Summer camp options for kids in Pine Belt

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) -With summer days right around the corner, parents in the Pine Belt could be starting their search on how to keep their children active.

Matt Rumph, executive director of the Family YMCA of Southeast Mississippi, said when it comes to choosing the right summer camp for children, it’s important to look at what activities are offered and how often children can do them.

“We’re coming out of what they used to call a COVID coma,” Rumph said. “We need to pry those kids back out of the house and get them engaged.

“There is a stat out there, that adults have gained 25 pounds since COVID. Now, we are trying to reengage them, and that goes along with the kids, because if the adults aren’t active, the kids aren’t active.”

Byron Carter, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club said the camps also can be a time for kids to gain new interests like learning a new sport or visiting new spots around the Pine Belt.

But with the many activity options offered to kids, Carter said it’s imperative to give them a safe place to do so.

“You want to look into what’s actually going to be beneficial for my child,” Carter said. “Kids vote with their feet, so if they don’t like something they are going to walk away from it.

“It’s important to make sure the things kids love to do are part of what you are putting them into.”

With kids typically spending about nine months out of the year in the classroom, Rumph said summer should be a time for them to enjoy the outdoors with less technology.

“You just don’t want your child to go to another situation where they are in school all day,” Rumph said. “This is a time for them to get out and get active,”

To see a list of camps offered at the two locations, visit the YMCA website and the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club website.

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