During the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual summer camps – for obvious reasons – grew dramatically in popularity. These days, while in-person camps have retaken their place at the front of the summer queue, there is no doubt that online camps for children and teenagers are here to stay.
It may be the convenience of being able to learn a new skill from home, due to a disability, work-related reasons or simply what the child prefers. Whatever the reason, virtual summer camps are now firmly in the annual calendar for many parents and children.
If you are looking for in-person camps, we put together guide to sports-related camps as well non-sports-related camps. We also selected some of the best camps for children with additional needs.
Otherwise, here are some of the best options for summer camps during the school holidays that are offered virtually and may appeal to parents, children and teenagers.
ACADEMY OF CODE
The Academy of Code offers online coding and creative technology classes throughout the year, with a curriculum which runs for years and brings students from total beginner to university level coding. Their summer camps run for 60-90 minutes per day depending on the age group, can be booked for one or more weeks and caters to beginners and those already on their “pathway to computer science”.
- Format: Zoom
- Dates: June to August, various dates available
- Ages: 7-18 years
- Cost: From €59
- Website: theacademyofcode.com
ARTZONE
Artzone is running two online art camps this summer covering painting, drawing and collage with qualified art teachers
- Format: Zoom. Classes are live for an hour each day and then a recording is sent out so you can catch up or watch the recording again for seven days
- Dates: July 10th-14th and August 14th-18th
- Ages: 5-12 years
- Cost: €50
- Website: www.artzone.ie
CIARA’S KITCHEN
This is a great way to let teenagers cook and proudly feed the whole family, while expanding their culinary horizons and learning lifelong skills. The recording is sent daily so if your teen can’t make the live time, they can complete the course at a time that suits them.
- Format: Zoom
- Dates and times: June 13th-15th, 5-6.30pm
- Ages: Teens
- Cost: €59 per screen
- Website: ciaraskitchen.ie
COOKALICIOUS
Let your teens and tweens take-over the kitchen and cookalong with Cepta this summer. Cepta guides them into cooking a full-on flavour feast for the whole family. They learn how to cook healthy home-made food, while having fun doing it.
- Format: Zoom
- Dates: July 4th-6th, 18th-20th and August 8th-10th
- Ages: 11-15 years
- Cost: €50
- Website: cookalicious.ie
INSPIRELAND
Inspireland Boutique Creative Arts Camps bring together talented artists to mentor and nurture the creativity of children and teens. The camps are in Dún Laoghaire, Tallaght and Clontarf in Dublin and Limerick School of Art and Design, with students getting the chance to learn the basics of animation and comic art, claymation, video game concept art, craft bookmaking, character design, illustration and more.
- Format: All the tutorials are filmed and streamed so those who cannot make it on the day can join by video link from home.
- Dates and times: July and August
- Ages: 9-18 years
- Cost: €160
- Website: inspireland.ie
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN
The online cooking club by Jolene Cox puts an emphasis on getting children into the kitchen to teach them lifelong cookery skills. The classes are designed to bring families of all ages together to interact and be part of an inclusive cooking community. Jolene promises easy to follow, delicious recipes cooked from press to plate in minutes with accessible ingredients.
- Format: Live cook-along Zoom classes every week with new video and recipe content every week
- Dates and times: Cooking classes every Tuesday at 5pm
- Cost: €10 per month or €100 annually
- Website: oneyummymummy.com
