Summer 2026

Unlock your child’s potential with a robotics program intentionally designed to promote independence, communication, and life skills while supporting therapeutic and developmental goals. Through engaging, hands-on activities, participants develop essential skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, and self-regulation—all in a fun and supportive environment.

What Your Child Will Gain:

• Skill Development: Children will enhance their problem-solving abilities by tackling robotics challenges, working collaboratively with peers, and developing effective communication strategies.
• Independence: The program emphasizes making choices, completing tasks independently, and practicing self-regulation, empowering participants to take ownership of their learning.
• Social Skills: Group activities are designed to foster interaction, collaboration, and teamwork, helping children build meaningful connections and learn to work effectively in diverse settings.
• Life Skills: Robotics lessons connect to real-world applications, teaching participants how technology can be used in daily life while encouraging adaptability and confidence.

Guided by a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (TRS), each session is structured to build skills that foster growth and independence. Our Holland Bloorview team provides individualized support plans and adaptations to ensure an inclusive experience for all participants. 

WHO SHOULD REGISTER?

• Participants must be able to engage safely in a structured group program. Due to the nature of the program, equipment and collaborative learning environment, this program is not suitable for participants who may exhibit physical aggression, self-injury, and/or property destruction.
• Participants must be the appropriate age (or can demonstrate they have the math skills) before or during the program with a formal diagnosis.
• Participants need to be able to sit for 20 minutes and follow 3-step instructions.
• Participants should demonstrate an interest in the robotics program and be motivated to work towards a goal developed in collaboration with their family and RBA or with the Therapeutic Recreational Specialist from their respective programs.
• Participants are required to attend an intake, to establish goals and create a treatment plan before the program begins.  These will be scheduled our Therapeutic Recreational Specialist with families directly for the Summer Camp programs. 

Program Descriptions

Build •Drive• Code! Robotics Camp, kids ages 7–10 will use LEGO SPIKE Essential robots to explore exciting builds, test creative designs, and learn how to program or remote-control their robot through fun challenges. Every session sparks creativity, confidence, and teamwork!

Artifact Hunters: Robotics Mission Camp. Travel from Mars to ancient pyramids using robotics! In this action-packed Summer Camp, kids ages 10–14 will build and program robots to collect meteorites, scan artifacts using sensors, explore volcanoes and underwater environments, and rediscover ancient technologies across the world. A new mission every session designed for curious minds and future engineers.

ABA using a Robotics Theme is a small-group, goal-focused program that uses robotics as the teaching context to support the development of functional skills through Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA).

Participants engage in structured, therapist‑guided learning activities that are intentionally designed to evoke, teach, generalize, and reinforce socially significant skills, including:

• Planning multi-step tasks and sequencing and completing multi-step instructions.
• Problem solving and cognitive flexibility; specifically, when outcomes do not match expectations.
• Functional communication, such as requesting help, requesting breaks, sharing ideas, and responding to peers.
• Sustained attention, goal-directed persistence, and task completion during builds.

Each participant works toward individualized goals across ten key domains (communication, social interaction, play and leisure, activities of daily living, motor skills, cognitive skills, sensory system, interfering behaviours, mental health and adaptability and resilience). These goals are developed in collaboration with their family and a Registered Behaviour Analyst (RBA). The RBA provides clinical oversight, ensures goals are appropriate and measurable, and guides instructional strategies used within robotics activities. Sessions are delivered by trained robotics staff within a structured, predictable environment that supports learning and engagement.

This program is well suited for children who are motivated by hands-on learning, benefit from visual support and routines, and can participate in a small group setting while working toward functional, real-world skills.

Prerequisite Skills

Participants should demonstrate the following readiness skills to participate safely and meaningfully in this group-based ABA program:

• Ability to remain with a small group and engage in a structured activity for at least 20 minutes.
• Ability to follow simple, structured instructions, with visual or verbal prompts.
• Emerging ability to wait, take turns, and transition between activities within a group.
• Ability to engage safely with small parts, shared materials, and electronic components.

These skills are necessary to support safety, learning and participation within a collaborative robotics environment.

This Program Is Not Suitable For

This program may not be appropriate for participants who:

• Exhibit ongoing physical aggression, self-injury, or property destruction that cannot be safely supported within a group setting.
• Require continuous 1:1 behavioural intervention beyond what can be provided in a small-group program.
• Are unable to tolerate a structured learning environment, even with visual support and prompting.
• Are unable to engage safely with robotics materials or shared equipment.

Participants requiring more intensive or individualized behavioural intervention may be better supported through 1:1 therapy service or behavioural consultation services.

Program Description:

Build •Drive• Code! Robotics Camp, kids ages 7–10 will use LEGO SPIKE Essential robots to explore exciting builds, test creative designs, and learn how to program or remote-control their robot through fun challenges. Every session sparks creativity, confidence, and teamwork!

Artifact Hunters: Robotics Mission Camp. Travel from Mars to ancient pyramids using robotics! In this action-packed Summer Camp, kids ages 10–14 will build and program robots to collect meteorites, scan artifacts using sensors, explore volcanoes and underwater environments, and rediscover ancient technologies across the world. A new mission every session, designed for curious minds and future engineers.