Beltway Bambinos

Virtual camps from unexpected places

We understand the endless emails you receive with classes and camps which is why we condense our picks into just sporadic posts. This group of camps we are super excited for and the best part is that most are free and come from unexpected sources that are sure to having you fill up some more of your Bambinos day.

This summer, Apple Camp gives kids ages 8–12 FREE, fun, digital programs that they can experience from home. Choose from three creative projects to explore: video, art & design, and coding. Apple Camp projects include a self-guided Activity Book that Campers can complete at their own pace, and live, virtual Orientation sessions for guidance and Q&A sessions in case they need a little help. If you find that all sessions are full, we’ll be adding new sessions each week. Check back regularly for availability. In the meantime, Campers can download the Activity Book and work on their own

Camp TFK (Time for Kids) starts July 6! Join us for a whole new way to experience summer camp during a decidedly different sort of summer. Throughout July, the TFK team will create and curate daily roundups of FREE, kid-safe content that parents can trust and kids can enjoy on their own, or with minimal oversight. Campers will explore arts and crafts, sports and games, performance skills, scientific concepts, and the elements of storytelling—all in the safety of your base camp: home. Sign up to learn more!

Each day of Camp Kiwi Co is centered around a super fun theme. We’ve pulled together DIY activities, videos, printables, and more. Sign up for Camp and they’ll send more information about camp and other KiwiCo offerings! Purchase optional crates if you’d like. Note: all the content (videos, printables, DIY activities) for Camp KiwiCo are FREE and available to anyone! If you’d like to add more to your camper’s day, you can order the crates they have handpicked to go with each day’s theme. The content will be available all summer long, so you can access the sessions at any time that works best for you!

Camp Tinkergarten is 8 weeks of expert-designed activities that are easy on you and delightful for kids and are FREE. Releasing one new week of activities each Friday. The Camp Tinkergarten Map allows you and kids to get excited about our 8 themes and track your child’s progress throughout the summer. They’ll discover how to keep cool, enjoy a Silly Summer Olympics, and more. Sign up above to get your Trail Map by email today! With versions for baby, toddler, preschool and elementary ages, all kids can enjoy and develop our 8 core skills as they play.

DreamWorks Animation project presents #CampDreamWorks which is FREE. #CampDreamWorks is a seven week program that DreamWorks Animation has created to help families staying at home this summer due to COVID-19 by providing weekly show-inspired activities and livestreams, including arts and crafts, sing-alongs and more.

The Story Pirates Creator Camp $$
For the month of July, best-selling children’s book authors and illustrators will connect directly with hundreds of young people via the Story Pirates Creator Camp. Participating Random House Children’s Books authors and illustrators include Mary Pope Osborne (The Magic Tree House series), Nic Stone (Dear Martin, Clean Getaway), Danica McKellar (Goodnight, Numbers), Lincoln Peirce (Max & the Midknights, Big Nate), Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Grandma’s Purse, Just Like Me), and Judd Winick (Hilo). During four week-long sessions, kids will also enjoy hours of interactive live-streamed activities hosted by Story Pirates teaching artists.

July 6 – July 10: Illustration Vacation, featuring award-winning authors and illustrators Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Oge Mora, and Lauren Castillo talking about how they blend words and pictures in their books Just Like Me, Our Friend Hedgehog. and The Oldest Student
July 13 – July 17: Camp Cartoonist, featuring graphic novelist Judd Winnick sharing how he created the world of Hilo, his beloved middle-grade series. Artists Lincoln Peirce and Lucy Knisley will also discuss their recent works, Max & the Midknights and Stepping Stones.
July 20 – July 24: Story Pirates in Space! featuring author Danica McKellar talking about her new book, The Times Machine! Additional special guests this week are The Magnificent Makers series author Theanne Griffith, a brain scientist by day, as well as Dean of the Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences, astrophysicist,and author of Child of the Universe Ray Jayawardhana discussing “Our Cosmic Selves.”
July 27 – July 31: Time Travel Adventure is the topic of week 4, featuring author Nic Stone talking about her New York Times bestselling middle-grade novel Clean Getaway. Mary Pope Osborne, renowned for her internationally bestselling Magic Tree House series, will be discussing her William Shakespeare focused story Stage Fright on a Summer Night. Finally, fiction and nonfiction author Kate Messner will talk about her new series, History Smashers.