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Thinking about what is safe for your children so they can enjoy a long, healthy summer? Dr. Hildred Machuca, pediatrician at Northwell Health Physician Partners/Westchester Health, offers information and guidance on some summer activities that kids can participate in. Westchester Health physicians are here to make sure the wellness of your family members is a top priority as you’re planning ahead.
Physical activity is key to supporting our children’s mental health needs as well as our own. The safest exercise is done outside. This is because of better ventilation and the ability to physically distance from others. The safest activities are walking, running, and hiking.
Team sports are risker because they require contact and close proximity between players. Contact sports make it difficult to maintain social distancing and high intensity activities can present increased risk of getting and spreading COVID. Intense breathing can cause respiratory droplets to travel further than they would normally. The length of time in close contact with other players is another factor. We all recognize that it is important for children to socialize and interact, so before ruling an activity in or out, check with the team coach to see what measures are in place to help decrease the risk. Steps such as minimizing equipment sharing, cleaning equipment after every use and hand hygiene prior, during and after play is crucial. Each player should have their own face mask, towel, water bottle, and hand sanitizer all labeled with their names. Training, practices and competitions should be held outside. Teams made up of local teammates are safer than bringing children from different geographical areas together, and minimizing travel is also important. Masks should always be worn during team sports, except for some such as swimming, wrestling and gymnastics where they can be a choking hazard.
With many team sports on hiatus for much of last year, please make sure your child is up to date on their physical and any other clearances to play. Find a pediatrician at Northwell Health Physician Partners/Westchester Health today to schedule an appointment.
For young kids at the playground, hand hygiene and cleaning toys—especially if shared—are critical.
If you’re considering going to the beach or pool, it is best to go earlier or later in the day when it may be less crowded. Water does not transmit the virus; no mask is needed while in the water. Maintain distance from other swimmers and wear your mask out of the water.
Camping as a family is a safe activity. It is best to take your own food and utensils and cleaning supplies. If you are camping with family members outside of your pod, or other families, make sure tents are six feet apart. Continue to follow guidelines for hand hygiene and masking.
What about day and sleep away camps? Is it possible for kids to attend camp?
It is possible, and depends on each family’s individual preferences and risk-tolerance. Last summer there were successful day camps. How did this happen? Mitigation measures such as wearing masks, social distancing, frequent handwashing, daily exposure and symptoms screening, and temperature checks, small cohorts such as less than 10 campers and 1 counselor as well as scheduled cleaning and education of staff and parents were the answers.
The same thing can happen at sleep away camps. A successful camp in Maine used a “multilayered” approach. This was made up of pre and post testing and quarantine, daily screenings and temperature checks, mask wearing, hand hygiene, maximal outdoor activities, small cohorts and environmental cleaning and disinfection. Other measures of note were staggering dining periods, dining outdoors, and cohort specific programming. Early identification of infection and how they manage this is also key.
It takes a lot of effort from the camps and a joint buy in from parents to try to keep camps as safe as possible so kids can attend. We strongly encourage you to reach out directly to a camp you’re considering for your child to learn the specific measures they will employ to keep campers and counselors safe and healthy. A comparison of multiple camps may help you put different options in perspective.
Camps may have specific requirements for check-ups, immunizations and other medical care. Find a Northwell Health Physician Partners/Westchester Health pediatrician to ensure your child’s screenings and other requirements are up to date.
What about travel?
The CDC and experts are still discouraging non-essential travel. It comes to down to your personal decision, and whether or not it is worth it for your family, especially if your child is high risk or others in the household are. If you do decide to travel, traveling as a pod in your car is the best option. You can do day trips. If you go to amusement or water parks or any other destination, you want to avoid crowds and maintain social distancing—especially while on lines—and continue to wear your mask. Outdoor activities are always preferable. If you decide to fly, flights should be direct and as short as possible. Wear a double mask and practice good hand hygiene throughout the trip. We are also now dealing with variants, and traveling spreads them from one area to another which makes it more difficult to get the pandemic under control. The expectation is that more people will be vaccinated and trials are now underway for children so that hopefully we can all get back to life as we once knew it.
If you are considering any of the above summer activities for your child or your family, please check for the latest CDC guidelines, as they can change rapidly as the pandemic continues to evolve. We are all hopeful that they continue to change in a positive direction!
The pediatricians at Northwell Health Physician Partners/Westchester Health are here to help you keep your children and family healthy and safe while enjoying the summer. Find a pediatrician near you at https://www.westchesterhealth.com/pediatrics/providers.
To find a physician for any of Northwell Health Physician Partners/Westchester Health’s specialties, click here. For more information about Westchester Health, click here.
