• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism Logo

Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism

Travel, Hotel and Visitor Information

Bellingham Outdoors Animated Logo
  • Home
  • Places to Stay
    • Hotels / Resorts
    • Vacation Rentals / Bed & Breakfasts
    • Camping / RV Parks
    • Hotel Packages / Special Rates
    • Park n’ Fly Hotel Packages
  • Places to Eat
    • Restaurants
    • Craft Breweries
    • Wine, Spirits & Wineries
    • Coffee Shops & Sweets
  • Things to Do
    • Events Calendar
    • Annual Events
    • Agricultural
    • Attractions
    • Bicycling
    • Bird Watching
    • Cannabis
    • Casinos
    • Fishing
    • Golfing
    • Hiking
    • Itineraries
    • Museums & Galleries
    • Parks & Playgrounds
    • Running
    • Scenic Drives
    • Shopping
    • Snowsports
    • Spas & Health
    • Theaters & Music
    • Tours
    • Water Adventures
    • Summer Activities
    • Fall Activities
    • Winter Activities
    • Spring Activities
    • Whatcom Arts Project
  • Outdoors
    • Bicycling
    • Bird Watching
    • Fishing
    • Golfing
    • Hiking
    • Parks & Playgrounds
    • Running
    • Scenic Drives
    • Snowsports
    • Water Adventures
  • Getting Here
    • Maps
    • Ground Transport
    • Air Transport
    • Water Transport
    • US/Canada Border
  • Blogs
  • Communities
    • Bellingham
    • Birch Bay
    • Blaine
    • Downtown Bellingham
    • Fairhaven Historic District
    • Ferndale
    • Lummi Island
    • Lynden
    • Mt. Baker
    • North Cascades
    • Point Roberts
    • Sumas
  • Media
    • Media Request Form
    • Articles & Coverage
    • Press Releases
    • Photo Contest
  • About Us
    • Contact
    • Weather
    • Request Information
    • Jobs & Volunteer
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Membership
    • Member Directory
    • Services
      • Event Planning
      • Relocation
      • Business
      • Education
      • Financial
      • Medical
      • Out of Area
Home / Insider Blogs / Family Fun / Do Summer Camp at Home With Bellingham’s Park & Rec Department and Banish Boredom

Do Summer Camp at Home With Bellingham’s Park & Rec Department and Banish Boredom

By Hilary Parker / June 12, 2020

Summer camp with a plot twist, courtesy of City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation, starts July 6, with the new Camp at Home program. 

When it became clear that traditional summer camp might not be an option this year, Rosa Caldwell, Education Programs and Activities Coordinator for the parks department, started imagining a new way to deliver summer camp – without parking kids in front of a device all day. 


Bellingham Washington Parks & Rec At Home Camp (1)

“What is something we can do without fail?” she asked herself.

The result is the Camp at Home program, with week-long camp sessions delivered online, but where the real action takes place at home with families or caregivers. Camps are designed for kids ages 6-12, and since the camp experience takes place at home, it is open to children throughout Whatcom County and beyond.

Seven week-long camps have themes such as the “Weird World of Wonka” and “Robots Attack” – each designed to keep campers guessing as to what will happen next. 


  • Bellingham Washington Parks & Rec At Home Camp (5)
    Superheroes &
    Villains
  • Bellingham Washington Parks & Rec At Home Camp (3)
    Weird World of Wonka
  • Bellingham Washington Parks & Rec At Home Camp (4)
    Top Secret
  • Bellingham Washington Parks & Rec At Home Camp (1)
    Time Traveling

Mysterious twists are just part of the fun. On the Friday before camp starts each week, a box of arts and crafts supplies are delivered to campers’ homes. (If you live within Whatcom County, the kit will be hand-delivered. For those outside the county, the kit will be mailed.)

Caldwell said they didn’t want campers and their families to be without any of the supplies necessary to complete the projects throughout the week, so the idea of delivering supplies was born. Kits come with the basics such as scissors, construction paper and watercolors as well as items specific to the week’s theme. Campers will need an internet connection and a device, plus a way to take photos and video. 

Each morning campers will check in with their counselors via the See Saw app, be introduced to the day’s storyline, get a project to complete and then log off to start creating in real-time.

“These camps are really designed for kids and their families to do at home together,” Caldwell said. 

She says she hopes it also takes the pressure off parents to come up with something new for kids to do each day. Some days campers may be creating art, other days they may be building something or “traveling” to faraway places. The goal is for these at-home camps to still capture the essence of a day camp.

That includes plenty of time outside. “We want kids outdoors,” Caldwell says. Before for the end of the camp day, campers will check in again to share the day’s project. This way, Caldwell says, kids are still connected to the community of campers.

INSIDE SCOOP: Wondering where (and how) can I get outside safely? Check out our blog “How To Safely Enjoy Bellingham and Whatcom County Parks” to learn about Whatcom County’s Parkscription app.


  • Chanterelle (3)
  • Clarks Point Bellingham Washington

The Camp at Home concept challenged Caldwell and Recreation staff to design a program that could be delivered no matter how Covid-19 affects the community throughout the summer. She knew that even if virus rates fell there could be a resurgence, and it seemed too risky to offer an in-person camp when the community might have to turn on a dime and go back into isolation. 

“The question became, ‘How do we develop a camp that’s virtual, but really not virtual?’” she said.

This hybrid camp was the result. Caldwell notes other camps are being delivered entirely online, and some are being delivered in person. She is hopeful this best-of-both-worlds delivery meets families’ needs for summer activities.

Caldwell says she knows some parents might do an internal groan over using See Saw as a method of communicating because it reminds them of communications with school, but she stresses that the online component is truly minimal.

“It’s still camp. It’s not a school setting,” she said. 

Some camps will use additional technology, such as the animation camp, which requires a free app for campers to create their animations. One camp will use Zoom for a virtual evening around the campfire, another will use it for a trivia game. Almost everything else will be activities for families to do at home.

For those interested in signing up for the weekly camps, Caldwell says the deadline for registration is the Thursday before camp begins. If your camper is outside Whatcom County, please register 10 days prior to the start of camp so that the box of supplies can be shipped to their location. (This can be a great option if the kids will be visiting relatives out of state.)

You can find complete information on each week’s camp and register at https://www.cob.org/services/recreation/activities/Pages/Summer-Camp.aspx


Old City Hall Whatcom Museum Bellingham Washington Lorin Lindell

Get the inside scoop on Bellingham & Whatcom County

  • Historic Walkabout in Bellingham Neighborhoods
  • How To Safely Enjoy Bellingham and Whatcom County Parks
  • Stroll Through the Outdoor Art of Whatcom County
  • Whatcom Arts Project Features Online Art, Music, Dance, Theatre, Film, Literature for All Ages

Share:

Filed Under: Family Fun, Insider Blogs, Virtually Explore Tagged With: City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department, fun things to do with kids, Kid friendly activities in Whatcom County, things to do in Washington State with Kids, Things to do virtually in Bellingham Washington, Virtual camps for kids, Whatcom County Parks, Whatcom Park Finder App

About Hilary Parker

Hilary Parker is a writer and editor living in Bellingham. She and her children love discovering all that Bellingham and Whatcom County have to offer.

Footer

Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism
Visitor Center Located at I-5 Exit 253
904 Potter Street, Bellingham, WA 98229

Hours: Due to COVID-19, the Visitor Center is open limited hours: Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10am-3pm. Masks required.

Phone: 360-671-3990
Email: tourism@bellingham.org

Join

Sign up to receive Bellingham Whatcom County events & information!

Share

site by highwaters.net