Summer camps are taking place at Twist and Flip Gymnastics with a number of new regulations (CHAT NEWS)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Summer camps bring fun, friendships and new normal amid COVID-19

Jul 10, 2020 | 5:53 PM

REDCLIFF AB- At Twist & Flip Gymnastics, it’s another exciting day of summer camp, where kids as young as five learn how to jump, use the balance beam and take part in activities. But before the campers hit the beam and have some fun, stringent precautions are put in place from temperature checks at the door, a mandatory COVID-19 questionnaire and enhanced disinfecting throughout the facility.

It’s a new normal for summer campers, and operators alike. With overnight camps prohibited, day camps are a viable option for kids seeking summer activities. At Twist & Flip Gymnastics the budding gymnasts are required to wash their hands before and after they enter the gym and once the youngsters have their hands washed, each of them are assigned to a little circular marker on the gym floor to maintain physical distancing. The number of campers has also dipped to help with the physical distancing requirements. The province recently upped the maximun number of day campers to 50 but McMullen is keeping on the safe side.

“When the health guidelines first came out it was only 10 for summer camps and because of COVId-19 we wanted to do a soft opening, because it is a lot of work, lots of protocols in place to keep everyone safe, our customers and our staff. So right now we are doing eight kids and two staff, so we are still within that Stage 1 even though we are allowed 50.”

And that’s not the only change at gymnastics camp this year,

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While the kids jump, balance, and climb, all staff are donning masks, an extra precaution taken at the gymnastics facility to keep everyone safe.

At White Dragon Karate in Redcliff, extra steps are involved so kids can take part and learn about the Martial Art.

“Being a dojo we have always been very sanitary, but we have stepped it up a little bit from there, by bringing in Lysol wipes, and baby wipes and hand sanitizer at the doors and making sure parents take temperatures before they come to class or to day camps to make sure that no one is sick,” said Shawn Harris, Sensei at White Dragon Karate.

Harris said the campers are obedient to the new normal for the most part.

“They are really good. I mean they are children so there is a little touching going on, but for the most part we keep under control, and they are really decent about it,” he said.

The camp, like Twist & Flip Gymnastics has also limited the numbers of participants to ten, including instructors.

The reduction in camp participants has meant a financial hit for both operators this summer.

“Not only for our day camps but for our regular classes we are down to two days a week compared to the regular six days a week we were operating. In Bow Island and the other clubs out there we operate through the schools, so we can’t open out there until September,” Harris said.

McMullen of Twist & Flip Gymnastics has applied for federal funding and grants to help with operating costs.

“ Having some federal funding money has come in handy. We’ve applied for a couple other things. We are actually trying to get our accountant right now to look at the relaunch grant that the government offered, and that’s going to help with all the hand sanitizers that you guys saw, the sink, and the other equipment we have had to update because of COVID-19,” McMullen said.

But despite all the new regulations , as the kids jump, balance, and kick, in what is arguably a very different summer camp this year; the core principals of friendship making, fun and fitness remain the same, according to day camp operators.

” Fun, fitness and fundamentals and hopefully everyone comes out and learns some gymnastics and has fun,” McMullen said.