I’ve possibly stumbled upon the coolest summer camp ever, Maker Camp! Too bad I’m too old to go. BUT if I had kids, I would totally sign them up for this.
This camp is completely FREE and is organized by Google and Make. I know you all know who Google is, but if you don’t know who Make is, then I’m ashamed of you because it is one of the greatest DIY sites out there.
Maker Camp actually started yesterday, but you don’t have to sign up in advance to go to each of the events. All you need is a Google+ profile. If you have Gmail, you are automatically set up a Google+ profile so that should be covered.
Schedule
Maker Camp starts on July 7 and runs through August 15. Log in at 11am (Pacific time) 5 days a week to attend.
The camp is for teens ages 13-18 who enjoy creating. They might be a young inventor, DIYer, or someone who just likes to tinker with things.
Maker Camp is completely virtual. It is based on Google+. There’s a set schedule that you can look over to determine whether you want to attend on certain days or whether you want to participate in the entire camp.
This is what they have lined up for each week:
- Week 1: Makers in Motion
- Week 2: Art & Design
- Week 3: Fun & Games
- Week 4: Science & Technology
- Week 5: DIY Music
- Week 6: Make: Believe
Virtual Field Trips
This is the best part! Every Friday, you can log on to G+ and go on a virtual field trip to discover other makers and inventors. How does this work? Well, for those of you who aren’t familiar with G+, there is a feature called Hangouts. This feature is almost like Skype or iChat. It lets you chat with friends through video. The virtual field trips will all be done through Google Hangouts so that teens can see and listen to what is going on during the tours.
The first one, coming up this Friday, will be to see Google’s new service Street View Treks. How awesome is that!? My inner child is geeking out right now.
Do me a favor and embrace your child’s inner artist. Set them up with a G+ account, or if you are uncomfortable with the idea of them having their own, let them use yours. This is a fantastic opportunity for kids to learn about the things they love. When I was little, stuff like this wasn’t possible. They don’t even have to leave the room for this!
