The “New” Summer Camp Experience

By Darlene Conway

May 19, 2020

So, as everyone knows by my Live video on Wednesday, I have decided to run camp when Governor Murphy allows us to start our summer camp season. I did not come to this decision lightly and had so many thoughts running through my head.  To start, is it the right thing to do?  A lot of camps have been cancelled in different parts of the country and even in our own state of New Jersey. Parents have come forth thanking these camps for doing so because it made a difficult decision for a parent, a very easy one. “You simply can’t go. Camp is closed this summer.”  

I thought long and hard about the gravity of my decision and what it would mean for our SMILE families and team members and the seriousness of the situation.  I would like to say that I never wavered on my decision to run camp this summer or not, I did.  I did many times and then I thought of our campers and what it would mean to them to be able to be with their friends and to feel “normal” again in a world where a new “normal “ now exists.  

I thought about the SMILES that seeing their friends and counselors would bring to their faces and the laughter that would echo outside in the field and all around.  So, it was not a decision I came to lightly, but I feel for our camp, it is the right decision. We are very excited for what’s in store for SMILE. 

Our counselors have been very busy coming up with individual art and STEM projects that can be done and we have also researched “physical distance” activities and games. This will be a definite challenge and I truly believe that our SMILE team is up to the challenge. We have the ability to provide a fun and exciting camp experience without compromising the safety and health of our campers and SMILE team members.  

Over the next few weeks, we will be talking about our ideas on our facebook page and I will be releasing the Policies and Procedures we will be putting in place for our 2020 SMILE Season later this week. 

 I just wanted to take a moment to explain to you that we are taking the this task very seriously and that the health and safety of everyone is paramount but, we (Thomas, camp counselors and I) feel that we are up to the challenge and that our campers will truly benefit from in such a positive way, from a NEW, SAFE, and HEALTHY summer camp experience.  I found that there are many opinions on the decision to run camp but I found this information to support my decision to run it very helpful.

At the same time, the immediate risk of adults contracting COVID-19 infections must be balanced against the long-term mental health risks of keeping children in indefinite quarantine, and the added angst imposed on our children from the uncertainty surrounding cessation of basic childhood routines such as attending school daily.

In addition to providing an opportunity for kids to return to a normal state of being, summer camps allow children to maintain normal psychosocial development by acclimating to a new group of peers, making new friends, learning how to ask for help from others, and taking new manageable risks without the safety net of parental supervision

I'm a pediatrician-and-a-parent-we-should-send-our-kids-to-a summer-camp/

Finally, I wanted to share my own experience as a parent.  This is not to sway anyone in any way but to give you the benefit of my own interaction with my child.

My family and I have done our part to “stay in place and flatten the curve”  but we miss the social interaction with others and our daughters miss their friends.  This will change this summer, our youngest will be going to a sleep away camp.  I will make sure that they will be following ALL of the CDC and ACA guidelines before I kiss her goodbye for the duration of her camp experience.  We had a conversation about her decision and her words to me were “ I would rather be prepared than paranoid.” 

These were very powerful words to me as a parent.  She is a healthy, strong, lively 13 year old girl who has altered my perspective on our current situation in a few words.  No, she does not have any health conditions that we have to be concerned about, thank goodness.  This is her view on the current situation and it makes me proud as a parent to know that in her heart of hearts she is trusting us to keep her safe and healthy because we have and we continue to make sure she has all of the tools she may need.  She does not harbor any fear or concern for her well-being.  She isn’t supposed to.  Her deepest concerns should be getting her school work done, doing chores, Zoom calls, Snapchat, Face- timing with her friends, or watching the latest Tik-Tok.  For this, I am extremely grateful.