Parents and caregivers, self-directed, independent learning is one of the most important skills you can help your children develop. This is a skill that kids will need for their entire lives to acquire knowledge, strengthen their critical thinking and master new technical skills. The Internet is your friend!
NewTechKids challenges you to use summer 2021 to start. We’ve curated this short list of free, online activities featuring premium content.
Reading: Summer 2021 Learning with the New York Public Library
The Library is offering a 6-week virtual summer camp of activities that kids and teens can do at home and in their communities. Activities include daily reading challenges, arts and crafts, documenting family trees and more. For kids ages 5 – 15.
Academics: Camp Khan Kids
The Khan Academy is offering this virtual camp for kids ages 2-8 which includes a self-paced schedule of suggested activities for reading, learning, playing, and creating. Themes include dinosaurs, space and animals.
Math: Camp Khan 2021
The Khan Academy is offering this 31-day challenge during which kids in grades 3 – 8 (roughly 8 – 13 years old) complete 15-minutes of math each day from July 1st through July 31st. The most advanced students will complete algebra, geometry and precalculus.
Space Exploration: NASA CineSpace 2021 Short Film Competition
Using NASA imagery, we’re looking for films of any type and any format – that means traditional narratives, experimental expressions, documentaries, comedies, dramas, animated pieces, ambient visuals, music videos, re-mixes, VJ sets, even sci-fi or horror stories, and more. The key thing is that your short is based on innovative and artistic storytelling, provokes an emotional response, and showcases a mastery of filmmaking, editing, and/or animation. You can submit up to 5 short films to this competition. Submissions are due by Wednesday, July 14th at 12pm PT.
Nature and the Environment: 4-H Virtual Camp
Kids who enjoy the outdoors and camping will love this camp organized by 4-H, America’s largest youth development organization. It is offering an outdoor virtual camp in which kids and teens ages 5 – 18 years can explore STEM, Animal Science, Environmental Science, Gardening. Activities relate to wildlife, ecosystems, composting, plant life cycles and more. 4-H also offers free downloadable activity guides.
Sports: NBC Sports Camp
Free virtual summer camp kids ages 7-12. Videos featuring famous athletes and coaches and virtual training sessions. Plus loads of great content from NBC Sports.
(Photo by Ahmed Cahyo from Pexels)