Arduino Workshop Plan: 5 Days for Summer Camps and Holiday Clubs

When you build a 5-day Arduino workshop plan, give each day one new idea and save the last day for the participants' own mini project: day 1 LEDs and timing, day 2 buttons and conditions, day 3 sensors, day 4 sound and motion, day 5 a mini project and a showcase. Every day follows the same skeleton: warm-up, short lesson, build, break, challenge, sharing. The plan in this article is written for an intensive camp of 3 hours a day, 15 hours in total, and assumes 12–16 participants working in pairs; those numbers are an assumption, so scale them up or down for your group.

Unlike a weekly term plan, an intensive camp leaves no time to forget, but it does bring fatigue. That is why the program is built on short lessons and lots of building rather than long explanations. Below you will find a day-by-day program table, an hour-by-hour flow for a sample day, a parts list for 8 groups, a prep checklist that starts two weeks ahead, mini project options for day 5, a 3-minute presentation template, adaptations by age, ideas for after the camp and safety rules. If you are teaching one lesson a week over a term, the 8-week robotics coding plan suits that rhythm better.

The camp at a glance: 5 days, 3 hours, pairs

The most common mistake in an intensive camp is cramming too much into the first day. The program therefore moves from simple to complex: first output (lighting an LED), then input (reading a button), then analog measurement (light and distance), then motion and sound (servo and buzzer), and finally a mini project that combines everything. Each day builds on the one before; the parking sensor on day 3 uses the LED from day 1, the condition from day 2 and the distance measurement from the same day. The reason for pairs is simple: in groups of three one person often ends up watching, and when people work alone, whoever gets stuck has to wait. In a pair one person builds the circuit while the other reads the diagram and the code, and they swap roles at the break.

Day-by-day program: themes, projects and end-of-day results

Every project in the table is ready in the BlueGrays app with its parts list, circuit diagram and code. The projects for the first two days are completely free; participants do not need Premium. From day 3 onwards, Premium projects such as the parking sensor, the servo and the mini project options come into play. If you use them, every participant needs Premium, and the most practical way to do that is an educator package; we explained how it works in detail in the guide to Premium codes for a class. If you would rather stay with free projects, the tip below has a Premium-free variant of the plan.

On the first two days participants change a single number at the end of each project and predict the result first. In Traffic Light the red and green lights stay on for 2000 ms and the yellow light for 300 ms; the pairs rewrite these timings for a real junction. In LED Chaser six LEDs on pins 2–7 light up one after another at 150 ms intervals; pulling that number down to 50 and up to 500 makes it visible what the array and the for loop are doing. On day 2 LED Control with a Push Button (Push) and Toggle an LED with a Button (On/Off) use the same circuit, and the only difference is in the code. That comparison is the shortest way to explain the idea that "a program can remember something", and every sensor project on the following days relies on it. Day 3 is measurement day. In Night Light with Ldr the LED on pin 13 lights up when the LDR value read on A0 drops below 50; the pairs cover the sensor with their hands, watch the value in the Serial Monitor and tune the threshold to the light in their own room. HC-SR04 Distance Measurement (Serial Display) prints the distance between 3 and 100 cm every half second, while Parking Sensor with HC-SR04 turns the same measurement into a warning with two LEDs on pins 8 and 9 and a buzzer on pin 10: when an obstacle is closer than 20 cm, the beeps get faster. On day 4 Using a Servo Motor moves the servo to 0, 90 and 180 degrees, and Servo Motor Operation with Potentiometer turns the same servo by hand with a potentiometer. The last half hour of the day is set aside for choosing the day 5 project. Close the sharing part of each day with that day's exit question; the answers show you what to repeat in the next morning's warm-up:

1. Day 1: What changed in the traffic light when you wrote delay(500) instead of delay(2000)? Why?
2. Day 2: Is the difference between the button that lights while held and the one that toggles with each press in the circuit or in the code?
3. Day 3: Does the LDR value get smaller in the dark or in the light? How did you choose the threshold for your night light?
4. Day 4: Where does the servo turn when you write 90? Why does the servo follow the potentiometer when you turn it?
5. Day 5: Point out the parts in your project that sense, decide and respond, one by one.

Educator package: how many codes, and when to hand them out?

For a 5-day camp a monthly educator package is enough. Each monthly code adds 30 days of Premium to the account that redeems it, and the time starts on the day the code is used. If you hand the codes out on day 1, the camp ends after 5 days and participants have about 25 days left to keep going at home. The package is a one-time purchase and does not renew automatically, and participants do not need to add a card to their Apple or Google account. Unused codes have no expiry date, so leftover codes carry over to your next camp. To compare monthly and yearly packages by course length, read monthly or yearly educator package; you will find the current price for your country on the Educator Packages screen in the app.

• Start with your own code: Redeem one code on your own account before the camp; do not finalise the program until you have opened the Premium projects and built the circuits yourself.
• Day 1, hand them out at the break: On the My Codes screen, send each participant a code with Copy Code or the share option. When a participant taps the shared link, the Redeem Code screen opens in their app with the code already filled in; without the link, they go to Profile > Redeem Code and type the code in the BG-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX format.
• Check straight away: In My Codes each code should show Active along with the name of the person who used it. If you sort out account and login problems on day 1, nobody waits when you switch to Premium projects on day 3.
• Be transparent: When a code is redeemed, the participant's name, username, email and profile photo are shared with the educator who gave the code. Tell participants and parents this from the start.
• Know the exceptions: An account with an active Premium subscription through the App Store or Google Play cannot redeem a code; that participant already has Premium, so keep their code as a spare. If someone drops out on day 1, the monthly code's single transfer lets you pass the remaining time on to a newcomer.

An hour-by-hour flow for one day: day 3 as an example

The flow below is written for a 3-hour day from 10:00 to 13:00, and you can use the same skeleton every day; only the projects and the challenge change. Day 3 was chosen as the example because it combines a free project and a Premium project on the same day. The short lesson never goes beyond 20 minutes; participants spend at least 100 of the 180 minutes building circuits and changing code with their own hands.

Two app features make the build sections easier. The first is the Let's build it together mode on the project page: it walks through preparing the parts, building the circuit, uploading the code and running and testing it step by step, keeps the screen on and reminds the pair which step they were on. The second is getting the code onto the computer: the code on the phone can be taken with Copy, or Copy Link sends a link that opens the code on the computer. A pair that gets stuck first checks the If you get stuck section in the project's Understand the code tab, and only then raises a hand. This small rule shortens the help queue and teaches participants to find their own mistakes; we covered every section of the project page in the project page guide.

Parts list: per group and for 8 groups plus a spare

Splitting 16 participants into pairs gives 8 groups; with one spare kit you prepare 9 kits. For a camp of 12 people, 6 groups and 7 kits are enough. No part needs soldering. The per-group numbers in the table are a little generous, because LEDs plugged in backwards and broken jumper wires are very common in the first days. If you are thinking of buying ready-made starter kits, compare their contents with this list; we described what kits usually include in the Arduino starter kit article.

Pre-camp preparation checklist

Split the preparation into three time points. If installation and drivers are left for the first hour of the camp, day 1 is half gone; the goal is that every computer has uploaded code at least once before participants arrive. You can copy and print the list below; each item starts with when to do it:

• 2 weeks before: Confirm the number of participants, work out the groups and the number of kits, and order missing parts. Buy extra LEDs, resistors and jumper wires in case of shipping delays.
• 2 weeks before: Count the computers. Each one needs the Arduino IDE; on school computers this may require admin rights, so talk to the IT staff. The installation steps are in the Arduino IDE installation article.
• 2 weeks before: Send the information letter to parents: dates and times, an invitation to the day 5 showcase, the fact that circuits run only on the 5 V from USB, that redeeming a code shares the participant's name, username, email and profile photo with the educator, and that Premium starts on the day the code is entered and lasts 30 days.
• 1 week before: Buy the educator package and redeem your own code. Build every Premium project once yourself and note where problems come up.
• 1 week before: Check the USB chip on clone boards; install the driver on the computers for boards with a CH340 chip. The Servo library comes with the Arduino IDE; for the memory game, install the LiquidCrystal_I2C library from the Library Manager.
• 1 week before: Pack the kits into numbered boxes and stick a contents list on each one. Test the USB cables one by one and mark them: some cables are charge-only, so the board's light comes on but no port appears in the Arduino IDE. Do not use cables participants bring from home; fixes for port and driver errors are in the Arduino upload error article.
• 1 week before: Ask participants to install the app and create an account, so handing out codes on day 1 takes just a few minutes.
• 1 day before: Plug a board into each computer, upload the LED Blink code, watch the LED blink and label the port number on the side of the computer.
• 1 day before: Check the projector, extension leads and socket positions; 9 computers may all need charging at once.
• 1 day before: Print the day-by-day program table and the safety rules and put them on the wall. Write the day 5 mini project options on a separate sheet.
• 1 day before: Check the number of codes on the My Codes screen and prepare a sheet to match them with your participant list: name, group number, code status.
• First morning: Put the spare box on your desk: extra LEDs, resistors, jumper wires, one board and two tested USB cables.

Day 5: mini project options

The mini project takes up the first two hours of day 5, and the last hour is for the showcase. Pairs make their choice at the end of day 4, so you can fill in any missing part the evening before. Every option combines at least two concepts from the first four days. Suggest an Advanced project, or adding their own features to a ready-made project, to fast pairs, and one of the Beginner box projects to pairs that are struggling. The times in the table are estimates and include the box and decoration.

Showcase and a 3-minute presentation template

The showcase is the most memorable part of the camp, and it lets participants explain what they learned in their own words. Line the tables up along one wall and place a card in front of each pair with the project name and group number. When parents or other classes arrive, the pairs give a 3-minute presentation in turn and then take 1 minute of questions; for 8 groups that adds up to about 35 minutes. Give each pair 10 minutes before the presentations to fill in the template. Do not ask them to recite the code; ask them to explain one number they changed and what it did.

Adapting the plan for different ages and levels

The skeleton of the program stays the same for every group; what changes is the pace, the depth of the explanations and what you expect on day 5. Use the table once you know your participants; experience can vary a lot within the same age group. In a mixed-level group, pair an experienced participant with a newcomer, but do not let the experienced one keep the keyboard all the time.

After the camp: how to keep going at home

The biggest risk of an intensive camp is that the excitement of the last day fades within a week. At the closing, show participants three ways to keep going at home. The Project Finder asks three questions: what they want to build, which board they have and how experienced they are; it then suggests the best match and a free warm-up project they can start with the same parts. Daily questions opens a new set every day, takes about 3 minutes and starts at the right level after a 15-question placement test. The Code guide offers 36 cards for Arduino C++ and MicroPython; the See it in projects link at the end of each card lists the projects that use that command, from easy to hard. The educator code you handed out stays valid after the camp, and Premium projects remain open until the code's 30 days run out. We explained how to use the Understand the code and Try it yourself sections of the camp projects at home in the Understand the code and Try it yourself guide.

Safety and classroom rules

• Every circuit runs on the 5 V from USB. Nothing is plugged into the mains; the 220 V lamp projects in the app are not part of this camp.
• Unplug the USB cable before changing a circuit and plug it back in once it is built.
• Never connect the 5V pin directly to GND; the board heats up and the computer may shut down the USB port.
• Always connect an LED with a resistor. If a part gets hot or you smell burning, pull the USB cable first, then call the instructor.
• If the board restarts when the servo is connected, the servo is drawing too much current; you can find the cause and the fix in the Arduino keeps resetting article.
• Food and drinks stay away from the parts table. Component legs and jumper ends are sharp, so handle them carefully.
• Ask before touching another pair's circuit. When you get stuck, check the If you get stuck section first, then ask for help.
• At the end of each day, count the parts in your box against the contents list and hand the box in by its number.

By the end of the five days participants have built the whole chain with their own hands, from lighting an LED to a small system that makes decisions with a sensor; more importantly, they know where to look when a circuit does not work. Run the program as it is for your first camp, and for the second one adjust it based on which day ran long and which project people liked most. The best preparation is to open the BlueGrays app on your own phone, look through the circuit diagrams, parts lists and code of the camp projects, and build the first day's project once from start to finish.