WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Learning can be a snap with a bag of Lego bricks.
School is out for the summer, but COVID-19 has given a whole new meaning to the term “summer break.”
As parents scramble to find fun and safe activities to keep their children occupied, there’s a summer camp that 8-year-old Thomas Stapleton visits online.
“Thomas is always in a great mood after class,” said his mother, Kris Stapleton.
For the past several weeks, Thomas has been enrolled in a virtual summer camp that teaches play-based learning.
“They take him through a new Lego build with each class,” said his mother. “So there is a new theme, a new challenge with each class.
The classes are from Snapology of West Chester, which normally is a mobile pop-up education business.
“We partner with schools and do afterschool programs,” said Jennifer Rogers, marketing director of Snapology. “We partner with different community organizations and take our programs there and they are in person, but clearly that wasn’t an option.”
It wasn’t an option because of COVID-19. Pandemic restrictions were being handed down as the new Snapology franchise was trying to open.
“We tested some things and we put an action plan in place really quickly, which allowed us to offer virtual classes,” said Rogers. “Small class sizes so the teacher can actually interact with the students and the students can still interact with each other.”
Rogers says Snapology uses stem and steam concepts to promote learning.
For most classes all you need is a bag of Lego bricks. For other classes you just need access to a computer.
That’s perfect for 8-year-old Tom, his mother said.
“This has actually been good because he, kids need that interaction. He gets feedback from the teacher right there. He can share his creations with the rest of the kids.”
Engaging and interacting whether in person or safe at home.
Snapology also provides an in-person summer camp with limited openings.
