(13-Adult) Whether you're a curious beginner or an enthusiast eager to explore the latest technology, this hands-on course will take you on a captivating journey. Expert instructors will guide you through understanding the basics of 3D printing to creating and printing your own designs. Unleash your creativity and be amazed at the endless possibilities of this innovative and transformative technology. No prior experience required. A laptop or tablet with mouse and an email address are required. A Fairfax County library card number is recommended. There will be a $15 materials fee.

(6-12 yrs.) Designed especially for young curious minds, this course introduces children and their parent to 3D printing. Through fun and age-appropriate activities, students the basics of 3D design and witness their creations come to life as tangible objects. From custom toys to personalized backpack tags, this class is an exciting adventure of creativity and technology. No prior experience needed. A laptop or tablet, Fairfax County library card and an email address are required. There will be a $15 materials fee.

(13-Adult) The holiday season has so many opportunities for decorations and gifts. Learn how to use 3D printing to make ornaments personalized with the year or pictures, Santa Bobble heads, snowmen or winter solstice decorations for a festive holiday. This class is for those that have taken 3D printing basics or have a working knowledge of TinkerCAD. Projects will be available for pick up at the rec center one week after the class. Bring a laptop and a mouse. $15 materials fee.

(6-12 yrs.) The holiday season has so many opportunities for decorations and gifts. Learn how to use 3D printing to make ornaments personalized with the year or pictures, Santa Bobble heads, snowmen or winter solstice decorations for a festive holiday. This class is for those that have taken 3D printing basics or have a working knowledge of TinkerCAD. Projects will be available for pick up at the rec center one week after class. Bring a laptop and a mouse. $15 materials fee. Adult participation required.

(13-Adult) Learn how to use 3D printing to make ghosts, pumpkins and other decorations for Halloween to delight guests and trick or treaters. This class is for those that have taken 3D printing basics or have a working knowledge of TinkerCAD. Learn the steps needed to create your own Halloween designs. There will be two classes of two hours on consecutive weekends. We will print one design per person which will be available for pick up at the rec center one week after the second class. Bring a laptop and a mouse. $15 materials fee.

(6-12 yrs.) Learn how to use 3D printing to make ghosts, pumpkins and other decorations for Halloween to delight guests and trick or treaters. This class is for those that have taken 3D printing basics or have a working knowledge of TinkerCAD. Learn the steps needed to create your own Halloween designs. There will be two classes of two hours on consecutive weekends. We will print one design per person which will be available for pick up at the rec center one week after the second class. Bring a laptop and a mouse. $15 materials fee. Adult participation required.

(9-Adult) For those who have completed the basic 3D printing class. Explore new TinkerCAD tools and learn how to slice your previous designs into printable files. Covers starting prints, troubleshooting, and printer maintenance. Requires a laptop or tablet with mouse and an email address. $15 materials/printing fee.

(7-12 yrs.) Learn engineering strategies for building sturdy structures using unique RoboThink bricks, and then apply that knowledge to build multiple robots for a variety of friendly competitions. You'll have a blast as you play robot soccer, compete in robot relay races, and complete dozens of other fun challenges in this RoboThink program.

(8-Adult) Join a park naturalist as they take you on a tour of constellations, comets and other current events happening in the skies above. Children must be accompanied by adult also registered in the program.

(6-12 yrs) In this class offered by STEM exCEL, students explore electronics in a virtual world with essentially infinite resources. Using Minecraft's wire system called Redstone, students can build constructs representing real-world electrical circuits and simple computer projects. Students gain an initial understanding of circuitry, electronics and electrical theory to understand virtually how real circuits, switches, bread boards, etc. are used. Any supply fee payable to instructor at first class.

(11-17 yrs.) In this interactive gaming class gamers are in a classroom setting where they can learn and gain tips from others plus receive coaching on strategic game play. Participants will make new friends, have fun playing games and feel safe in an inclusive environment. This session features the Nintendo Switch platform with various games.

(8-Adult) Explore planets orbiting distant stars and learn how scientists find them using cool techniques like watching stars flicker or wobble. Dive into what these planets are made of, whether they could host life and catch up on the latest discoveries. Perfect for anyone curious about space, this course promises an eye-opening adventure into the exploration of planets beyond our own. The course is held rain or clear skies in the Roll-Top Observatory at Turner Farm Park.

(8-Adult) The inner planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, plus Earth’s Moon, all have mostly rocky compositions compared to the outer gas giant planets. Of the inner planets, likely only Earth has the conditions to support life. Examining handheld globes of the planets, we will explore their similarities and differences and find out why life is unique to Earth. The program includes observing of planets and the night sky in telescopes, weather permitting. The program is held rain or clear skies in the Roll-Top Observatory at Turner Farm Park.

(8-Adult) The Moon is as old as the Earth, and its surface is marked by craters, mountains and lava flows billions of years old. Find out how these lunar features formed and observe them in high-powered telescopes. Learn about the Apollo program discoveries and future Moon missions. The program is held rain or clear skies in the Roll-Top Observatory at Turner Farm Park. Advance registration required, no walk-in registration available.

(6-11 yrs.) Use your critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities to engineer a solution for our secret seasonal challenge. Attack the design problem and work within the criteria and constraints to see if you can come up with the best solution.

(7-12 yrs.) Calling all gamers! Have a blast learning how to code while building robotic games to test your code in this Snapology class. Students learn about sequencing commands, value and sensor inputs and loops. Whether creating a robotic hockey player, pinball machine or a ring toss, your child is sure to have fun building, learning and playing.

(6-12 yrs.) Learn the how mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and fish are classified. We use outdoor exploration, observation and lab skills to explore this topic.

(6-12 yrs) In this STEM exCEL class, students learn the fundamentals and concepts of game design with a real game engine. Students will design and build their game from the ground up while learning 2D game art and programming logic.

(8-Adult) This course provides a general introduction to some fundamentals of astronomy and the universe. We will discuss the basic types of astronomical objects from the small to the large, the motions of planets and stars, and interesting phenomena in the night sky. A classroom discussion is followed by an observatory session with telescopes, weather permitting. The course is held rain or clear skies in the Roll-Top Observatory at Turner.

(8-Adult) For those who are new to using a telescope or contemplating purchasing one, this course goes into introductory basics of astronomy, observing the sky and what you need to know to setup and use your telescope. Class will provide hands-on use of telescopes and observing objects in the sky in the Roll-Top Observatory if the weather allows. Attendees can bring their own telescope for assistance and advice. FCPA, its staff, and volunteers are not responsible for personal equipment.

(6-11 yrs.) In this Baroody Camps program students have the opportunity to build and code their very own robots using LEGO® SPIKE™ kits. By integrating LEGO® blocks with codeable hubs, cameras, sensors, and using Scratch-based programming, students create robots that dance, sense objects, follow routes and even drive themselves. Projects throughout this course provide a little taste of how robotics can be applied, such as amusement parks, automotives and outdoor exploration.

(8-Adult) This class is an introduction to meteorites as we explore what they are and where they come from. Participants will be able to examine actual meteorites including specimens from the Moon and Mars. A discussion is followed by an observatory session with telescopes, weather permitting. The course will be held in the Roll-Top observatory classroom at Turner Farm Park. Instruction for this program is provided by volunteers of the Analemma Society.

(8-Adult) We are familiar with the stars and planets that we can see when the Sun sets. However, the night sky contains many wonders that are visible with binoculars or modest telescopes. This fun and interactive presentation is designed as an introduction to the most common of these astronomical “deep sky” objects. After the class, look through the telescopes in the observatory, weather permitting. The course is held rain or clear skies in the Roll-Top Observatory. Instruction for this program is provided by volunteers of the Analemma Society.

(8-Adult) Electronically Assisted Astronomy (EAA) combines traditional optical telescopes with modern electronic sensors and imaging technology. This allows amateurs to visualize the night sky in ways rivaling professional observatories from a few decades ago. The instructors will cover examples of this emerging and relatively inexpensive field. The program is held rain or clear skies in the Roll-Top Observatory at Turner Farm Park. Instruction for this program is provided by volunteers of the Analemma Society.

(8-Adult) Take a tour of planets, constellations, stars, nebulas and galaxies in the night sky at Turner Farm Observatory Park using telescopes or just your eyes. In case of inclement weather, we will discuss and show images of objects that could be observed in clear skies. No knowledge of astronomy is needed. The course is held rain or clear skies in the Roll-Top Observatory at Turner Farm Park.

(8-Adult) We all want to know how our universe began, how stars and galaxies evolved, and what is this stuff called dark matter and dark energy. In this seminar we'll look at what astronomers try to answer these big questions about the big bang. We'll also look at some of the astronomers and what their observations revealed. The course will be held in the Roll-Top observatory at Turner Farm Park with an optional observing session (weather dependent). Instruction for this program is provided by volunteers of the Analemma Society.

(6-Adult) This program is a tour of the planets and moons of our Solar System which are viewable in the current night sky. The classroom discussion is followed by an observatory session of planets and the stars beyond in telescopes, weather permitting. No knowledge of astronomy is needed, just an interest in learning about the universe. The course is held rain or clear skies in the Roll-Top Observatory at Turner Farm Park. Children must be accompanied by an adult also registered in the program.

(8-Adult) This presentation will cover what we know about Pluto, the 2006 decision to designate Pluto as a "dwarf planet" and explain why that decision is still controversial. The discussion is followed by an observatory session with telescopes, weather permitting. The course is held rain or clear skies in the Roll-Top Observatory at Turner Farm Park. Instruction for this program is provided by volunteers of the Analemma Society.

(6-Adult) Learn about common and some uncommon phenomena you can see in the day or night skies such as rainbows, haloes and glories. We will also explore sunrise and sunset phenomena like the green flash, the purple light, and simple questions like why the sky is blue and sunsets are orange. The course is held rain or clear skies in the Roll-Top observatory classroom at Turner Farm Park. It is recommend parents accompany younger children. Advance registration required, no walk-in registration available. Instruction for this program is provided by volunteers of the Analemma Society.

(9-12 yrs.) Students join a park naturalist to investigate the interrelationship between earth cycles, ecosystems, and plant and animal functions at the cell level. Examine human impact on ecosystem health. Includes hands-on activities, experiments, nature hikes and outdoor exploration. Topics change seasonally.

(5-11 yrs.) Learn why skeletons aren't scary, but are essential to your everyday life. Make a glow-in-the-dark skeleton craft to take home.