5 virtual summer programmes for independent children

17 Jul 2020

Summer break is in full swing. As a parent of a schooling child, you may be wondering if virtual summer programmes are a valid alternative to the camps or holidays you had planned before.

We’re here to help you make that decision.

While many online programmes and apps are free, there are also unique offerings that require a fee. You can find one to suit your child’s interest, be it science, tech, adventure, or music.

Here are five virtual summer programmes to keep your independent child’s mind active and alert.

MarcoPolo World School

Source: MarcoPolo Learning

Kids aged three to seven can explore the world through over 500 lessons and 3,000 learning activities on this interactive platform. According to its creators, the MarcoPolo approach fosters lifelong learning habits as children experience the thrills and joys of discovery early on.

If your young one is already digitally-literate, this programme should hook them in right away. Rest assured that they will begin their science education with an award-winning early learning STEAM literacy curriculum.

You can try it for free for seven days, for a limited time. New lessons are added every week.

Camp in a Box

Smart Buddies is an online coding programme where your tech whiz will work on their very own robot. They will pick up fundamental coding concepts such as sequences, loops, events, conditionals, functions, and variables.

Participants will interact with counsellors and teachers twice a week in live Zoom classes. During this time, they will also engage with fellow students.

This four-week after-school programme costs $249, inclusive of the coding robot. Your child will gain their first coding experience and get certified as a “junior coder”.

Brain Chase

Source: Brain Chase

Find the treasure and win gold. Search the earth for a real, working robot. These are among the adventures in store with Brain Chase, where kids can explore several subjects through fascinating challenges.

Think massive global escape rooms, treasure hunts, whodunnits, and other puzzles, with a few decoder rings, animated adventures, and lots of trips around the world.

As one parent testifies, “It excited my kids so I didn’t fight with them about their summer learning!”

Camp Wonderopolis

Source: Camp Wonderopolis

Here is a one-stop virtual camp for children to build vocabulary, reading comprehension, critical thinking, and other literacy skills. On top of that, they will also gain background knowledge in science.

Pick your desired lesson, be it Symphony of Wonders (to explore several aspects of music) or Build Your Own Wonderocity (for the budding engineers).

Camp Wonderopolis attracts children from 132 countries worldwide. The best part? It’s completely free.

Camp Google

Let your little one learn to express themself via painting, writing, storytelling, or arts and crafts. Each assignment comes with step-by-step instructions and a video so older kids can navigate the programme independently.

The programme kicked off on July 1, but you can still access the interactive assignments. These include exploring the waters of India with Google Earth and making no-bake chocolate pops.

Alternatively, older children can check out Google Arts & Culture or Code with Google to explore their interests.