CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Summer camps are taking a different approach to outdoor activities right now due to the heat.
High temperatures are forcing some camps indoors.
“The kids don’t sit outside for no longer than 30 minutes at a time," Micheal Manning, the after-school program director for Better World Summer Camp.
The west Charlotte Summer camp has strict rules in place to avoid heat exhaustion.
“We do have a tent and water cooler we provide for the students as well,” Manning said.
In the Town of Cornelius, campers make made their way indoors by noon.
"Even if it's day camp or sports camp we make sure kids bring their water bottles," said Troy Fitzsimmons, the parks and recreation director for the Town of Cornelius. "We make sure they have plenty of water with them."
The kids at the camp don’t mind the indoor time because it’s filled with reading, arts and crafts, and other fun activities.
Camp counselors are trained to know the symptoms of heat-related illnesses.
"If they see kids start to exhibit those symptoms they will pull them in and cool them down. Get them a drink and make sure they get back to normal," Fitzsimmons said.
The summer camps will spend most of the summer looking for tell-tale signs of heat illness like muscle cramps, increased sweating, and headaches.
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