Summer for Kentucky youth has been slightly different for 2020, as parents have had to find new ways to occupy their children’s time. Covid-19 has shut down many of the summer recreational activities that parents and youth look forward to, like pools and playgrounds. Many people have added a small pool to their back yard, are spending more time on the nearby lakes, or trying to stay cool anyway they can while not being coped up inside. But when families go to community pools or participate in community activities, there are additional eyes watching the children, such as lifeguards and employees, who are trained to spot distress and exhaustion. With increased play at home, wet or dry, parents may not notice the signs as quickly if a child is getting dehydrated or having fatigue from the heat; additionally, parents may be more apt to let their attention wander during water play potentially putting the child in danger.

The Grayson County 4-H agent and staff worked to put together Summer Fun Kits for families that included squirt guns and water balloons with a publication on easy fun water activities to play when a pool wasn’t available. The kit included: sunglasses, sunscreen, small football, items from Southland Dairy Farmers, Plate It Up KY recipe cards, Farmers’ Market information, and publications on sunscreen safety, water safety, parent’s guide to summer safety and heat exhaustion. The agent wanted to stress the importance of summer activity safety at home when there may be fewer people observing the youth and to understand how to treat different heat stress situations.

The promotion for the kit was posted in the Grayson County KY Cooperative Extension Facebook page and requests for the kit skyrocketed quickly, causing the link be turned off to make sure supplies could go as far as possible. By request, one bag per family was stuffed with enough of each item so that the number of children in the request was provided for. Sixty family bags were filled providing summer fun items for 118 youth in the county. In addition to the summer fun kits, a local doctor donated 2 youth scooters with helmets; the youth were sorted by age and gender. One boy and one girl were randomly selected in the Cloverbud age range to fit the scooter sizing.