Whether you’re not into traditional summer camps or you’re still wary of sending your kid away this summer because of COVID-19, there are plenty of ways you can give your kids the experience from home. Here are a few ideas.
Plan Your Weeks
Traditional summer camps can vary in length. Some are only a week long while others can span six weeks or more. Decide how long you want your summer camp activities to run. You can even extend them all summer if you would like, since your kids aren’t really going away.
Once you know how long the designated summer camp will be, start planning your schedule. If it will only be a week long, every day can have its own theme. A multi-week camp, on the other hand, will work well with each week as a designated theme. For example, week one could be all about science. Week two could focus on history. Week three could be all about the great outdoors. It’s completely up to you what your kids’ experience will be like.
Plan Lots of Outside Time
One of the best parts of summer camp is that it gives kids the opportunity to run off their energy every day. This is all about letting loose and enjoying the outdoors. Plan as many activities outside as possible. If you don’t have a huge yard, you can take your kids to the park or public pool.
Don’t Forget the Camping
No summer camp is complete without some sort of camping experience. Do the real thing by setting up a tent in the backyard, or keep things easy by setting one up in the living room. You can even use blankets and pillows to create a fort inside if you don’t have camping gear. For an extra fun camping experience, build a fire and roast marshmallows at night. (You can use an open oven door to mimic this experience as well.) Finish the night with a little stargazing and you have yourself an awesome summer camp for your kids.