With day camps on hold this summer due to the pandemic, Chatham-Kent's Parks and Recreation Department is working to fill the gap.
Two weeks ago they launched the "Camp in a Box" program.
"Inside that box is five active games, five crafts or creative activities, and two to three STEM activities, so science/technology-type activities," said Kelly Bachus, supervisor of recreation services. "In that comes a guide that tells you exactly how to do the activities and everything that you need to do them, and each week has a different theme."
Bachus said the response has been amazing so they're going to expand it.
"Starting next week, so our week three all the way until week eight, we'll be able to provide 200 boxes now. So for the first two weeks, we were providing 100 boxes at no charge and now we're able to provide 200 boxes."
To request a box, residents can call the municipality starting at 8:30 a.m. on Monday morning. Boxes are then picked up with contactless pickup in Chatham, Wallaceburg, Blenheim, or Tilbury.
If you do not get a box, the activity cards will also be posted online.
"The activity brochure for that week will be posted on both our social media and then in the form of a pdf download on the actual virtual hub," said Bachus. "So you can get the little activity cards, and if you have the stuff at home or you're able to go purchase the stuff that you need to do them, all the information is there for you."
Bachus said that they also recently launched the CK Rec Plugs In Virtual Recreation Hub through the municipality's website.
"You can click on your age category and then when you click there, you can click on different activities. There's a whole long list of links that you can click on to find things to do while you're at home and still be social distancing," she said. "You'll find anything on there from virtual field trips to some YouTube videos of workouts, to some meditation, to gardening, to cooking. There are all sorts of activities on there."
The CK Rec Plugs In Virtual Recreation Hub can be found by clicking, here.