What will summer camps be like in the year of coronavirus? Nobody knows
Summer camps are a basic necessity for millions of families across the country.
But given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and concerns over health and safety even into the summer months, whether there will be summer camp programs — and what that might entail — is in flux in South Florida.
Several camps in Miami-Dade are planning to offer programs starting in June but most details are up in the air. With restrictions to large gatherings and social-distancing requirements still in place, some camps will offer smaller programs, while some providers are planning virtual camps. Overnight camps haven’t decided what to do. The American Camp Association said member camps are “awaiting further guidance from the CDC, as well as state and county public health authorities.”
Some have canceled their programs altogether. But as South Florida gradually reopens its economy after a six-week lockdown, many parents will go back to work this month, and they will need childcare. For children, it will be an opportunity to have some fun after being cooped up for what it feels like months. It will be a return to some sort of normal, even if Florida is not out of the woods yet.
Will there be summer camps this year?
Yes, but not all camps will be open, and those that do will operate at reduced capacity. Space will be limited.
With no specific guidance from the state or Miami-Dade County on how summer camps should operate under these extraordinary circumstances, camps are assessing their ability to operate, and will make necessary adjustments to protocols.
Campers will likely be organized in smaller groups and activities that require kids to be in close proximity to each other will be replaced by safer games, said Tongelia Milton, executive director of communications at the YMCA in South Florida, which normally welcomes more than 9,000 kids at 45 locations every summer.
“We are looking at how we can best serve our community but we also need to make sure we take all precautions to protect campers and their families,” Milton said. The YMCA is already offering childcare services to first responders, and Milton said that has been a learning experience in how to operate camps during the pandemic.
The CDC has some guidelines for schools and childcare services, but it hasn’t issued specific advice for camps.
School camps, for example, are waiting on the county to make a decision.
“The opening of summer camps is contingent upon our ability to open school campuses. We haven’t made an announcement on this yet,” said Jackie Calzadilla, a spokeswoman for Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Some private schools are offering programs. Ransom Everglades School is planning to offer camp from June 15 through July 24, but it hasn’t made a final decision. There are no details on how they plan to reduce density during camp activities.
Similarly, Gulliver hasn’t made a final decision on whether it will be offering its camp this summer. Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart also hasn’t made a decision, according to its website.
Nearly all Reform Jewish summer camps, and at least one Conservative camp, have canceled the 2020 summer camp experience due to the COVID-19 crisis, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The Reform overnight camps served more than 10,000 children last summer. Canceling summer camp hasn’t happened in 70 years, according to the report.
City camps
In Miami Beach, all summer specialty camps are canceled due to COVID-19, said city spokeswoman Melissa Berthier.
In a tweet issued Tuesday, Miami Beach announced that its parks and recreation team is monitoring the situation to see if the city can safely proceed with holding its regular summer day camps.
In Coral Gables, home to the University of Miami, which hosts arts and music camps among other programs, and the War Memorial Youth Center, whose camp programs focus mainly on sports and fitness, summer camps are still in a wait-and-see pattern, according to spokeswoman Maria Higgins-Fallon.
“The City of Coral Gables has not made a final decision as of today regarding summer camps. We are evaluating all options as we return to a ‘new normal.’ We will provide updates as soon as they are available,” she added.
Theater and museum camps
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Theaters that host summer camps to provide training in the performing arts, like Actors’ Playhouse and Area Stage, both in Coral Gables, have set their summer camp schedules and both will execute social distancing measures.
Area Stage will offer two in-person or virtual via Zoom performance training summer camps in June for ages 5 to 18: Disney’s “Moana Jr.” and Broadway Bites Musical Theatre Summer. Enrollment is open now.
Actors’ Playhouse’s Summer Theatre and Film Camp Session for ages 7 to 12 and “On Broadway” Advanced Musical Theatre Camp Session for ages 10 to 18 are ready for enrollment for a June 8 start. The classes at the Miracle Theatre offer early drop off and late pick up and are limited to 25 students apiece.
The Adrienne Arsht Center in downtown Miami usually has two summer camps: AileyCamp Miami, a full-scholarship six-week camp, and Camp Broadway, a one-week theater camp that takes place toward the end of the summer, said spokeswoman Suzette Espinosa.
“We continue to monitor the latest recommendations from the CDC and health officials as well as the Miami-Dade County Public Schools calendar and their plans for students over the summer,” Espinosa said.
The AileyCamp Miami application process was completed last month and applicants are being scheduled for interviews this month. Campers will be notified by early June and camp will either be on-site or virtual depending on guidelines from local health officials, she said.
The Miami Children’s Museum on Watson Island is taking a similar approach.
“We know many families are anxious to return to Miami Children’s Museum this summer for our incredible camp program. We continue to monitor and follow all recommendations from the CDC, World Health Organization, City of Miami, and Miami-Dade County,” said Deborah Spiegleman, CEO and executive director of Miami Children’s Museum.
What will the camp experience be like?
Miami Children’s could adopt a virtual experience. Or it could go traditional.
“We promise that we will meet the needs of our families either by providing a safe place for children to learn through play via the museum on-site camp programs or, if that’s not possible, we will continue our Museum at Home virtual programming,” Spiegelman said.
At the YMCA, which partners with cities and municipalities across South Florida, changes to on-site programs will likely involve fewer field trips and modified activities to accommodate safe distancing between campers, Milton said.
“We are ironing out the details, checking on the availability of our locations, so that we are as prepared as we can be in June,” she said.
For camps that can more easily exist in the virtual world, providers are moving entire programs online. That’s the case of the Pinecrest Dance Project. The dance camp will offer online programs from June 8 until August 21.
“Using Zoom.com, we will be able to offer a fun dance and art experience for your kids. In our camp, days will be filled with a variety of dance styles such as ballet, salsa, jazz, flamenco, hip-hop and ballroom,” the camps said in an email to parents on May 1.
Others will offer a mix of programs, taking into account demand from parents who will continue to work from home during the summer, or those who are hesitant to let their kids leave the house so soon.
The Frost Museum is planning a reduced offering of onsite programs, with fewer kids per group at its science-driven camp, as well as a virtual camp. Starting on June 8, the museum will welcome children in grades pre-K to 5th to its week-long camps, but space will be limited: only four classes of 8 kids each, compared with many classes of up to 25 kids in previous years, said Angela Colbert, Knight vice president of education at the museum.
She said counselors will make sure kids are adhering to all health guidelines to reduce the transmission of the new virus, while providing a fun hands-on science experience. The virtual programs will also be packed with experiments and interaction with real scientists.
“We will offer a virtual program this year because we realized that some families may not want to send their kids to camp just yet, but they want them to engage in some kind of activity while they are home,” she said.
Is it safe to send kids to summer camp?
Overnight camps might not be feasible while social-distancing guidelines are still in place. But day camps offer lower risk as long as they have health and safety protocols in place to ensure social distancing, said Dr. Terry Adirim, chair and professor of pediatrics, Integrative Medical Sciences Department, and senior associate dean for clinical affairs, Schmidt College of Medicine, at Florida Atlantic University.
Screening kids as they start camp, and monitoring their health during the program is also crucial, as well as policies on what to do in case a child or staff member is exposed, she said.
“It’s a tough decision, but for parents who need to send their kids to camp, it’s important to check if it’s an accredited program that follows health and security standards, and if it has detailed policies in place to deal with contagious diseases,” Adirim said.
Children with underlying medical conditions are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19, so families should weigh the benefits of sending them to camp while the virus is still widely circulating in the state, she said.
It’s important to ask how camps are ensuring the safety of counselors and other staff, and if they have nurses or other medical workers in their teams.
Another consideration is if children who are going to camps are interacting with older adults, or family members with health conditions.
“We know from the data we have so far that children aren’t as affected by the coronavirus as older adults. But we believe they can still be a reservoir and transmit the virus,” she said.
This story was originally published May 3, 2020 at 12:05 PM.
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