Every parent knows the sounds of summer: a chorus of kids’ laughter, pool splashes, the sizzle of the barbeque, and chirping crickets is closely followed by the complaint of “I’m bored.”
In addition, the gap between school years referred to as the “summer slide” is known by teachers and parents alike to cause students to lose valuable year-long learning and even produce lower test scores. Many parents strive to sneak in activities that keep those cerebral juices flowing and engage and occupy their children all while keeping it fun.
Luckily for students, and their parents, there are lots of opportunities to reinforce learning or to try something completely different. Fitting an academic camp, class, or activity into a busy summer schedule is easier than ever. With the growth of virtual education resources, participating in an art class or coding camp can supplement summer learning without leaving home.
Here are some of our favorite virtual camp and class choices to spark your child’s interests and imagination this summer.
Art
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA)
PAFA’s 1-week art camps for kids ages 10-14 focus on topics such as comics and illustration, painting, experimental paper, and animal drawing. Virtual Art Camp days include a mixture of live virtual instruction as well as friendship-making time, and off-screen time for independent play and learning. The cost for each camp is $350.
Computer Programming
CodeWizardsHQ – Summer Coding Camps and Classes
Students ages 8-18 can choose between 1-week virtual gaming camps or 3-week accelerated classes. Week-long summer Roblox camps and Minecraft camps to teach students coding concepts all while experiencing the fun of gaming. Accelerated classes allow students to learn real-world languages like Python, JavaScript, and HTML/CSS through fun, interactive projects. The accelerated format of the classes allows students to complete a full course in just 3 weeks vs 12 weeks with the standard schedule of classes. Camp and class costs range between $447 and $499 for each session with June, July, and August sessions available.
Finance
Wealthy Habits – Money Smart Camps
Wealthy Habits offers 1-week camps for middle and high school students that focus on finance topics. The live virtual classes, Money Fundamentals and Camp Wall Street, are 2 hours long and are held Monday-Friday. Classes are capped at 10 and are $99 for a session.
General STEM
Consumer Energy Education Foundation (CEEF) Summer Camp
Explore the role that AI is playing in energy transitions through hands-on activities, videos, and expert perspectives. Connect with peers from around the country and experience the vast world of STEM. This week-long camp takes place June 20-24, for students ages 11-14. The cost is $325 per camper.