As the school break approaches, the question of which summer camp will be the most suitable is a hot topic in almost every family. We all want our children to spend the summer meaningfully and learn something new. However, in today's digital age, parents face a common challenge: how to protect their children from aimlessly "sitting on their phones" and turn this intense interest in screens into truly useful skills?
The answer lies in a change of approach. Instead of completely banning screens, smart summer camps for children and teenagers help them transform from passive consumers of content into innovative creators of technology.
The Problem: Passive Screen Time vs. Active Creation
Research and child development experts point out that screen time in itself is not the enemy — everything depends on its quality.
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Passive screen time (endless scrolling through social media, watching "TikTok" videos) does not foster brain development.
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Active screen time (programming, 3D modeling, planning logic circuits on a computer) develops critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and creativity.
Often, children's summer camps offer only sports or recreational activities. While physical exercise is great, it does not address a child's natural interest in computers and smart devices. A technology camp is the golden mean — it takes this interest and channels it into an educational, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) direction.
From Couch Gaming to Engineering: What Does a Tech Camp Offer?
When choosing which children's summer camp will be the most suitable, it is worth looking for ones where young people work with real equipment. For example, in the CREATE CAMP 2026 camps organized by the BRATUS Technology Academy, the emphasis is placed on 100% practical work.
What do children do at such a camp?
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Design and manufacture: Instead of playing "Minecraft," children learn 3D modeling and see for themselves how the design they created comes to life layer by layer using 3D printers and CO2 laser cutters.
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Understand the "brains" of devices: In the microelectronics and smart systems program, young people no longer just play with ready-made devices – they learn to build, solder, and program them (for example, by working with Arduino microcontrollers).
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Develop persistence: While working on engineering mini-projects, children learn that errors (such as non-working code) are a normal part of the work process that can be successfully corrected.
Riga or the surrounding area? The importance of location
For many families, it is important that summer camps in Latvia are offered in a convenient and accessible location. Children's summer camps in Riga and its immediate vicinity are particularly in demand, so that logistics for parents are convenient before and after work. BRATUS summer camps take place in a strategically advantageous location — Ķekava (at the Ķekava Primary School, Nakotnes iela 1A). It is an ideal and safe environment for modern, program-controlled equipment classes, located within a convenient driving distance from the capital and surrounding towns.
Prepare your child for the future this summer
Labor market experts agree — technological literacy will be necessary in almost every industry in the future. Consequently, summer camps for teenagers that focus on innovation provide a huge advantage. A child who has learned to program a plotter or cut a part with a laser during the summer will head to school in the fall with a completely different level of confidence in their abilities.
As parents from previous years admit: "Every evening, my son came home with a new project and immense pride in what he had accomplished!"
How to apply?
Stop fighting your child's smartphone – let technology work for their development! Spots in high-quality STEM camps always disappear quickly (only 36 out of 100 spots remain for the summer of 2026).
👉 View the full CREATE CAMP 2026 camp program and reserve your spot now with a €50 deposit!