Local Summer “Day Camp” Options

This summer will likely look extremely different than a typical summer in Portland due to COVID-19. Portland Parks and Recreation have announced that their scheduled summer camps will not open this summer (portlandoregon.gov, 2020). However, Governor Brown released a statement on May 15^th that states that, under certain conditions, some day camps will be allowed (oregonhealthauthority.com, 2020). Safety precautions include keeping a maximum group size of 10 kids, providing extra handwashing and sanitizing stations, health checks for kids and staff, and many other regulations. Some programs that would typically be in-person camps have modified their offerings to virtual programs. Some local summer camps have customized their programs, hours, and safety measures so that they can still offer in-person day camps.

Trackers PDX-

Trackers is a program that promotes kids getting involved in nature and outdoor adventure. They have been operating since 2004 and have received several awards for “best summer camp,” “best after-school classes” and an award from the American Camp Association for “creative programming” (trackerspdx.com, 2020). Trackers released an update on summer camp offerings on 5/21/20 that states they will offer day-camps with safety precautions. 

They also have three online summer camp options 1) “backyard classroom” 2) “trackers kids” and 3) “trackers skills.” The online programs will provide interactive, educational experiences with their guides and outdoor activities that relate to common core standards. Trackers usual overnight camping programs are on hold for now as they are “anticipating possible new guidance from the Oregon Health Authority.”

Ideas for keeping campers safe include: each camper having their own assigned equipment that is sanitized daily, asking campers to wear masks when socially distancing is not possible, and asking families to check their kiddo’s temperature daily before attending in-person camps.

Little Medical School-

I just recently learned about the most amazing program called: Little Medical School. This program is available in some states across the U.S. and has programs available for the Portland/Bend area. 

The purpose of “Little Medical School” is to educate kiddos ages 1-14 about general health in different fields. They offer different courses like 1) veterinary school 2) nurse school 3) doctor school 4) sports medicine school 5) pharmacy school or 6) dental school (littlemedicalschool.com, 2020). They even offer a “new sibling” class so that kids can be ready to help when a new sibling is expected. 

Little Medical School have courses based in Portland, and although they are not in-person camps this summer, they have a few virtual camp options: 1) Doctors veterinarian camp 2) doctor’s sports medicine camp 3) doctor’s pediatrician camp. Some of these options come with an “educational kit” to accompany the virtual camps. The camps are $119 for a 5-day week or $11.90 an hour. All the classes have their own set of available sessions. 

Here is the link to registration if you are interested. Little Medical School also has a very informative Facebook page relating to their offerings and updated information.

Mazamas Program-

The Mazamas program/camp was founded in 1894! The program revolves around Mt. Hood and outdoor adventure. Mazamas refers to their program as “mountaineering education” and offer activities such as rock climbing, mountaineering, snow and ice climbing, skiing, and hiking (mazamas.org, 2017). They have altered their summer camp plans, but they still have options/available spots for day camps. Some of their day camp availabilities include: “wild hunters and gatherers,” “wild plants and pollinators,” “wild artists and dreamers” and “wild mountains and exploration.” 

Here is the link to registration.

Portland Children’s Museum-

Although the Portland Children’s Museum is currently closed, registration for PCM’s summer camp programs is now open. The day camps will be offered during July and August. There are two types of day camps available: Museum Camp for ages 4-7 and Adventure Camp for ages 8-10. Some of the fun options for classes include: “clay inventors,” “fossil investigators,” “creative heroes,” “mystery explorers,” and more. The website states that PCM will absolutely follow Governor Brown’s safety guidelines for day camps. The cost is $305 per week.

Zenger Farm Camps-

“Zenger Farm Camp” is taking the entire month of June to modify their day camp program to fit COVID-19 guidelines, but July-August 28th, they are open for day camp. The day camp is open to students who are starting 2^nd grade up to 6^th graders. Their program is called “Farm Fun Camp 2020.” The activities include 1) taking care of and eating plants, 2) taking care of chickens, and 3) exploring wetlands where dragonflies and tadpoles reside. 

The price varies between $50-$550 and is dependent on a sliding scale. The website urges families to see what their payment would be on their “sliding scale” link as Step 1, and then proceed to registration. 

Here is the registration link.

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These are just a few options. I am confident that more choices will become available due to the recent announcement about day camps in Oregon. 

If you had a specific establishment or program in mind for day camp, I would encourage you to keep checking back with their websites/social media pages. I think many of our local day camp options will be happy to proceed if/when they can alter their offerings to fit safety guidelines. I have noticed a theme in my research that sometimes websites are not current in their information, but their social media pages seem to be current through daily posts. 

I am thrilled to see these organizations adapting to our “new normal.” It is awesome that our kids will have day camps available to them rather than the sole option of quarantine. 

Best of luck to you all in keeping your kids busy and engaged over the summer!