This will no doubt be the strangest summer most children will have ever experienced.
Come to think of it, most adults likely have a hard time coming up with many months to match the COVID-19 era for sheer eeriness and uncertainty. But here in B.C. we are getting back a bit of normalcy as restrictions slowly ease, and that includes some summer camps, which might help bring a little fun back into kids’ lives, from a safe physical distance of course.
The name of the game this summer, for many camps, will be “outdoors,” as groups follow the lead of provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, who has often stressed that you are much less likely to transmit or catch the COVID-19 virus outside than when you are inside.
“The risk that somebody who is sick is spreading this virus from coughing or sneezing outside and you walk by them very quickly, even if it is within six feet, is negligible. That’s not the way this virus is mostly transmitted,” said Henry during one of her daily press briefings.
She has also noted there is very little risk of children contracting COVID-19, getting sick from the virus or transmitting it to others.
“It’s clear around the world that [children] are less likely to be infected with COVID-19 than adults,” she said.
That all adds up to some positive news for local summer camp operators who have been following health updates closely to see what will be safe and sensible this summer.
North Shore-based Saplings Outdoor Program will run summer camps out of West Vancouver’s Douglas Woodward Park, Lighthouse Park and Gleneagles Community Centre this year, taking their typical outdoor-only forest school program and adding in extra safety measures to ensure physical distancing and proper hygiene. Children will spend 100 per cent of their camp time outside, according to Saplings owner Heather Fraser.
“With the current COVID-19 pandemic we are learning important matters about the prevention of the spread of the virus,” said Fraser. “Many of these issues are not present in forest school. Mother Nature provides us with our ‘toys,’ which children are not inclined to put in their mouths. Our natural world offers an abundance of trees to climb and space to play independently or in a small group.”
A forest-based program lends itself not just to physical distancing, but also emotional healing, said Fraser.
“At Saplings, we believe that nature will play an enormous part in this healing process as we begin our journey back to ‘regular’ life. Being in nature reduces anger, fear, stress, depression, and increases positive feelings. It also contributes to physical health, reduced heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. We are so eager to be back with our Saplings as we create a safe space for your children’s minds, bodies and spirits to flourish; where kids can get back to adventure, play and meaningful hands-on-learning.”
The instructors at Elevate Ultimate are also planning to hit the North Shore forests this summer, except they’ll be adding in some flying Frisbees for a camp focused on the sport of disc golf. It’s a perfect sport for physical distancing, said Elevate co-founder Danie Probie, who will be running camps out of North Vancouver’s Eastview Park.
“Kids get their own discs so they never share equipment and it’s technically an individual sport, although we find ways to make it a team sport too,” said Probie. “There have been multiple articles and releases by educational institutions citing that disc golf is one of the best COVID-friendly activities for kids right now. The fact that there’s so much space, small group sizes, and no shared equipment has made it a no brainer in terms of summer camp options for parents. Each day we focus on a new skill and value, and the kids get so much better by the end of the week.”
If you do choose to send your kids to a summer camp this year, make sure you find out what is being done to keep it safe and fun in these strange times.
The article orignally appeared in the Summer Registration special feature section of the June 10, 2020 North Shore News.
