Life has rapidly changed for the entire world, and as we explore what life looks like in these uncertain times, you may find yourself wondering what Summer will look like. The vast majority of students have had the rest of their school year canceled and some school districts have even opted to end the academic school year early. Thankfully companies are pivoting to offer Virtual Summer “Camps”.
Virtual Summer camps are a great way for students to expand their minds, but they also have the opportunity to expand their social networks and access resources that can prevent that Summer Slide. Virtual Summer Camps are also screen time that you can feel “better” about. There are so many varying opinions about screen time, but with formal education going virtual kids are getting more screen time than some parents are comfortable with.
Something that helps me stay grounded and eliminate parent guilt, is remembering that life is all about balance and moderation. There are amazing online resources that can help kids get their bodies moving, other resources are combining science kits with virtual education to make learning more engaging. Structuring your summer schedules with a mix of virtual activities, free time, and a healthy dose of playtime can be a way to help reduce the summer slide and help maintain your sanity!
I have started to compile a list of camps that stand out for me. If you Google the term ‘virtual summer camp’ you may find yourself falling down the rabbit hole, so I will be updating this list in the coming weeks and months to help you wade through all of the options. Also, keep in mind that some of these resources may already be offering quarantine options so you may be able to get a jump on some virtual summer fun!
Please feel free to submit any suggestions that you have found as well.
Stay safe & be well!
FREE Camps
Camp Wonderopolis: https://camp.wonderopolis.org/
Camp Stomping Ground: https://campstompingground.org/
Camp PBS Kids: https://www.pbs.org/parents/page/summer
Camp Brave Trails – Ages 12-18: https://www.instagram.com/bravetrails/
Connected Camps: https://connectedcamps.com/
*Camp Kinda – Grades K-8: https://campkinda.org/
Code With Google: https://edu.google.com/code-with-google/
Galileo Camp: https://galileo-camps.com/galileo-anywhere/
Google Arts & Culture: https://artsandculture.google.com/
Maker Summer Camp: https://makercamp.com/
Start with a Book Summer Science: https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science
Varsity Tutors – Five different sessions per week: https://www.varsitytutors.com/virtual-summer-camps
* Tribe Favorite
Fee-Based Camps
Osmo Live – Ages 5-11: Introductory offer $149 per Bootcamp (Art & Creativity, Coding, or Math). The boot camps provide students with 6 weeks of hands-on interactive lessons with instructors and classmates! https://live.playosmo.com/
MarcoPolo Learning – Ages 3-7: Free 7-day trial, then $9.99/mo or $69.99/year https://www.marcopololearning.com/summercamp
Brain Chase – Ages 7-14: $79: https://brainchase.com/
Steve Spangler’s STEM Camp Live – Ages 5-11: $299/week https://stevespangler.com/stem-camp/
SoCal NOMA Architecture Summer Camp – Ages 10-16: $25 registration fee http://www.socalnoma.org/
Virtual Tech Camps – Ages 7-19: $399/week with code TOGETHER (throughout shelter-in-place) https://www.idtech.com/online
Outschool Virtual Summer Camps: https://outschool.com/summer
