How the pandemic is changing summer camp
(HealthDay)—If your children are going to summer school or camps this year, you may need to prepare them for safety precautions that will be in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, an expert says.
"Social interaction, engaging learning opportunities and physical activity are critically important for kids' emotional and physical well-being. And high-quality child care outside of the home is essential for many families. We must work to get our kids back to these activities," said Dr. Katherine Connor, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
"While we figure out the best way to do this safely, there will be a lot of new routines and practices to follow," she added.
Changes at summer schools and camps may include smaller groups, maintaining 6-feet of distance from other children, frequent hand-washing and daily temperature checks.
Children and staff members should be checked for COVID-19 symptoms or exposure to the new coronavirus so they don't put others at risk, according to Connor.
"The health and safety routines schools and camps must put in place may be frightening or stressful for some kids," she said in a university news release.
To help prepare their children, parents should get details about school and camp routines ahead of time and explain them to children and why they're necessary. Connor also advised taking precautions like hand-washing at home.
It's especially important to outline to children how following these measures can help keep them and others safe, because doing so gives children a sense of control in uncertain times, Connor explained.
More information: The American Academy of Pediatrics has more on summer camps during the pandemic.
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