At the Kidzeum after school camp in Springfield, kids get a chance to explore STEAM topics before they make their way home.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - For many kids, learning stops when school ends. At the Kidzeum after school camp, kids get a chance to explore STEAM topics before they make their way home. 

"Exposure is the biggest thing to give them the opportunity to see topics, because sometimes at home parents don't want to deal with the mess, and we want to deal with the mess," said Tarika Roberts, director of learning and public programs at the Kidzeum.

"We're more than welcome to do that and to give them more of a chance to be able to do these kind of things and just show them all the fun stuff that they can do," Roberts continued.  

The camp is broken down by topic, with each day representing a different STEAM topic. Monday is science day, Tuesday is technology day, Wednesday is engineering day, Thursday is art day and Friday is math day. Kids can choose to come to a few days based on their interest, or sign up for the full week. 

On technology day, the kids experiment with 3D printers and drivable robots. On engineering day, the kids design egg drop devices or build mini catapults with popsicle sticks. 

"We want to have more experiences and obviously to be able to do more of STEAM and just exposure to it," Roberts said. "We want to be more hands on, be able to be creative when they want to, because obviously you don't have to follow a curriculum per se like a school does, we give them more chances to have more freedom." 

The program is for kids in first through fourth grades. For more information on the STEAM program or other Kidzeum programs, check out their website. 

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