The Children's Science Center Lab is Northern Virginia's interactive children's science museum at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, and runs themed STEM camps for rising 1st through 5th graders alongside its exhibits. Week-long summer camps change theme weekly - space survival and simulated space travel, engineering design-and-build, animal adaptations, and an architecture-flavoured Museum Makers week - and single-day camps cover slime chemistry, plant science, a coding escape room and digital animation. Camps run 9:00am to 3:00pm with the museum's STEM educators working with small groups of campers to create, design and tinker. The Lab is operated by the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and members receive 10% off week-long camps.
The practical details
We list only what the camp itself publishes, and programs change — dates, prices, ages and availability can all move after we check. Confirm the details on the camp’s own website and contact Children's Science Center Lab directly before you register or pay. Last checked August 2026.
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★★★★★Faye HuWe had a terrific birthday experience here! First of all, the pre-birthday communication was very smooth. They sent detailed instructions and were very helpful when I toured the space and over the phone. During the party, you had an entire team to support your event and I would like to give a shoutout to all of them, especially their manager, Audrey! Our pizza delivery got significantly delayed, and she rushed to the pizza place inside the mall to get pizzas for us, and she remained calm and incredibly helpful the whole time. The entire crew was just excellent, very engaging with our kids and guests, keeping us on schedule, and making us feel we're in good hands throughout the event — which is especially appreciated since birthday parties can be very stressful for host parents! Highly recommend it!
★★★★AJWe recently had a party here and it was great, the kids really enjoyed. The only challenge was the amount of time they allow to set up before the party. They give you just 30 minutes. They did not fully communicate they would provide carts to transport decorations and food, so we lost a good amount of time bringing items into the venue. The staff was very nice but I found they lacked a clear understanding of our needs. The food was not disbursed as it should have been, the host of the party was not doing much until we asked them to make certain announcements. The staff members manning the different stations at the venue were not very engaging and just waiting for the kids to come to them, we expected the staff to let the kids know of the different things they could do, but I found having to ask consistently to make announcements so the kids know what they can do. We were rushed out at the end of the party, the staff quickly packed everything without including us in the wrap-up. The reason they do this is because they want to open the lab back up for customers- they don’t want to miss out on revenue. 2 hours is not enough time for a party set up and clean up while rushing cake and food. There was also no follow-up on how the party went, no one asked about how things went what could have went well. I had provided a guest list of parents names with their children- they botched the list by alphabetizing all the names and split all the families up so it was taking a minute to locate the child’s name and the parent’s name. Other than the above, the party was amazing, we just wish some of the nuances could’ve been addressed ahead of time. We recommend this venue but definitely have your questions and expectations ready to have answered you so you can make the best of your time.
★★★★★Carissa LawlorWow what a fantastic place for play and discovery. We joined as a Girl Scout troop and every troop member was busy creating, exploring, and making new discoveries. The staff was friendly and helpful! We’ll definitely be back.
★★★★★Shanell MThis was a super cute place to take my daughter for her 4th bday. She’s really into science experiments and this was the right place. They have a bar where there’s lots of team members assisting the kids and parents (this date 3 different experiments) with tools needed to complete experiment. Everyone was so kind and patient. It was a lot smaller than the website shows. I believe there were three other rooms that had interactive activities for the kiddos. They also brought out a hedgehog and gave education to the kids and allowed them to touch it. That was pretty cool. Saturday pretty long line we arrived a bit earlier and it was smooth. No wait.
★★★★★Laura Weston-PrunedaWe visited the Children’s Science Center at Fair Oaks Mall while traveling from Florida, and I honestly wish we lived closer—we’d be here every weekend! My 2-year-old daughter had the time of her life exploring, playing, and learning through all the hands-on exhibits. Every staff member we met was incredibly kind, patient, and genuinely passionate about making the experience magical for kids. From the moment we walked in, we felt welcomed and supported. The space is super clean, engaging, and thoughtfully designed for curious little minds. It’s rare to find a place where science is made so fun, accessible, and joyful for young children. Thank you to the entire team for creating such a special environment. It’s an absolute gem!