TOLEDO, Ohio — Camps are a great way to keep kids entertained during the summer, but COVID-19 is forcing some organizations to reevaluate how they'll handle their in-person programs.
The summer camp program at Imagination Station, Toledo's Science Center is one of the most popular every year.
The center hosts six different camps from June to August with 40 kids per week. Campers ages 6-13 spend a week experimenting, problem solving or designing.
"You pull in summer camp and visits and it's several thousand people that we typically would see in the summer," said Kate Pixler, Communications Director at Imagination Station. "I think it is a very great revenue stream for us."
Their staff is brainstorming alternatives with social distancing in mind, meanwhile closely monitoring recommendations by state agencies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"How many students can we have in one room? Do we need to split them into multiple rooms and do smaller numbers?" Pixler said. "I think in our mind if we possibly can do it, then we will, because we understand that as parents go back to work this summer, they're going to need camps and places for their kids to go."
The University of Toledo canceled its Summer 2020 Kids Camp program because of COVID-19 but they're considering options that aren't in-person such as virtual programming that will be interactive and engaging. The university said they'll be using Zoom, WebEx, and social media for their virtual programs. An email will be released in the coming weeks with a programming schedule and participation details.
Imagination Station is considering a virtual option as well and is reaching out to other science centers to see what that might entail.
"We know summer camp is something people count on us for and we want to do the best we can to continue to provide that but do it in the best way we can," Pixler said.
Staff at the science center has been sewing masks with donated materials and making face shields with their 3-D printer.
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