RACINE - The Camp Invention program is returning to host site St. John's Lutheran School, 510 Kewaunee St. this summer.

Based on the idea that learning should be fun, the program provides children with opportunities to experience the joy of playing, creating and inventing in ways that enrich their traditional education, and show them that there's always more than one solution to a problem.

Designed for children entering grades one-six, the Camp Invention program presents a science-based curriculum that has been a proven success nationwide. The lessons learned at Camp Invention are taught through a series of hands-on, group activities designed to lead children in discovering the science behind their favorite superheroes, tracking down a lost Viking treasure and building revolutionary safety devices for vehicles.

Experiences at the Camp Invention program immerse participants in action, experiments and challenges that allow imaginations to run wild. Children use ingenuity, trial and error, and a lot of tape, aluminum foil and cardboard to build and create the necessary items for success. By the end of the weeklong program, children will have learned about genetic science, laws of motion and gravity, and design techniques that will enrich their educational experiences for years to come.

Two staples of the Camp Invention program are also returning to Racine's Camp. "I Can Invent: Fantasy Inventions & Complicated Machines 2" and "Recess Remix" are program favorites that have been completely re-designed for participants of all ages. In "I Can Invent," younger children, first-third grade, have the mission of developing prototype inventions to help them in such areas as keeping siblings out of bedrooms or doing their homework.

Older children build a working machine that can break a "rotten egg" into a frying pan. If they can make it work, expect an icky, gooey experience that fourth- through sixth-graders won't soon forget.

To learn more about the Camp Invention program and how to get children involved, visit the Web at http://www.campinvention.org or call (800) 968-4332.