Evaluating 5 Online Summer Camp Options
For information about Coder Kids classes and camps, including online coding and gaming topics, visit register.coderkids.com/onlineclasses
Since Coronavirus came to the United States, many kids aren’t able to participate in summer camps and day camps. As frustrating as this has been, online camps have filled the void in the short term, and maybe the long term as well. As you consider online summer camps this year, what should you be on the lookout for? What topics are appropriate for online learning? How do you evalutate online summer camps? And how can you make sure you pick something that won’t be a waste of money? We will consider all of these questions in the blog post ahead!
Online Camps: A New Trend
We anticipate that online classes and camps will continue to grow over the next several decades, and that the Coronavirus pandemic was simply the catalyst for change. While in-person camps will continue to be popular, especially for sports, online camps do offer several benefits:
Less risk of disease transmission
Germs were passed around from kid to kid in the past, and kids would just miss a day of class. Regardless of how the current pandemic plays out, parents will be more germ-conscious in the future so they don’t have to miss out on opportunities like school, travel, and camps.
No commute or time restraints for remote parents
Even though there is less traffic in the summertime without kids being in school, taking your child to the right camp can be a major detour for parents in the morning - especially if you are normally at work by 8:00 AM and the camp starts at 9:00 AM! Forget about before-care and after-care. If you are working from home, or if your child is old enough to stay home, online camps are an excellent solution.
No geographic restrictions for campers
Whether you plan to move away from the city or stay put in a city, online camps are awesome because they are not geographically bound. Your child can meet kids from all over the world and remain friends with them forever through virtual tools. While you can’t beat meeting a kid from across town or your same school, online camps offer some really neat social benefits.
The technology is ready
If we had discussed online camps 10 years ago, we would have had major concerns regarding latency, hardware, screen sharing, and a host of other things. 2020 was the year when everyone realized that we have the technology for virtual camps and meetings. Getting your child exposed to this kind of productive software at a young age is going to make your life easier, and sets them up for future success.
How to Choose a Great Online Summer Camp for Your Child
Every child is different, and every parent is different. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of camps that might interest your child, you just have to determine your priorities and where you want to spend your money.
Typically we recommend that online camps be related to something academic or technology focused. STEM and Gaming Camps are especially excellent options. Of course, many camps were modified during the pandemic to work online, and many of those camps will continue to provide virtual options even once the pandemic is behind us. Things like sports, archaeology, art, and water activities are typically best to keep in-person where possible.
Here are some factors to consider as you choose an Online Summer Camp for your child.
Live vs. On-Demand
Live classes and on-demand both offer benefits to the online summer camp experience. With live classes, you get interaction with a teacher and classmates, which is invaluable. However, with on-demand classes, you get the flexibility to take the class whenever your child would like. Plus, if you are traveling or a camp is not offered in your time zone (shout out to the Hawaiians in the crowd), on-demand might be just what you’re looking for.
Is it Naturally Virtual?
Going back to our previous point about camp topics that should stay in-person, the truth is that many camps were not naturally built for virtual camps. I recommend doing a deep evaluation of those camps to see if the content is worth the time and money spent. A football camp that is offered online is going to be disappointing, because there isn’t much you can do beyond watch video, which can be done for free. So take note and careful consideration of camps that you wouldn’t think are a natural fit for online classes.
Price for Online
The truth is, online classes are way less resource intensive than in-person classes. No rent has to be paid, and instructors can literally roll out of bed and onto their computers, so prep is much less expensive. Because of this, it isn’t really reasonable to charge more money for virtual camps. While pricing will vary, they should cost about the same or less than normal in-person camps. That said, if price is a barrier to getting your child into a great summer camp, consider signing up for a summer camp scholarship with Coder Kids.
Demands on Parents
I get it - you don’t want to have to be constantly watching your child during these camps. The truth is all parents, and especially working parents, need summer camps as a babysitter. We embrace the other benefits of camps, but ultimately, having some free time in the summertime when your child is not watching YouTube or bugging you about being bored is vital.
Technology Camps: A Natural Fit
Summer camps with a technology focus were particularly well suited for the pandemic and the move into virtual camps since the focus is on the computer. Tech camps fit this criteria listed above well:
Online and offered live
Great fit for online learning
Can be done independently
5 Great Online Summer Camp Options
Coder Kids
Pricing: $150 - $200 per week; scholarships available
Coder Kids is a Houston-based company that offers a wide variety of virtual camps for kids who love technology, all at a reasonable price. Coder Kids offers a variety of virtual classes including:
Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox Gaming (with leadership and advanced skills baked in)
Coding camps for a wide range of topics and age groups
Digital Arts camps like YouTube 101 and Drawing
Another unique aspect of Coder Kids is that they have their own Discord server, so all classes are offered through Discord. This means that once a student signs up for a Coder Kids class, they can stick around the server, game with us, and be a member of the community. The virtual interface used for class goes way beyond a one-time tool.
Treasure Trunk Theatre
Pricing: $225-$350 per week or $50-$75 per day.
Treasure Trunk Theatre has been running camps for kids in NYC since 2014 and moved to completely virtual in summer 2020.
Treasure Trunk Theatre camps explore drama through imagination. Camps incorporate movement, music, theatre games, and visual arts. They offer online camps and classes for pre-school and elementary aged kids. They have a lot of options for online camps, including:
Storybook Adventure and Imagination Adventure
Under the Sea and Lion King Camps
Musical and Sing- Along Adventure
Treasure Trunk Theatre also offers the option of online classes for your pod. These classes can be just for your kid and their friends!
Camp Bizsmart
Pricing: $465
Camp Bizsmart offers camps for kids ages 11-17 that focus on an entrepreneurship experience. Kids will gain experience with:
Product design
Business plans'
Pop-up and tradeshow simulations
Learning from and presenting to CEO’s, business executives and angel investors..
Camp Bizsmart online camp sessions are 6 days, for a total of 18 hours of camp. On the last day, teams compete as they present their plans and concepts to a panel of investors and entrepreneurs. The last day is also a celebration showcasing student team designs, giving and the presentation of graduation certificates.
Pricing: Free
This camp is for kids ages 2-teen. The free camp is offered the week of June 17-June 24. At these camps, they don’t teach “kid recipes” like many kids cooking classes, they teach real skills like using a knife and stove safely. Campers use real food ingredients and most recipes are easy to make allergy-friendly to suit your needs.
Each day a different class will be available. If you keep up for all 8 days, you’ve gone through the whole course! You can also choose to attend just for one or two days if there’s a specific skill your child needs help with. Keep in mind that this camp will require more of parents - prep work as well as supervision, since the kids will be using real cooking equipment, including knives, stoves and ovens.
Pricing: $149 Half Day, $349 Full Day
These virtual dance camps will keep your kids moving! American Dance adn Training Camp currently only offers camps for girls. There are full and half day options, and the dance styles include:
Contemporary
Hip Hop
Jazz
They have a maximum of 8 students in each camp, and offer discounts to alumni. The teachers and choreographers are highly trained in their specialty. They are also offering some free weekend intensives in early 2021, so you can get a taste what summer camp will be like!
Conclusion
Online camps may have come about and flourished because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we think they are here to stay- to some extent at least. Online camps have no commutes or time restraints for parent, no geographical restrictions for camps, and less transmission of disease. These benefits are things people will look for even after the pandemic.
There are things to look for when you’re evalutating your online summer camp options: live vs. on-demand, is it naturally virtual, price and demand on parents.
We hope this has helped you find a great online summer camp for your child! Let us know if you find one we should include in our list in the comments!
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