In DEAN’s Design & Style Camp, campers explore fashion, fibers, and imaginative transformations through hands-on projects that let them express their individuality. From designing outfits and jewelry to weaving textiles, embroidering details, or creating stage-ready special effects makeup, every program gives campers the chance to discover new ways to bring their ideas to life. With a welcoming space that celebrates creativity, collaboration, and resilience, campers learn to take artistic risks, share inspiration with peers, and celebrate their unique style. Each session offers new challenges that inspire growth, so campers gain both confidence and a toolkit of creative skills they can use long after summer ends.
Curriculum is thoughtfully adapted for each age group, with techniques and independence progressing from foundational skills in younger grades to more complex culinary challenges as campers mature.
SKILLS & TECHNIQUES
Each week, campers engage in design and fabrication projects, learning key skills and mindsets. The specific skills taught vary by program, giving each camper the chance to explore different aspects of design and style:
- Foundation Skills: Creativity when experimenting with materials and design concepts, collaboration as they share feedback and inspiration, and responsibility as they handle tools, fabrics, and multimedia materials. They also develop resilience as they refine their work through experimentation and iteration, learning that great design often comes from trying, adjusting, and trying again.
- Technical Abilities: Fashion illustration, mood boarding, draping, pinning, embroidery, pom-pom making, weaving, textile design, needle felting, jewelry construction, and special effects techniques such as sculpting, blending, and painting, make-up special effects techniques such as sculpting, blending, and painting, while handling tools, fabrics, and multimedia materials with responsibility
As they design and create, campers also strengthen essential character skills: - Collaboration: Sharing feedback and inspiration with fellow designers
- Resilience and Self-Regulation: Refining their work through experimentation and iteration, discovering that great design often comes from trying, adjusting, and trying again
By the end of the week, every camper leaves with finished products they can proudly wear, display, or share, along with a growing portfolio of creative techniques and the confidence to express their individual styles in new and imaginative ways.
GENERAL DAILY SCHEDULE
HOURS
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FIBER ARTS ACHIEVERS (3RD-4TH)
Snip, stitch, and let your imagination loose!
In Fiber Arts, campers transform yarn, fabric, and thread into one-of-a-kind projects they’ll be excited to take home. With guidance from expert instructors, they’ll dive into hands-on techniques like needle felting, wonder knitting, embroidery, hand sewing, pom-pom making, and more.
Along the way, they’ll master practical skills, like measuring, tracing, pinning, knot-tying, and safe scissor use, while experimenting with the design process from sketch to final product. Campers practice responsibility as they handle tools, resilience as they refine new techniques, and creativity as they bring their ideas to life.
The week wraps up with a joyful Friday showcase, where campers proudly present the projects they worked on all week and celebrate what they’ve learned with friends and families. They’ll head home with finished creations, growing confidence, and the excitement of knowing they made something all their own.
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FASHION DESIGN & STYLING ACHIEVERS (3RD-4TH)
Sketch it, style it, and make it your own!
In Fashion Design & Styling, campers step into the world of fashion by learning real techniques that bring their ideas to life. They’ll sketch croquis, build mood boards, and experiment with draping and textile design before diving into hands-on techniques like hand sewing, embroidery, needle felting, pom-pom making, and wonder knitting.
Along the way, they’ll master pinning, tracing, measuring, and safe scissor use, bringing their designs to life on custom T-shirts, totes, and accessories. Creativity fuels every project, collaboration shines in styling challenges, and resilience grows as campers refine their looks and solve design challenges together.
By the end of the week, every camper walks away with original wearable pieces and proudly presents their designs at a Friday showcase, sharing what they created and learned with confidence before heading home feeling like a designer who can set trends, not just follow them.
Note: campers do not use a sewing machine in this program.
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JEWELRY MAKING ACHIEVERS (3RD-4TH)
Design it, build it, and make it sparkle!
In Jewelry Making, campers turn beads, clay, and wire into one-of-a-kind necklaces, bracelets, and rings. With guidance from skilled instructors, they practice stringing and wire wrapping, sculpt clay charms, and use jump rings to connect their designs. Along the way, they explore color theory, experiment with painting and polishing, and even design a mini collection to show off at week’s end.
Creativity drives their designs, collaboration fuels idea-sharing, and responsibility keeps campers focused as they work with tools and materials, planning their steps, refining details, and problem-solving as they go.
Campers finish the week with a sparkling set of jewelry that reflects their unique style and proudly present their creations at a Friday showcase, sharing what they designed and made before heading home with polished pieces and a strong sense of accomplishment.
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FIBERS & FABRIC: KNIT, CROCHET, EMBROIDER NAVIGATORS (5TH-8TH)
Ready to make something amazing?
In Fibers & Fabric: Knit, Crochet, Embroidery., campers explore creative techniques like crochet, knitting, and embroidery to make on-trend, functional projects they'll actually use. From crocheting adorable amigurumi creatures to hand-knitted beanies to one-of-a-kind hand-embroidered custom patches, every project combines skill-building with the opportunity to create awesome projects.
Whether campers are picking up needles for the first time or returning to expand what they already know. Each week brings new techniques and fresh design challenges, so campers can return summer after summer to grow their abilities while discovering how their own creative choices. From fiber selection to embellishment placement, campers have the opportunity to make their projects into truly one-of-a-kind creations.
By the end of the week, every camper shows off their collection of handcrafted pieces at the Friday Showcase and leaves with the confidence and skills to keep creating long after camp ends.
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FASHION DESIGN & STYLING NAVIGATORS (5TH-8TH)
Design with intention. Style with confidence!
In Fashion Design & Styling, campers step into the role of designers, learning industry-inspired techniques that turn concepts into wearable pieces. They sketch detailed croquis, build mood boards to guide their vision, and experiment with draping and textile design before applying hands-on techniques like hand sewing, embroidery, needle felting, pom-pom making, and wonder knitting.
As projects become more complex, campers refine precision skills such as accurate measuring, pinning, tracing patterns, and safe scissor use while constructing custom T-shirts, totes, and accessories. Creativity drives thoughtful design choices, collaboration strengthens critique and styling challenges, and resilience grows as campers revise, troubleshoot, and elevate their work.
By the end of the week, campers walk away with original wearable pieces and proudly present their designs at a Friday showcase, explaining their inspiration, process, and final results. They head home with polished creations, stronger design skills, and the confidence of creators who know how to develop ideas and make them their own.
Note: campers do not use a sewing machine in this program.
Passport to YUM
the world of sweet imagination
is it cake?
DEAN Adventure Camps - Premium summer day camps serving Haverford PA (Main Line/Philadelphia area) and Lawrenceville NJ (greater Princeton). Specialty programs for ages 4-16 include woodworking, machine sewing, robotics, culinary arts, performing arts, STEM, and leadership and entrepreneurship development. Full-day care with breakfast, lunch, and snacks included. Serving families from Bryn Mawr, Ardmore, Radnor, Princeton, Hopewell, and surrounding communities since 2001. Call 610-660-9600.

