Summer Camp, Friends for Life with American Girl
I only went to one sleep away camp, ever. And, it was way before people had personal handheld computers and could program in the palm of their hands. Times have changed. For the good and the bad!
If or when my girls go to a summer camp, it will be very different. They don’t have phones now, but there is so much technology available to them. It will be an adjustment.
But, like Ray says in the newest Amazon Original Special An American Girl Story: Summer Camp, Friends for Life set to Premiere on Prime Video Friday, June 9, humans need interaction with people. We crave it. And not the digital kind you can find in a computer. We need face-to-face, working together, and sometimes involving human touch.
My girls sat and were engaged for the entire episode. Even 3 year old B. And, 5 year old E is now walking around saying “mind. blown” after everything that is worthy of it or not.
In the newest episode, imagine the shock that friends Z (Zoe Mandrel, The Nightingale) and Paz (Alison Fernandez, Logan) experience with they arrive at S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) camp excited about all of the new technology they are going to explore, only to find that the camp administrator has restricted their devices. The girls have pretty much determined that their summer camp is doomed.
Of course, that isn’t the case at all. The figure out there is so much more to STEAM then technology and they get to building, creating and interacting with each other.
Things take a mysterious turn when they meet Jordan (Monique Green, Marriage of Lies), an enchanting “counselor” who sends them on an adventure, opening them up to a world of possibilities, solving a “puzzle” with STEAM clues and ultimately, realizing that they have a friend Drew (Lauren Donzis, Liv and Maddie) right in front of them that they are missing out on.
As they solve this “puzzle” and their friendship grows, they realize, they don’t need technology at all to have a great time. And, they can still learn without it, too.
“Summer Camp, Friends for Life combines the relatable themes of friendship and collaboration in a fun and engaging S.T.E.A.M. camp environment,” said Tara Sorensen, Head of Kids Programming at Amazon Studios. “Our customers will be inspired by Z, Paz and Drew as they work together toward solving the mystery presented to them.”
After they watched the show (~ 30 minutes long), I was surprised to find the girls not trying to watch tv or play on devices, but instead interacting and playing with each other. Sure, it took no time at all for their playing to get a big crazy, but we are a work in progress here.
Make sure you tune in this Friday, June 9th (or after) to check out the episode.
An American Girl Story: Summer Camp, Friends for Life will be available for Prime members to stream and enjoy using the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Amazon Fire TV, and mobile devices, or online at www.amazon.com/originals, at no additional cost to their membership. Customers who are not already a Prime member can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime.
