Local Camp Combines Fun With Learning

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Science and Math are usually subjects kids want to run from in the summer.

But one local camp is tricking students into learning by doing creative projects. Leonardo's Basement does everything from art projects to lego building and cooking classes.

During rocket week at the camp, kids used science and math to try to get their rockets in the air.

Leonardo's Basement helps kids fail, but in a good way. Their motto is "Try again, fail again, fail better."

"It's about taking a chance and making things work out in your moment in time and if you don't fail you're probably not pushing yourself hard enough," said Tracy Nielsen with Leonardo's Basement.

The sky is the limit for these kids. They're using math to make the form.

"I learned you have to make things really stable because we're going to be going up there and it's 30 feet tall," said 13-year-old Daniel Pluth.

Science is also being taught. While some students failed the first time. Some will fail again. Going for the cute factor over function,

"Science is all about testing and trying and doing it again," Nielsen said.

The kids are tricked into learning, using fun materials and highlighting a project that's a blast at any age.

There are nearly 100 different week-long classes this summer, including making cardboard armor and a build-what-you-want investors workshop. They're priced on a sliding scale based on income, and they range from $25 to $185 for the week.