Summer camp in 2021 is, fortunately, a totally different situation from summer camp in 2020. Research has shown that schools aren’t a big source of community transmission and that kids have a lower risk of contracting the virus — and vaccine studies are underway with child subjects. (I’m thinking about enrolling my son in one, in fact.)
A lot of camps will open in person this year, but virtual options will still be available for those who want them.
So, bearing in mind the big changes from last year, what are your feelings on summer camp in 2021? Let’s discuss!
{related: download the Excel sheet Kat uses to schedule summer activities for her kids (2021 edition!)}
We’re curious about readers’ thoughts on these issues:
1. Will you choose outdoor camps only? Or are you considering indoor camps as well?
2. What level of safety precautions would make you feel most comfortable? Do you prefer that all staff are vaccinated? That everyone stays six feet apart? (A recent NPR story noted that the CDC is exploring whether a three-foot distance is safe for schools.)
{related: summer camp and working parents}
3. Is there a particular benchmark you’re relying on? Especially for readers whose kids haven’t attended in-person school yet: Would you feel safe having them go to camp if your community infection rate is below a certain number, or if a certain percentage of adults are vaccinated in your area, or both?
4. If you’re not sending your kids to camp this summer, what are you choosing for childcare? A babysitter? A nanny or nanny share? A family member who’ll provide care?
5. Did your kids attend any virtual camps last year that you would recommend for if they’re available? Note that we did a post last year on seven virtual summer camps for 2020.
Readers, do tell: What are your plans for summer camp in 2021?
Stock photo via Stencil (kids at group activity in a gym).
Anonymous says
The day after I scheduled our shots I booked 4 camps. We’re in a very red state and everything has been open but we’ve done virtual because we were high risk. I can’t wait for the kids to be with other kids again.
Anonymous says
Yay!
anon says
None of us are vaccinated yet (low risk, one parent teleworks or the other works in person but at a “non-essential” job so not yet eligible in Maryland), but my kids are signed up for 4 weeks of daycamps. Staff are vaccinated, everyone will be masked, and the camp will be mostly outdoors, so the tradeoff of risk to getting my kids who’ve been in virtual school are year some socialization seemed totally worth it. I’m also assuming that by late-June most of the parents of the kids will have had at lest one shot which should decrease risk further.
Anonymous says
My kid is in daycare so we don’t have to worry about summer camp, but we decided once Dh and I are fully vaccinated we’re comfortable with indoor activities with masks required or outdoor activities with no masks, so we signed kiddo up for soccer, swim and theater classes beginning in April and May. She’s been around other kids in daycare for months now, but I’m glad she will get to do these fun extracurriculars – it feels like a tiny bit of normalcy since her preschool experience is very limited (distancing, no visitors, no field trips, etc.) and likely will be until at least next year.
Anonymous says
Not vaccinated yet, and very low priority in our state, so not overly optimistic we’ll be vaccinated by summer. Planning to travel cross-country where can work remotely and kids can enjoy time in the outdoors with grandparents they haven’t seen since December 2019.