While COVID-19 postponed many typical summer activities for kids, a new summer camp is planned in the Poconos.
"We've actually been creating videos and doing other distance learning with the different schools that are out there. We've also been trying to build our YouTube page and our Facebook page and provide the kids with videos and other learning opportunities from a distance," said environmental educator Alesia Gallo.
Now that restrictions are easing, educators are excited to announce a new summer camp program.
'We've done a similar program in the past over the summers called Kettle Creek for Kids. This one is obviously going to be quite different because we're dealing with a pandemic."
The new three-week program called Summer Sessions is for kids ages 3 to 14.
"The ages of the children attending the program will coordinate what we're going to be teaching them."
Kids will be broken down into age groups 3 to 6, 7 to 10, and 11 to 14. Each age group can have up to 10 kids in the program.
"The 3 to 6 year olds, we ask that one parent attends with them so that does limit that age grouping to about five children," Gallo said.
Gallo tells us that sanitation, social distancing, and other safety measures will be taken to keep kids and educators safe.
"We're going to try to institute masks being worn amongst all participants. We're going to go with taking temperatures and our staff, of course, is going to be screened every day."
Over the course of the three-week program, kids will explore the bog, insects, and trails at Kettle Creek. This program can help get kids outside who may have been cooped up due to the coronavirus.
"I think with the kids, all of this is a little odd to them as, of course, it is to us, but even a little scary for them. So just giving them a little slice of normal life again, I think that's really important here."
Each session costs $5.
"I recommend they visit the home page of our website first. Click to the link to the summer sessions. There is a full chart kind of like this available and it has the entire list of the programs we're doing right now," Gallo said.
The first session is June 16. You're asked to call 570-629-3061 to register ahead of time due to the limited availability.
