Virtual summer camps may sound like just another excuse for kids to be glued to the computer screen. Fear not, plenty of these interfaces encourage youngsters to create projects, investigate and explore the great outdoors.
Idtech.com
The site offers paid online instruction in coding, game design and graphic design for your tech- savvy child. Each camp offers a variety of levels and challenges as well as a dedicated instructor. Kids will have an opportunity to meet other children who are part of robotics clubs, starting companies, founding nonprofits and landing jobs at tech powerhouses like Facebook and Google.
Startwithabook.org
This is a free course and, in addition to a very exciting summer science camp, the site offers a long list of themes, such as art, night sky and weather report, for kids to explore. It’s great for strengthening children’s literacy and problem-solving skills. A book suggestion comes with each theme along with discussion guides, hands-on activities and related sites and apps.
Brainchase.com
This paid online camp runs for six weeks in the summer, offering a creative approach to enrichment. Kids work on maths, reading and typing, all while competing in a real-life treasure hunt for the chance to win a $10,000 scholarship. Electives such as foreign language classes are available for an additional fee. It requires about five hours of work per week but children can go at their own pace.
Makezine.com
Weekly camps based on themes such as far out future and flight will engross your child in hours of interactive activities such as creating homemade musical instruments, thinking putty and flying kites in addition to customising and modifying common electronics. Most of the projects require a certain amount of technical skill and a grasp of basic electronics, and are better suited for older teens. A special section highlights a handful of kid-friendly projects.
Khanacademy.org
This free website has thousands of educational videos aimed at self-paced instruction. They are short and are presented in a casual and unrehearsed yet engaging style. For maths concepts, the site offers an almost unlimited number of practice exercises, organised by topic, with instant feedback and progress data. Users can rate the pace of each video, leave comments and ask and answer content-related questions.
