Franklin Road Academy: Crunch Labs/Engineering

This STEM camp at Franklin Road Academy centers on the Crunch Labs engineering kit program, giving kids ages 5 through 14 a week of hands-on building with construction kits and materials. It's a good pick for elementary and middle school kids who are curious about how things work and enjoy making stuff with their hands. The session runs July 13 to 17, meeting afternoons from noon to 3 p.m. — that afternoon timing is worth noting because it makes it easy to pair with a morning program or simply leaves mornings free for a more relaxed summer start. The campus sits on Franklin Road in Nashville, and at $225 for the week, it's a reasonable price point for a structured STEM experience. The 5-to-14 age range is unusually wide, which can be a perk for families with multiple kids at different stages. Families also explore Franklin Road Academy: MS Engineering and Franklin Road Academy: Architects in the Making for similar engineering and building-focused options at the same school.