Yahoo Finance The Scouts launch virtual summer camp for kids and teens
This summer, thousands of local, national and international Scout camps have been cancelled alongside the opportunity for kids to learn new skills, meet new communities and grow as individuals by attending.
In response, over 250,000 young people are now preparing to take part in a digital summer camp with the Scouts this weekend (11-12 July), and non-members can join in the fun too!
The Great Indoors Weekender (#TGIWeekender) is open to 6-16 year-olds around the world. With celebrity-led sessions and a virtual campfire, kids and teens are invited to "camp out" en masse – whether that's in a tent in the garden or living room, or a sheet fort under the stairs.
A post shared by Scouts (@scouts) on Jul 5, 2020 at 10:38am PDT
Chief Scout Bear Grylls said in the release: “We are putting on a programme for all ages with a number of online sessions designed for everyone so they can dip into and out of it. We hope that Scouts and non-Scouts will join us in this adventure, feel more connected with each other and learn some new skills."
The event hopes to bring young people together and make them feel connected during the isolation that comes with lockdown, school closures, and the cancellation of holidays and summer camps. Schools may be returning but the world is far from normal and kids may be missing sleepovers and school trips, their formative social lives heavily impacted.
“Life is about supporting each other and this is now more important than ever," added Bear. "The #TGIWeekender is about helping scouts stay connected with their existing friends and make new ones from across the UK and from around the world. It’s an amazing opportunity for young people to reconnect with friends, have fun, and learn skills for life."
A post shared by Scouts (@scouts) on Jul 3, 2020 at 8:43am PDT
The press release reported that, in recent YouGov research commissioned by the Scout Association, 62% of British teenagers, aged 14-18, said the coronavirus crisis has had a bad effect on their mental health. This effect is more likely to be felt by girls than boys, with 69% of girls aged 14-18 saying they have felt this negative impact compared to 57% of boys. So, events like this are really important, helping kids feel connected again active again.
Molly Eaton, age 16 from Enfield, said in the release: "This summer I had planned to be part of EuroJam, a massive camp in Poland, where I was going to camp with 10,000 other Scouts from across Europe. As I can no longer go I thought it would be really fun to set up a tent in my garden and sleep there. All my friends from my Scout Group are doing it too and we are sharing pictures of our home campsites with each other."
It's great to see the association adapting at this difficult time and even better to hear it's opening its virtual doors to all kids.
Find out how to get your kids involved in The Great Indoors Weekender (11-12 July), and view the Saturday and Sunday programmes on the Scouts website.
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