{"id":4541,"date":"2020-08-12T15:21:02","date_gmt":"2020-08-12T15:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/littlemedsch.wpengine.com\/ottawa\/?p=4541"},"modified":"2020-08-12T15:21:02","modified_gmt":"2020-08-12T15:21:02","slug":"little-medical-school-rated-top-10-virtual-after-school-programs-by-parents-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/littlemedicalschool.com\/ottawa\/in-the-news\/little-medical-school-rated-top-10-virtual-after-school-programs-by-parents-com\/","title":{"rendered":"Little Medical School Rated Top 10 Virtual After-School Programs by Parents.com"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Melissa Mills<\/span><\/p>\n

Original article published by Parents.com here.\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Whether they’re going back into the classroom or continuing with remote learning, these virtual activities will keep your kids entertained when the school day is over.<\/p>\n

After-school programs not only provide a safe space for kids of working parents to learn, but according to youth.gov<\/a>, they can also help improve math and reading grades, promote physical health, reduce drug use, and decrease the likelihood that a student will drop out of school. Due to the ongoing pandemic, though, in-person after-school programs are up in the air for the 2020-2021 school year.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe desperately need more resources,\u201d Jodi Grant, executive director of Afterschool Alliance\u2014a nonprofit that helps to give kids access to affordable, quality after-school programs\u2014told The Atlantic<\/a><\/em>. \u201cWe need [protective gear], and we\u2019re going to need more staff if we really want to have them follow public-health guidelines, which is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And while Afterschool Alliance is working to bring innovative, critical programs to the families that need them, it won’t be easy. Its site is a great resource for finding after-school options and updates in your state<\/a>, but there are also online programs and camps to help fill the void during the pandemic. Here are some virtual after-school options your kids and teens will love:<\/p>\n

1. Girl Scouts at Home<\/h2>\n
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Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) launched Girl Scouts at Home<\/a>\u00a0to offer kids an engaging virtual summer camp<\/a> experience early in the pandemic. Because of the program’s success, it’ll continue through the fall with everything from space exploration to coding 101. Girl\u00a0Scouts\u00a0at Home is a great option for kids of all grade levels for free, self-guided activities in STEM, entrepreneurship, life skills, and the outdoors.<\/p>\n

2. iD Tech<\/h2>\n
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Creative kids 7 and up with an interest in technology will love iD Tech’s virtual class<\/a> offerings for fall. From game development to coding to design, iD Tech’s online classes have something for everyone\u2014whether they’re total beginners or complete pros. You’ll also want to check out its Squads After School<\/a> where your kid can sign up and invite up to four friends to join in on the fun. Daily 90-minute sessions start at $299 per week. Plus, depending where you live, there might be on-campus options available.<\/p>\n

3. Book Club for Kids<\/h2>\n
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Got a bookworm at home or a child you’re trying to get more interested in reading? Enter: Book Club for Kids<\/a>, a free 20-minute podcast with discussions on books, readings from celebrities, and even interviews with authors. Best for ages 8 to 14, there are already more than 100 free episodes\u2014aka 100 book ideas to add to the reading list\u2014available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or at\u00a0bookclubforkids.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. Connected Camps<\/h2>\n
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Run by online experts, Connected Camps<\/a> offers dozens of interactive, small group programs for kids ages 8 through 17. Prices range from $48 to $90 per month for classes on everything from Minecraft to game design to Esports. Kids can even hang out with friends in a free Minecraft server where moderators help to keep them engaged.<\/p>\n

5. Huntington\u00a0Learning Center<\/h2>\n
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Known for its nationwide tutoring and test prep for school-age kids, Huntington Learning Center quickly pivoted when COVID-19 hit to help give students enriching educational experiences through expanded resources. Huntington Study Hall<\/a> allows students to attend virtual school with a certified teacher to help during and<\/em> after schools, while Homework Help<\/a> gives students one-on-one time with certified teachers for help on\u2014you guessed it\u2014their homework. Prices vary depending on students’ needs.<\/p>\n

6. DIY<\/h2>\n
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Photography, drawing, music, Legos\u2014kids of all ages and skill levels will find a virtual class they like with DIY<\/a>. Up to four kids can sign up for a 14-day free trial to enjoy unlimited access to all of DIY’s content. After your free trial, the cost is $15 to $25 per month depending on which plan you choose.<\/p>\n

7. UpBrainery<\/h2>\n
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For kids in kindergarten all the way up to ninth grade, UpBrainery<\/a> boasts classes in cooking, engineering, the arts, and even homework help. Courses range from $35 to $125 and offer the expertise of a live teacher, plus kids can get hands-on kits shipped to their door for immersive follow-along experiences.<\/p>\n

8. Beanstalk<\/h2>\n
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Considered by parents as the “Peloton of kids classes,” Beanstalk<\/a> offers live and interactive classes on everything from animals to pirates for younger kids in preschool up to first grade<\/a>. Camps and classes\u2014handpicked by childhood development experts\u2014are included in a $9.95 monthly subscription, though members can also purchase an annual plan for $95 which donates a full year to a family in need.<\/p>\n

9. Little Medical School<\/h2>\n
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Little Medical School<\/a> inspires children to pursue health care careers, but will also teach them healthy habits, first aid tips, and what to do in an emergency. Created by a doctor, Little Medical School’s online after-school program will cover public health, sports medicine, veterinary and exotic animals, human traits,\u00a0and medical innovations. The program will run September through December starting at $145 for kids ages 6 to 12.<\/p>\n

10. MarcoPolo World School<\/h2>\n
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With a STEAM\u2014that’s science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math\u2014curriculum, MarcoPolo World School<\/a> is a digital learning platform with video lessons, games, and 3,000 interactive activities for children ages 3 to 7. Prices start at $9.99 per month, but you can get a feel for it with this\u00a030-day free trial link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

11. TakeLessons<\/h2>\n
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Online learning platform\u00a0TakeLessons<\/a> connects students of all ages with virtual tutors\u2014that parents can choose based on previous reviews\u2014who can help with schoolwork or extracurriculars like music, art, and even beatboxing. Classes are offered virtually or in-person and can either be one-on-one or taken in a group setting. Private classes are about $20, while group lessons are $19.95 a month.<\/p>\n

12. Kitchen Classroom<\/h2>\n
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Your little foodie will love Kitchen Classroom<\/a> from America’s Test Kitchen<\/a>. For youngsters between 3 and 8, your kiddo can try out new recipes (that are typically pantry-friendly so you won’t have to shop for a ton of new stuff), experiments, and food quizzes for free\u2014plus you can enjoy the treats as a family when it’s ready!<\/p>\n

13. StudyPoint<\/h2>\n
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Searching for an online tutor for your school-age child? Look no further than StudyPoint<\/a>, which offers one-on-one and small group support for kids in first grade all the way up to high school. Students can work on math, reading, writing, and even SAT and ACT prep. Group sessions start at $20 per hour and private tutoring starts at $60 per hour.<\/p>\n

14. Treasure Trunk Theatre<\/h2>\n
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Based in Brooklyn, Treasure Trunk Theatre<\/a> moved fully online due to COVID-19 and plans to continue its virtual theatrical classes and camps for kids 8 and younger through the fall. Fall session\u2014including everything from singing to musical theater\u2014begins September 14 starting at $45 per day.<\/p>\n

15. Sylvan Learning<\/h2>\n
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Sylvan Learning<\/a> offers high-quality 1:1 online tutoring for K-12 kids. Homework help, coding, engineering, SAT prep\u2014Sylvan has after-school support for everyone. With flexible pricing and monthly payments, you can find a program that works best with your budget. SylvanNation.com<\/a>\u00a0also offers free activities and resources you can download on your own.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Melissa Mills Original article published by Parents.com here.\u00a0 Whether they’re going back into the classroom or continuing with remote learning, these virtual activities will keep your kids entertained when the school day is over. After-school programs not only provide a safe space for kids of working parents to learn, but according to youth.gov, they…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/littlemedicalschool.com\/ottawa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/littlemedicalschool.com\/ottawa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/littlemedicalschool.com\/ottawa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/littlemedicalschool.com\/ottawa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/littlemedicalschool.com\/ottawa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4541"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/littlemedicalschool.com\/ottawa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4541\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/littlemedicalschool.com\/ottawa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/littlemedicalschool.com\/ottawa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/littlemedicalschool.com\/ottawa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/littlemedicalschool.com\/ottawa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}