Should You Send Your Kids to Camp This Summer? Experts Compile a Tip Sheet to Help Parents Decide
Are you having trouble deciding if you should send your kids to camp this summer? Amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, parents might wander if camp is safe for kids to go to this year.
Experts at the University of New Hampshire created a tip sheet to help parents make an informed decision, based on available information from state and federal agencies.
The guide includes a list of questions parents should ask when considering potential camps for their children.
Among the recommended questions:
- How will social distancing be accomplished?
- How will camp facilities and equipment be cleaned and disinfected?
- Will camp staff and campers be required to wear PPE?
- To what extent will people be allowed to come and go from the camp?
- How will campers and staff be monitored for infection?
- Do children need to be tested?
- Will quarantine be expected for out-of-state campers?
- What happens if a child becomes sick while at camp?
- How will refunds be handled?
"As stay-at-home orders are being relaxed, it's normal to have concerns around safety when it comes to summer camps," said Jayson Seaman, associate professor of recreation management and policy at the University of New Hampshire in a press release. "Parents — including myself — naturally have questions about how camps will address the coronavirus and how it can affect children's health as well as their camp experience. Current guidelines focus mostly on educating camp directors so we thought parents could benefit from this information since it isn't an easy decision."