The Eckville Recreation Board’s summer day camps are starting up next week.
The plan is to have the weekly summer camps will run for seven weeks beginning July 6, says Jodi Oslund, director of the Eckville Recreation Board.
Running in three hour increments from Monday to Thursday children ages four to six-years-old will attend the morning session from 9 a.m. to noon, while those aged seven to 12 will be part of the afternoon group from 12:45 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Registration must be done by email to recreation_eckville@hotmail.com as no registration will be taken through Facebook.
Email registrations must include the week you would like to attend as the subject, with the body containing the first and second choices for which weeks you want to attend, name and age of your children, your name and cell phone number, as well as if your child has any additional medical or physical limitations or restrictions.
The name of a friend they would like to attend with may also be included.
Families with children in both age groups wishing to attend together should state this preference in their email.
Cut off for registration is the Friday before each camp and each week will be capped at 10-15 kids.
“So this Friday [July 3] is the cut off for registration for the camp that starts Monday to Thursday,” explained Oslund.
If there are any openings for the week available they will be opened up on Sunday night.
Food is not able to be served or be incorporated into the camp this year so parents are asked to pack a nut free snack their kids are able to open and eat on their own. Packing their own water bottle is also encouraged to prevent the use of the water fountain.
The camp will have three supervisors this year with help from Eckville’s FCSS.
“We’ll have one person designated for all of the administration and additional cleaning and monitoring and whatnot and then two supervisors doing more of the programming,” explained Oslund.
This year the camp will be taking less field trips, such as to the splash park, and will be staying within the arena and area due to the three hour time constraints.
Oslund says high quality, engaging activities such as games and crafts.
“[It will be] the same camp activities as before… and even camp activities that can last more than one day, so if we have a craft or something going on we have the whole week with the same kids which has never happened before for us,” she said, adding they can do projects that progress with the kids over the course of the week.
“I do think it’s going to be in someways, in my opinion, it’s actually an opportunity to make it even better.”
The camps will be adhering to Alberta Health Services guidelines and parents are asked to take their child’s temperature each day before camp and to remind them physical distancing and to try to stay six feet away from their friends.
Weekly cohort groups will be maintained weekly and drop-in is not allowed. Children who are sick or showing symptoms will be unable to attend.
A fee of $10 per week will be accepted as cash only on the first day of camp, Monday of your respective week. It is a set fee for the week regardless of how many days your child attends.
More information about the summer day camps can be found on the Eckville Recreation, Arts and Culture Facebook page.