Tinkering Camp

Tinkering Camp gives children time to design and test wheeled vehicles, build cars and a track for them to race on, and explore mechanisms, toy motors, and the physics that make things move. Campers craft paper airplanes, cardboard boomerangs, gliders, and kites; build marble and ball runs, simple machines like levers and pulleys, cardboard contraptions, three-dimensional structures, cardboard sculptures, and paper mache projects; and sculpt and paint air dry clay, slime, and play dough. Additional activities include building catapults, stomp rockets, air cannons, mini robots, and a spinning swings carnival ride, as well as glow-in-the-dark, splatter, mural, and bubble painting, creating DIY bubble wands and bubble solution, exploring CO2 bubbles, and working on project finalization and reflection at the end of the week.

• Ages: 4–10 years old
• Schedule: Weekly camps run Monday–Friday from June 8–July 31, 2026, with full-day options 9am–3pm, half-day AM 9–11:30am, and half-day PM 12:30–3pm.
• Price: Full-day camps for ages 6–10 are Member: $395/week and Non-member: $440/week; half-day AM camps for ages 4–5 and half-day PM camps for ages 6–10 are Member: $225/week and Non-member: $255/week; pricing is per child per week, and a $50 nonrefundable cancellation fee applies to each camp session.

Each camp week follows a set structure: Monday focuses on camp expectations and project challenges; Tuesday through Thursday focus on project work along with time to explore the Museum, and Wednesday also includes a walking field trip to Kendall Park; Friday centers on project finalization and reflection. Lunch and snacks can be ordered from Bean Sprouts Café for the camp week, and cancellations must be requested by email.

DuPage Children’s Museum, which runs Tinkering Camp, was founded in 1987 and has maintained a presence in the community for more than 30 years, including a permanent location established in Naperville in 2001 and a reopening in 2015 after water damage earlier that year. The Museum’s mission statement is that DuPage Children’s Museum nurtures joyful discovery and learning, and after unveiling a new layout in 2005, it was named one of Chicagoland’s top 10 cultural attractions by Crain’s Chicago Business in 2006. The leadership team includes President and CEO Andrea J. Ingram, Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement Rebecca Obrock, Executive Vice President of Joyful Learning Kimberly Stull, Chief Financial Officer Gerilyn Johnson, Director of Playful Experiences Cassie Coffey, and Director of Learning Partnerships Jenny Flowers.

According to shared feedback, one caregiver described a visit by saying that staff did an excellent job with cleaning, capacity was low, and their boys were thrilled to be back, and another grandparent noted that their grandsons especially enjoyed time in the workshop and with electronic boards and described the workshop staff as very patient and respectful with their 6- and 8-year-old grandchildren.

Last updated May 26, 2026.