WINDSOR, ONT. -- The Town of Essex will launch in-person summer day camps on Monday, July 6, with COVID-19 modifications in place.
"Our check-in and check-out procedure will be all curbside. Parents will go through a check-in list and then a declaration of health," says Cynthia Cakebread, manager of Recreation and Culture for the Town of Essex.
Day camps in Ontario are allowed to operate under stage one of the province’s reopening plan. However most camps in the Windsor-Essex region opted to cancel camps for the summer or go completely virtual.
Town staff credit the physical-distance friendly nature of the Essex Recreation Complex for the opportunity to become the first area in the region to begin in-person camps.
"We have double facilities for bathrooms and change rooms. We have a double gym that we’re able to corner off," says Cakebread.
Typically, the building hosts 75 to 100 children each day for summer camps. Given the Covid-19 restrictions in place, capacity has drastically reduced to 16 participants. Campers will be split into groups of eight; a blue and a gold group that will remain separated for the duration of the camp.
"They’ll enter in and be banded as participant in our program by their color cohort. Basically there are different access points for play, all coded by color," Cakebread explains.
Children will have access to the pool and outdoor field. However, traditional camp games like tag that may require physical interaction or equipment will be avoided.
"We’ve talked about doing charades, Simon-Says type of games, running or mini-competition games."
Registration for Town of Essex summer camps will only be available by phone at 519-776-8992.
The of City of Windsor will offer five weeks of modified day camps for kids ages three to 14 from August 4 to September 4 at the WFCU Centre and Capri Pizzeria Complex, subject to demand for the program.
