Obviously, due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, summer plans are on hold until further notice. And for families who rely on camp during the warmer months, this can be problematic. Although traditional summer camps might be out of the question this year, there are plenty of virtual options that will keep kids of all ages entertained. Whether they're looking to keep their academics sharp (hey, no one likes that pesky summer slide, right?) or just want some good, old-fashioned fun, these online summer camps will deliver.
Related: How and When Will Schools Reopen? Experts Outline the Possible Scenarios
Camp PBS Kids
Children between the ages of 2 and 8 can get access to a slew of educational activities all summer long using PBS Kids' website. Parents can also opt to get a daily newsletter that's chock-full of fun activities based on age and topic, as well as a fun summer bucket list.
Camp Wonderopolis
Created by the National Center for Families Learning, Camp Wonderopolis encourages kids 7 and older to get creative through free STEM-based and literacy activities.
Connected Camps
Tech-savvy kiddos ages 8 to 13 can explore their passions using Connected Camps' week-long, multisession lessons that explore Minecraft and coding.
DIY Summer Camp
Children 7 and older can access tons of classes like, "Drawing Bootcamp," "Build Anything With Lego," and "Strange Science" through DIY's app. To keep learning interesting, they also can earn badges for improving their skills. Although kids can try the classes for free, there's an additional cost for full-length courses.
MarcoPolo World School
Geared toward little ones ages 3 to 7, MarcoPolo World School's app aims to give kids a better understanding of STEAM topics like math, science, and engineering through more than 1,000 online lessons and 500 educational videos. There are also new lessons being added every few weeks, so consider your summer completely taken care of! Sign up for its free trial to get started.
Reading Rockets
Designed for kids ages 6 and up, Reading Rocket's free "Start with a Book" online program lets kids choose their own adventure by offering reading material, vocabulary exercises, and hands-on activities on topics like weather, planets, and stars.
Brain Chase
Designed for kids ages 7 to 14, Brain Chase invites students to go on an academic scavenger hunt by selecting three focus categories ranging from math to yoga to writing to foreign languages. They have six weeks to complete their objectives and find the $1,000 missing golden nugget. Send your child on this wild adventure for $100.