This summer's extended heat wave has forced some New Hampshire camps to improvise in order to keep kids safe, posing particular challenges for camps that run almost entirely outdoors.
At Joppa Hill Farm in Bedford, a typical camp day might involve farm chores, nature walks and field games. Assistant Director Kylie Letendre said the recent heat has been a challenge.
“We had to change a lot of the plans this year,” she said. “We had to do a lot of more things in the shade and a lot more water games.”
Experts say children are especially vulnerable to heat related illness due to their body size. Katie Schelzel, who directs the farm camp, said she’s avoiding any games that might be too strenuous and spending more time on shaded activities like crafts or walks in the woods.
Still, staff have done their best to keep the days fun for kids. Last week, the Bedford Fire Department paid a visit.
“They came with the hose and they sprayed all the campers,” Letendre said. “They loved it.”
At Camp Hadar in Salem, the heat wave has also meant altering some activities. Games like volleyball were moved into the water, while four-square is played indoors.
Jonathan Domow started attending Camp Hadar in 2011, and now, at age 19, he’s in his third year as a counselor. He says things have changed a lot over that time.
“The kind of issues that we're having with our climate now were not as present or not as pressing as they were back then,” he said. “Summer camp as we know it won't be the same as it is now in 10 years.”
Domow said flexibility has been important to keeping kids safe.
“You can't do every activity that you're going to want to do with this heat,” he said. “Last Friday my bunk was supposed to go boating, and it was too hot, the sun was beaming down on them.”
Instead of boating, Domow took campers into an air-conditioned building to play card games. He said he’s increased his sunscreening and water breaks for campers. He’s also been trained on the signs of heat illness and takes kids inside if they’re looking red or tired.
Climate scientists say the number of heat waves across the country is increasing. By the middle of this century, New Hampshire could see almost twice as many days reaching 90 degrees or more.
Camp Director Jonathan Heller says that while he feels prepared for this summer’s heat, he is weighing future adjustments.
“I think we’re possibly looking at, down the road, are there more rooms within the camp, inside of our buildings that we can put air conditioning into if needed,” he said. “Potentially, do we need to restructure the waterfront in a different way so that maybe we can have more waterfront activities for them?”
Domow said that while hotter summers might require some changes, he believes the camp can still make the experience memorable for kids.
“As long as there's staff here that are willing to make it special, it'll always be special for the campers that are here,” he said.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story misstated the last name of Jonathan Heller.
