It's Summer Camp Year Round with DIY.org
by ParentCo.
February 16, 2015
Sitting in this sunny window, it's not hard to believe that summer camp is an actual thing. Step outside into the -5 degree air, though, and suddenly I can't be convinced it's ever going to come around again.
Ah, summer camp. Kids gathering together to dig in and explore new territory, both literally and figuratively. It's empowering and transformative as they discover interests they never knew they had.
Adventure and exploration come easily when, say, simply being outside too long won't kill you.
In our house we have a phrase that incites eye rolling of epic proportions: "Only boring people get bored". It's the most annoying parent-y phrase we drop on our kids when they get to complaining about not having anything to do. It seems to happen on the daily lately.
Enter
DIY.org.
DIY is a website (with accompanying app) and learning tool for kids ages 7 and up. With hundreds of categories to choose from (everything from front end web design to bee keeping), kids can earn badges by performing hands on, skill based challenges. Parents and kids alike are kept informed of individual achievements via a simple dashboard. Kids can give and receive constructive feedback and support from peers, and upload videos and of their successes.
My 9 year old just barely signed up, but he can hardly wait to get home this afternoon and master Yeti hunting. On second thought, maybe there's hope for winter yet.
ParentCo.
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