Summer day camps see influx of children
A splash in the pool, a dash of sunshine, games, classes and more were offered at various summer camps in Butler County this year, and hundreds of children showed up to partake.
According to directors of Camp Alameda, Camp Breakthrough, the Butler YMCA Day Camp and Kids on Campus at Butler County Community College, the number of students rose significantly compared to previous years.
Christina Braden, School Age Director at the YMCA, said her staff of 10 at the location on North Washington Street has overseen 90 children this summer.
“We plan for 90 in our program; we’ve serviced around 100 families this year,” she said. “At our Karns City location we had 10 children, and at South Butler we served 79 families. Those picked up this year, and we were very pleased with that.”
Braden’s team of counselors adapted to the large numbers of students through organization of groups and activities, she said.
“We’re very aware of which kids are the same age, and group them with friends,” she said. “For those in child care, we understand the social aspect.”
Nick Yannotty, director and founder of Breakthrough Butler, was blown away by the numbers he saw in his first year running a camp.
“I’ll be honest, we averaged about 40 to 50 kids, and we thought it’d be a success,” he said. “We have 85 to 90 a day coming.”
He added that his staff of nearly 20 allowed him to adjust to the increase in campers.
“I was blessed to have a good team. We would have been overstaffed, but we were overprepared, and the kids made it worthwhile,” he said.
For Frank Masi, program manager at Alameda Park, his team was unsure of what the summer would bring as far as attendance.
“We have close to 100 kids; there is more on the wait list,” he said. “We have eight full-time counselors. We can’t have more kids due to the staff we have.”
Days at Camp Alameda typically consist of swimming; organized games, such as kickball, soccer and basketball; and attractions, such as petting zoos and science demonstrations.
With camp ending next week, Masi said, having more students created opportunities for new activities. He said the height of the COVID-19 pandemic may have encouraged parents to enroll their children.
“Coming out of COVID, people are tired of being cooped up, that’s my guess,” he said.
Kids on Campus led kindergarten through sixth-grade students in STEM and robotics camps; art camps; sewing and cooking classes; and more until July 29. Coordinator Eva Lowerre said classes also had a waitinglist.
“We had 14 to 15 kids per class this year, with a teacher and assistant in each (one),” Lowerre said. “We tried to have controlled numbers because of COVID, and didn’t allow as many students. We had a wait list for most camps.”
The YMCA Day Camp kept children engaged in learning with swimming, art, games, STEM and music throughout the summer —the last camp will be Friday. Braden said she and her staff noticed some effects from the pandemic.
“COVID hindered socialization with kids — this comes with some behaviors that show they’re not used to interacting with other kids,” Braden said. “We were coaching them, and showing them how to interact with peers.”
Most directors agreed with Braden that the start of the pandemic could have resulted in lower camp attendance across the board in 2020.
“During COVID, our enrollment was still pretty high — between 80 and 100 families. I think people are getting more comfortable and want children to be involved in activities,” Braden said. “People are getting jobs and need care for their children during the day.”
Yannotty said the goal of Camp Breakthrough was to alleviate isolation experienced by children. The program is organized much like others, with outside play time, meals, and field trips to the Butler Farm Show or blueberry picking, as part of the excitement for children age 5 to 14 years old.
“(Camp) is to provide a safe space for all youth regardless of background, learn valuable life skills and healthy relationships, and find who you are,” he said.
Yannotty said though numbers skyrocketed unexpectedly for most camps, it brought great opportunities.
“Coming into it we thought 30 to 35 would be a success, 50 to 60 would be a dream,” Yannotty said. “This is the crux of everything we’re doing — building positivity and growing as a person; wanting to build something special; build friendships; and also (to) learn and grow.”
