For many kids, summer camp is something of a rite of passage. After nine grueling months of what seems like never-ending schoolwork, June and July burst with possibilities and freedom.
But this year, ongoing coronavirus restrictions have unapologetically upended kids’ plans.
Many overnight camps — glorious roasted-marshmallow-scented respites from the monotony of home — are closed.
Several popular daytime programs, usually filled with giggling kids huddled in tight circles, have sliced capacities in half, or more.
In some cases, seasonal counselor jobs for teens have dwindled or been eliminated entirely. Many volunteering opportunities are indefinitely on hold.
Other shared experiences that allow kids’ personalities and horizons to blossom while school is out are gone.
It’s all left many parents wondering: Exactly what is my kid supposed to do all summer?
“Even without the COVID crisis, summer camp is an important experience for kids,” said Andrea Eliot, child care and camp branch director for the Greater Wichita YMCA.
“This has been a stressful time for everyone. … More than ever, this year kids need this experience.”
For parents, camps are a way to ensure someone is keeping tabs on their children while they work. But they also help ward off the dreaded “summer slide,” the slip in learning many kids face during the long break.
For kids, the summertime rituals are a chance to widen their social circle and discover who they are.
“Camp has a way of just teaching in a fun and active way that you just can’t do throughout the school year,” Eliot said.
“Even parents that aren’t working need to find a way to get their kids back out there and engaged.”
But with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting camp and childcare operations this year, that’s been difficult.
Of the roughly 400 school-aged programs in Kansas — many of which have daytime camp-like formats — only 38 responded to a recent online survey conducted by Child Care Aware of Kansas asking whether they were open. The nonprofit keeps a database of all licensed childcare programs in the state that it makes available for parents to search on its website, www.ks.childcareaware.org and by calling 855-750-3343.
Leadell Ediger, the nonprofit’s executive director, said the low response rate makes her think most school-aged programs are closed right now. Usually about 20% of providers will respond to the organization’s surveys, she said.
The ones that decided to open have limited the number of campers, delayed start dates and are increasing cleaning and sanitation.
Many, including the YMCA, also are planning to conduct wellness screenings, keep play groups small, eliminate communal art supplies, increase hand washing and encourage elbow bumps instead of high fives.
“We’re really just adapting our activities,” Eliot said.
Some well-loved parts of camp like swimming and field trips, however, will be noticeably absent from the experience this year.
So far, Child Care Aware of Kansas and its contractors haven’t heard from too many desperate parents asking what to do about summertime care, Ediger said.
Daycare facilities, which typically serve younger kids, were never shutdown under the governor’s executive orders, although some closed by choice. Eighty-five percent that responded to a March survey told Child Care Aware they were continuing to operate during the pandemic.
Many parents are still either at home or are asking relatives to babysit until things return to normal, Ediger added.
But she anticipates more calls will come as programs working parents usually turn to firm up their summer plans.
“It’s going to be difficult for parents this summer,” Ediger said. But “we know there are vacancies out there.” Parents will just have to decide where they’re comfortable letting their kids go as concerns over the coronavirus continue.
Creative moms and dads with a laundry list of Instagram-worthy art projects and day trips waiting on a bored afternoon might already have their kids’ summers figured out.
But for those left scraping for ideas, here are some options in the Wichita area.
Camp: What is and isn’t open
Many daytime camps that parents would normally send their children to are planning to open in June or July. But parents will want to enroll their kids as early as possible since reduced capacities means fewer open slots.
Last week, it took only four hours for Wichita Public Schools to fill the 150 spots it opened for its Latchkey summer childcare program. Usually the district offers a total of 19 Latchkey programs that can take anywhere from 45 to 120 children. But this year, it whittled program sites to five, each with space for 30 kids, to help manage coronavirus safety measures.
The YMCA’s weeklong summertime camp offerings are already at least half full, with many quickly nearing capacity. Eliot said this year the Ys various camps are aiming to serve around 800 kids a week, down from the usual 1,200 to 1,300. There won’t be field trips to non-YMCA buildings as in previous years or swimming because the pools and water parks are still closed. But most camps will take a day to visit Camp Hyde in Viola, which offers a more traditional outdoor camp experience including hiking and lake activities. Camp Hyde also is hosting weeklong camps. Costs start at $125 for YMCA members, with financial aid available to qualifying families.
The city has online enrollment open for its recreation center “Summer of Discovery” camps and anticipates they will be held June 29 through July 31, city spokeswoman Megan Lovely said. But like other programs, parents can expect slashed capacities, and it’s likely there won’t be any field trips. Those camps cost $115 a week with discounts available. Several spots are still open.
The Kansas Humane Society canceled all of its in-person Critter Camps for June over safety concerns but said online that it could hold them in July. The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center will hold camps starting on or after June 14 as scheduled; enrollment is available online at www.cosmo.org/education/camps.
Several church-based camps including all of the Wichita Catholic Diocese’s Totus Tuus programs, as well as the Salvation Army’s Camp Hiawatha, meanwhile, have scrapped plans to open this summer.
After adjusting start dates several times, the Boy Scouts of America Quivira Council finally threw in the towel on May 20 and canceled all summer resident camp operations.
Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland canceled all of its summer programming over a month ago, saying in an online letter to families: “Even if we’re on the downhill side of this pandemic by late May, convening girls, volunteers and staff early in the post-outbreak recovery period is not worth the risk of a possible outbreak.”
To help salvage summer, several troops have encouraged scouts to hold backyard campouts at home or head to favorite spots with their families.
The Sedgwick County Zoo, while open to visitors, isn’t holding its usual camps, either. All programming has been canceled through June, county spokeswoman Kate Flavin said. But there are a couple of online cute animal cams that stream video of the zoo’s penguins and elephants 24 hours a day.
The Great Plains Nature Center, another spot with online resources, will continue to offer a host of free “Learn from Home” opportunities online, including virtual hikes and lessons on nature journaling.
A few camps that opted to shutdown are offering alternatives that kids can participate in online or do at home.
Exploration Place has “Camp in a Box,” a weekly program where children receive instructions and supplies for 25 hands-on activities they can do at home, plus 10 Zoom meetings with fellow campers and counselors. The boxes costs $75 a week for members and $90 for non-members and may be picked up or can be shipped to a camper’s home for an additional $20 fee.
You can find other options using Child Care Aware of Kansas’ online provider database, by contacting the United Way of the Plains at 2-1-1 or www.211kansas.org, or by searching social media and the internet. There are also options in Kansas listed on the American Camp Association’s website, www.acacamps.org.
Pools and parks
Although Wichita usually opens its municipal pools and splash pads over Memorial Day weekend, it was still hashing out summer plans this past week. The popular summertime hangouts could very well stay closed, though. Wichita Parks and Recreations Director Troy Houtman told Park Board members in a recent meeting that a shut down is among suggestions he floated to the city manager’s office to help close a roughly $10 million budget deficit left by COVID-19.
But there are other nearby options you can take your kids to. Rock River Rapids in Derby will open June 1 “if possible” with some restrictions. Haysville, Goddard, Augusta, Bel Aire and Clearwater have all said they plan to open their pools, too.
The YMCA pools and waterparks, however, are closed for the time being.
Area parks and lakes, inlcuding Lake Afton and Sedgwick County Park, are open to visitors but might not yet be offering access to some attractions and bathrooms. The Great Plains Nature Center, for example, is open for outdoor walks and hikes but its buildings won’t open until June 1. Public playgrounds citywide are also due to open June 1.
At O.J. Watson Park, you can ride the train, play miniature golf or rent a pedal boat for $3 per person. Kayaks also are available for rental. The pony rides are expected to open later this summer.
Other things to do
The city says many of its attractions will be open this summer. CityArts will be the first to welcome back visitors, on June 1, followed by Old Cowtown the next day. The All-American Indian Center reopens on June 16. The Wichita Art Museum, which offers free admission every Saturday, opens again on June 23. Public tours of Wichita’s fire stations resume July 1.
Public libraries will be open, too, starting May 26, but only with limited in-person services that don’t include access to children’s areas. The annual summer reading program for kids is a go, though, and you can pick up books curbside. You can register online and track your child’s progress on paper or by using the Wichita Public Library’s reading program site, Beanstack.
Visitors to city-owned facilities will be asked to wear face masks for the time being, Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple said last week. Opening plans are subject to change.
The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson and the Starlite Drive-In are open. B-29 Doc’s Hangar, Education and Visitors Center, by Eisenhower Airport, reopens June 2.
The City of Wichita is encouraging families to take advantage of its online resources that include free fitness and educational videos and virtual tours of several local attractions like Botanica, the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit, the Old Cowtown Museum Print Shop, the Riverfront Stadium and the Great Plains Nature Center.
There’s also a new an eSports league for gamers that costs a $10 entry fee per league. You can get information about those at www.wichita.gov/ParkandRec/Online/Pages/default.aspx.
The city says plans are underway to hold another virtual fishing contest since the one held May 2 was so successful.
Can I leave my child home alone?
With limited camp options, you might be wondering whether it’s OK to leave your child home alone while you work this summer.
In Kansas, there isn’t a state law that dictates how old a child has to be to stay home by themselves. And opinions on what the right age is varies, depending on whom you ask.
In general, parents are just expected to use good judgment that takes into account factors like a child’s age, maturity level, the length of time they’ll be alone and any potential dangers.
The same goes for leaving a young child in the care of a babysitter or older sibling who is still a juvenile.
The Kansas Department for Children and Families suggests young children under age 6 should not be left alone even for short periods of time but says it may be OK for 6- to 9-year-olds, depending on their maturity. Older children may be able to handle somewhat longer periods.
But parents should also weigh a child’s ability to fend for themselves, how they feel about being alone and whether they know what to do in emergency situations, DCF says. Children with developmental disabilities or emotional or behavioral problems “are at risk when left alone,” the agency says.
If you do give your kid run of the house, the American Red Cross suggests having a safety plan, limiting cooking, planning age-appropriate activities to keep them busy and checking in with them often.
Amy Renee Leiker has been reporting for The Wichita Eagle since 2010. She covers crime, courts and breaking news and updates the newspaper’s online databases. You can reach her at 316-268-6644. She’s an avid reader and mom of three in her non-work time.
