Solo, Yet Together

During this COVID season, summer camps will not be the same for school-agers or the staff who supervise them. Here are some safe, socially-distanced activities that tap in to the joy of friendships and connecting in the good 'ole summertime.

General tips

• Find shade or create a canopy of shade to make extended outside, distanced time more comfortable.
• Take as many indoor activities outside as possible, weather permitting.
• Assign each school-ager their own beach towel, water bottle, and mask. Using the oversized towel will help students space appropriately. It may help for each youth to have their own set of art supplies--scissors, crayons, chalk, pencil--and one koosh ball, hacky-sac, fidget toy, or pair of rolled socks.
• Many of these activities are playground invitations. Rotate in small groups rather than waiting in line for a whole group to complete an experience.
• The following list of ideas are simply idea starters. Instructions for most are easily available with an Internet search. Most can be varied according to setting and developmental age of child and schedule of program. Where specific instructions are available from Better Kid Care, a link is included.
• Updated guidance from the CDC--"Children's paperback books, like other paper-based materials such as mail or envelopes, are not considered a high risk for transmission and do not need additional procedures for cleaning or disinfection" (CDC, 2021).

Experiences

1. Jump the river--draw two lines that get increasingly farther apart. Challenge youth to start at the point and move down the river, jumping over the lines.
2. Ladder moves--draw a ladder and invite children to run tip toe/jump/hop in between the rungs. Make the ladder LONG, so two or three children can be moving through the space and still be 6-feet apart. Add calisthenics challenges at certain rungs (like do ten jumping jacks or toe touches or spins). Balance tip-toe on the ladder long edge instead of jumping between the rungs. Youth can take turns calling out the moves for peers to practice.
3. Jump like an insect (or animal)--research how far a leaf hopper, cricket, or kangaroo can jump. Measure that distance and then try to jump that far. How many human jumps does it take to equal one cricket jump?
4. Quick catch--Broadcast upbeat music. Challenge students, using their personal koosh ball, to toss their ball up using their dominant hand and catch it using their non-dominant hand. Continue to toss between hands, increasing height of toss, tossing to the beat of the music. When this is easy, add a clap, toe touch, or spin between tosses. Some can toss under a leg or behind a back. Increase the challenge as youth perfect easier tossing tasks. Do for the length of a song.
5. 4-3-2-1--Set lanes and a distance. On command, have children navigate to the far end distance line, first supporting themselves with four body parts, return to the starting line (still in their own lane) using three body parts, next length traverse to the far end using two body parts, and the final length back to the starting line on one body part. Creativity encouraged!
6. Hopscotch
7. Interpretive, step, or ribbon dancing--Learn a contemporary style of dance that can be done with socially-distanced spacing.
8. Hula hoop--to music, keep track of personal records to number of completed revolutions or time in motion.
9. Croquet--flash back idea. An outdoor yard game with individual equipment and natural spacing.
10. Move and groove outside--In advance of reading a story out loud to a group, select a movement like "one mountain climber." Instruct kids to do that move when you say a key word from the story (a character's name, setting, something that was seen in an illustration). Adults might want to pick a word that has purpose in other programming. The movement could relate to the word, for instance, anytime any bird name is read youth can stand and flap wings/glide around the space like a bird.
11. Big bubbles--Get the big bubble how-to sheet here.
12. Push-up, line up--When students line up against the wall to transition to another area or activity, have each student face the wall and perform ten wall push-ups. After all students have completed the push-ups, the group can transition to the next experience or space.

We are very interested in what these dozen ideas might inspire in your youth. Take photos, post to your organization's social media pages, and tag Better Kid Care.

Acknowledgement

• Diane Craft, author with Craig Smith, of Active Play! Fun Physical Activities for Young Children
• Virginia Partnership for Out-of-School Time
• BKC author team
• Some experiences adapted from: "Active Learning Lessons with COVID-19 Modifications," Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families and Seattle Children's Research Institute.

References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). Guidance for Operating Child Care Programs during COVID-19.