Tick Safety Resources for NJ Schools & Camps
Grounds, communication, field-trip, and staff-training practices that help New Jersey schools and camps reduce tick exposure.
Schools and Camps Are on the Front Line Too
Children spend hours outdoors at school and camp during peak tick season — on fields, playgrounds, nature trails, and wooded edges. New Jersey schools and camps can dramatically reduce tick encounters with smart grounds management and clear parent communication. This page collects best practices any NJ school or camp can adopt, plus a sample letter to send home.
Grounds Best Practices
- Keep play areas in full sun, well away from wooded edges. Move or redesign play spaces that currently back up to woods.
- Maintain a buffer: a mowed strip plus a wood-chip or gravel barrier between play areas and any woodland.
- Clear leaf litter from playgrounds, fields, and gathering areas in spring and fall.
- Prune low vegetation along trails and paths used for nature walks.
- Manage athletic fields with attention to their edges — the transition from field to woods is prime tick habitat.
- Consider professional tick management for the grounds, prioritizing perimeters, trails, and natural play areas. Plant-based options exist that are appropriate for use around children when applied as directed.
- Post simple signage at trailheads and wooded edges reminding families to do tick checks after visits.
Parent Communication: Sample Letter
Clear, calm communication prevents both panic and complacency. Feel free to adapt this template for your school or camp newsletter:
Sample parent letter
Dear families,
Tick season is here in New Jersey. Ticks are common in our area from spring through fall, and a few simple habits greatly reduce risk. Please:
- Dress children in light-colored clothing and closed shoes for outdoor days and field trips.
- Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent according to the product label before school or camp on outdoor-heavy days.
- Do a full-body tick check every evening — behind ears, scalp, armpits, waistline, and behind knees — and shower after outdoor play.
- Tumble outdoor clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any ticks.
If you find a tick, remove it with fine-tipped tweezers, save it in a sealed bag with the date, and watch for rash or flu-like symptoms over the next 30 days. Contact your pediatrician with any concerns.
Thank you for helping us keep outdoor time safe and fun.
Field-Trip Precautions
- Scout the site: choose trails and destinations with maintained paths; avoid pushing through brush and tall grass.
- Brief chaperones: every adult should know the tick-check routine and carry fine-tipped tweezers.
- Dress code for the day: long pants tucked into socks, closed shoes, light colors.
- Stay centered on trails — the middle of the path has far fewer questing ticks than the edges.
- Check on return: build a buddy-check into the end of every nature outing, then remind parents to do the full check at home.
New Jersey Health Resources
The New Jersey Department of Health publishes tick-borne disease information and prevention materials for residents and schools. Your county health department can advise on local tick activity and whether tick identification or testing services are available in your area. Many NJ counties also run mosquito and tick control programs that work with schools on grounds assessments.
Pediatricians and school nurses are excellent local partners: invite your school nurse to send a tick-safety reminder home at the start of each season, and ask your district whether tick safety can join the spring health curriculum.
Staff Training Basics
You do not need a medical background to keep kids safer — just a short, consistent briefing for every adult who supervises children outdoors:
- How to do a buddy tick check and where ticks hide
- Where the tick-removal kit is kept and how to use the tweezers
- What to record when a tick is found (child’s name, date, time, location on body, where the group had been)
- How and when to notify parents — same day, in writing, with the saved tick sent home
- When to call for medical help: a child who develops a rash, fever, or feels ill after outdoor time should be evaluated promptly
Repeat the briefing each spring. New counselors and aides arrive every year, and last year’s training does not cover them.
Share These Guides With Families
This guide is for educational purposes only and isn’t medical advice. If you’ve been bitten or have symptoms, contact your doctor or local health department.