(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.) Enter the world of espionage where students become code-breaking detectives, using critical thinking, pattern recognition and basic programming to crack secret messages. Through hands-on exploration of classic ciphers like substitution and transposition, they'll learn encryption and decryption, uncover spy secrets, and even create their own codes. This engaging, spy-themed program offered by Athena Coding builds analytical skills, curiosity, and teamwork through a thrilling journey into the science of secrecy.

(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.

(5-8 yrs.) In this class offered by Athletes Global, students will explore chemistry, astronomy, earth science and health through fun, interactive hands-on science experiments while improving their critical, creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

(9-12 yrs.) In this iCode program students learn foundational concepts in computer skills, programming, game development and robotics with extra exposure to patterns, sequencing and logical thinking that results in an improved ability to solve problems. Students work through coding basics, basic digital design using Roblox Studio, program design, game theory and design, electronics programming and drone operations and handling.

(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.