Name: Brain Builders-7/13/2026 - 7/17/2026 | Ages 6-8 | Blue Ridge Boost
SKU: SUMMER26-BRAINBUILDERS-26
Price: 509.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Brain Builders

Think & Tinker: 5-Day Math and Logic Puzzle Camp (Grades 1–3)

Parents: A joyful, hands-on week of math play that builds flexible thinking, number sense, and perseverance. Each day blends quick warm-ups, collaborative challenges, and independent puzzles from your Critical Thinking series and Beast Academy puzzle books. Differentiation keeps every child engaged and growing.

Kids: Crack codes, solve mazes, and outsmart tricky puzzles! Collect stamps as you finish challenges and share your clever strategies with friends.

Project Model

Campers complete a themed “Puzzle Pack” each day, mixing number puzzles, logic grids, visual/spatial challenges, and mini-games. We use your Critical Thinking books and Beast Academy puzzle books as our core materials, with optional hands-on stations (pattern blocks, tangrams, linking cubes, playing cards) for concrete exploration.

Daily Structure

4 one-hour sessions per day (S1–S4)
Short huddles and pair shares; independent work with coach check-ins
Differentiation: “Try This First” + “Level Up” puzzles each session
Materials: Critical Thinking books, Beast Academy puzzles, pencils, highlighters, math manipulatives (pattern blocks, tangrams, cubes), mini-whiteboards

Day 1: Pattern Detectives — Visual Patterns and Number Play

Focus: Repeating and growing patterns, skip counting, “what comes next?”, shape rules.

S1 Warm-Up — Quick “Which one doesn’t belong?” and a 2-minute pattern hunt around the room.
S2 Puzzle Pack A — Critical Thinking: visual pattern strips and odd-one-out; Beast Academy: simple sequencing puzzles.
S3 Hands-On Station — Build growing patterns with cubes/pattern blocks; draw the rule in words or pictures.
S4 Share & Reflect — Mini gallery: “My pattern rule and why it works.”

Level Up (advanced):

Create a 3-step pattern (shape, color, size) and challenge a neighbor.
Design a growing pattern that adds 2 each time; label the 10th step.
Explain two different ways to see the same pattern (add vs. group).

Day 2: Logic Sleuths — Sorting Rules and Mini-Logic Grids

Focus: Deductive reasoning, clues, “always/sometimes/never,” mini-logic grids scaled for young learners.

S1 Warm-Up — True/False/Can’t Tell cards; quick discussion on using evidence.
S2 Puzzle Pack B — Critical Thinking: clue-based sorting and picture logic; Beast Academy: bite-size logic stories.
S3 Build-a-Grid — Introduce a 2x3 or 3x3 logic grid with icons (animals, colors). Model one solution path.
S4 Strategy Share — Highlight: crossing out, marking “maybe,” rereading clues.

Level Up (advanced):

Create your own 3-clue puzzle for a partner to solve.
Explain which clue was most powerful and why.
Solve a larger grid with an extra category (add favorite snack or number).

Day 3: Number Ninjas — Equations, Operations, and Balance

Focus: Making target numbers, fact families, missing-number equations, equality as balance.

S1 Warm-Up — Target 10/20 with cards or dice; multiple ways to make the same number.
S2 Puzzle Pack C — Critical Thinking: number sentences with blanks; Beast Academy: mini challenges that encourage multiple solutions.
S3 Manipulative Lab — Balance scale demo with cubes; build equal expressions in two ways.
S4 Share & Reflect — “Two paths to the same answer” show-and-tell.

Level Up (advanced):

Write three different equations that make the target number.
Create a “Which is greater?” riddle and justify your comparison.
Use parentheses to show a clever grouping (coach models age-appropriate use).

Day 4: Shape Shifters — Spatial Reasoning and Geometry Games

Focus: Symmetry, tangram-style fits, tiling with pattern blocks, map/maze logic.

S1 Warm-Up — Mirror drawing/symmetry fold test; predict the other half.
S2 Puzzle Pack D — Critical Thinking: tangram silhouettes and spatial rotations; Beast Academy: tiling and symmetry puzzles.
S3 Map & Maze — Design a simple grid map; write 3-step directions; swap maps to test.
S4 Strategy Share — Talk about rotation vs. reflection; using corners and edges first.

Level Up (advanced):

Create a symmetrical creature with pattern blocks; prove its line of symmetry.
Compose the same silhouette with a different piece arrangement.
Extend your maze with a rule (only right turns, or must visit two checkpoints).

Day 5: Puzzle Quest — Mixed Challenge and Mini-Showcase

Focus: Mixed review of the week’s skills; strategy choice, stamina, and communication.

S1 Warm-Up — “Strategy toolkit” recap: draw a quick poster of your top 3 strategies.
S2 Puzzle Pack E — A curated mix from Critical Thinking and Beast Academy: 2 pattern, 2 logic, 2 number, 2 spatial puzzles per level.
S3 Boss Puzzle — Choice of a longer multi-step challenge; work solo or with a quiet partner.
S4 Showcase! — 1–2 minute share: favorite puzzle, how you started, where you got stuck, what changed.

Level Up (advanced):

Create a mini-puzzle for the class and provide two hints.
Write a second solution or a general rule that always works.
Time-trial: replay two earlier puzzles and try to beat your best time with fewer hints.

Why Families Love This

For Parents: Research-backed puzzles grow number sense and reasoning. Kids learn to articulate strategies, check work, and enjoy challenge.
For Kids: It feels like a puzzle party—build, draw, test, and high-five when it clicks!

Inclusion & Confidence Builders

Choice boards: multiple puzzles at each level so everyone finds a just-right challenge.
Hint tickets: teach help-seeking; celebrate using strategies before hints.
Growth talk: normalize “productive struggle” and celebrate revisions.
Math talk stems: “I noticed…”, “I tried…”, “Another way is…”.

Facilitation Tips

Pre-tab puzzles by level (A: gentle, B: core, C: spicy) using sticky notes.
Model one problem slowly; then release to independent practice with quick conferences.
Rotate manipulatives: 10–15 minute stations to keep energy high and ideas concrete.
Capture work: photos of hands-on builds and student annotations to celebrate progress.

Camp Essentials

Ages: 6 to 8 years old.
Dates: Monday, 7/13/2026 to Friday, 7/17/2026
Times:
- Full-Day,8:30 AM–5:00 PM
- AM, 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
- PM, 12:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: 2171 Ivy Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22903
What to Bring: Water bottle, lunch, and one or two light snacks.
Video gaming: Not allowed
Tech Provided: Computers and robotics kits (for in‑camp use only; equipment stays with us).
Skill Level: Beginners welcome; no prior coding experience required
Dress Code: Comfortable clothes; indoor‑friendly shoes
Contact: camps@yblueridgeboost.com • (434) 260‑0636
Allergies/Medical: Share details during registration; bring any necessary meds
Behavior & Safety: Kindness first; follow staff directions; internet safety rules apply

Note: The camps listed as ages 6 to 12 will be divided by age into two groups.