Jordan Beck | Daily Press Zach Rose, a camp counselor for the Northern Lights YMCA — Delta Program Center’s day camp program, explains the rules of “noodle tag” to campers.

ESCANABA — Despite some changes made as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Northern Lights YMCA — Delta Program Center’s annual day camp program has been able to continue this summer. Camp Director Katey Huber said things have been going well for this year’s program so far.

“We still are trying to keep it as normal as we can for the kids,” she said.

The day camp program began on June 15 and will continue through Aug. 14. YMCA staff members did not know they would be able to offer the program this summer until they learned in late May that day camps would be excluded from Michigan’s coronavirus-related executive orders.

“It was last-minute that we found out we could open,” Huber said.

As the day camp program has become well-established, Huber said she did not have to scramble to get the program ready for this summer.

“I started working on everything for day camp in December, January,” she said.

However, the day camp program has had to make some operational changes in response to COVID-19. Among the most significant of these changes has been a new, lower camper capacity.

“We’ve had almost full capacity to what our new capacity is for the summer,” Huber said.

This summer, the program has been able to have 54 campers. In previous years, it could accommodate up to 80 campers.

In the interest of social distancing, Huber noted campers have been divided into multiple groups. These groups do not interact in close proximity during camp activities.

“They’re not within 10 feet,” she said.

Some activities included in the day camp program have also been changed.

“We’re inventing new games for trying to socially distance as best we can in a camp setting,” Huber said.

One new game being played by campers is “noodle tag,” in which players try to tag each other with pool noodles.

Staffing for the day camp program has been altered, as well.

“Rather than have a 1:10 staff-to-camper ratio, we’re doing a 1:9 (ratio),” Huber said.

In the interest of sanitation, day camp staff members are cleaning high-touch surfaces and equipment on a daily basis.

Huber said the parents and guardians of students participating in the day camp program have understood why these changes are necessary.

“The parents have been great about it,” she said.

For the most part, the day camp program is not required to follow Michigan’s masking requirements.

“Masks are not required for the campers,” Huber said.

Camp counselors are also exempt from masking requirements while actively working with campers.