Virtual summer camps, a breather for kids and parents

For young parents, being confined at home amid the pandemic has been all about juggling between household chores, office work and managing their time with children, and many parents are enrolling their kids into virtual summer camps

For young parents, being confined at home amid the pandemic has been all about juggling between household chores, office work and managing their time with children. And with the onset of summer break, it has become all the more important to keep the young ones engaged and healthy. Consequently, many parents are enrolling their kids into virtual summer camps.

Children’s activities during the summer vacation have also gone online amid the pandemic (Photo: Edgard Garrido/REUTERS)

“My eight-year-old son is at a stage where he wants to stay entertained. And sometimes I run out of ideas to keep him busy without the use of screens,” rues Prerna Kishore, a marketing professional from Noida, who has registered her son for art and crafts class online. She adds, “The classes are thrice a week, but it keeps him busy, away from screens, for the rest of the week.”

Another parent, Kushal Saluja, an entrepreneur from Delhi, believes that these virtual activity classes also lend a hand in building communication skills. “My 11-year-old daughter makes friends and talks to other kids she hasn’t met before in real life; it contributes to her social skills and peer relationships,” he says.

With a goal to not only keep the child busy but also help out fellow parents facing challenges, Bhavya Wadhera, a home baker who runs That Baker Mommy kick-started her virtual cooking classes at pocket-friendly prices. “I found my son always grabbing packaged food when I’d be busy. The concern for his health sparked the idea to do something for kids of his age group (6-12 years),” says Wadhera, whose classes don’t involve the use of stove for the safety of the younger ones. She adds, “The aim is to build their interest in home-cooked meals and keep them motivated.”

Apart from developing culinary interests in children, some have introduced simple yet effective arts and crafts activities. Kritika Daksh Mehra, from south Delhi who owns Krafty Kids by Merak is taking part-time art and craft workshop says, “There’s a structured plan wherein the child is both physically and mentally involved and active... Amid the pandemic, kids are turning into lazy screen addicts, so, I wanted to help tackle that.”

Switching to online route has also helped these workshop organisers expand their reach. Gurugram-based Devika Kaur Dhingra, who runs Nitco School Of Music & Dance has been conducting dance sessions for the 3.5-11 years age group, says, “My online summer camp experience last year made me realise that virtual classes give the chance to bring together students from all over India as well as international students. The audience is definitely bigger (in online classes), but to ensure individual attention, we try to take limited students per session to be able to fully concentrate. It’s challenging but still a learning experience.”