You may have gotten the news this week that summer camp is canceled for your kids. Before you freak out about having your kids home for the ENTIRE summer (or maybe after you let yourself freak out for a minute), we’ve got some ideas to help you survive the next few months!
All hope is not lost!
Some organizations, like the Girl Scouts of America, are moving quickly to bring virtual summer camp to millions of kids across America. Check to see if your summer camp is offering something similar!
Host your own science or space camp for your kids
It might sound like a lot of work, but you can challenge your kids to set their own schedule. Give them a long list of activities to choose them and ask them to design the schedule for the week. Activities can range from online games to watching documentaries. Some suggestions of things to include are:
- Legends of Learning online science games
- Science experiments your kids can do with common kitchen ingredients
- Virtual visits to the U.S. National Parks
Go camping in your backyard!
We’ve suggested this before, but it’s always a hit! Set up a campsite in your backyard or your living room. Feed your kids hot dogs and s’mores. Have them compete to write the best ghost story.
Watch the best camp-themed movies
Pick a night each week for a family movie night and work your way down a list of the best camp-themed movies ever made. A few of our favorites: Heavyweights, The Parent Trap, Moonrise Kingdom, and It Takes Two!
Let your kids design their own video game! Legends of Learning is currently running a competition that asks K-12 students to design their own video games. No technology is required, making this an amazing at-home project for all students while schools and summer camps are closed. The winning teams will each win a $500 Amazon gift card! Learn more here.
