🧱 STEM Engineering · Summer 2026

Build. Code.
Engineer.
Think Deeply.

At Milestones Montessori Summer Camp, children ages 6–10 harness LEGO Education SPIKE Essential to build real working robots and program them with block-based code — combining Montessori hands-on learning with 21st-century STEM skills.

🎯 Ages 6–10 🤖 Real Robots 💻 Block Coding 🌿 Montessori Spirit 📐 NGSS Aligned

🏕️ Enroll for Camp

Child building with LEGO at Milestones Montessori summer camp engineering session

🧱 LEGO SPIKE Essential · Milestones Montessori 2026

Where Montessori Meets STEM

Why SPIKE Essential Fits Our Philosophy

Montessori education has always centered on hands-on, self-directed discovery. LEGO Education SPIKE Essential is a natural extension of that philosophy — children build, test, fail, adjust, and succeed through real experience, not worksheets.

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Hands-On Materials

Just like Montessori learning materials, SPIKE Essential lets children discover concepts through physical manipulation — touching, building, adjusting, and observing in real time.

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Self-Directed Learning

Open-ended engineering challenges let children choose their own approach. There's no single "right" solution — just curiosity, iteration, and the joy of figuring it out.

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Iteration & Resilience

When a robot doesn't work as planned, children debug, rebuild, and try again — developing exactly the perseverance and error-tolerance Montessori fosters in every program.

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Collaborative Spirit

Mixed-age team challenges mirror Montessori multi-age classrooms — older campers mentor younger ones, reinforcing their own understanding while building community.

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A Note from Director Saritha

"We chose LEGO Education SPIKE Essential because it matches what we already know works: give children real tools, real problems, and the freedom to explore. They don't just learn to code — they learn to think, persist, and create. Every robot they build is a reflection of their own imagination and ingenuity."

Inside the Kit

What Is LEGO Education SPIKE Essential?

SPIKE Essential is LEGO Education's flagship STEM toolkit for elementary school learners. It combines colorful LEGO bricks with smart sensors, motors, and a programmable hub — giving children everything they need to engineer real, functional creations.

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SPIKE Essential Hub

5×5 LED matrix, 6 I/O ports, speaker, accelerometer, gyroscope, Bluetooth & USB — the programmable brain of every build

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2× Medium Angular Motors

Precise, programmable motors with built-in rotation sensors — children control speed, direction, and torque through code

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Color Sensor

Detects color, light intensity, and reflected light — enables sorting robots, line-followers, and color-reactive creations

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Distance Sensor

Measures proximity up to 200 cm — perfect for obstacle-avoidance robots and environment-aware machines

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449 LEGO Bricks + Storage Tray

Colorful Technic-compatible pieces in a durable tray — beams, connectors, axles, gears, frames, and classic bricks

449LEGO Pieces

6Hub Ports

3Smart Sensors

6–10Target Ages

2Coding Modes

200cmSensor Range

🏆 Standards Aligned

NGSS Science CSTA Coding ISTE Technology CCSS Math SEL Skills AMI Montessori Aligned

What Kids Take Home

Curriculum & Learning Outcomes

Every session follows a deliberate learning arc. Children don't just follow instructions — they solve real problems and develop skills that transfer far beyond camp.

🧠 Computational Thinking

🔢Decompose problems into smaller, manageable steps

🔁Write loops, conditionals, and event-driven code blocks

🐛Debug programs systematically — test, observe, adjust

📊Read sensor data and use it to make decisions in code

🔧 Engineering Design

📐Apply the full engineering design process end to end

⚙️Understand gears, levers, pulleys, and mechanical advantage

📝Document builds through engineering journals and sketches

🏗️Balance structural strength with weight and design aesthetics

🤝 Collaboration & Communication

👥Work in pairs: builder, coder, tester — rotate each session

🎤Present builds to peers and explain design decisions

💡Give and receive constructive peer feedback

🌟Develop creative confidence and a growth mindset

📐 Math & Science Concepts

📏Apply measurement, estimation, and data collection in context

⚡Explore force, motion, energy, and cause-and-effect

🌡️Use the scientific method: hypothesize, experiment, conclude

🔬Connect sensor data to real-world science phenomena

Hands-On Every Session

Camp Activities with SPIKE Essential

Each of our 10 themed weeks ties engineering challenges to the weekly theme — so SPIKE always feels connected, purposeful, and exciting.

🤖Robotics Week

Obstacle Course Robot

Build a wheeled robot, program it with Distance Sensors to detect and avoid walls, and race against other teams on a custom course.

🎨Art & Engineering Week

Color-Sorting Machine

Engineer a machine using the Color Sensor and motorized arms to identify and sort colored objects — where art and code meet beautifully.

🌿Nature Week

Environmental Monitor

Build a device that monitors proximity and alerts when objects get too close — connecting sensor technology to environmental stewardship.

🏁Sports Week

Speed & Distance Challenge

Engineer the fastest vehicle possible, measure speeds with sensors, and iterate the design — learning gear ratios, friction, and physics through play.

🚀Space Explorer Week

Mars Rover Mission

Design a rover that autonomously navigates a "Martian surface," detects obstacles, and collects data — inspired by NASA rover engineering.

🏗️Construction Week

Smart Bridge Builder

Engineer the strongest LEGO bridge, then add a sensor-activated gate that opens when vehicles approach — pure structural and mechanical engineering.

🗓️ See All 10 Weekly Camp Themes

Right for Every Learner

Age Groups & Skill Levels

SPIKE Essential scales beautifully from first-time builders to confident coders. Our instructors meet each child exactly where they are.

🌱 First-Time Engineers

Ages 6–8 · Grades 1–3

Perfect for campers with little or no coding experience. We start with guided builds and simple block sequences.

Guided step-by-step builds with visual instructions
Scratch-style block coding — no prior experience needed
Simple motor and sensor challenges
Partner builds — one builder, one coder, switch each session
End-of-week showcase: present your robot to the group
Take-home engineering journal with sketches

🚀 Confident Builders

Ages 8–10 · Grades 3–5

For campers ready for a real challenge. Open-ended design briefs, multi-sensor programs, and friendly competitions.

Open-ended design challenges — problem statement only
Multi-motor + multi-sensor programs
Variables, loops, and conditional logic
Python mode intro for the most advanced learners
Team competitions: fastest, strongest, most creative
Peer code review and collaborative debugging

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Not sure which level fits your child?

Our instructors assess each camper in the first session and adjust the challenge level accordingly. Book a free tour and ask Saritha directly — she loves helping families find the perfect fit!

A Typical Session

How a SPIKE Essential Day Unfolds

90 minutes of focused, joyful engineering — designed for deep thinking and real results.

1🎯

The Challenge Brief

15 min — A real-world problem is presented. Campers brainstorm, sketch ideas, and plan before touching a single brick.

2🧱

Build It

30 min — Construct the physical structure using LEGO bricks, attaching motors and sensors as designed.

3💻

Code It

25 min — Program the hub using the SPIKE App — adding logic, sensor conditions, and motor sequences.

4🏆

Test & Celebrate

20 min — Run the builds, iterate on failures, and share results. Every working solution gets celebrated!

Ready to Build Something Amazing?

LEGO SPIKE Essential is just one of the incredible STEM programs at Milestones Montessori Summer Camp 2026. Spots fill fast — book your free tour today!

🏕️ Enroll at Camp Site

June 29 – September 4, 2026 · Ages 6–10 for LEGO SPIKE · 9 AM–3 PM · 364 Georges Rd, Dayton NJ

Build. Code.Engineer.Think Deeply.