Parents relieved as summer camps resume in Dubai

Dubai - Parties and social gatherings will not be allowed and soft play areas for babies and toddles will remain closed.

Summer camp organisers were flooded with calls from relieved parents on Saturday as Dubai green-lit activities for children during the two-month holidays.
Children's summer camps, as well as indoor theme parks, arcades, soft play areas, and edutainment hubs, were among those allowed to resume operations in Dubai Economy's latest announcement on Friday.
With children hunkered down at home for months, parents have had to constantly look for ideas to keep them busy, so the reopening of summer camp facilities came as a relief.
Sabarish Srinivasan, a father of two, hailed how the announcement coincided with the start of youngsters' summer break.
"We are working parents. My wife has the option to continue working from home but, still, managing two busy minds is not easy. I will check for options and value for money, as most summer camps are usually expensive," Srinivasan said.
Bushra K.M., another parent, is grateful that her three kids will now learn something new, instead of "annoying each other at home".
"For months, they were like prisoners at home. But I hope camps are safe. I have called up a few and I will finalise registration for them in a day or two. There are lots of options. We will opt for a week only as camps tend to be expensive," she said.
Flooded with calls
Team members of Dubai Holiday Camps were excited after receiving the 'good news' on Saturday morning. Right away, their management started figuring out the next plan of action.
"We provide school holiday activity camps for kids. We got the good news in the morning. We haven't confirmed any date yet for starting the camp, but we are getting lots of calls from parents. We will soon be sending out e-mails to parents and regular clients," they said.
ISM Sports also received similar calls from curious parents, who have been inquiring for weeks.
"We continue to receive loads of calls from parents. We have three sessions a day and we will now be getting back to parents through e-mail confirmations," said Jo Terry from ISM Sports.
Ecoventure Summer Holiday Camp, another organiser of summer camp, reported the same experience. "I am currently receiving lots of calls as you can imagine. I am now answering my e-mails."
Online camps continue
For parents who are not yet ready to allow their kids to venture out for longer periods of time, virtual camps remain an alternative. Sessions shall continue as planned, organisers said.
DANS Studio's CreActive Camp is going ahead with its online activities from Sunday. However, with parents still inquiring about on-site sessions, the team will soon decide if they need to shift platforms.
"As of now we are continuing as an online camp. We have up to 50 registrations and counting. Our camp is a platform where industry experts Reim El Houni, Soniya Lilaramani, Satyen Babla, Jai Harpalani, Priya Jethani and Wendy Shaw are coming together to provide those aged 8 to 16 with an opportunity to learn from the professionals themselves," said Jainney Thakker from DANS.
Ziad from Infinite Ski, a facility with an indoor ski slope, also welcomed the reopening decision.
He stressed that all camp organisers must ensure strict adherence to safety and hygiene measures. "Everyone is responsible and not just the government. Organisers must maintain precautionary measures," Ziad said.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai