Have you seen the movies Toy Story, Monsters, Inc, or Up? Are you a fan of Cartoon Network? Animations like these are actually a series of thousands of pictures lined up in order—whether they are hand-drawn, taken with a camera, or made on a computer. There’s no need to be an expert illustrator, since you can even animate a stick figure drawing. Join us at Spells as we learn the techniques of top-notch animators and make our own animated stories!

Registration is free, but requires a refundable deposit of $25 via credit card, PayPal, check, or cash. The registration will not be valid until the deposit has been received by Spells Writing Lab.

Have you perfected your evil laugh? Hired a sinister henchman? Become a superhero’s nemesis? If so, then you might be nefarious enough to qualify for the Vile League of Villainy. Join us in our secret lair at Spells Writing Lab this summer, as we study all the despicable skills needed to become a true super villain. After assessing our fiendish tendencies, we’ll create suitably unpleasant backstories, develop horribly villainous costumes, and finalize our diabolical plans for world domination. Finally, we’ll document our dishonorable deeds by commandeering our sworn enemies’ favorite propaganda piece, the comic book, and telling the story our way—the villainous way.

Registration is free, but requires a refundable deposit of $25 via credit card, PayPal, check, or cash. The registration will not be valid until the deposit has been received by Spells Writing Lab.

Are you a foodie? Do you watch shows like Man vs. Food; Drivers, Dine-Ins, and Dives; and Top Chef? Love to try new foods? Want to tell other people the best places to eat in Philly? if so, our Kids v. Food adventure is perfect for you! Join us kid connoisseurs (fancy for “food lovers”) as we chow down on kid-friendly cuisines. Test out your taste buds on many flavors, from sour and salty to sweet and spicy. After learning from professional food writers like restaurant critics, food bloggers, and even chefs, we’ll review each bite, sharing our opinions with the masses! So pick up those forks, spoons, knives—and pencils! Be our guest as we put others’ cooking to the test!

Registration is free, but requires a refundable deposit of $25 via credit card, PayPal, check, or cash. The registration will not be valid until the deposit has been received by Spells Writing Lab.

Welcome, aspiring astronauts! For one week this summer, Spells will become Dr. Spells’ Space Camp, as we perform NASA-inspired experiments to expand our understanding of the great beyond! From stars to Mars, and all the black holes and meteors in between, we’ll combine that real space knowledge with our imaginations as we trek across the universe, creating strange new worlds and alien lifeforms and writing science fiction. So grab your pencils and buckle into our spacecraft, the Spells Sputnik 500, as we shoot out to the Milky Way!

Registration is free, but requires a refundable deposit of $25 via credit card, PayPal, check, or cash. The registration will not be valid until the deposit has been received by Spells Writing Lab.

Do you own a PlayStation3, Xbox 360, Wii, or Nintendo DS? Interested in games like Mario Party, Zelda, or PacMan? Ever wondered how those games are made? During this special afternoon week of writing camp, learn how to make your own video games! We’ll be inventing some unusual game controllers, developing a storyline, characters, and levels, and learning how to pitch our games to companies. We’ll even design our own simple online games, then let others play them and tell you what they think!

Registration is free, but requires a refundable deposit of $25 via credit card, PayPal, check, or cash. The registration will not be valid until the deposit has been received by Spells Writing Lab.

Boom goes the dynamite! Whether you’re a die-hard Philadelphia sports fan or prefer to play ball yourself, join us at Spells to write about all your favorite sports! We’ll get the ball rolling by meeting some real sports reporters and learn how their job goes beyond just writing the final score of the game to describe the details, atmosphere, and stories of the event for readers who were not there. Then we’ll hit it out of the park by trying out other forms of sports writing, from blogs and podcasts to sportscasting and feature stories. Who knows? If you’re a good sports writer, you could…go…all…the…way!

Registration is free, but requires a refundable deposit of $25 via credit card, PayPal, check, or cash. The registration will not be valid until the deposit has been received by Spells Writing Lab.

PLEASE NOTE: The Wednesday or Thursday session of this camp week may be extended, pending confirmation of a field trip. If we are able to make it happen, campers would be requested to contribute $10 toward expenses.

Shhh….Spells Writing Lab is seeking talented young writers for a top-secret undercover assignment at our Spy School. Create your legend, gather pocket litter, and become a master of disguise. Learn the art of cryptography so you can send and decipher encoded messages. Then write fictionalized accounts of your most mysterious adventures. After an intensive week of training by our operatives, you’ll have to use your secret agent skills to save Dr. Spells from the mole in our organization. Do you have what it takes to be a master spy?

Registration is free, but requires a refundable deposit of $25 via credit card, PayPal, check, or cash. The registration will not be valid until the deposit has been received by Spells Writing Lab.