The summer struggle is real, y’all. You know what I’m saying. You have BIG plans when the summer starts. You’re going to go HERE and THERE and EVERYWHERE. This will be the summer of fun, family time, and even a little education.
And here’s the reality. Or my reality, anyway.
I’m busy as a work-from-home mom. And I mentioned the “mom” part not as part of my employment status but really as part of my daily summer role. We’re doing tennis lessons and tae kwon do class and that’s about as much structure as we’ve had. We’ve gotten out a few times, seen plenty of movies, and talked about all the things we’re going to do.
But when work calls, Evan sits in front of the TV or computer because he can’t take the heat. And finally, I’m okay with that because I’m sending him to camp!
No, not day camp and certainly not sleepaway camp (I mean, my mascara couldn’t take that). It’s Camp Google and it’s perfect for a tech-savvy kid who’s eager to learn but wants to stay away from anything that feels too educational.
So what is Camp Google?
Camp Google is a free summer camp that gets kids learning through fun, interactive science activities and adventures. Led by experts, the activities have been designed to encourage kids to ask questions, setting them on a lifelong journey of exploration and discovery.
And I became aware of the camp through my relationship with National Geographic as an NG Kids Insider. For four weeks, there are four different camps offered, each week in partnership with organizations like National Geographic, NASA, and the National Park Service.
And it’s okay if you’re just learning about it. While the camp encourages the viewing of livestreamed activities, each week is fully available online so you can “educate” your kids on your own schedule. Here’s how the four weeks of camp are playing out:
Week 1: Ocean Week
Camp Google partnered with National Geographic to offer insights on topics like
Why Do Some Things Float?
How Do Dolphins See Underwater?
The biggest excitement, though, was a livestreaming broadcast from the bottom of the ocean! If you watched it live, you can ask questions during the broadcast. I had technical issues and couldn’t watch it live but luckily it’s available to watch when I want.
For this broadcast in particular, we got to hear from Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, and Erika Bergman, National Geographic Young Explorer.
To keep kids interested, they have fun experiments and activities related to the the topics and and earn badges along the way.
In case you’re interested, here are the other weeks online.
Week 2: Space Week
For Space Week, the content is created in conjunction with NASA. Release your inner space geek!
And watch the livestream with NASA’s Food Lab and help create space food for astronauts!
Week 3: Nature Week
For Nature Week, Camp Google got the National Park Service involved for your rock lover.
And for your livestreaming pleasure, your kids (and probably you too) will love exploring a volcano with a National Park Ranger and discovering how it was formed.
Week 4: Music Week
Guess what? This week hasn’t even started yet! Starting on Monday, your young explorers can tune in to some of these topics. (See what I did there?)
And the livestreaming, scheduled for August 5th, can actually be watched LIVE along with musical artist, Zendaya.
So have you heard of Camp Google or do you think this is as cool as I do? Stay tuned as I bring you great educationally-based stuff that will fascinate you and your kids through National Geographic Kids.
