Smithsonian Summer Virtual Adventures Offer Live Learning Experiences for Kids

Kids Can Explore, Discover, Create and Go Behind the Scenes at the Smithsonian—Online
March 10, 2021
News Release
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Young girls sits and paints at an easel in her home

Smithsonian Associates presents Smithsonian Summer Virtual Adventures, a series of week-long learning experiences introducing the world of the Smithsonian to children in kindergarten through eleventh grade. Over 50 live, interactive adventures will be held Monday, June 21, through Friday, Aug. 27. Kids can explore Smithsonian collections and themes during these specially designed sessions—live, facilitated activities with peers take place online along with additional challenges and projects to continue offline.

For the youngest adventurers (grades K–1), themes of the Smithsonian are explored through stories, songs, movement, games, craft, object discovery and virtual museum visits. Focusing on a different theme each week, educators at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center will lead interactive explorations of objects and artworks in the Smithsonian’s collections that spark art making and experimentation. Sessions include “Smithsonian ABCs,” “Budding Botanists,” “Fur, Fangs and Footprints,” “Secrets of the Sea,” “Dino Discovery,” “The Art of Recycling,” “Out of this World” and “Art in Motion.”

Students (grades 2–5) can take a deep dive into Smithsonian’s collections through grade-appropriate weekly offerings that explore a variety of topics including natural sciences, history, art and more. These adventures include virtual visits to museums, hands-on projects, games, collaborative challenges and conversations with experts during two hours of live, online interaction with a team of experienced instructors. Sessions include “Make a Mini-Museum,” “Take to the Skies,” “Gadgets and Gizmos,” “Deep Blue Discovery,” “Digging for Dinos” and “Playing in the Past.”

Teens (grades 6–9) can sign up for Smithsonian Masterclasses—week-long focused studio courses to develop specialized skills, socialize and interact with other teens and learn from professional practitioners. With two hours of daily live online workshops on photography, drawing, robot design, stop-motion animation, comics, theater set and costume design and more, teens practice, experiment and collaborate in the development of personal projects inspired by Smithsonian collections.

History comes alive in one-week “Soldiers and Dioramas” sessions (grades 6–11) where students find a new dimension—a miniature one—to learning about some of the most important battles in history. Participants have two hours of live online history instruction and two hours of live online-facilitated diorama construction each day, making their own terrain boards and leading troops of 1/72-scale soldiers in war games that offer them vivid insights into the military strategies and conflicts that have shaped the world. A diorama kit is included in the cost of the program and mailed to participants.        

Prices for weeklong Smithsonian Summer Adventures are $110-$245 for non-members and $95–$225 for Smithsonian Associates members. There will be no camp Monday, July 5. Prices for sessions Tuesday, July 6, through Friday, July 9, are $95–$245 for non-members and $80–$225 for Smithsonian Associates members. Online registration begins Wednesday, April 7, at 10 a.m. Donors to Smithsonian Associates at the Contributor level ($300 or higher) are eligible for priority registration Monday, April 5, and Smithsonian Associates members may register beginning Tuesday, April 6. For more information, the public may visit http://smithsonianassociates.org/camp.

For over 55 years, Smithsonian Associates—the largest museum-based education program in the world—has produced vibrant educational and cultural programming that brings the Smithsonian to life. Inspired by the Smithsonian’s research, collections, and exhibitions nearly 1,000 public programs spark creativity and excite learning in people of all ages each year.

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SI-63-2021

Solo Medios 

Lauren Lyons

202-633-8614

lyonsl@si.edu

Public Programs