Pandemonium Academy for Creative Thinkers (PACT)

 Pandemonium Academy for Creative ThinkersWelcome!  

Pandemonium is pleased to offer a vacation educational program for kids ages 9-13 for the summer of 2023.  After 34 years of serving the local gaming community, we look forward to offering kids a great mix of education and fun.  We have brought on board Steven Miller, a teacher from the Morse School down the street,  to run the program with assistance from the rest of Pandemonium’s merry band.

From the first day of summer vacation to the last, kids will be able to put down their phones and tablets and learn a wide variety of games. Through gameplay they will have a great time, developing their skills in communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity!

 

Class Schedule:

We have structured our schedule to be as flexible as possible.  Each day will be divided into a morning session (9am-12pm) and an afternoon session (1pm-5pm). Kids attending a full day will have an hour of free time from noon to 1pm to have lunch and relax. Parents can book either or both sessions each day, and can reserve a full week at a time

Morning sessions (9am-12pm) will be devoted to teaching the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game. Students will have the opportunity to learn the rules system of the game, experiment with building decks, practice the game with peers, and combine their skills and knowledge of the game in a format called Cube Draft.*  

Pandemonium will provide all necessary materials, though students are more than welcome to bring in their own decks. 

Afternoon sessions (1pm-5pm) will focus on board gaming and war games (1pm to 2:30pm), followed by a D&D session run by our skilled staff DMs (2:30pm-5pm).  

On Mondays, Wednesdays, & Friday, we will draw games from our extensive game library for the students to learn.  Younger students will start with Happy Salmon, Tenzi, and Roll For It, Tsuro, Fluxx, Smash Up, Hanabi, King of Tokyo, and Forbidden Island.  Experienced students will learn Carcassonne, Pandemic, Sagrada, and many others.   

On Tuesdays & Thursdays students will learn and play large scale battle games like Warhammer 40K. Students learn how to navigate their forces across maps the size of entire tables. Strategy, leadership, and spatial thinking are key elements of games like these. We will also offer miniatures painting workshops during this section.

Pricing

We are taking weeklong all-day registrations for the weeks starting June 26th.  On June 1st, parents will be able to reserve weeklong morning and afternoon session reservations,  and ultimately individual sessions, if we still have space. 

To register, please go to our event calendar and look for the purple boxes. 

Available now:

  • June 23rd, all day:  $90
  • Weeklong, all day: $350 weekly

Available June 1st, if there is room: 

  • Morning sessions:  $170 weekly,  $40 daily
  • Afternoon sessions: $255 weekly, $60 daily
  • One day, both morning and afternoon:  $90 

We Welcome Parental Participation!  Admission is free for the parents of attending students. Families playing games together is a wonderful thing and we encourage it whenever we can.  So take a morning or afternoon off work and see what your kids are up to!  

The one exception to this is our afternoon D&D sessions.  We will fit you in at the table if there is room.  If the session is already at maximum capacity, you are welcome to watch.  

 

The Fine Print

Registration Form: When making a reservation for the first time, please provide a signed copy of the release form before the day of the first session. By signing the release form you confirm that you have read and acknowledged the policies below.  

 

Please be aware that as a vacation educational program that does not involve any dangerous activities, Pandemonium’s Summer Program is not required to be certified as a camp by the City of Cambridge, nor licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care or any state agency.   

Changes / Cancellation Policy:  If you need to change your reservation to different dates, we will transfer your reservation to the new dates free of charge, as long as we have room.

If you need to cancel, please let us know as soon as possible.  We will refund you 100% in store credit.

Lunches / Drinks / Food Allergies: Pandemonium does not provide lunch or snacks, nor access to a refrigerator or microwave. All children need to bring their own bag lunches. Please include a water bottle, or sufficient funds to purchase a beverage from our cooler.

Please do not pack nut products in your child’s lunch. 

If your child has any severe allergy, or travels with an EpiPen please note that on your registration form with explicit written instruction for the staff.

Medical Policy: While some of Pandemonium’s staff have Red Cross First Aid certification, there is no nurse or doctor on staff.  In the case of any accident or injury, Pandemonium will inform you and take necessary action.  If the issue cannot be resolved with a First Aid kit, we will immediately take the child around the corner to Mass General Brigham Urgent Care (Cambridge, Central Square)

Discipline:  Whenever a participant is disciplined, the child’s parent or guardian will be informed the same day what occurred and what measures were taken.

  • On the first offense the staff shall issue a verbal warning.
  • On the second offense the staff shall issue a final warning.
  • On the third offense the participant shall take no further part in program activities for the day.  Their parent or guardian shall be contacted to pick them up.  

For severe offenses such as causing harm to another participant or staff member, the staff is empowered to discontinue the offending party’s participation without first giving warnings.  

Drop offs:  Pandemonium staff will open its doors to students starting at 8:45am.  

Late Pickup: Children need to be picked up promptly. If you know you will be late, we ask that you notify us of your estimated time of arrival via phone.  If you do not pick up your child within ten minutes after the conclusion of the program, we reserve the right to call all numbers listed in your registration profile to discuss pick up arrangements. 

If late pickups become an issue,  Pandemonium reserves the right, after one warning, to add a penalty of $1 per every minute past a 10-minute grace period.  

Lost and Found: Pandemonium recommends all personal items sent with your child be clearly labeled with your child’s name. Anything left behind will be put in our Lost and Found area and discarded after 30 days.  

Photography: Unless you specifically opt out, Pandemonium reserves the right to take photos of program activities for marketing purposes.