Your ways to help others; see a trailblazing mountaineer; National Ice Cream Month
|  | Sunday, July 5, 2020 | | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY RUTH A. MUSGRAVE | | By Rachel Buchholz, KIDS AND FAMILY Editor in Chief
It’s been a tough few months. First kids were sent home from school without much of plan, sending newly WFH home parents scrambling for ideas that would keep their children’s brains from melting. A few weeks later, when distance learning came into play, parents suddenly became exhausted part-time teachers, struggling to keep kids’ focused on schoolwork while balancing their own stressful at-home lives.
Summer couldn’t come soon enough.
But with vacation plans scrapped and activities shuttered or severely limited, that annual summer break has also been scrapped and shuttered—and with it the structure that kept kids engaged. Parents might have been overwhelmed when their children were in school, but when everything that was supposed to replace that structure gets canceled … well, now what?
Some parents are going old school, embracing an earlier free-range parenting style that encouraged boredom. (“Just be home when the streetlights turn on.”) Others are disguising household chores as new games. But for a lot of kids, you just can’t do summer without summer camp.
“Camps give kids a mental shift to the freedom of summer,” says Brian Berry, director of Classes and Statewide Outreach at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. “The activities also fulfill a long list of important life skills.” That’s why many parents are opting for no-contact virtual camps as a way to keep summer structure around.
Even Nat Geo has some options. The eight-week Nat Geo Family Camp offers ideas to bring home all the camp activities kids were looking forward to while learning life skills like communication and teamwork. No camp t-shirt? Have children design their own iron-on logo. No lake? We’ve got crafts for kids to make their own, such as the fake fish and DIY lily pads in the fake lake pictured above. (Check out other ideas in the Nat Geo Kids Get Outside Guide.) And National Geographic Education has a Summer Learning Series to take kids on a round-the-world journey to places like Morocco and Ecuador. Each “trip” includes articles, videos, quizzes, and other activities. This week: Nepal!
What will your kid’s summer look like this year? (Tell us!) It might look a little different, but kids are still kids—and summer is still summer.
If you want to get this newsletter every week, sign up here. If you want your kids to get Nat Geo Kids magazine, subscribe here. For Nat Geo Little Kids, subscribe here. | | | |
 | | PHOTO BY @2020 LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA AND NEVIS PRODUCTIONS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | | Don’t throw away your shot … to teach kids about history through pop culture. With its rap-fueled soundtrack and multicultural cast, Hamilton (pictured above)—the filmed version of the Broadway production that is streaming on Disney+— can be an engaging way to teach kids about the Founding Father. (Or check out this kid-friendly article about the man whose face is on the ten-dollar bill.) In fact, many movies, TV shows, and even graphic novels and video games can be excellent conversation starters to luring kids into learning about history. “Teaching through pop culture helps students relate history to their own background and experiences,” says Gail Hudson, a fifth-grade teacher and 2020 Nevada Teacher of the Year, in this article about pop culture history lessons. “It’s tying into something that’s already caught their interest.” Note: The Walt Disney Company is majority owner of National Geographic Partners.
We asked, you answered. Even though volunteering opportunities aren’t the same nowadays, children are finding plenty of ways to help others. Kids are making face shields for healthcare workers, encouraging neighbors to play hide-and-seek with painted rocks, and leaving magnet faces on mailboxes. One family instituted a weekly kindness goal: leaving “hug cards” at nursing homes and thank-you notes for garbage collectors, for instance.
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 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY CZARNY_BEZ, GETTY IMAGES | |
Virtual travel for kids. Your summer trip might have been canceled, but kids can still pretend they’ve been on vacation. How? By designing their own DIY postcards—and it’s actually good for their mental health. “Just knowing that there’s a larger world out there, even if you can’t get to it right now, is definitely helpful for children,” says Amanda Moreno, associate professor and director of the child development program at Erikson Institute. “When you imagine, you can project yourself out of circumstances you’re currently in.” And that can foster hope and optimism, something we all need a little more of right now. Get postcard thought starters here.
Or just ‘travel’ with us: We asked our photographers for their thoughts on—and images of—places in the United States that were epic or iconic. They gave us a fresh look beyond mountains majesty. And here are images from all 61 U.S. national parks, from Acadia to Zion.
Family discussion: What’s something that a member of your family just doesn’t like? Sometimes a second look can help change their mind. Snakes can keep mice and rats in check. Bats pollinate plants like mango, avocado, banana, and cocoa (i.e. chocolate). Last week we found that volcano eruptions (eeek!) may have helped mammals come back after a giant asteroid struck the Earth. And then Brussels sprouts ... well, we hated them as kids, but we found out, properly prepared, they are just fine. Please let us know what foods or animals you and your family have changed their minds about.
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| TRY THIS: BOREDOM BUSTERS FOR KIDS | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY ADITYA SINGH, GETTY IMAGES | | July is National Ice Cream Month: And though the tiger above doesn’t eat the frozen treat (at least, we hope it doesn’t), a sweet shop in Canada has a treat called the Tiger Tail, orange-flavored ice cream swirled with black licorice sauce. Have kids learn more weird ice cream facts, then take a quiz to find out which flavor bests suits their personality. We’ve even got a recipe for homemade ice cream. (That’s kind of like a science experiment, right?)
Get inspired! Each week, National Geographic’s Explorer Classroom connects students with scientists and storytellers to hear adventures from the rainforest and other wild places. This Tuesday, kids 16 and older can watch Wasfia Nazreen, the first Bangladeshi and Bengali to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. (Here she is describing her arduous and amazing adventure in 2016.)
This newsletter was edited and curated by David Beard and Rachel Buchholz. Have a healthy and a sane (as possible) week ahead! | | | |
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