SUMO BATTLE BOTS + ROCK CLIMBING (Ages 7–12)

Build an autonomous battle bot. Learn real engineering. Climb real rock walls (80 ft tall). 

At a Glance

• Suggested ages: 7–12
• Experience: No prior robotics or coding required; returning campers welcome
• Focus: Autonomous Sumo battle robots, real engineering, problem-solving, and supportive challenge
• Class size: Typically around 16 campers with a staff-to-camper ratio of about 1:6, often closer to 1:4 with CIT support
• Rock climbing: Two trips to Planet Rock during the week
• What they take home: Their own Sumo robot, motors, sensors, and LEGO Technic they used to build it. $150–$200 worth of hardware and upgrades.

What Campers Build

Each camper builds an autonomous Sumo robot using an mBot2 controller, motors, sensors, and LEGO Technic. They start with a robust, flexible base and quickly move into experimenting with structure, sensing, and strategy.

Every camper keeps their robot and all the motors, sensors, and LEGO Technic they used to make it. For many families this becomes a long-term platform for continued tinkering at home.

Core Challenge: Sumo Arena

Throughout the week, campers design autonomous robots that face each other in our Sumo arena. The robots try to detect, push, evade, and outmaneuver the opponent.

Campers make real engineering decisions about:

• traction and torque
• weight and balance choices
• structural stability, sensor choice and placement
• simple versus more advanced state-machine logic, when appropriate
• fast, direct strategies versus cautious, clever ones

Robots battle again and again during the week. Wins and losses become information, not verdicts. The focus shifts to “What did we learn from that match, and what do we want to try next?”

Skills Campers Practice

• Breaking big problems into small experiments
• Testing, observing, and adjusting one change at a time
• Thinking in terms of cause and effect rather than “right” and “wrong”
• Collaborating, sharing ideas, and also building independently when they want to
• Treating success and failure as information, not identity

Competition as a Learning Tool

Some kids love competition right away. Others are cautious or even wary of it. We make space for all of them.

In Sumo, competition is a learning tool, not one-upmanship. Campers see that:

• battles are short and frequent, which takes some of the emotional “charge” out of winning and losing
• design and code matter more than luck
• they can feel proud of their effort without tying their identity to a single match

Our staff models curiosity, encouragement, and respect. The atmosphere makes trying new things feel safer. Kids often push a little farther after seeing others give it a go.

Rock Climbing: Challenge by Choice

Twice during the week we walk to Planet Rock, where campers climb on real walls up to about 80 feet. Climbing is “challenge by choice.” Some campers climb high, some stay lower, and both are respected.

We normalize nervousness as another form of excitement. Campers see peers they have already spent hours building with trying the wall in their own way and at their own pace. That shared experience often creates a quiet, powerful sense of support.

Locations and Times

For a more detailed daily schedule, see the FAQ.

Who This Class Is Great For

• Kids who love building things and want to see them come alive as autonomous robots
• Campers who are curious about robotics but have never tried it before
• Returning Rocks and Robots campers who are ready for a deeper, strategy-driven challenge
• Kids who are unsure about competition, but might be ready if it is supportive, frequent, and framed as experimentation

Visit Rocks and Robots (Optional)

If you are unsure whether Sumo Robotics is the best match, you are welcome to visit a Sunday Sumo session at the workshop. You can see the space, meet Dr. George, and watch some battles in person. It is often much easier to get a feel for the camp by seeing it, even briefly.

You can register now to lock in the current discount and also sign up for a Sunday visit. If, after visiting, it does not feel like a good fit, we will give you a full refund.

Questions?
Call or email with any questions about whether this is the right course for your child, how it compares to WeDo Robotics or Arduino Lab, or how the week works in practice.

Note the lower demand weeks in the middle of the summer are priced a bit lower