CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — As the school year winds down, summer camps are busy getting ready to help keep kids active and engaged this summer.
Summer vacation is right around the corner, and enrollment at summer camps across the area seems to be extra hot this season.
Camps like ones at Harrisburg Academy are ready to welcome kids with plenty of activities lined up following an unusual year for students.
Harrisburg Academy has been fortunate enough to offer in-person learning for students this entire school year. Head of School Adrian Allan said they are more than ready to give kids a traditional camp experience this summer.
“A lot of parents have kids who have missed out on some of the social activities and interacting with each other, so I am always super excited to see kids running around...and the fact that they are doing things, getting ready for summer and school next year. But also getting back into the feeling of reading books and learning," Allan said.
Faculty at Harrisburg Academy agreed that summer reading should be a big component to keep kids engaged this summer -- saying a little bit can go a long way.
“Biggest thing for parents is to model reading in their own house; if they’re showing they are active readers, chances are their kids will be life-long readers themselves…and also letting the kids choose what they want to read is super important as well," Librarian Melissa Behm said.
She encourages kids to try and get at least 20 minutes of active reading in a day, it can even be while traveling with reading billboards or out at the grocery store.
Summer camp at Harrisburg Academy runs from June 14 through August 6. Early drop-off starts at 7 a.m. and late pick-up is at 5:30 p.m.
Allan said they'll have some safety measures in place for campers and instructors. While indoors, social distancing will be encouraged as well as wearing a mask. He said these guidelines are what allowed them to have in-person learning this school year.
Summer camp enrollment opportunities are still available and you can register for them online.
You can find more information about Harrisburg Academy and their summer camp options here.
The FDA expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 12 through 15 earlier this month. There's a chance some kids could have their shots by the time summer camp starts. The CDC has been encouraging kids to get vaccinated.
