As Summer camps prepare to return, what changes could kids see?
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CHICAGO (WBBM) — What’s new at summer camp this year? For example at the YMCA, more kids will be allowed and swimming is back.
But CBS 2 Morning Insider Tim McNicholas learned, for the Y and others, it’s not back to normal yet.
Don’t let the wintry weather fool you, Alli Greenman has sunshine on her mind.
“This is really a hub for summer camp,” said the director of the day camp at YMCA Metro Chicago. “I’m just so excited to have kids back out here, and singing the songs, and doing the games, and seeing their friends.”
Many of the kids in the Y’s e-learning center will transition to those camps this summer, and they might notice some changes.
On the playground, for example, the staff says 30 kids will be able to play at a time, per state guidelines. That’s up from 15 last summer.
And the YMCA team will still be cleaning the playground for each group.
“This is a great opportunity to get back, ready, into practicing those social norms; sharing, being with friends,” Greenman said.
Masks and temperature checks are still the norm, but the YMCA will take in more kids and reintroduce some activities like swimming.
YMCA had to cancel their overnight camps last year, but this summer they’re back in Lake County, Illinois; as well as in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Another Wisconsin camp popular with Chicago kids: The North Star Camp For Boys.
Last summer, they required COVID tests and stuck to the bubble method for seven weeks with no positive cases.
This year, they’re taking a similar approach, with an emphasis on outdoor fun.
“Given what they’re dealing with in schools, given what they’re dealing with in their communities, compared to that camp is going to seem totally normal,” said Andy Shlensky, director of North Star Camp.
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