• Home
  • ABOUT
    • About the Authors
    • Top Posts for Working Moms
    • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
    • Product Reviews
  • Shop
    • Maternity Basics for Work
      • Maternity Stores
    • Registry
    • Sales
    • Recent Recs
      • Everyone
      • Machine-Washable Work Clothes
      • Maternity
      • Nursing
      • Pump-friendly
    • Kids’ Shopping
  • Lifestyle
    • Pregnant
    • Postpartum
    • Money
    • Parenting
    • Gear
    • Household
  • Career
    • Childcare
    • Family Planning
    • Work-Life Balance
    • Maternity Leave
    • Working Mom
  • New Working Mom? Start Here
  • Corporette

CorporetteMoms

3 Comments · by Kate Antoniades

7 Virtual Summer Camps for 2020

Childcare | camps· Coronavirus· posts

child in front of ipad, smiling and waving hello

Have on-site camp programs gotten the go-ahead where you live, or do virtual summer camps seem to be the only option? Or are things still up in the air? In my area, some camps already made the decision a couple of months ago to go virtual this year, while others only recently announced that they’ll have in-person programming available. We all know that virtual camps aren’t ideal, of course (as recent articles have pointed out), but for most families, they’re better than nothing — especially because a lot of places that provide kids’ extracurricular activities still haven’t reopened in some parts of the U.S.

In pre-pandemic times, we talked about school break camps and summer camps and working parents, but for obvious reasons we never discussed virtual camps — so today we’re bringing you a list of seven virtual summer camps for 2020. (Make sure to also check out our posts on how to keep kids occupied during the pandemic, virtual travel with kids, and low-supervision activities to keep your kids busy while you’re working.) Have you decided whether to send your kids to virtual or on-site camps this year, or are your kids attending both? Have you found any online programs that look promising? For in-person camps, have you received a list of coronavirus-related policies, such as mask-wearing? 

1. Outschool

Age: 3–18
Topics: Everything! 
Cost: $10 and up

Outschool offers classes and camps via video chat in a ton of categories: arts, English, life skills, music, social studies, coding & tech, health & wellness, math, science & nature, world languages, and “learner favorites” (which includes Minecraft, D&D, Fortnite, Lego, etc.). Each instructor has an online profile with parent reviews, and classes have reviews posted, too. Some camps have specific schedules, while others are designated as “ongoing.” A few examples are Fun with Chinese: Level 1A ($97, ages 4–7, meets 2 times a week for 4 weeks), Crochet Camp ($50, ages 11–16, meets 3 times for 1 week), and Project-Based Python for Kids ($269, ages 9–14, meets 3 times a week for 4 weeks). 

2. Bronx Zoo

Age: Pre-K to 8th grade
Topics: Animals/wildlife, careers with animals
Cost: For members, $250 for first child; $75 for each sibling; for non-members, $275 for first child; $100 for siblings

A silver lining of virtual camps is that your kids can choose from interesting programs around the country that they wouldn’t normally have had access to. For example, many zoos and aquariums are putting on virtual camps this summer (I googled “zoo virtual camp” and found a lot), including Bronx Zoo, whose camp includes a behind-the-scenes look at animals and exhibits, time spent with animal keepers and scientists, science projects, and more. Some activities are at set times, while others are self-directed. 

3. Project Scientist

Age: Girls aged 4–12 
Topics: STEM (robotics/AI, health, aerospace engineering, climate change, etc.)
Cost: $325 for 6 weeks (25% off for each additional sibling) 

Project Scientist’s Virtual Lab looks amazing! Each girl receives a science kit every week to accompany daily programming from 9 a.m. to noon: hands-on science, “lunch with a scientist,” career information, “live virtual expeditions” at companies that are addressing COVID-19, yoga/P.E., and more. Each evening, girls take part in a nationwide family trivia game based on what they’ve been learning. Class size is limited to 25, and the offerings are tailored for three age groups: ages 4–6, 7–9, and 10–12. 

4. iD Tech

Age: 7–19
Topic: Coding/computer science: Python, JavaScript, Minecraft, 3D modeling, etc. 
Cost: $399/week 

iD Tech’s virtual camps are each a week long, and each day includes two hours of live instruction and work with peers plus two hours of self-paced projects. The company notes that their limit of five students per instructor allows for social time and individualized learning. (My son did a one-time Code Ninjas virtual coding class this spring, and that class size worked really well — especially for a kid like him, who usually hates Zoom.) If your kid is seriously into coding like mine, you can buy a season pass — a 5- or 10-week pass saves up to 40%. (Note: Some camps start next week!) 

5. Wide Open School

Age: Preschool to 12th grade 
Topics: Art, music, science, reading, writing, etc. 
Cost: Free

Wide Open School’s virtual camps for preschool to 5th grade and 6th to 12th grade are curated by Common Sense Media (which is a great resource in general). When schools closed in March, 25 partners — including Scholastic, Khan Academy, Google, and National Geographic — quickly built the site to provide learning opportunities for kids stuck at home. Now they’re providing summer learning, too. Parents can draw from the many activities available to create custom schedules for their children using the site’s printable daily and weekly planner templates. Kids can go on many virtual field trips, too (preschool to 5th grade and 6th to 12th). 

6. Varsity Tutors

Age: K–12
Topics: STEM, art, computer science, English, languages, social studies, etc.
Cost: Mostly free

Varsity Tutors’ interactive, week-long camps are mostly free of charge, and parents can search the camp catalog by group size, grade, subject, and class days/times. (The site notes that camps are being added every day.) A few examples are Jurassic Class: All About Dinosaurs (grades K–1, 1 hour a day for 5 days), Create Your Own Storyland Using Minecraft (grades 3–6, 3 hours a day for 5 days), and Recycled Art (grades 2–3, 1 hour a day for 5 days). (Note that, for some reason, the site offers very little information about the company or the virtual summer camps, so trying one of the free offerings before springing for a paid class/camp is probably wise.) 

7. Camp Wonderopolis

Age: School-age
Topics: STEM, reading, music, health/fitness, etc.
Cost: Free

I first heard of the educational site Wonderopolis through one of my son’s teachers — she recently linked to it for an assignment. The site, which is provided by the National Center for Families Learning, also runs some interesting virtual camps. The five camps available are Symphony of Wonders (music), Build Your Own Wonderocity (engineering), Flex Your Wonder! (health and fitness), Mission to Wonder (science), and Connect With Your Wonders (science). Each camp goes beyond its general theme; for example, the music-based program encompasses production and composition, science and math, health, instruments, careers, and history and culture.

What are your kids doing this summer? Have you found any cool virtual camps or other online programs? 

Facebook0Tweet0Pin0LinkedIn0Print0Email0

About Kate Antoniades

Editor of Corporette and CorporetteMoms since 2014, Kate Antoniades lives in her hometown of Rochester, NY, and has one son (born June 2010). A cat person and Oxford comma loyalist, she enjoys Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food, superhero movies/TV shows, and photography. One of her prized possessions is her Hello Kitty Converse.

« Make My Life Easier Thursday: Painter’s Towels
Weekend & Family Friday: Pastrami Burnt End Sandwich Kit »

Comments

  1. Mrs. Jones says

    06/11/2020 at 2:35 pm

    My son has done one Outschool class (fractions) and really liked it.
    We signed up for a Minecraft camp via Lavner camps but haven’t attended yet.

    Reply
  2. Realist says

    06/12/2020 at 10:53 am

    We’re trying some outschool this month. A friend said that it is hit or miss, based mostly on the quality of the instructor.

    Reply
  3. Michelle says

    06/13/2020 at 4:31 pm

    Thank you! We just signed up for a Outschool class. Need something to keep them from having total brain drain!

    Reply
« Make My Life Easier Thursday: Painter’s Towels
Weekend & Family Friday: Pastrami Burnt End Sandwich Kit »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

New to our Blog for Working Moms? Start Here!
Machine-Washable Workwear
Week in the Life of a Working Mom
Maternity Workwear
What to Put On Your Registry

Connect With Us!

Never miss an update -- sign up for the CorporetteMoms newsletter!

Recent Threadjacks of Interest

  • Top things you would add to a registry for a baby 9+ months?
  • How long did you stay in Biglaw after having a baby?
  • How is candy handled in your family?
  • How have you handled switching daycares?
  • I need ideas for activities with a 4-year-old.

Check out more working mom questions!

RSS recent posts on corporette…

  • The Hunt: The Best Bodysuits for Work Outfits
  • What is Social Media Inspiring You to Buy?
  • Executive Functioning Tips and Tricks
  • The Best Plus-Size Tees for Work
  • The Hunt: The Best Women’s T-shirts for Layering at the Office

ABOUT

  • About
  • Contact Kat

WORK WITH US

  • Advertise
  • Product Review Policy

Serious Stuff

  • Copyright 2014-2021 Katfry LLC.
  • Corporette® is a Registered mark in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2014–2021

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!