Our Specialist Day Camps
Our camps are structured by Mrs Vanessa McSween and Mrs Aimee Butler-Cox. Design, Technology and Engineering specialists, with too many years to mention of experience teaching children of all ages in a wide range of subjects. We are supported by Mrs Pushpa Ambupe, teaching assistant and DT&E technician who has daily experience in the classroom supporting lessons in the Prep School. We believe strongly in hands on, engaging learning and we are passionate about the importance of STEM in preparing our young people for life in a modern and developing world.
We have a friendly team of other teachers and assistants who know that to get the best out of the children, they have to be happy, safe and confident to have a go, even if things do not go according to plan the first or tenth time. Pastoral care is important to us and parents choose to come to us because of this.
In addition to our dedicated teaching staff, we have a huge number of young people who are passionate about STEM Den. They have loved coming to classes when they were younger and now want to share their expertise by supporting our classes as volunteers. Some are working towards their GCSEs, some their A Levels and some in Further and Higher Education. We are hugely grateful for the time, inspiration and confidence they give as they support us. All our staff and helpers have a love for STEM and teaching and want the children to have a happy, fulfilling experience with us.
We are Ofsted registered and were last inspected in December 2023. All our staff are DBS checked. We comply fully to standards for First Aid Training. All our staff are safeguarding trained.
To place a booking CLICK HERE
St John's School, Potter Street Hill, Pinner, HA5 3ZF
Please note: Two week's notice is required for a refund for cancellation.
If you are a STEM Den 'regular' and have completed the activity already on offer on the day you would like to attend, then please do email us, as quite often we can tailor the program to accomodate your specific needs. If you are building a portfolio for a STEM or DT&E scholarship at a Senior School this could be you!
Ignite Curiosity This Christmas at STEM Den! 🧪
Give your children the gift of hands-on, minds-on learning and festive fun this December at STEM Den! Our exciting, week-long program blends core Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) with creative, seasonal challenges, offering the perfect way to keep them active and engaged before the holidays.
🎁 Monday 15th December: Sleigh Structure Skills
The week kicks off with an exciting Engineering Challenge where teams have fun designing and building a sleigh suitable for Santa, boosting teamwork and design skills. The day wraps up with engaging Christmas craft and games for all children.
Crest Award Opportunity - See notes below for further information.
💡 Tuesday 16th December: Circuitry Coding Creations
Children will discover simple circuits while building a functional Santa Alarm to detect movement on Christmas Eve. They will also learn about Morse Code to create a secret message candy cane, and tackle a fun Christmas lights coding challenge.
Crest Award Opportunity - See notes below for further information.
⚛️ Wednesday 17th December: Rudolph's Reactions and Resistance
Today features both electronics and chemistry: children will make a Rudolph with a light-up red nose, and learn the science behind the fizz to make their own festive Bath Bombs. Children in Year 5 and above will also have the chance to learn basic soldering techniques.
Crest Award Opportunity - See notes below for further information.
🎨 Thursday 18th December: Salty Sock Sublimation
Children develop digital art skills to design their own unique Sublimation Socks to take home. They will also explore Science Exploration by finding out how salt affects ice, and apply this knowledge to make a fun bearded gnome decoration.
Crest Award Opportunity - See notes below for further information.
❄️ Friday 19th December: Winter Wonder
The week concludes by exploring the physics of viscosity as children apply their knowledge to make their very own bespoke Snow Globe to take home. This final day includes a fun science snow experiment, craft, and games.
Crest Award Opportunity - See notes below for further information.
🌳 Plus: Outdoor Woodland Adventures! Alongside the fantastic indoor STEM activities, every day children will have the opportunity for outdoor play in the beautiful woodland area at St John's School. This includes time for nature exploration and relaxation by the lit fire pit in the teepee.
CLASS AGE RESTRICTIONS - Please do not be offended if your child can not attend a class because they are not old enough... yet! We want the children to be safe, sometimes the activities are only suitable for older children. We are not insured for children under the age of 5 years. We want the children to be successful as well as independent. There are classes aimed for 5 & 6 year olds every day. These classes have teachers with experience of KS1, more helpers, the right height of furniture, shorter activities which change more frequently and break out activities such as Lego, painting and train tracks. We hope you understand.WAITING LISTS - In the case that we are fully booked you can ask to be placed on a waiting list.
Please email: stemdennorthwood@gmail.com
In the subject heading put your child's surname and the week number you are looking for. In the body of the email please specify the dates you are looking for, as well as your child's full name. You will be emailed from this address if a place becomes available, make sure our mail does not end up in the junk.
SAFETY and USING TOOLS - One of the reasons STEM Den is so special is that we teach children to use tools to help them build, innovate and problem solve. The tools we use can cause injury if used incorrectly. All of our children are taught to use the equpiment safely and they are supervised when using the tools. Children are expected to behave appropriately when using tools. Parents/guardians who take up a place at STEM Den understand and agree to their children using the tools and equipment for each activity. There are risks involved, which are outweighed by the many benefits. If you have any concerns, please talk to us.
(During the winter time, we will have a fire in the teepee in the woods to help us warm up when it gets cold. We expect children to follow our safety instructions around the fire.)
For further information please read our terms and conditions.
What are the Science Crest Awards all about?
Plan, carry out and evaluate your own STEM based investigations to achieve a Nationally Recognized Award. Children aged between 5 and 10 will need 8 investigations all stamped off in their book, Children aged 10 and above take an all day challenge. Click here to find out more.
VEX robotics kits will be available every day on request, depending on availability. There are two different levels of kit depending on age and experience. We have VEX GO and VEX IQ. For our younger students from Rec to Year 3 we have VEX 123 or Educational Lego kits are ideal to start the journey of programming. For our youngest students aged 5 to 7 we suggest this is taught in small bitesize chunks around half an hour long.
Click the link to find out more.
Our LEGO, SPHERO BOLT, CRUMBLE and VEX kits are to be used within the camp only and cannot be taken home. You might like to buy a CRUMBLE kit. They are available from Redfern electronics to purchase for around £32 and can be used for hundreds of other project ideas. Software for this is a free download. For more details click here.)
Email if you have a topic you'd like to explore: stemdennorthwood@gmail.com
We may make changes to our program from time to time without notice but do our best to stick to the plan as much as possible. Adaptive teaching allows us to tailor the sessions to accomodate the children being taught.
Please do not be surprised if our advertised plan of action changes its course.
