A total of 64 children let their imaginations morph over five days last week during Camp Invention at Elrod Elementary School in Kalispell.

Campers were transformed into inventors as they exercised their minds with science, math, engineering and technology concepts and hands-on activities.

One classroom, dubbed the “Upcycle Store,” had piles of dismantled electronics where campers could shop for material to build original prototypes, battery-powered vehicles and pinball machines.

 This is the first year Camp Invention has been held in the Flathead Valley. Co-directors Eliza Thomas, director of the Northwest Montana Educational Cooperative and Glenda Armstrong, Elrod principal, were responsible for organizing the local version of the national program.

“It just tapped into their creativity in a way I haven’t seen a camp do before,” Thomas said. “Imagination was a huge focus.”

In one classroom Mary Jo Gardner, a retired elementary teacher, taught about the five senses and how they can be enhanced or amplified through bionics. 

 “We did a lot of touch and sight activities, workshops on optics and sound,” Gardner said. “We made kaleidoscopes and talked about parts of the eye.”

After learning about a bionic eye and being tasked with creating a prototype that might enhance or alter vision, 11-year-old Ethan Eagleton taped together CDs in a triangular form to make a kaleidoscope. Looking through one CD hole, mirrored rainbows appeared.

“At first I had no clue what I was going to do but once I saw all the CDs, and they have the rainbows when you turn them, I thought putting them all together would look cool,” Eagleton said.

Eagleton said he enjoys science when it is hands-on like the Camp Invention projects.

“If we have to read it out of a book and just sit there it’s boring, but building stuff is really fun for me,” Eagleton said.

 Down the hall in another classroom, cardboard pizza boxes were turned into insect-themed pinball machines with bumpers made of keyboard buttons, computer fans, a telephone dial pad and radio speakers and flippers shaped like insect legs.

“They learned about how animals, insects in particular, have mechanisms for movement like flippers on a pinball machine,” Thomas said.

In Erika Dardis’ classroom, small, battery-powered cars were tucked inside resealable plastic bags. 

Some of the cars had feathers attached, pulleys or other objects that would impact acceleration. Dardis, an elementary teacher at Lakeside School, tied the project to how animals adapt to their environment.

“We talked about the different animals and how they change the way they move depending on their environment,” Dardis said. “We talked about how we could modify our vehicles to replicate some of those motions.”

Campers then thought about ways they could create a super vehicle that could move on water, land and air. Brainstorming was a large part of each workshop.

Eureka Middle School science teacher Jim Lucey had students list what they thought would be the coolest invention to own. Campers came up with ideas such as a self-serving cereal box, human sling shot, chameleon suit, healthy candy and a disco tree.

“I’m impressed with the kids’ imaginations,” Lucey said.

When asked to invent something that would improve people’s lives Kylie Munsinger, 10, and Anna Christensen, 11 thought of a technological device that would simulate a book.

Both said the device would be for people who want a book experience such as turning pages, rather than read from a tablet screen.

“Some people don’t like reading from a bright screen,” Christensen said.

“It has the real feel of a book,” Munsinger said.

Thomas said she was very impressed by all the amazing ideas generated during the camp.

“This week kind of launched all the creative juices,” Thomas said. 

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.