STEM Summer Camp in Millburn, NJ — Genius Gems

Every week is a different lab

Campers spend the week deep in one theme — engineering, chemistry, game design, robotics, animal science — taught in a small group by staff who love this stuff. Most weeks build toward a showcase families are invited to, like an Inventors' Expo, a Pop-Up Science Café or a STEM Arcade. Come for one week or all ten.

Almost all of our weeks sold out last summer, so sign up early to reserve your spot.

Summer 2027 weeks

Millburn, NJ — 215 Millburn Avenue, Millburn, NJ 07041

Registration opens January 1, 2027.

The Summer 2027 schedule is coming Weeks and themes are announced ahead of registration. Leave your email below and we'll tell you the moment they're up.

Our camp themes

The labs we run each summer. Which weeks they land on changes year to year — see the schedule below.

• Inventors Lab: Engineering — ends with the Inventors' Expo
  A week of invention and innovation. Campers prototype with micro:bits, motors and everyday materials, then test, fail, fix and improve — the real engineering loop. By Friday every camper has a working invention of their own design and can explain how it works.

  

• Mad Science — ends with the Mad Science Fair
  Explosive curiosity. Chemistry and physics experiments all week — volcano reactions, rockets, reactions that fizz, pop and change colour — with the why behind every wow. Campers keep a lab notebook, make predictions and find out which ones held up.

  

• LEGO® Engineering Lab — ends with the Engineering showcase
  Hands-on engineering with LEGO® bricks: gear ratios, structural stability, bridges that hold and machines that move. A new design challenge every day, tested against real loads and real timers, culminating in an engineering showcase for families.
  This program is not sponsored by or affiliated with the LEGO® company.

  

• Tech Creator Lab — ends with the Future Fair
  The ultimate creativity challenge: robots, coding, laser cutters and 3D design. Campers dream up a product, sketch it, build it with real tools and code, and pitch it at the Future Fair. Tablets and laptops are tools here, never the point.

  

• Slime Lab — ends with the Slime showcase
  Polymers, states of matter and non-Newtonian fluids through gooey, hands-on fun. Every day a new recipe — glow, magnetic, fluffy, crunchy — and every camper their own slime chemist, tuning ingredients and recording what changed.

  

• Game Design Lab — ends with the STEM Arcade Fair
  An action-packed week blending digital and physical games — Scratch, sensors and robotics — and a visit from a real-life game designer. Campers design, build and play-test their own games, then run them for each other at the STEM Arcade Fair.

  

• Animal Science: Paws, Claws & STEM — ends with the Creature showcase
  Inquiry-based STEM adventures into animal anatomy, behaviour and adaptations, with up-close animal encounters and a visit from a local animal expert. Campers build habitats, compare skulls and skeletons, and design an animal of their own for a real environment.

  

• KPOP Demon Hunters Academy: The Science of Light & Shadow — ends with the Light show
  Light, energy and imagination. LEDs, UV light, magnets and shadow play, wrapped in a K-Pop theme the campers picked themselves. Campers wire their own light-up props and build a glow-in-the-dark show for the final day.

  

• Kitchen Chemistry: Edible Experiments & Fizzy Reactions — ends with the Pop-Up Science Café
  Food-based experiments on states of matter and chemical reactions — and yes, some of it gets eaten. Campers make ice cream without a freezer, grow rock candy and test what makes things fizz, then serve the results at a Pop-Up Science Café for families.
  Not recommended for campers with severe food allergies.

  

• STEM Discovery
  The grand finale of summer: a week of exploration across every branch of STEM, with a different theme each day — engineering, chemistry, coding, biology, design. A greatest-hits week for campers who want a taste of everything.
  Full day only.

  

Formats, hours & tuition

Choose the day that fits your family. Every format runs Monday to Friday unless the week says otherwise.

Millburn, NJ

• Full Day, 9 AM – 3 PM — Congregation B'nai Israel (CBI), 160 Millburn Avenue. Lunch from home. Morning and afternoon labs with outdoor time in between. · Summer 2027 tuition is published with registration.
• AM Half Day, 9 AM – 12 PM — Genius Gems, 215 Millburn Avenue. The morning lab. Snack from home. · Summer 2027 tuition is published with registration.
• PM Half Day, 12:30 – 3:30 PM — Genius Gems, 215 Millburn Avenue. The afternoon lab. Snack from home. · Summer 2027 tuition is published with registration.

Before & after care

Extend the day at either end. Book a whole week or single days; care is supervised free play with our staff.

• Before care 8 – 9 AM
• After care until 5 PM

After care is at Genius Gems Millburn; full-day campers are walked over from CBI.

Four-day weeks are prorated.

A day at camp

A typical day. Building time, lunch and outdoor time shift with the week's activities.

Millburn, NJ

1. 9:00 AM Drop-off & morning build
2. 12:00 PM AM program pick-up (GG Millburn)
3. 3:00 PM Full-day pick-up (CBI)
4. 3:30 PM PM program pick-up (GG Millburn)
5. 5:00 PM Aftercare pick-up (all sessions)

Drop-off & pick-up

Millburn, NJ

Drop-off

• Half-day campers: the front terrace of Genius Gems at your start time. On the first day only, use the parking-lot entrance.
• Full-day campers: Congregation B'nai Israel (CBI), 160 Millburn Avenue.

Pick-up

• Half-day campers: the front terrace of Genius Gems.
• Full-day campers: CBI at 3 PM.
• After care: the parking-lot door / main entrance of Genius Gems Millburn.

• Every adult authorised to pick up must be listed on your emergency contact form, and parents sign their child out each day.
• Parents and caregivers don't stay during camp unless we've arranged it in advance.
• Late pick-up: $20 for 10–20 minutes late, then $10 for each additional 10 minutes.

What to bring

Pack

• A labelled water bottle
• A labelled nut-free snack — and a nut-free lunch for full-day campers
• Sunscreen or a hat for outdoor time
• Bug spray

Leave at home

• Toys and valuables — Genius Gems isn't responsible for misplaced items
• Phones and devices; if they come, they may be stored during program hours

We're allergy-aware but not a nut-free facility. We kindly ask that anything you pack be nut-free.

Who can come

Campers must be at least 5 years old by the start of their camp week AND entering Kindergarten or older that fall. This is a firm requirement.

• Grades K–6. Groups are formed by grade so every camper is with peers.
• Campers must be fully toilet-trained and able to use the bathroom independently.
• Genius Gems has always been a warm and welcoming place. Many neurodiverse children and children with learning differences have thrived in our programs — email us and we'll talk through what your child needs.

One application, every drop-off program

Camp is a drop-off program, so each family completes our short application once — no fee, no commitment. Children who have already taken part in any Genius Gems drop-off program (a class, mini camp, date night or a past summer) are fast-tracked. New to us? Share a recent report card or set up a quick call with our camp director so we can make sure camp is a great fit.

• Start the application — Millburn, NJ

Camp in action

Know an aspiring counselor?

Our Counselor-in-Training program gives students entering 8th–10th grade real leadership experience all summer.

Learn about CIT

Questions families ask

Does it cost anything to apply, and am I committed?

No — there's no cost to apply and no commitment. Approval simply means you can enroll whenever you're ready.

My child is almost 5 but not entering Kindergarten. Can they come?

Unfortunately not. We have a firm age and grade requirement: campers must be 5 by the start of their week and entering Kindergarten or older.

Is lunch provided?

No — full-day campers bring a labelled, nut-free lunch and every camper brings a snack. NYC families can add a pizza lunch.

Are you a nut-free facility?

We're allergy-aware but not nut-free. We ask every family to pack nut-free snacks and lunches.

Can you accommodate special needs?

Genius Gems has always been a warm and welcoming environment, and many neurodiverse children and children with learning differences have been successful in our programs. Email information@geniusgems.com and we'll talk through what your child needs.

Do I need a teacher recommendation?

Not if your child has already taken part in a Genius Gems drop-off program — a class, mini camp, date night or a past summer camp — those families are fast-tracked. New families can share a recent report card or set up a short call with our camp director instead. Our programs are collaborative, so we just want to make sure camp is a great fit.

What if my child misses a day?

We don't offer make-up days, credits or refunds for missed days. If an illness keeps your child out for a full week, ask us about transferring the week.

Give them a summer they'll build on

Summer 2027 at Genius Gems — most weeks sell out early.

• Start the application — Millburn, NJ, 215 Millburn Avenue, Millburn, NJ 07041

Be first to know Leave your email and we'll tell you when Summer 2027 weeks and registration are live.

Questions? Email information@geniusgems.com or call 973-376-2623. information@geniusgems.com · 973-376-2623