Online Summer Camps for Kids 2021
Last summer I found some incredible online summer camps for kids. Bambino had a wonderful summer of activity and learning and fun — all of which allowed my husband and I to have a relatively productive summer, too. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we have decided that online camps are the way to go again this summer, and I’ve found a variety of great places to recommend — some we did last year and some are new!
One of our favorite places to do summer camp has always been at museums. And museums often rely on summer camp admissions to fund their education and outreach programs for the year. So I’m delighted to be able to support some of our favorite museums again this summer!
And a bonus: you can do camps at museums all over the country! Just make sure the times work for your family. I almost registered Bambino for a camp on the East Coast before realizing that it would start at 6 am our time — that would never work for our family, but it might be perfect for yours!
This list isn’t comprehensive, but if you are looking for online camps for your kids, this is a great place to start. Check with the museums in your area (or farther away) to see what they may be offering as well as your favorite:
Universities and colleges
Private schools
Public schools
Arts organizations
Museum & Arts Camps Online
Charles M. Schulz Museum | California
Last year Bambino took several drawing classes at the Charles M. Schulz museum, and they were FABULOUS! He was enthralled and active for hours, giggling and producing super-fun artwork! He particularly loved classes taught by cartoonist Joe Wos who was both entertaining and instructive. I listened in and was truly impressed by both the instruction and the cartoons they produced. Bambino has spent the year since creating his own cartoons, too. It’s been wonderful! The Charles M. Schulz Museum has several offerings again this summer. Just remember: they are in California, so adjust the times as necessary for your timezone!
School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Illinois
You know that scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when they are wandering through the museum… THAT’s the Art Institute of Chicago. It’s one of the best art museums in the world, and I suspect their summer of online art camps will be exceptional, too. They have online offerings for kids as young as 4 years old — all the way through high school. They also have adult classes, too. And there’s a Family Camp which I’m really interested in — spend a week doing art with your kids with someone else being in charge!
Met Opera Global Summer Camp | New York
So the Met Opera isn’t technically a museum… but last year they offered a FREE camp all summer! I’m leaving this here in hopes that they will do the same again this year. Each week focuses on a different opera starting with Hansel and Gretel. There are discussion sessions, a craft session led online, and then opportunities to watch the opera. For the budding musician in your home, this is an amazing opportunity! There are two meeting times for different ages, and some of the Met’s stars are coming as guest artists, too.
I want to do this summer camp!!
The Loft | Minnesota
The Loft is a venerated institution in Minnesota dedicated to writing and writers. This summer all of their programming is online, and they have some incredible options for kids all the way through high school. Some of their programs are offered in conjunction with the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, too. So fantastic! Their class list includes creating picture books for young writers and writing ACT essays for high school kids — and everything in between! Oh, and they also have great writing workshops for adults, too!
Joslyn Art Museum | Nebraska
For the second summer, the Joslyn Art Museum is offering some online camps for kids of all ages. Their selection is somewhat limited, but the camps look fantastic, so scurry over to sign up before they are all sold out!
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts | Pennsylvania
If they didn’t start so early in the morning for us, Bambino would be doing a bunch of these camps! If you are on the East Coast or Central time zone (or if your kids are naturally early birds), PAFA’s offerings are fantastic! Their range of camps for kids 6-14 includes a Disney drawing camp, painting, illustration, and fundamentals of graphic design. PLUS, these are such a value for the money. The camps largely run from 9 am - 3 pm EST and are quite reasonably priced. They even offer a payment plan!
San Jose Museum of Art | California
From their website: “Our campers will get a rare glimpse into working artists' studios for live demos, tutorials, studio tours and Q&As. Artists Diana Al-Hadid, Kathy Aoki, Kathryn Otoshi, Hayal Pozanti, Jason Sturgill, and Imin Yeh will be guest artists during each week of camp! Several of them are featured in SJMA exhibitions, South East North West: New Works from the Collection and Break + Bleed.”
Every week has a different theme, and they have guest artists as well as a STEM consultant who provides an art + science lesson each week. Awesome! Their schedule is great, too. You could enroll your child in camp for either mornings or afternoons all summer long, and every week will be different.
The Bronx Zoo | New York
Seriously, people. This sounds amazing! From the website: “Our Wildlife Camp Online is full of fun and learning about the world of animals, nature, and science. During the week of camp, campers will engage in counselor-led engagement and self-directed activities including up-close animal encounters, virtual exhibit and behind the scenes visits from all of our WCS zoos and aquarium, chats with our staff, hands-on science projects, crafts, and songs. Some of the activities will be scheduled at specific times and others will allow your child to engage in them at the pace that works for your child.”
California Science Center | California
The California Science Center is a fabulous museum, and their online camps sound really fun. All classes are led by trained educators and include “Interactive virtual tours of exhibits, live demonstrations, and exclusive question and answer sessions with our on-site scientists and animal care staff!”
Sounds amazeballs!
The Library Foundation of Austin | Texas
Writing is such an important skill for kids, and summer is a fabulous time for some intensive creative writing work! Last year Bambino did a Badgerdog session, and it was WONDERFUL! He is already signed up again for this summer. The Library Foundation offers some incredible writing camps for kids all the way through high school. They are affordable, too! Offerings include a poetry and film workshop, Screenwriting 101, Mythology, Slam Poetry, and the famed Badgerdog Creative Writing Summer Camp.
If only parents could sign up…
Cleveland Museum of Natural History | Ohio
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s virtual camps this year are for grades 6-12. They offer both a medical camp and astronomy camp, too. If you have middle and high school students, here’s a great opportunity for STEM learning over the summer!
Frankly, we had such a wonderful experience with online summer camps last summer, and sadly some of our favorites are all in-person this year. I hope museums and other organizations consider making online options a permanent part of their offerings. It allows kids from all over the country to take advantage of their resources! Last summer Bambino attended camps in California, two different cities in Texas, Colorado, and Minnesota — all from our home in Colorado.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. If your local school or museum or university is sponsoring programs that are amazing, leave a link in the comments! Let’s all help each other and help our kids have a wonderful summer — safe at home!
And share this link with anyone you know who has kids at home this summer!
