If you’re looking for a fun, educational way to entertain your kids, you’re going to want to “send” them to this virtual marine biology camp. Open to everyone around the USA.
Scientists at Oceans Initiatives, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting marine wildlife, launched the Virtual Marine Biology Camp last week on Facebook Live. “We thought it would be fun for a group of us to be able to hang out online and talk about whales and dolphins and other marine life,” the website says. Ocean Initiatives co founders Erin Ashe and Rob Williams (with appearances from their 5-year-old daughter Clara) live stream the camp from their home in Seattle, Washington. Each session, they talk about marine life and answer questions from kids relayed by their parents in the comment section.
The first event covered the basics of orcas ( did you know they’re the world’s largest dolphins??) and salmon, which orcas depend on for food. The second episode dives deeper into the killer whales and their prey. Future marine biology camp session topics include wildlife photography, math tools used to study whales, and whale poop. That’s right, whale poop…because what kid doesn’t find animal poop fascinating?
WHEN?
The camp is free and for kids of all ages who want to learn more about marine wildlife. It’s live streamed on Mondays and Thursdays at 11 a.m., PDT on Ocean Initiatives’s Facebook and Instagram. If you can’t make the Facebook Live camp sessions, you can watch the videos on Vimeo.
Looking for more ways to keep your kids busy at home while schools are closed? Check out this virtual cave tours , free kids’ shows on Amazon, and this YouTube channel featuring celebs (Oprah and Betty White!) reading children’s books.