Online Summer Camps for Kids 2021
Just because your kids are staying home doesn’t mean they have to be bored. Check out these great summer camps online for kids all the way through high school!
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!
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Documenting Your COVID-19 Experience
Ideas for documenting and preserving your COVID-19 experiences.
Here we are, friends, a year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Depending on where you live, it may be longer than that for you. For our family, our pandemic experience started just over a year ago with a final trip to the grocery store, a new refrigerator, and the end of in-person school. I’ve been thinking a lot about the changes that have happened over the last year, and that led me to develop a project I’m excited to share with you:
The Stay at Home Club: a COVID-19 Journaling Project
Whether you are a regular journal keeper or a complete novice, this is a historic opportunity to document your experiences for yourself — and for posterity.
This journaling project is very simple. All you need is a blank book, something to write with, and the PDF of questions and prompts — a free download which I’ve created to help you. Our family is working on the journaling project together. I want to include everyone’s perspectives and experiences. But this could be a solo project as well.
You’ll find all of the details at the link below. It includes some videos that can help you get started, a few photos of what we have started, and suggestions for supplies, too.
Not only is this an exciting project, but it is also my first collaboration with Owl and Ember! Owl and Ember is a new enterprise I am beginning with a dear friend, Holly Kennedy. We are starting small — an Etsy sticker shop — but we have really big ideas!
The shop just launched, and we have the cutest COVID badges for The Stay at Home Club! How did you earn your crafting badge this year? What about cooking? Check out The Stay at Home Club badges and all of the cute stickers at Owl and Ember by clicking the link below!
Be well! Stay safe!
XO
Angela
Ah, the End of Summer!
Tips for at-home learning, a tutorial for comfortable face masks, and more!
Hello, friends! Here we are at the end of August. It’s a bittersweet time made more so by the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic.
Many of you have children and teens in your life: children, grandchildren, friends. Those children are headed back to school in one form or another — and it is likely they will have a very disrupted year this year. So I offer these words as a former teacher and now parent: it is ok that this year is different. To expect anything else just isn’t fair to anyone. It is different, and we must bend, adjust, and adapt accordingly. It isn’t going to be easy, but we can do it.
And to all of you teachers out there: I am thinking of you and praying for you. This isn’t the career you imagined, I know.
As for us: we will be doing school at home, online, for the foreseeable future. I’m comfortable with this and hope it will be a good experience for Bambino. With that in mind, I have created a range of resources for families doing school at home. Whether your children start out at home or transition to at-home learning, I hope these resources will be helpful for the children and families in your life.
And since kids of all ages, and adults, too, need comfortable face masks, here’s my face mask guide as well as a video tutorial on how to make any face mask more comfortable for all-day wear.
Be safe out there, friends! I hope you are well! Wear a mask, stay home, and take care of yourself!
Hugs!
Angela
Make Any Face Mask More Comfortable
Make any face mask more comfortable with this easy, no-sew hack! All you need is elastic!
Great for Kids at School | Keep Any Face Mask on All Day
Simple no-sew tutorial to convert face masks with ear loops into a mask that will stay on and is much more comfortable.
For anyone who is looking for a comfortable way to wear a face mask for a long time: here's a quick fix solution. In our family, we can’t stand ear loops, and personally I can't imagine a whole classroom of kids with ear loops constantly coming off! So here's an easy no-sew solution to convert the ear loops using elastic. We all wear masks like this, and they are quite comfortable!
I hope this is helpful for you and your family! It’s so important that we all wear face masks to slow the spread of COVID-19, and making them as comfortable as possible makes this even easier!
Be safe!
Angela
Some other posts you might enjoy:
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Online Summer Camps for Kids
Just because your kids are quarantined doesn’t mean they have to be bored. Check out these great summer camps online for kids up through high school!
Summer! Usually in our house summer means months of fun camps, outdoor adventures, and getting really, really dirty. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, that just isn’t possible this year. Because my husband and I still need to work, we need some fun options to keep Bambino occupied each day. I set out to find some online camps and classes that would be both fun and educational. There are some really great options!
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 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 Camps Online
Charles M. Schulz Museum | California
Last week Bambino took one of the drawing classes at the Charles M. Schulz museum, and it was FABULOUS! He was enthralled and active for two full hours, giggling and producing super-fun artwork! His class was taught by cartoonist Joe Wos who was both entertaining and instructive. This is the only class we have done so far, but I was so impressed! The Charles M. Schulz Museum has several offerings online for the summer including collage and drawing classes. Just remember: they are in California, so adjust the times as necessary for your timezone!
Dallas Museum of Art | Texas
This is a bargain if you have multiple kids! The DMA is offering a bunch of programs online this summer. All are about 2 hrs long, and after paying for one registration, you can also pay $30 for a sibling kit, so multiple kids can participate. The camps will use the collection at the museum as inspiration for the art they make, and they will mail the art materials to you. They say the projects are designed to be independent, though younger children might need some help. But an older child could possibly be that help.
Met Opera Global Summer Camp | New York
So the Met Opera isn’t technically a museum… but they are offering a FREE camp all summer! 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!!
Cummer Museum | Florida
I was about to sign Bambino up for several of the classes at the Cummer Museum. They sound amazing! But then I realized that the time zone differences would have meant that the classes started at 6 am for us! That doesn’t work for our family, but if you are closer to the East Coast or have early risers, that might be just perfect for you! Their week-long camps are affordable and last most of the day with work time and a lunch break in the middle as well as time to meet with the instructor. It might be worth getting up early!
Joslyn Art Museum | Nebraska
From their website: “Campers will meet daily - via Zoom - from the comfort of home, to explore themes inspired by works from Joslyn’s galleries. Museum studio staff will guide students through art-making challenges and projects ideas related to the weekly camp themes. These 75-minute studio classes will provide students with techniques, tools, and vocabulary that can be utilized for continued, independent learning all summer long. Students are encouraged to work independently while in camp, but adults are asked to remain available to provide art-making or technological assistance.”
Sounds fantastic! And they have some amazing offerings including Drawing What You See, Painting with Texture, Oil Pastels, Fun with Fiber, and more!
The Bass | Florida
These week-long camps sound FABULOUS! From their website: “Each day, our trained teachers guide 90-minute tutorials featuring painting, drawing and 3D design projects that explore the weekly theme with two art-filled, virtual camps: Little Ones Art Camp (ages 4-6) and Kids Art Camp (ages 7-12). At the end of each week, family and friends are invited to attend the virtual student exhibition. Each week features a carefully crafted art package containing all needed materials for that week’s virtual camp. Art materials can be picked-up from the museum, shipped or sent via courier service!”
And the cost: $60 per week.
Cranbrook Art Museum | Michigan
A team of Teaching Artists are helping Cranbrook offer some amazing camps this summer. Camp registration includes an Art Kit, and they say, “Our Art Kits come with NEW art making materials for each day of the camp. Unlike traditional camps, our Art Kits mean that campers have the supplies to make more art when class (and camp!) is over. Materials for each day are clearly labeled and ready for campers. Art Kits are different each week! Curbside pick-up in the Art Museum parking lot, Thursdays from 5-7 pm or Saturdays from 12-2 pm, prior to the start of camp each week. Zooming in from afar? We can ship Art Kits if necessary.”
Extra art supplies for summer? Yes, please!
San Jose Museum of Art | California
From their website: “For children ages 6–14 (camps are divided into age groups 6–9 and 10–14). Please note, each camper will receive individual artistic support, encouragement, and creative challenges unique to their learning style and skill level. With this in mind, parents/caregivers have the flexibility to register their child into the camp of their choosing including siblings of varied ages into the same camp.”
Thank you for recognizing the challenges of families with multiple kids at home! 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!
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! 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
From their website: “Check out our brand-new virtual camps! These online experiences reflect the research of our Museum scientists, keeping campers connected with current discoveries, amazing collections, and all the awesome that is the Cleveland Museum of Natural History!”
Offerings include Backyard Biologists, Medical Camp, Science Explorers Camp, and Astronomy 101. Sounds amazing!
More Online Summer Camps
Avid 4 Adventure: we have done some of their in-person camps in past years, and they have been really fun!
Renaissance Adventures: another camp we have done in-person. Their online camps are gaming/role-playing camps.
Frankly, I hope that even when the pandemic is over, and we are settled into our new normal, some of these museums will continue to offer online camps in the summer. Being able to participate in programs across the country with campers from all parts of the country — or the world — may be an incredible experience!
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!
Pin it!
You also might like…
Staying Home and Staying Cozy
How are you spending your Coronavirus confinement? I have a few ideas in case you are starting to lose your mind.
My dear friends, it has been a minute! Actually, more than a few minutes. I took some time away from writing to work on other projects, and then COVID-19 happened. One month ago today, in fact, we started to shelter in place. Aside from daily social-distancing walks with the dog and the child, we really haven’t left the house. And like so many of you, I’m juggling school lessons with a spouse working from home and my own work projects, too.
It is a lot.
And let me tell you: if you aren’t ok, that is totally ok. This is a remarkable, historic time. It is scary and insane and strange and monumental all at once. And it is ok not to be ok.
But now that we are a month into this with no real end in sight, I have gathered a few ideas and resources which might help you make your own confinement a little easier.
DIY Face Masks
First, I have put together tutorials for making face masks in three different styles. I have made more than 30 masks, and I tried several different ways to make them. Finally I decided on three different masks that seemed to work best — and are easy to make. If you need to make masks for your family, I hope you’ll try these out. Let me know how it goes!
Hygge Makes Everything Better
Early on I chose a word for this period knowing that a focus would make everything a little easier. My word is: hygge. What’s hygge? It is the Danish concept of coziness, happiness, and goodness — all rolled up together.
Focusing on hygge has allowed us to jump into our confinement with joy and love. My husband travels a lot for work, so having him home for an entire month has been amazing! We are cooking a lot, snuggling on the couch, reading even more, and I’ve taken up needlepoint which is a wonderful distraction.
I have updated my What I’m Reading Now list — lots of good book suggestions!
I am also journaling — sometimes angrily, sometimes creatively, sometimes with great sadness. And we have become Zoom experts — along with the rest of the world — from class meetings to get-togethers with friends.
But I’m also doing a lot of sleeping — or at least reading in bed. And I have some tips for sleeping Scandinavian-style which is all about bringing the hygge into your bedroom. We love it!
Small Home Projects
We aren’t tackling anything big right now. The Spring One Room Challenge was supposed to start on April 1, but it has been postponed to May at the earliest. But we have been doing small projects around the house. Our kitchen, for example: we were supposed to remodel it this spring, but those plans have been put on hold. So we have taken on a few small projects — temporary fixes for a truly dysfunctional kitchen. Small projects like this can ease the daily stress of living in a house that doesn’t work well — even if they are temporary fixes.
Celebrating
I’ll be honest: I didn’t feel much like celebrating Easter. But as the day approached, I realized just how much we needed a celebration in the middle of it all. We have also celebrated two big birthdays for family — one with a Zoom-call party and another with a silly drive-by parade. Life goes on, and we can still celebrate milestones, even if we can’t do it in person as we would like.
And when I did hang the Easter eggs from our branch chandelier and put out the Easter decorations, the change was welcome, and we had a wonderful family celebration.
In the next few weeks I will share some of our favorite recipes and projects. It is almost time to get out into the garden again — despite the fresh snow today! And one day soon we will be back to something that approximates “normal” again.
But until then, stay safe! Wash your hands. Wear a mask. And stay home as much as is humanly possible.
XOXO
Angela
