Many Chattanooga area day camps are now in operation, with the majority that chose to open amid the COVID-19 pandemic starting their programs in late June or early July.
Rather than shut down for the season, those camps that opened opted to scale back their operations, such as decreasing the number of available slots and eliminating activities and canceling programs that make social distancing difficult, in order to prevent spread of the virus.
Kyrstin Hill, Creative Discovery Museum marketing and communications manager, said the museum typically holds at least 10 camps per summer, but has reduced its offerings to seven camps this year.
Some camps were canceled due to their timing at the beginning of the summer while the museum was still closed. Programs for which creating physical distance among participants would be more difficult – such as cooking camps, and one session of its inclusive camp for school-aged children with disabilities and their mainstream peers – also were eliminated.
Spots are still available in four of the six remaining camps scheduled for this summer, which would be unusual for a typical summer, Hill said. The inclusive camps have always sold out in previous years, and the other programs have usually filled up as well, she said.