The question of whether children will be attending summer camp this season may be one of the most pressing questions on the minds of parents in New Jersey, as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

Jonathan Gold is CEO of Oak Crest Day Camp in Somerset. He says that he plans to open the camp on June 29. Staffers at the camp say that they believe that this may be the most important summer ever because they will be with kids who have been forced to quarantine and attend school at home.

“I believe that the power of play can put this in the rearview mirror in a big way for kids,” Gold says.

Gold says that camp may be the best way for the children to deal with the stresses they have experienced over the past two months. Gold also runs Pine Grove Camp in Wall Township and Tamarack Camp in Randolph. He says that he has protocols in place that are in-line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help stop the spread of the virus. He says that there will be sanitization stations and social distancing. But he says that the children will not have to wear masks while on campus.

“From what I understand from doctors I’ve spoken to, it’s really not healthy to have kids in masks all day, so that’s off the table,” he says. “Busing is a different situation and kids will likely wear masks on the bus for the ride to camp because you’re commingling populations.”

But the question of if camps can reopen still lies with Gov. Phil Murphy who has not yet given the go-ahead. The governor has allowed beaches to reopen and schools can hold outdoor graduation ceremonies starting July 6.

Gold says that he will be ready.

“It’s our job to give parents a choice as to whether or not they want to send out kids,” he says.

The three camps that Gold runs will offer refunds to any parents who choose not to send their kids to camp this year.