Though spring has only just arrived, town officials are confident enough in improved coronavirus data and preliminary guidance released by the state to begin planning for a normal (or nearly normal) offering of summer camps and youth sports, with registrations already open for the popular Camp Menunkatuck.

An extremely limited and heavily modified camp season in 2020 saw all specialty and sport activities canceled and the town only partially using Jacobs Beach, the usual site for Camp Menunkatuck.

Though the town is not yet offering registrations for specialty camps like archery or sports like volleyball and basketball, town Recreation Supervisor Ellen Clow said she’s also extremely optimistic about those activities, having already received an enthusiastic response from local coaches who run those camps.

“It was probably the quickest that we’ve ever had them all respond,” she said. “We haven’t publicized them yet, but...we are going to have an array of summer camps for people to choose from. There are going to be protocols that are going to have to be followed, but I think we’re at a point where we can offer them and offer them safely.

“I hope this summer it’s just going to be great to see the kids back down at Jacob’s consistently,” she added.

Specifics, such as how and where masks will be required or whether every activity will be able to accommodate a maximum capacity of kids is yet unknown, according to town officials. But Clow said conservatively under current guidelines, those numbers will be much closer to pre-COVID years: around 120, compared to about 50 last year.

Parks & Recreation Director Rick Maynard said there have already been a flood of registrations for Camp Menunkatuck, with activities slated to begin immediately following the end of school. Last year the start date was pushed back in deference to state guidelines.

The town will also be restarting other youth recreation and entertainment offerings including gymnastics (which has limited enrollment with a per-class fee) and “pee-wee” activities for toddlers.

Also for the first time since 2019, Guilford hopes to offer travel camps for older kids, which the town will be “looking at differently” in 2021 but will still follow in the footsteps of the very popular Get Out Way Out program that brought campers to Six Flags, Misquamicut Beach, and other near-local destinations.

“We certainly know that’s an age group that we saw a huge response a couple years back, and we hope with doing some of those day trips, we’ll be able to offer them something,” Clow said.

For more information or to register, visit www.guilfordparkrec.com or call 203-453-8068.