Go to Summer Camp While You #StayHome

Things are certainly heating up as we enter our second full month of summer.

We hope you’re all finding ways to keep cool during a summer season that has been unlike any other in recent memory.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has forced all kinds of changes on our routines and schedules, we know that many of our students have not been able to participate in summer camps and other activities that they would normally experience this season.

But, if you’ve been paying any kind of attention to us here at The Morning Bell over the past few months, then you’d know that we’ve got this whole #StayHome activity stuff down pat. And this time around, we’ve got a list of some great websites filled with outstanding resources that can help you provide a bit of that “summer camp experience” for kids of all ages!

So check out our list of online summer camp activities below, and let us know in the comments which ones are your favorites!

• Keep track of your activities this summer with this handy Summer Checklist, and start crossing some of those activities off with Camp PBS Kids!

• Build up some STEAM this summer with Camp Wonderopolis! This free virtual camp is open for kids of all ages, offering fun STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts, and math—programs and activities. To participate, kids need to register as Campers, while families can register as Counselors.

• Looking for camp-themed activities? Well, look no further—Camp Summit At Home has a collection of fun and free activities you can do at home, like cooking, painting, bracelet making, and more!

• #CampYouTube is bringing the fun of summer camp to families at home! YouTube will update their themed camps daily—including STEM, arts, sports, and adventure.

• Join a worldwide virtual adventure in story and song by joining the Met Opera Global Summer Camp! This FREE camp—running from June 15 to August 7—is open to all kids from grades 3–12. From creative projects, lessons with music educators, and even opportunities to interact with Met artists, explore the world of music with the Met Opera! And catch up with earlier Summer Camp sessions by checking out the Met Opera Summer Camp’s YouTube page.

• Are you ready to experience Apple Camp at Home? Open to all kids, ages 8–12, this “camp” allows kids to access Apple’s free and fun self-guided Activity Book and virtual sessions hosted by Apple Store Creatives. Activities can include coding, videography, and more!

• Get a new batch of fun activities every week from the New York Public Library (NYPL) this summer! For six weeks beginning June 29, NYPL’s Virtual Summer Camp program is providing a list of activities every week for three different age groups: Pre-K–Grade 2, Grades 3–5, and Middle School and Up!

• Calling all math lovers—the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) is hosting virtual summer programs! Check out MoMath’s upcoming events page to look for online programs and virtual field trips.

• Camp Kinda is “kinda” like summer camp—a virtual experience designed to keep kids engaged, curious, and having fun! Open up a list of newly curated activities every day!

• Looking for more academically-structured activities to keep the learning alive at home this summer? Explore the Summer Activity Guide developed by the 50 State Afterschool Network for 150 fun and engaging activities for all ages that accommodate virtual and socially-distanced learning!

• Browse Varsity Tutors for even more (virtual) summer camp experiences! From now through the end of August, students of all ages can enroll in enrichment-based classes like photography, theatre, coding, and chess. Try to make your own LEGO movie, or even create your own world in Minecraft!

We hope this list helps provide a taste of summer camp for the kids in your lives. For more great tips and suggested activities, including installments in our #StayHome activities series, subscribe to The Morning Bell today!

Credit for banner image — photo by Andrea Piacquadio. Original can be found on Pexels.