follow staff guidance through the drop-off process — we hold a strict procedure for camper safety. Please do not park on the street.
Before & Aftercare
Extended hours are available for an additional fee.
Before care: from 8:45 AM
After care: until 4:00 PM
What to Bring
Please send your child with the following bag, labeled with their first and last name:
Towel
Extra clothes — these stay with us for the entire camp week. If your child is attending multiple weeks, the clothes stay with us across weeks.
Extra shoes
Sunscreen and bug spray
Pricing & Discounts
Investment: $300 per week.
10% sibling discount — for families with multiple campers
3% Blue & Hero discount — for active service members, veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders
Discounts apply to parents/guardians only. Valid identification or documentation is required — please email sensorygardenandplay@gmail.com.