National Geographic Family Summer Camp Is Open (from Your Computer)

With summer camps pretty much non-existent this year, parents are looking for new ways to keep their kids engaged for the next few months.

Luckily, National Geographic has stepped in and launched Nat Geo Family Camp. The eight-part program gives children the opportunity to enjoy a camp-like experience from the comfort of their own home. 

According to a press release, each week two activities will be released online that “help foster life skills” such as confidence, independence, teamwork, communication and leadership. 

Rachel Buccholz, editor in chief of Nat Geo Kids, recently spoke with ABC 7 Chicago about the goals of the project. “What we wanted to do was look at the experiences that kids were probably missing right now and figure out ways that they could do them at home,” she said during the interview. “For instance, they might be swimming in lakes and doing crafts, so we wanted to give them the opportunity to do those things right at home.”

The first week of the program included icebreaker workshops and a chance to design camp logos. Children were encouraged to make up a name for their camp, choose shapes and animals and come up with a design. 

Week two is already underway and offers families the chance to create a fake lake or underwater world with fish made out of plastic bottles (see above) and cardboard trees. It’s also important to mention that the camp is totally free and can be accessed at any time at the Nat Geo Family Camp website.

Looks like we’re breaking out our crafting scissors this weekend.