Y Camp returns on Monday
This year's Y Camp program will run from June 28 to August 20. Sign up forms can be found on the YMCA website, or at the Norwich YMCA facility. (Submitted photo)
NORWICH — The YMCA is bringing back their annual camp program, held at Camp Thompson, which starts Monday June 28.
This year the camp is doing away with overnight camp, and is instead focusing on day camps and getting kids back outside after a year of staying in.
"We're expecting a good amount of participation knowing that kids have been masked up, inside, isolated, potentially online or in the classroom with shields and six feet apart," said YMCA Executive Director Jamey Mullen. "The kids are definitely gonna be able to be kids, and that's a huge thing."
Children between Kindergarten and eighth grade can attend Y Camp. Kids should be dropped off at the YMCA no later than 8:45 a.m. Buses begin to leave around 9 a.m., and children will be back to the building around 4:30 p.m.
The camp program will run for eight weeks, and each week will have its own theme, including nature week, water palooza, mad science, adventureland, and more.
Mullen said the camp will also have several standard camp activities for the kids to enjoy.
"It's gonna be outdoor, fresh air, camp appropriate activities with hiking, boating, and swimming, and we’ve got our different sports fields, and different games that we'll be introducing. You know we just think the kids will really gravitate to it and appreciate it and enjoy it, knowing that they're with their friends again," said Mullen.
To register your child for camp, Mullen said all the required forms can be found online at www.norwichymca.com, or at the YMCA facility in Norwich.
"Our camp applications and forms are online. So parents, you know, you are required to complete necessary paperwork that we’re required to have on all campers, you just can’t show up and say here you go jump on the bus. So we do have those forms on our website. We also have them right here at the lobby, at the front desk," he said.
He also stated that the Y Camp usually tries to provide field trips as well, but this year they will be attempting to bring the field trips to the kids.
"Normally we try to do some field trips, but we're gonna try to bring the field trips to the kids this year. You know maybe like a zoo mobile or a bounce house. Something to bring to the kids so we can cut down on our transportation and cut down on the kids being out," said Mullen.
The Y Camp will run until August 20 this year, according to Mullen. After that, he said the YMCA will be returning to its Enrichment Childcare Program.
"The final two weeks, two and half weeks, before school starts the kids come back to the YMCA and we start up our childcare program again here, our Enrichment Childcare Program," said Mullen. "But as of this Friday the childcare enrichment program we’ve been running since COVID started on March 16 will kind of stop, and we’ll segue over to summer camp, run that for eight weeks out at camp and then they come back to the Y again. And you know we’ll do full day childcare at the Y until school starts back up again."
For Mullen, the start of Y Camp signals that the world is on its way to getting back to normal.
"We're definitely excited," he said. "Cause it's almost a sign or a step that we're getting back to some normalcy, so we're pretty excited about that."
This year the camp is doing away with overnight camp, and is instead focusing on day camps and getting kids back outside after a year of staying in.
"We're expecting a good amount of participation knowing that kids have been masked up, inside, isolated, potentially online or in the classroom with shields and six feet apart," said YMCA Executive Director Jamey Mullen. "The kids are definitely gonna be able to be kids, and that's a huge thing."
Children between Kindergarten and eighth grade can attend Y Camp. Kids should be dropped off at the YMCA no later than 8:45 a.m. Buses begin to leave around 9 a.m., and children will be back to the building around 4:30 p.m.
The camp program will run for eight weeks, and each week will have its own theme, including nature week, water palooza, mad science, adventureland, and more.
Mullen said the camp will also have several standard camp activities for the kids to enjoy.
"It's gonna be outdoor, fresh air, camp appropriate activities with hiking, boating, and swimming, and we’ve got our different sports fields, and different games that we'll be introducing. You know we just think the kids will really gravitate to it and appreciate it and enjoy it, knowing that they're with their friends again," said Mullen.
To register your child for camp, Mullen said all the required forms can be found online at www.norwichymca.com, or at the YMCA facility in Norwich.
"Our camp applications and forms are online. So parents, you know, you are required to complete necessary paperwork that we’re required to have on all campers, you just can’t show up and say here you go jump on the bus. So we do have those forms on our website. We also have them right here at the lobby, at the front desk," he said.
He also stated that the Y Camp usually tries to provide field trips as well, but this year they will be attempting to bring the field trips to the kids.
"Normally we try to do some field trips, but we're gonna try to bring the field trips to the kids this year. You know maybe like a zoo mobile or a bounce house. Something to bring to the kids so we can cut down on our transportation and cut down on the kids being out," said Mullen.
The Y Camp will run until August 20 this year, according to Mullen. After that, he said the YMCA will be returning to its Enrichment Childcare Program.
"The final two weeks, two and half weeks, before school starts the kids come back to the YMCA and we start up our childcare program again here, our Enrichment Childcare Program," said Mullen. "But as of this Friday the childcare enrichment program we’ve been running since COVID started on March 16 will kind of stop, and we’ll segue over to summer camp, run that for eight weeks out at camp and then they come back to the Y again. And you know we’ll do full day childcare at the Y until school starts back up again."
For Mullen, the start of Y Camp signals that the world is on its way to getting back to normal.
"We're definitely excited," he said. "Cause it's almost a sign or a step that we're getting back to some normalcy, so we're pretty excited about that."
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