As the number of COVID-19 positive cases continue to decrease across New York State, many families are wondering how to resume activities in their children’s lives. We spoke with Catherine Spaulding, MD, a pediatrician at Mount Sinai Urgent Care, to get advice on how parents can safely host playdates, have children attend summer camp, and otherwise get their children outdoors.
Overnight camps have officially been cancelled in New York State for this summer. What precautions should parents take if they are sending children to a day camp?
The New York Health Department has laid out a number of measures for day camps and other child care facilities to follow to ensure children’s safety. These steps include but are not limited to social distancing practices—such as having fewer campers together at a time—staggering drop off and pick up times, limiting non-essential employees and visitors to the camp, and mandating that all employees and campers wear a face mask when they are less than six feet apart. Other mandatory practices include enhanced cleaning and hygiene practices, improved access to hand sanitizer throughout the camp, and encouragement of frequent hand washing during the day.
Camps are also required to screen all employees, vendors, visitors, and children for symptoms or known exposure to a person with confirmed COVID-19 within the past 14 days. However, you can also keep your children and others safe by watching for signs of illness in your child. If you think they are getting sick for any reason, keep them at home, inform the camp, and talk with your doctor about next steps.
For more information about day camps in New York, check out these guidelines from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
How can parents safely organize playdates and trips to the playground?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends against playdates with children from other homes. However, if you choose to host a playdate, it is best to keep the group of kids as small as possible. Encourage outdoor playtime and handwashing for at least 20 seconds with soap and water throughout the day, especially after being in a public setting such as a playground. If the playdate involves transportation, try to space the kids as far from one another as possible in the car and drive with the windows down. As in any public space, it is always recommended that any child above the age of two wears a face covering.
Now that larger gatherings are allowed, can children attend birthday parties, cookouts, or other get-togethers?
Large gatherings are safest if they can be held outdoors and if social distancing is respected. A face covering should be worn, and everyone should use hand sanitizer or wash hands frequently throughout the event. If your child has any signs of illness, such as a cough or fever, they should stay home and avoid contact with other children. If you are hosting an event, it may be helpful to talk with other parents beforehand and encourage them to keep their kids at home if they have any symptoms.
Also, it is important to keep in mind that different parts of New York are in different phases of reopening, which changes the number of people allowed at one time. For instance, Phase One allowed ten-person gatherings while in Phase Three allows up to 25 people to gather. Before organizing any event, find out what phase of reopening your region is currently in on the New York Forward site.
If parents are uncomfortable connecting with other families for playdates or get-togethers, what outdoor activities can parents arrange to keep their children active?
Keeping your kids active and promoting time outdoors is really important for their physical and mental health. Outdoor activities such as riding a bike, going for a walk or run, or taking a hike are great ways to keep your children healthy and safe while simultaneously encouraging physical activity. It is best to avoid group activities like basketball or football since these sports require close contact with other kids. However, kicking a soccer ball around is a great option for outdoor play—just remember to wipe the ball clean before and after use.
For more ideas about how to safely engage in outdoor activities, check out this piece from HealthyChildren.org, a website from the American Academy of Pediatricians.