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A Healthy Camp Starts at Home!
A healthy camp really does start at home. Here are some things you can do to assure your child has a great summer camp experience.
- When children show signs of illness, keep them home. This greatly reduces the spread of illness at camp. Be aware of your camp’s criteria for inclusion in camp.
- Teach your child to sneeze in his/her sleeve, and to wash his/her hands often at camp.
- Closed-toed shoes are a requirement for activities such as sports and hiking. This will help avoid slips, trips, and falls, which could cause injuries. Stress to your child the importance of wearing closed-toed shoes to prevent a toe, foot, and/or ankle injury.
- Send enough clothes so your child can wear layers. Mornings can be chilly and by afternoon it will be hot. This enables your child to peel his/her layers off as the weather warms.
- Fatigue plays a part in injuries. If children are going to day camp, ensure they get enough rest at night. If children are going to resident camp, explain that camp is not like a sleepover. Explain to your child that he/she should not try to stay up all night!
- Don’t forget to send sunscreen, and instruct your child how to use sunscreen.
- Please send a reusable water bottle. Your child can refill it frequently during their camp stay. Staying hydrated is very important in the summer.
- The American Camp Association’s® parent-dedicated Web site, www.CampParents.org, provides a wide range of educational resources to help parents make good health-related decisions for children.
Building a partnership between you and the camp staff is essential for your child to have the best camp experience possible this summer!Download Healthy Camp Parent Flyer