Game Design Camp
For Ages 7-9
and 10-12
Play
✶
Collaborate
✶
Create
✶
Test
✶
Analyze
✶
Iterate
✶
Learn
✶
Play ✶ Collaborate ✶ Create ✶ Test ✶ Analyze ✶ Iterate ✶ Learn ✶
What is Dice & Design?
At Dice & Design, we focus on the fundamentals of game design, which serve as the foundation for all games, whether analog or digital. We teach your child important skills like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.
By creating games together, we learn important SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) skills, as well as hands-on applications of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) skills.
Our Approach
☻
In-Person
Not only do we learn game design using our minds, but we practice game design using our bodies! This approach helps kids to retain the information they learned experientially.
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Analog Fundamentals
We teach the core concepts behind designing great games, which serve as the foundation for all games whether digital or analog.
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Interactive
Research shows that kids learn and retain concepts better when they interact. Our hands-on, experience-based curriculum is more effective and more fun than learning from tutorial videos or lectures.
✿
Collaborative
By practicing with others, we learn critical communication skills. This helps with critical SEL skill development and is done in a safe, friendly environment that is very welcoming to neurodivergent students!
Practicals
Two Age Brackets
Morning: 7-9 years old
Afternoon: 10-12 years old
Time of Day
AM Sessions: 9am - 12:30pm (Dropoff 9-9:15a, pickup 12:30-1p)
PM Sessions: 1:30pm - 5pm (Dropoff 1:30-1:45p, pickup 5-5:30p)
Location
16 Maple Street, Belmont MA
No food provided, please pack a snack & water bottle!
Weeks
Your child will work to create their own games that they can bring home and play with your family while learning skills and terminology used by professional game designers!
Your child will work to create their own games that they can bring home and play with your family while learning skills and terminology used by professional game designers!
Your Instructor(s)
Caro Murphy is an award-winning game designer who also teaches game design at the college level for both undergraduate and masters programs. Caro is currently a Visiting Associate Professor at Northeastern University, and has taught at leading institutions like Harvard, MIT, Ringling and many more! Caro also worked for Disney, where they directed kid-focused and family-friendly game experiences including Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. While living in Orlando, Caro also taught for CFCArts serving youth ages 5-13 for summer camp classes. They have done extensive design for children on the Autism and ADHD spectrums to create accessible learning systems. Caro is also a founder of the Boston Festival of Indie Games (BostonFIG), where they created a mission to educate the next generation of game-creators.
More instructor bios coming soon as classes fill!
FAQ
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While we don’t anticipate doing risky activities, sometimes spills happen in life! Caro is CPR and First Aid certified through the American Red Cross for both children and adults! All instructors are up-to-date on COVID vaccinations and we sanitize materials that students handle! We will send a complete list of materials to parents in advance of camp start so parents can sign off on any tool use (scissors, etc).
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Over the course of five days, we will play and learn the principles of game design, then put those into action as we make our own card, board, ttrpg, or larp projects depending on what your child is most interested in. Your child will come away with terminology, a practical understanding of what it takes to make a game, and a finished analog work to show off and share!
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If there is a special accommodation that your child requires, please let us know and we will do our very best to make sure their needs are met!
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We respect your child’s name and pronouns, and endeavor to make them feel safe and belonging at all times, and foster a welcoming environment for all students! This attitude applies to all protected statuses.
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Unfortunately, due to limited space and logistics overhead, it is incredibly difficult for us to process refunds that are less than four weeks out from the start of camp. If your child gets sick, please contact us and we will do our best to fit them into another week that suits your schedule!