RI Camps Gear Up For Summer Fun Amid Coronavirus Restrictions

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI — Chelsey Dumas spent almost the entire spring planning for a summer that was far from guaranteed.

The North Kingstown Recreation Director said she never stopped working out contingencies from the time the spring programs were postponed, then eventually nixed or moved to the fall, to May 14 when Gov. Gina Raimondo made the announcement that summer camps would be allowed in RI this year despite the coronavirus health crisis.

"We stuck it out," Dumas said. "We continued to plan as the state guidelines changed. In some cases, we knew we were planning just to have to cancel those plans. But, basically, we planned with summer camp in our heads like: 'It's going to happen. It's got to happen. We've got to do this.'"

While towns like North Kingstown and East Greenwich chose to postpone, and not cancel, summer camp registration early in May when it looked like camps were a long shot to get the green light, Barrington took what at the time seemed like a more pragmatic approach toward the idea of possibly bringing groups of children and teens together on the heels of three months of school building closings due to virus concerns.

"We initially didn't think we were going to have camps," allowed Barrington Recreation Director Michele Geremia. "Then a few weeks ago the town council voted (June 8) that we should run camps, so we've been playing catch up every day since."

By the time, Gov. Raimondo released the guidelines for summer camps on May 22, North Kingstown and East Greenwich were already putting out notices to parents that the summer fun would be on starting June 29, even if it will look a bit different under the CDC and state restrictions for group interactions and social distancing.

"We paid attention to what she was saying so we had an idea in our minds what the guidelines would be based on our best guess," Dumas said. "Our summer camps are scaled way back from what they used to be anyway. Then, based on what they said when the guidelines came out, we made a few more tweaks."

The result was some sports camps — such as softball — moved from the spring and summer to the fall, with a focus on more individual skill development sports camps such as basketball, tennis and track. The field hockey camp was revamped to be more about skills and drills than games.

Because of the uncertain schedule when entertainment businesses would be available across the state as part of the phased reopening, roller skating and trampoline park field trips were canceled.

"We don't want to take away from the kids too much so we are doing the best we can," Dumas said. "Some parents are asking a lot of questions about how we're doing it, and the registrations are a little less than normal. But we had to cut back our numbers, so it's evened out."

Still, Dumas said the North Kingstown staff has increased from about 25 to 35 due to the added restrictions and responsibilities.

"The staff has been great with all the changes," she said. "They are all in on the adjustments across the board. We have a lot of returners and they've responded to anything we've asked of them. They just want to serve the community."

Groups of children ages 5 and older will be limited to 15 people or fewer. Groups must be stable, meaning the same groups of children are together each day. These groups cannot be combined for pick-up, drop-off or other activities, such as time on the playground or sports. Children must stay in the same groups for the entirety of the session.

While social distancing is recommended, it is not required within stable groups. Children within groups can play close together, though 14 feet of space is recommended between separate groups.

Geremia said that Barrington is offering one, four-week Camp Endeavor and Good Kids Camp with a maximum of 13 participants, compared to most years when a weekly camp could have up to 20. Barrington is also running a tennis program with staggered arrival times to allow for greater enrollment and still satisfy guidelines.

"Even with the lower numbers the registration has been slow (for the four-week camps)," said Geremia, who has openings left in all camps that begin on July 7. "The tennis has had a lot more interest. It seems like the idea of an hour-and-a-half outside in the fresh air is what parents were looking for this year."

Barrington canceled its basketball camp.

"How do you play basketball and stay 6 feet apart?" Geremia reasoned. "It's made everything a little more challenging."

Dumas said in North Kingstown camps will close for the day if extended rain is expected.

"All the inside restrictions are much different," said Dumas, who is bringing in the North Kingstown Fire Department to teach the staff about temperature checks and having extra meetings to go over all the extra sanitizing protocols. "We will be monitoring everything, and if something changes we'll be in touch with the parents. We are looking forward to having the kids outside and engaging them as safely as we can."

Geremia said in Barrington that each camper will have their own arts and crafts kit in a vinyl bag that they will maintain as theirs for the full four weeks of the camp, and that while they have access to the library if it rains, the hope is to spend as much time outside as possible.

"It took some creative thinking," she said. "But we're feeling good about how we're going to be able to manage it.

"We're glad we're running camp this year and feel that the kids will benefit from participating," she concluded. "The kids will enjoy seeing their friends. That's the thing they enjoy the most anyway."