COVID-Safe Summer Camp for Kids
One year ago, we ventured into summer with a still-evolving understanding of COVID-19 and how to pursue normal routines. As a result, summer camps were shut down and parents were left with yet another challenge: How to keep kids occupied through the summer months.
This year, with a better understanding of the virus (and vaccinations being distributed), the prospects for classic summer-camp fun are much better. To ensure our kids are happy campers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued guidelines for making sure camps can be operated safely.
The precautions are pretty straightforward:
- Kids should be outdoors as much as possible.
- Kids and camp staffers should wear masks, except when eating, drinking, swimming or napping.
- Everyone who is eligible should receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Kids and staffers should be kept in small groups and maintain safe distances whenever possible.
- Kids and staff should be checked daily for COVID-19 symptoms.
As straightforward as these guidelines might be, they have concerned some parents and camp operators who worry that they would be impractical in a summer-camp setting. But experts suggest they shouldn’t inhibit the camp experience, just ensure that it’s safe.
“Kids can have a joyous, immersive summer experience,” Texas’ American Camp Association President and CEO Tom Rosenberg told the New York Times, so long as the camps operate “in a very structured, smart way.”
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Tags: covid, COVID-19, kids, summer camp