With regular kids summer camps off the cards this year due to COVID-19, YouTube is offering some online alternatives, while it’s also added a new set of education resources to help creators maximize their YouTube presence.

First off, YouTube has today announced a new #CampYouTube initiative which aims to re-create some of the most popular camp experiences via YouTube videos.

As explained by YouTube:

“With Google searches for “virtual summer camps” spiking over the past few weeks, we want to help parents structure this new normal. Starting today, Camp YouTube will spotlight content on the [email protected] site and YouTube Kids across beloved summer camp themes, such as arts, adventure, sports, STEM, and more. We’ll have over 1,200 videos programmed during this two-week period with content refreshed every weekday through Sunday, July 5.”

The COVID-19 restrictions have meant parents need to increasingly rely on digital tools to keep their kids entertained. And while you might not want your kids to be spending even more time watching YouTube videos, the #CampYouTube initiative may help to provide some level of normalcy and interaction, along with an educational element, helping to supplement that lost camp experience. 

The increased reliance on YouTube for entertainment may actually make YouTube stars even more prominent and significant to the next generation. YouTube celebrities like PewDiePie already dominate online culture, and with kids spending even more time within these worlds, you can expect YouTube stars to become increasingly influential over time.

If kids were already aspiring to become YouTube stars over astronauts last year, that’s probably even more the case now, which could have significant impacts for future content and outreach strategies.

And that also leads into the next new announcement from YouTube – the platform has additionally launched a new set of learning toolkits, designed to help creators maximize their YouTube channels.

There are currently five learning toolkits on the platform, with more to come. And even if you’re not a YouTube creators, it could be worth taking a look in order to get a better understanding of the way the platform works. 

No doubt there’s going to be a heap of aspiring YouTubers looking into their options over Summer, and these new info tools could provide guidance. Maybe, your son or daughter will become the next big star, earning millions for sharing their stories online.

It’s not necessarily easy to do – while anyone can create a YouTube channel, the same rules of all entertainment mediums apply: you need to actually be entertaining and engaging in order to build an audience. That, in many cases, is a natural ability, or not, but given the state of the current employment market, and the capacity to earn through YouTube videos, there’ll undoubtedly be a lot more people considering this as a potential option at present.