Summer camp season begins while southwestern Ontario faces heat wave

The first full week of summer break is here, and that means camp season is officially underway.

Staff are welcoming campers back with plenty of activities planned, but with a heat wave moving in, sun safety is changing routines.

“It’s gonna be a hot one,” said Shawna MacLellan, the general manager of childcare and the YMCA Summer Day Camps.

For many kids, Monday is the day they’ve been waiting for — trading the classroom for the outdoors.

This week alone, the team behind YMCA Summer Day Camps in Hamilton, Burlington and Brantford is expecting more than 400 campers, a number which is expected to grow throughout the summer.

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For many families, summer camp is more than just fun for their kids, it’s a chance for them to learn new skills and spend time outdoors while parents are at work.

“It’s a lot of planning that goes into the nine weeks of summer, and it’s really exciting that it’s finally here, and we’re ready to put it into action,” said A.J. Phillips, who manages the YMCA Summer Day Camps.

Counsellors at the YMCA’s Camp Chippewa at Christie Lake Conservation Area are just as excited about their summer jobs.

“I think the biggest thing about working at YMCA Day Camps is that you get to make a difference, and you get to impact so many families and so many campers,” said Abby Kennedy, the program specialist at the Chippewa Specialty YMCA Camps. “I think, too, just the community that comes along with it, and building the connections with your coworkers as well is just an amazing feeling.”

But this year, activities are getting started under unusually hot conditions, with temperatures expected to climb this week, with humidex values making it feel well over 30.

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That extreme heat means more water breaks, more swimming and sending your campers prepared for the heat.

“They should come with sunscreen on them, I would advise, they should also be bringing extra sunscreen for throughout the day, multiple bottles of water, ice packs in their lunches to help keep it cool,” said MacLellan.

When it comes to sunscreen, Dr. Cheryl Rosen, the head of dermatology at the University Health Network, says the right SPF for kids is key.

“You want to choose an SPF that’s 30 or higher,” said Dr. Rosen. “In fact, it’s good to be about a 50 or a 60 because kids tend to put on less, and so if you’re putting on half as much of a 60, you’re probably getting about a 30.”

The doctor also says people shouldn’t be fooled by cloud cover on hot days.

“It’s probably not as harmful, but the ultraviolet radiation does get through the clouds — unless they’re very dark, about to have a thunderstorm with lightning kind of cloud,” said Dr. Rosen, “and you never know when the clouds are gonna pass, so it’s good to be protected.”

WATCH MORE: Extreme heat wave forecasted this week says Environment Canada