Amazon Wants to Save Summer for Kids Stuck at Home With Its Camp Prime

Amazon hopes its Camp Prime will facilitate a sense of normalcy among families by keeping kids entertained and making the lives of parents more convenient, according to a spokesperson. The program features how-to videos and a free Camp Prime Handbook, which includes step-by-step instructions for a variety of activities, including arts and crafts, fire-less campfires and science experiments.

The handbook outlines an egg drop experiment and includes some background information on coding for those interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). With a paid membership, campers can expand their knowledge by attending Amazon Future Engineer classes and watching educational shows like Sid the Science Kid, which is available on Prime Video.

As of June, nearly two out of every three camps had opted to close this summer, according to summer camp management software company CampMinder.

While the camp is available to anyone with internet access, each activity features Prime Video, Prime Reading and Prime Music suggestions, which are only available with a paid membership. The camp also encourages families to enhance their camp experiences by saying things like “Alexa, tell me the fun fact of the day.”

Amazon will release its free how-to videos, which are taught by industry professionals, on its blog every day at 1 p.m. until July 18. The itinerary includes a family meditation guide, an at-home dance class and a beatboxing tutorial.

Amazon is donating $500,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs, which will be used in part to fund “curbside camp kits” that will be available for pickup in select locations. According to the spokesperson, the nonprofit organization was a natural fit when choosing a partner for this program.

“With the Boys & Girls Clubs’ 160 years of experience providing youth camps, we’ve created an experience that will help families make the most of this unique summer, building on Prime’s year-round goal to help make people’s lives a little easier, more convenient and more fun every day,” said Jamil Ghani, vice president of Amazon Prime, in a blog post.

Amazon is encouraging users to make their own donations through AmazonSmile,AmazonSmile Charity Lists, or by simply saying “Alexa, donate to Boys & Girls Clubs.”