“We have to be flexible and clear about what success looks like for us this summer”
Dr. Deborah Gilboa to TODAY Parents
Regardless of where in the country you live, this summer feels different. Kids activities likely involve masks, small groups and temperature checks. Vacations have been cut short or canceled and anxiety over another potential shut down resides in the backs of many minds.
Camp has certainly taken a different tone. Those memorable times of children bonding with friends in the great outdoors and leaving their screens behind for a few hours, or even a few months? That’s so 2019.
According to The American Camp Association’s summer guide, a lot of what you are seeing depends on the state you live in. Some camps have gone virtual, others are opening with strict policies on distancing and sanitation, and many aren’t happening at all.
Here’s a look at some of the new policies and activities we are seeing in different areas of the country.
For Camps in Session
There are a laundry list of rules that camps will need to adhere to if they are open this summer. Most kids are a part of small groups, with increased spacing (such as eating in shifts), and they are washing their hands… alot. The CDC has encouraged staggered scheduling for camp arrival and drop offs as well as face masks for any indoor activities or bus rides. It has been recommended that all shared equipment be properly sanitized, and if possible, not shared at all. On day one, some kids were even given their own equipment, such as a life jackets and art supplies, to use for the duration of camp. Off-site camp activities, intercamp competitions and field trips have likely been canceled, but staff or campers who do leave the premises have temperature checks administered upon returning.
Virtual Camps
From STEM to drawing to dancing, there are plenty of online options for kids this summer. For many parents, especially those who worried about screen time before the pandemic, the thought of more seems outrageous, but according to UCLA Health pediatrician, Dr Carlos Lerner, parents need to take a deep breath. Guidelines from The American Academy of Pediatrics “are not just about screen-time limits,” says Lerner. “They are about the quality of the content that kids are exposed to and the valuable activities that kids miss out on when they are on screens, such as playing or interacting with other people.”
If you’re still in the market, a few options for virtual camps include Funky Divas & Dudes, iD Tech and Varsity Tutors. For more, click here.
Finally, as we’re reluctantly learning, there are ways for kids to connect and create memories without camp. For example, virtual sleepovers, fire pit s’mores or family game nights. “We have to be flexible and clear about what success looks like for us this summer,” child development and parenting expert, Dr. Deborah Gilboa told TODAY Parents. “Then let go of our usual expectations or parenting standards a little bit.”
Other options include checking out an online drawing class, organizing a backyard or neighborhood scavenger hunt or creating a list of must-see movies. In the end, however you choose to stay busy this summer, try your best to maintain a healthy family routine. We still have a few weeks left and establishing a daily schedule with a consistent bed time routine is key, especially these days. Remember, this is a tough time, but it won’t last forever.
