Engineer Pinball games for the HiTech Carnival!  Build a table-top pinball machine, and use Arduino micro-controllers, sensors and software to keep score!

Registration required. Grades 6-12. 

Engineer a Skee Ball Game for the HiTech Carnival!  Build this classic carnival game from scratch using Arduino micro-controllers, sensors and software to keep score of your game. Highest score wins!

Engineer Carnival Games for the HiTech Carnival!  Use your creativity and engineering skills to design and build games such as Ring Toss, Spin the Wheel, and Plinko--or come up with your own idea!

Be catapulted into the adventure of solving mechanical problems with a catapult! Learn not just basic engineering, but also mechanical engineering techniques. 

Registration required. Grades 6-12.

Taught by a HiTech instructor.

Learn about the process behind designing your own characters and using illustration software. Create the look of your character, its costumes, and props, and give it a unique personality!

Registration required. Grades 6-12.

Students will create their own spaces using Planner 5D, a web-based program.  They will learn about creating mood boards, design concepts, and using Planner 5D to bring their ideas to life! 

Discover the basics of Java, a class-based, object-oriented language used to design applications. Learn data and expressions, using classes and objects, conditionals, and loops.

Dive into the world of special effects, through the view of a Makeup Artist! Students will learn the history and science behind the film industry’s own movie magic.

Have you ever wanted to become a mad scientist? Explore fun and exciting chemistry experiments using basic household chemicals. Engineer an assortment of mind-blowing matter to take home and spook your friends and family.

This course will cover an overview of the topics in zoology, including cell biology, taxonomy, major vertebrate groups, physiology, genetics, evolution, and ecology. Activities related to the course material will be completed each day.

TIME FOR US

Ages 18 months-3 years with adult; 30 min. Ticket required.

Develop early learning skills through stories, songs, fingerplays, and rhymes.

Tickets available 15 minutes before class.

Grades 3-5.  45 min.  Registration required. 

Work together in small groups investigating hands on STEAM activities.

Please register for each class separately.

Ticket required.  Tickets will be available 15 minutes before class.

Toy Time - Try It!

Experience speed playing with your preschooler. Rotate through toy stations to enjoy a variety of fun ways to learn. 

Are you interested in 3D printing? Use 3D printing pens and colorful filaments to create unique 3D designs! This is a great class to introduce students to the basics of 3D printing. 

Taught by a HiTech instructor.

Did you know that programming is a key component in many technologies used today? Robotics and automation are two of the areas that are at the forefront of technologies that require programming knowledge.

Students will learn about protecting their information, recognizing fishing scams, navigating social media and different types of cyber attacks.

Want to know how to garden without soil? Learn about the structure of plants and explore various hydroponics technologies to grow food using less space and less water.

This class is Monday - Wednesday.

Learn how to create digital designs using Adobe Illustrator!

Registration required. Grades 6-12. 

Taught by a HiTech instructor.

This class is being held Mon - Fri, register once for all sessions.

Get an introduction to the basics of Mendelian Genetics! We’ll explore topics such as inheritance patterns, genetic diversity, and genetic diseases using laws derived from Gregor Mendel’s important experiments.

Get an introduction to the basics of Mendelian Genetics! We’ll explore topics such as inheritance patterns, genetic diversity, and genetic diseases using laws derived from Gregor Mendel’s important experiments.

Come and design your own rocket that soars well beyond the roof of the library. Learn about how engineers generate and manipulate forces that propel projectiles thousands of feet into the air. 

Registration required. Grades 6-12.

Learn how the creation of art is influenced by science and do experiments in chemistry, fluid dynamics, and color theory to make amazing works of art!

Explore the use of color and tie-dye techniques in this fun class.  Students will tie-dye drawstrings bags, pencil cases, and fabric that will be part of a larger project for the Carnival.

Registration required. Grades 6-12.

HCPSS 2025 Summer Lunch Meal Program provided by Howard County Public School.

This course will cover a review of basic chemistry concepts and will guide students to build and design chemistry-related carnival games.  

Registration required. Grades 6-12.  

Taught by a HiTech instructor.

Learn the structure and design of artificial intelligence. Explore the concepts needed to program a human-to-robot interactive conversation and investigate recent technological advances, including our robotic dog!

Are you taking pre-algebra or algebra 1 and need to learn about probability? Do it the fun way and get a head start with this probability and statistics class!

Learn about the elements as you arrange the periodic table, name compounds, balance equations, and discuss orbitals, electron configuration, and VSPER Theory.

Registration required. Grades 6-12.

Taught by a HiTech instructor.

Learn about one, two, and three-point perspective and create illustrations using newfound knowledge. By learning perspective drawing techniques in Sketchbook Pro, students will be able to create illustrations with dynamic angles and views.

Sound effects are an integral part of video and animation. After learning about the history of sound effects and the basic physics of sound, we will create sound effect objects for telling stories in motion picture formats.

Deflategate and the ideal gas law? Bend it like Beckham? What is a knuckle ball? Learn about the physics behind your favorite sports with hands-on experiments.

Registration required. Grades 6-12.

Taught by a HiTech instructor.

Ticket required.  Tickets will be available 15 minutes before class.

Ages 3-5 years with adult; 45 mins. Free ticket required.

This class is a part of the HCLS' Museum@The Library series.

Watercolors and Pastels

Experience speed playing with your preschooler. Rotate through toy stations to enjoy a variety of fun ways to learn. 

Explore 3D Character Modeling through developing characters, animation, and game development.  

This is a two week class.

Registration required. Grades 6-12.

Taught by a HiTech instructor.

Dive into the world of 3D printing during HiTech Summer! Meet our Prusa MK4S, learn how to create your own 3D models, and work together with other teens to experiment with different printing materials. 

Join us for access to the sound booth and other HiTech equipment to record and mix music or create movies.

Registration preferred. Grades 6-12. 

Taught by a HiTech instructor.

Using the principles of engineering, help us keep our carnival cool this year by building the water mister arch!

Registration required. Grades 6-12.

Taught by a HiTech instructor.

Register once for all sessions.

Dive into the exciting world of chemical engineering through real-world challenges!

Lights On, Lights Off! Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes when you flip a light switch on the wall or press the ON button of a battery-powered fan in the summer?

The students will do a deep dive into some of the marine environments they see often but know little about.

Learn how the digital single lens reflex camera is engineered to utilize part of the electromagnetic spectrum we call visible light. Obtain hands on experience using a DSLR camera and learn numerous picture-taking techniques.

Let the Games begin! Take on engineering challenges of old with Rube Goldberg Challenges. In every class, we'll take on a new challenge while reinforcing core engineering principles.

Dive into underwater robotics. This summer stop by and participate in the 2-week Seaperch submersibles and marine science classes. Sea Perch is a remotely operated vehicle built by students to accomplish underwater competitions.

Deflategate and the ideal gas law? Bend it like Beckham? What is a knuckle ball? Learn about the physics behind your favorite sports with hands-on experiments.

Registration required. Grades 6-12.

Taught by a HiTech instructor.

Boost your engineering skills by building with Magformers® and Rigamajig Junior.  

Free tickets will be available at the Children's Desk 15 minutes before class. Class capacity will determine the availability of tickets. 

Bring a book, take a book- or two or three! Bring your books in good condition to the Elkridge Branch to swap for a new-to-you adventure in reading.

Join us to celebrate 85 years of Howard County Library System and all things summer reading with activities for all ages! 

Face painting by Fun Hon Face & Body Art. Ticketed- tickets will start at 4:45, and participants will be called by group numbers to stand in line. 

Learn to make colorful bunting for any celebration! We provide the sewing machine, tools, and fabric for the project.

Learn about Summer Reading here and find the full

Books on Tap reads across a wide variety of genres and points of view. Since we meet in the community, you are responsible for reserving the following titles for each meeting. Most are available in electronic formats, too.

The Howard County Seed Library provides a space to share free seeds to allow everyone to build their own garden or greenspaces.

1st-4th grade.  45 min.  Ticket required.

Learn all about these fearsome creatures and discover fascinating ocean facts. Includes stories, activities, and a craft.

The UnBook Reading Group

Is English your second (or third) language? Practice speaking and listening in a small group.

Wednesdays, 7 - 8:30 pm

The English Conversation Class (ECC) provides opportunities for adult English language learners to practice speaking and listening skills, increase fluency, improve pronunciation skills, and build confidence to think and speak English in a relaxed

Celebrate summer by dancing the evening away with some of your favorite Elkridge personalities!