The D.C. region is still in the thick of winter — but it’s time for parents to start planning for summer.

Carmen Berrios is the communications and public outreach manager with Montgomery County Recreation, which offers hundreds of summer camp options. The Maryland county opened enrollment on Jan.16 — and some camps are already full.

“They filled up quite quickly after registration started,” she said. “But the good news is, we still have a lot of openings.”

But don’t wait too long.

“I will say if you come to us the day before school ends, you’re going to have very slim pickings at that point,” she said.

Berrios said it’s normal for area summer camps to begin registration this time of year to plan for staffing. She emphasized the importance of keeping kids engaged, active and safe during the summer months.

“It’s so important to ensure that kids are not home all day on screens or unsupervised,” she said. “If we learned nothing else during the pandemic, it’s just how important it is for our kids to have social engagement. Not just with kids their age, but also with responsible adults they can confide in.”

Montgomery County Recreation summer camps are now open to non-residents, and they offer financial aid to families who qualify.