FREE day of Parts & Crafts online!

[Cora Vestal]

Enjoy a FREE Day of Parts & Crafts Online!*

Whether you know all about Parts & Crafts, or have never experienced any of our programming, we'd like to invite anyone aged 7-13 who has yet to participate in any of our online programs to check out a whole day free of charge M-F from July 20-31! Some restrictions apply.* If you are ready to register, jump to "Registration Details" below! 

"Our 9 year old LOVES this camp.  As parents, we've been so encouraged but what they've managed to put together online.  She is learning, socializing, engaged, imagining...it's honestly been hard to remember it's all online.  And it does really give us a break to do our jobs, which hasn't always been the case with online content.  Thank you! - Erin H."

"My son, age 8, has had a wonderful time at Parts & Crafts' online programs. He gained a lot of independence learning to bake by himself once a week and he found a place he loved to go to talk about his feelings and practice mindfulness and meditation. All the teachers were great at including and engaging him in a way that seemed respectful of him as himself, capable in so many mature ways and yet still just a kid. - D"

ABOUT OUR ONLINE PROGRAMMING

Since the closure of our physical space in March, we've been running all kinds of fun and educational programming online, giving kids an opportunity to play, learn, build, and perhaps most importantly, connect with other kids. For those of you unfamiliar with us or our programming, here are some FAQs

What is Parts & Crafts all about? 

To learn more about us, and our approach to working with young people, check out our website. We are a non-profit family makerspace located in Somerville, MA, and have been in operation for 11+ years. We run camp programs, an after-school program, open shop, the Center for Semi-Conducted Learning (CSCL, a full-time school replacement program/resource center for homeschoolers), offsite programming at other schools and events, and more. Our offerings are academic, recreational, and everything in between. Since the closure, we've taken our same philosophy to develop a wide-variety of online programs. We prioritize community and have found that especially now, the connections kids make online are priceless. 

What kind of programming does Parts & Crafts offer online?

While it may seem unusual to take a makerspace model online, we've been successfully running daily online programming since mid-March. Initially for CSCL and afterschool kids and then 6-week "deep dive" classes open to kids from anywhere. Our inaugural online camp week in April was a resounding success, and we've been running summer camp programs since mid-June. In our years of experience, we've developed 100s of projects, and over the last months online, we've learned which activities work best remotely. We offer a wide variety of projects such as art, coding, movie making, podcast recording, minecraft, role playing & other games, nature and science projects, cooking, and more. We are constantly innovating and developing new online projects to keep kids engaged. 

What does a camp day look like?

Each week you'll receive the calendar of workshops. Then, much like an in-person camp day, we start each day with a morning meeting at 10AM (EST) where kids learn details about each offering that day. They can then choose between at least 4 activities in each of the 2 daily sessions from 10:30-12pm and 1pm-3pm. We aim to always have an activity in each of the following categories: technology & science, arts & crafts, games, and a wildcard option which could be, say, an outdoor scavenger hunt, baking, or even a dance party. We additionally run a supervised Minecraft server each afternoon. Here's an example of what this week's schedule looks like (click to enlarge): 

Who participates in these programs? 

One of the advantages of being online is that anyone aged 7-13 is welcome (schedule is in EST). While many kids are local to the Greater Boston area, we've had kids join us from as far as California and the UK. This creates great opportunities for social engagement for everyone.

Who leads workshops? 

Each program includes at least one P&C counselor. We are artists, art teachers, coders, librarians, lawyers, and more, with experience running classes in person and online. 

Are the classes pre-recorded?

No! Every one of our programs is live, interactive, and kept to a manageable size that allows for more supervision, interaction, and individualized instruction. 

What supplies are required? 

Kids need to have a device that can run Zoom. Most activities can be completed with supplies you have around the house. Recipes for cooking and science experiments that may require additional supplies are emailed in advance, and Minecraft requires a computer and download of the desktop Java edition. 

What specific programs will you have on a certain date?

With the exception of Minecraft, which we currently offer each afternoon, the specifics are different day to day and weekly. We try to have the following week's schedule out towards the end of each week.

What is the cost of your programming?

We currently have two registration options, $30 for a day or $125 for a full week, see registration links for more options.

Is it really a free day? Why?

It is absolutely free, no strings attached. There are capacity and other limitations as noted under "registration." We are really excited about our programming, and we think you will be too. We've received lots of lovely positive feedback from families and kids alike about the recreational, educational, and social opportunities our program is providing during this time. Like many summer camps, we've had to make plans very incrementally as the World has changed around us. Now that we know we'll be offering some form of online programming for the remainder of the summer (through August 28th), we are able to expand registration slots. We'd love for you to see what we've been up to!

Are you running any in-person camps this summer?

We aren't sure, yet. We are still assessing whether we can safely open and in what capacity and we will keep the community posted on developments. 

I'm not interested in the free day and/or camp, but I think Parts & Crafts is great! Is there something else I can do? 

Yes! First, please share this widely by talking to folks, sharing this email, or sharing on social media. If you are interested in personally supporting our non-profit during this unprecedented time, you can also make a tax-deductible donation here. 

REGISTRATION DETAILS

*If you are the parent or guardian of a child and you'd like to take advantage of this deal, here are the details and restrictions: 

• Offer valid for any child aged 7-13 who hasn't yet participated in our online programming. 
  
• The code entitles you to one (1) day of camp, limited to the first 75 registrations over the two available weeks. 
  
• Parts & Crafts reserves the right to end this promotion at any time, and to cancel any duplicate registrations
  
• Follow the link to one of these two weeks, and select a day July 20-24, or July 27-31
  
• If you don't have an account already, you'll need to make one in Amilia, you will need to make one to complete the registration
  
• Enter the code FREEDAY2020   
  
• If you register LATER THAN 3PM FRIDAY prior to a camp week, please email con...@partsandcrafts.org so we can send you anything you might need
  

NOTE: If you have not been receiving emails about camp programs such as registration and schedule information but would like to, or have any other questions, please send an email to con...@partsandcrafts.org. Do not reply directly to this email. 

Looking forward to seeing you online!

The Parts & Crafts Crew