Gaming is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. If your child loves to play video games, then there’s a significant chance they might enjoy making and designing them too.
Video game design summer camps allow campers to enjoy the traditional benefits that summer camp brings and also helps them learn new skills that will be useful in their future career.
Here are some of the top video game design camps for children with a passion for gaming.
Best Video Game Design Summer Camps
#1 – iD Tech Video Game Camp
iD Tech provides a variety of video game development and design camps for young enthusiastic gamers. Kids receive an education in things like game design, character development, modding, and much more. There are courses on Minecraft, Fortnite, 3D Game development, java development, and many more.
Apart from summer video game camps, they also offer exclusive private lessons and small group learning sessions throughout the year if you want your child to continuously expand their learning. For kids or teens that want a future career in game development, this camp is a great way to get started.
iD Tech is a leader in the camp industry and their camps are taught by live, expert instructors that ensure each kid succeeds at camp.
#2 – CodeWizardsHQ
CodeWizardsHQ provides campers with several programs to learn how to code and create fun video games. Students 8-18 can learn how to code from scratch and use what they learn to create fun single-player and multi-player games with Python & Javascript.
Some of the final projects in their year-round programs, like the Middle School Wizard II capstone, involve creating a multi-player game. For their summer program, kids can enjoy a Minecraft camp where they are taught how to code and other basic concepts. You can choose from summer courses as well as year-round classes that meet once or twice a week.
For kids who enjoy gaming and want a future in video game software development, enrolling them in a CodeWizardsHQ program is a great place to start their careers. They will be taught by teachers who go through a rigorous interview process and receive extensive training to ensure your children are getting the best instructors.
#3 – National Computer Camps
National Computer Camps offers traditional camps and day camps in Connecticut as well as virtual summer camps. Youth ages 6-18 can learn valuable video game design skills that can serve them well in future careers. Beginner to advanced level campers are welcome.
Children can learn 2d game design and 3d game design to create their own unique video games while also taking courses on different coding languages. Some of the programming languages taught include Python, Scratch, Java, Javascript, and more. In the game design camps, students use their software to create a game from scratch and fill it with details, including different levels, music, characters, and much more.
There are fun outdoor recreational activities throughout the program to keep kids energized. It’s a great way for kids to expand their knowledge and enjoy a summer full of fun. The camps are led by trained camp counselors who were former camp attendees with a passion for helping out campers. Their day camps and online camps run from June to August and last around a week-long, but kids can attend multiple sessions.
Scholarships are available for campers and they also offer courses on other subjects like animation, web design, Arduino programming and much more.
#4 – Camp Integem
At Camp Integem, campers ages 5-18 can step into their game worlds using just a computer and webcam, interacting with game characters in real time. Whether starting from scratch or building upon existing knowledge, each student encounters challenges that refine and amplify their abilities.
Their game design odyssey can begin here as they dive into the fascinating game world with a solid foundation in AR coding and Python. Even beginners can grasp essential game design concepts and coding techniques at an enjoyable and informative pace.
As students enhance their coding skills, they will explore AI’s role in augmented reality (AR) coding and gaming. They’ll learn to integrate AI features into digital-physical hybrid environments, elevating their projects with intelligent and responsive elements.
They craft conversational characters into 3d Holographic worlds. Utilizing advanced AI algorithms and Python, participants create lifelike and interactive characters. This phase ignites the imagination, challenging them to design characters that can engage in conversations and react dynamically to player actions.
This isn’t just a game design camp; it’s a gateway to the expansive world of technology. Participants acquires critical skills and insights, nurturing a passion for digital creativity and game development. Students also have the opportunity to create impressive game design portfolios and earn NVIDIA AI certificates. To save $50 per week, attendees can use the code HUB50.
#5 – GAME-U
GAME-U offers a STEM-based curriculum that helps kids learn game design, coding, and robotics. GAME-U summer camp allows kids to learn from top-notch game professionals. Their courses are designed by gaming industry veterans from companies like Microsoft, EA, and Sony.
The camp offers expert instructors and provides a 4:1 teacher-student ratio. They have a wide variety of projects that are part of the curriculum and they serve kids ranging from ages 6-17.
They offer different camps, each with a minimum age requirement, that focuses on developing various types of skills. The Explorer camp teaches children ages 8-10 how to build their very own game while getting hands-on experience with both level and character design.
While the voyager camp is for children 12+, that teaches students how to make video games using Unity. At the end of the camp, the students publish their indie games on either iOS, Android, or HTML5 platforms. They also routinely have game nights for popular games like Minecraft.
#6 – Power Up Tech Academy Programs
Future game designers can start their path to awesomeness at Power Up Tech Academy. From the first beginner level to the most advanced, kids ages 8-16 learn to design and code video games in languages such as Scratch, Python, and Unity(C#). They build minigames in Minecraft through the Minecraft Modding camp or full custom experiences in the Minecraft Adventure Map Creation camp. There is also a Video Game Art camp for designing your own characters and environments.
Each online, one-week camp has a live, expert instructor and just 4 students so that kids get individual attention to learn, discuss and share game creations. The camps are hands-on and creation-focused, and all students have real, playable games they can be proud of at the end of the week.
Power Up is in its 7th year of offering video game creation camps that combine the fun of game making with top-quality coding education.
#7 – Video Game Palooza
Video Game Palooza offers week-long day camps that run from Monday to Friday 9 am to 4 pm. The days are divided into two sessions with the first session being known as the “create” session.
During the create sessions, campers receive targeted lessons based on the camp they choose. There’s a wide variety of subjects, including video game design, graphics design, web design, and several others. They also have their own Roblox camp. Each lesson is 30 minutes long and provides the camper with valuable experience. With a favorable counselor to student ratio, each child receives any needed individual attention.
The play sessions, which are typically in the afternoon, allow the campers to have more fun while learning. Campers play video games with one another and accomplish objective-based gameplay. Each game will have a focus on the create session so that the campers can see the concepts at work. All the different camps provide any necessary hardware and software, so parents don’t have to worry about anything.
#8 – PlanetBravo
If you’re looking for an in-person program where kids can learn about game design and development, PlanetBravo has a list of fantastic camp programs in Southern California. This includes cities like Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Encino, Calabasas, Beverly Hills, and more.
They offer camps in Jr. Scratch Coding, Bloxels Game Builder, Roblox Game Creation, Minecraft modding, and other game and coding options. Campers are taught everything from making their own game world, filling it with awesome characters, and adding cool special effects and functionality. Elementary students in 2nd grade all the way to high school students in 9th grade also have the opportunity to engage in fun outdoor games with their peers.
Each camp tends to be around a week, and campers have the option to enroll in multiple classes to cover the entire summer. With experienced staff and more than 20+ years of running summer camps, they can help kids develop their passion while making fun summer memories.
#9 – Vision Tech Camps
Vision Tech Camps provide the necessary skills that help serve as a foundation for campers looking to learn game design in college. They teach a variety of different skills in the various courses they offer.
The RPG Video Game Design summer camp is the perfect opportunity for kids to learn the basics of the game design process. They will be able to create things like quests, maps, characters and so much more. They can even take their game with them back home.
For slightly older kids, there’s the opportunity to attend the 3D video game design camp. Here they’ll learn to use professional tools such as the Unreal Engine to design levels.
Vision tech camps provide children that have several different interests with a wide variety of camps to choose from.
#10 – Digital Media Academy Game Design Camps
Digital Media Academy offers Game Design STEM courses for teens and kids ranging from ages 9-18. Children from ages 9-12 can attend the adventure camps where they’ll learn to build and edit 2D worlds while also learning about the different roles in video game development.
The teen courses or academies are for kids ranging from age 12-18. They have three different options to choose from, Game Development Academy with VR, Intro to Game Design with Unity, and Game Development with Unity. Each course aims to help kids reach a professional level of game design.