Python Arcade camp plan

Use this page when running Python Arcade as a 5-day summer camp.

Format

• 5 days x 3 hours/day.
• Day 5's last hour is the parent demo.
• Students work in one Trinket project all week.
• The default path is for mixed-ability campers. Stretch Challenges are for fast finishers.

At a glance

Day	Blocks	Goal
1	Setup, Stage 1, Stage 2	Everyone has a Trinket project and a moving cannon.
2	Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5	Lasers fire, aliens spawn, aliens move.
3	Stage 6, Stage 7, Stage 8	Score, lives, game over, timer, win state.
4	Stage 9, Stage 10, catch-up	Balance, polish, demo script.
5	Bug fixes, rehearsal, parent demo	Students show a playable arcade game.

Day 1

Time	Block	Minutes
0:00	Welcome + arcade game preview	15
0:15	Setup in Trinket	30
0:45	Stage 1: Build the Game Screen	45
1:30	Break	10
1:40	Stage 2: Move the Cannon	45
2:25	Playtest swap + cleanup	35

Watch for students creating new Trinkets accidentally. The most important Day 1 habit is keeping one project.

Day 2

Time	Block	Minutes
0:00	Warm-up run + bug check	15
0:15	Stage 3: Fire Lasers	50
1:05	Stage 4: Spawn Aliens	40
1:45	Break	10
1:55	Stage 5: Move the Aliens	45
2:40	Playtest: can you shoot and dodge?	20

Fast students should tune laser limits or alien colors. Slow students only need a moving cannon, lasers, and at least one alien on screen by the end of Day 2.

Day 3

Time	Block	Minutes
0:00	Reopen Trinkets + restore from last checkpoint	15
0:15	Stage 6: Detect Hits and Score Points	55
1:10	Stage 7: Add Lives and Game Over	45
1:55	Break	10
2:05	Stage 8: Add a Timer and Win State	45
2:50	Room test: win once or lose once	10

Day 3 is the hardest logic day. Keep students moving in small changes: run after score, run after lives, run after timer.

Day 4

Time	Block	Minutes
0:00	Full-room playtest	20
0:20	Stage 9: Tune the Difficulty	45
1:05	Stage 10: Polish and Demo	55
2:00	Break	10
2:10	Catch-up or signature feature	35
2:45	Save/share check	15

Only let students add a signature feature after the base game can start, score, end, and show a result.

Day 5

Time	Block	Minutes
0:00	Reopen project + final bug list	10
0:10	Polish and bug fixes	50
1:00	Demo rehearsal	35
1:35	Snack + reset room	15
1:50	Parents arrive	10
2:00	Parent demo	60

Demo script:

My game is called ______.
The player controls ______ and tries to ______.
The hardest part to code was ______ because ______.
One design choice I made was ______.

Coach triage

• If a game will not run, recover from the latest stage checkpoint idea, not from memory.
• If a student is behind, skip Stretch Challenges and polish.
• If a student is ahead, send them to Stage 10's signature feature.
• If Trinket is slow, have the student run less often during typing, but still run after each finished step.