Calling all explorers of tomorrow! National Geographic Live has a fun new opportunity for kids ages 8-11. Explorer Academy Adventures encourages kids to engage with streamed videos to embark on a series of themed experiments, activities, and games. Fans of the Explorer Academy book series by Trudi Trueit will recognize some of their favorite characters and themes. Check out my review of this new program and see if its right for you! It's a wonderful way to supplement homeschooling or at-home learning from some of the most respected experts on the planet.
Disclosure: National Geographic Live provided me with a free week of Explorer Academy Adventures in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own. Also, this post contains some affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I may earn a (very small) commission from qualifying purchases. You can read more about this on my Disclosure page.
With National Geographic Live Explorer Academy Adventures, kids can discover ancient civilizations one week and search for deep-sea creatures the next. Presented by engaging, energetic hosts, kids will spend up to two hours each day solving mysteries, breaking codes, making discoveries, and creating an action plan for becoming the explorers of tomorrow—just like the kids in the Explorer Academy books! Inspired by the Explorer Academy book series, every week your explorer of tomorrow will have access to:
- Missions – play games, conduct experiments, and complete craft activities
- Challenges – solve puzzles, decode ciphers, and untangle word scrambles
- A Themed Mystery – use clues discovered throughout the week to illuminate the answers in a virtual escape room and earn a digital badge representing Explorer traits
Stay tuned for my updated review as we try out this amazing new program! Update to post coming soon.
About the Program
I had a chance to try out National Geographic Live Explorer Academy Adventures and I must say, it was pretty awesome. It's best for kids who can work independently and those who need a challenge (this is especially great for kids who catch on to new concepts quickly and are always saying "I'm done! What do I do now?"). It's also amazing for the science lovers, since this focuses heavily on the world around us, from animals to ecosystems and everything in between.
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| Experts and teachers help guide students along the way |
The program consists of a dashboard for your student that includes everything they need. For my trial period I had access to Academy orientation videos, challenge training, and online escape room introduction. There was also an awesome Field Journal to download for using alongside the Mission videos.
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| A screen shot of the Field Journal |
In the student dashboard there are weekly Missions and challenges. Some of them require students to use their field journal, or create something such as maps or projects. The challenges consist of puzzles, questions and other educational aspects to keep kids engaged.
Kids have to complete all of the activities in order to unlock the next set of activities. It's here in the dashboard where parents can see their child's progress and what they have achieved so far. The videos are not live (they're pre-recorded), so parents will need to make sure their children are following directions and not skipping ahead just to get to the end! The Field Journal is pretty awesome and is like your own personal National Geographic workbook.
If you are interested in joining Explorer Academy Adventures, you must register by September 3, 2021 for any themed week of content that is offered as part of National Geographic Live Explorer Academy Adventures.
Find out more info here: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/events/explorer-academy-adventures/
More information about the program, including cost, can also be found in their Registration FAQ section!
