Board Game Design Camp with 3D Printing

  • Price: Starting at $1,299
  • Age: Ages 10-12
  • Skill Level: Beginner-Advanced
  • Format: iD Tech Camps | Small-Group, On-Campus
  • Duration: Weeklong program, 8 hours per day

About This Course

At your next game night, introduce something no one's ever played before: a board game created from your imagination!

Sketch an idea and design physical cards and tactile pieces like tokens. Define your game's rules, build a paper prototype, then playtest it with your iD Tech peers. Once your design is ready, you’ll model a player pawn, like a wolf or wizard. Then, bring it to life with a 3D printer: print your pawn along with dice, scenery pieces like trees, or tileable puzzle pieces that snap together to create your board. As you make updates to your game’s design in 3D, playtest it again with your new pieces in hand. Bring it all together in a custom box with your own art and design, ready to sit on the shelf next to favorites like Disney's Lorcana or Ticket to Ride. At the end of the week, you'll take home your game and all its components to play with family and friends!

You'll learn to:

  • Design a physical board game with custom rules and game pieces
  • Learn game design principles and create a game design document
  • Model and print tactile 3D objects for your game, such as character figures or dice
  • Playtest your game with peers and take it home to play with family and friends

Course Format 

This course is part of a weeklong summer camp running Monday through Friday. Learning sessions will be held in a lab on an inspiring university campus. Your child will be placed within a small group and guided by an experienced instructor. Daily schedules are balanced and allow for outdoor and recreational activities. Day and overnight options are available based on location.


Sample Schedule

Here’s a sample of what a week in this course could look like. Keep in mind students will progress at varying paces, and this is meant to serve as an outline of key materials and the overall experience. 

Create a paper prototype for a card game as you explore the fundamentals of game design. Print a 3D model and use it as inspiration as you build your first tactile game. Design the game’s rules, test it, and play it with your peers!

Jump into Blockbench to design your own 3D models, then slice them with OrcaSlicer and prepare them for printing. You’ll design a player pawn and dice or tiles to enhance your next game.

Create a game design document for your final project: a custom board game of your choice. Design 3D models, print them, and define custom rules to plan your game mechanics. Design the board and all of the pieces that come together to make your game.

Bring your components together and finalize the theme and design of your board game. Design the box and how all of the pieces fit together. Host multiple playtest sessions to perfect your mechanics in what makes a game fun and engaging.

Polish your game and add the final touches. Play your game with fellow iD Tech campers, gain valuable feedback, and present it at the iD Tech Family Showcase. You’ll take your board game and all the pieces home with you so you can play it with your family and friends!

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Portfolio-Boosting Diploma & Transcript

At the conclusion of your child's course, they will receive an official iD Tech diploma and course transcript outlining the skills they learned over the course of the week.

Elite Staff & Experienced Instructors

Passion for tech. Unmatched expertise. Personality that brings out the absolute best in your child. With 25 years of experience, we know there's no replacement for the best teacher. Each year iD instructors go on to be hired by the most prestigious tech companies in the world like Google, EA, Disney, Microsoft, and more. When your child learns from the best, they’ll unlock opportunities to become their best. 

  • 100% USA-based, adult instructors

  • Recruited from top universities like Stanford, Caltech, and NYU

  • Rigorous background and reference checks

  • Robust training programs and certification

  • Adherence to American Camp Association accredited guidelines

Find a location near you!

Locations near Columbus, OH:
Day Camp Overnight Camp
Locations further away
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FAQ

Students design a board game from their imagination: the rules, cards, tokens and board. They build a paper prototype, playtest it with classmates, then 3D print a player pawn, dice, scenery or puzzle pieces that snap together to form the board. Everything goes into a custom box with their own art and design.

Much of the week is hands-on: sketching ideas, writing rules, building paper prototypes and playtesting with other campers. Students spend computer time modeling their 3D-printed pieces, then test and improve their game with those pieces in hand.

No. Students learn game design principles and how to model and print 3D pieces during the week, and they plan their game in a game design document. Kids who love drawing or already play a lot of board games can bring those ideas into their design.

At the conclusion of your child's course, they will receive an iD Tech diploma as well as a transcript outlining everything they learned over the week. They'll also take home their custom board game and all its 3D-printed pieces. They'll also get a limited edition iD Tech t-shirt.

In addition to valuable tech skills, kids and teens leave camp with new relationships, resilience, critical thinking opportunities, and an even greater love for tech (if that’s possible!).

Yes, this course is designed for beginner to advanced students. Our small class size ensures that each student receives individual attention and has the freedom to learn at their own pace. Instructors are trained to be in tune with students’ unique needs and provide a personalized learning experience. 

Yes! Every iD Tech experience contributes toward leveling up along the iD Tech Pathway. This course is worth 1,250 XP— learn more about the iD Tech Pathway here.

While we are a tech program with the goal of transforming your child’s interests into real-world STEM skills, we are also a summer camp. Simply put, camp is a balance of learning and fun! Students learn in small groups in labs on a prestigious college campus and from expert instructors who are trained to engage and inspire.

Day camps kick off with icebreakers and team-building before jumping into morning coursework. When it’s time for lunch, your child will walk from the computer lab to the dining hall as they take in the beauty of campus. Students return to the learning labs in the afternoon for more exciting coursework, followed by an afternoon break where they will have the chance to take part in outdoor game time and more campus discovery before wrapping up with instruction!

Overnight campers work until dinner and then go off to create deeper connections and memories while gaming, watching movies, and more. Your child will experience the magic of camp during days and nights filled with learning and adventure that builds lifelong friendships.

Day camp runs 9am to 4:30pm Monday through Thursday, with check-in beginning at 8:30am and pick-up available until 5pm. On Friday, camp ends after Family Showcase, which runs 2–3pm. Overnight campers check in Sunday at 6pm and are also picked up Friday between 2 and 3pm.

Students spend approximately five hours per day on the computer, taking breaks to engage in recreational activities throughout their sessions.

Yes! You can register today for as little as $375 per student and pay the balance in convenient monthly installments. You can save $50 by registering for multiple sessions, and you can earn $25 in credit when you invite a friend to join camp (your friend saves $25 when they sign up too!).

Our instructors are recruited from top universities, but more importantly, they are elite mentors who understand kids, share their interests, bring first-hand experience, and serve as real-life role models for what the future holds. They are trained extensively in-person (and virtually) to differentiate engaging content to campers’ needs, connect to each child, and inspire them to pursue their dreams.

All instructors are adults (no high school counselors-in-training), fully background-checked, and trained in safety and first aid. Campers learn in small groups with a 10:1 average student-to-instructor ratio, split first by age and then, as needed, by experience level. Instructors monitor group dynamics closely and will move a camper to a different seat or class section right away if a pairing isn't working. Every camper agrees to our Code of Conduct, and staff are trained to step in quickly.

As courses frequently sell out, we recommend registering early to secure your child's spot. You can make unlimited changes with no fees up to 28 days before the start of your session. If you need to cancel before March 1st, you will receive a full refund of the amount paid. If you cancel after March 1st but still 28+ days before your session, you will receive a refund less the additional fees (if applicable) and a $250 cancellation charge per week. Within 28 days of your session start date, changes are subject to a fee, and no refunds are provided for cancellations.

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