Not Sure What to Do with the Kids This Summer?
Send Them to Summer Camp – Virtually!
Old school dictates that parents wanting their children to experience “the outdoors,” make new friends, and stay active while learning new things, need to send them away to summer camp. However, what if there was a less expensive and — less disruptive — option where students could have similar experiences without leaving home?
The Home School Learning Network has created a Virtual Summer Camp program that offers 24-hour access to activities, challenges, discussions, and learning presented through cabins and programs similar to an actual camp setting. Students can join a book club, cook in the mess hall, take a nature walk, and put together arts & crafts with over 100 activities to choose from in five cabins!
In the Arts and Crafts Cabin “campers” can participate in a variety of projects including photography, printmaking, and puppetry. Sample activities include: Pinhole Cameras! Versatile Recycling Crafts, Family Tree & Coat of Arms, and Homemade Stationery.
The Library Cabin provides an opportunity to explore different genres of writing, read books, do creative writing, and go on exciting Webquests! Students can also create their own Book Clubs by using the forums for discussion. Activities include Adventure Webquests, Fantasy Reading Guides, and a Humor Writer’s Corner.
No camp is complete with a Mess Hall for “chow downs” and in this case, exploring world cuisine and learning to cook with a variety of recipes from all over the world! Sample cuisines featured include: Chinese, Japanese, South American, African Cooking, and Greek Cooking.
Although the camp takes place on the computer, the outdoor portion of camping has not been ignored. Students can use the Nature Trails to participate in a variety of projects including kite flying, bicycling and of course, camping! Sample subjects include: Stargazing, Archaeology, At the Beach, and Take Me Out to the Ball Game.
Part of the experience of attending camp is the ability to meet new people with new perspectives and culture. In the Foreign Exchange Cabin children will learn about the culture, geography, and people of a variety of countries around the world including Hawaii, Paris, An African Safari, and Great Wonders of the World.
NEW for 2011 is Movie Night! Participants in the program will have access to 36 Movie Learning Guides, which provide vocabulary, lessons, activities and discussion questions. Families can use the guides to turn Family Movie Night into a learning experience!
Finally, the program also includes weekly Contests & Challenges for Art, Poetry and Science, as well as Crossword Puzzles, Math Puzzles, and Logic Problems to keep children challenged.
Visit the Home School Learning Network (http://www.hlnfamily.com/) to see the options available for participating. HLN’s Virtual Summer Camp is FREE for all new and existing Subscribers but new members interested in Summer Enrollment can try it for 7 days for FREE! Other membership plans are also available.
