Hey there, Camp Fans!

We’re absolutely thrilled with the amazing camp stories you shared for this year’s ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest here at Everything Summer Camp! Your submissions were nothing short of spectacular, and we’re so excited to highlight each and every one of these incredible camp adventures on the blog for our whole community to enjoy.

With our ten prize-winning entries already revealed, it’s time to shine a spotlight on the rest of the fantastic stories we received. Today, we’re featuring an inspiring tale from Aleksandra F., who had a memorable experience at Keystone Camp in North Carolina. Let’s dive into her story and see what made her camp stay truly special!

You can listen to Aleksandra giving her camp story right here!

 

“Hi. My name is Aleksandra F. Today I’m going to tell you about my favorite moments at Keystone Camp. One of my favorite moments was at the end of the summer where we have a horse show here on horseback riding. The horse that I…chose or was chosen for…his name is Sailor. He’s a super nice horse, but we were walking around the arena which is basically where the horses trot, walk, jump, pulls, and stuff like that. There’s another field of grass and the gate was open. My horse wanted to have some grass, so he was heading right for that and then they had to stop the horse show and restart. And, even though I messed up, all the people in my camp cheered for me and didn’t even hear about that. And then, after that, I trotted which is basically like jogging, but for the horse it’s just trotting, and I got second place. What that taught me was that even if you mess up at a camp, they won’t put you down, they’ll raise you up. One of my other favorite moments was on the first day when I got into the cabin. All of my cabin mates that were already there were super nice to me. And, something that I always knew was, if you bring photos of your family or something like that, you can always have them there; you don’t have to take them down. That’s what I love about all the camps (not specifically Keystone Camp), because we can have photos of our parents that remind us of back home. Those are my favorite times at Keystone. Bye.”

 

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful memories from Keystone Camp. It’s heartwarming to hear how your horse, Sailor, became such a big part of your camp experience. And wow, trotting your way to a second-place finish in the horse show must have been such an exciting moment! It's fantastic how your campmates’ support made you feel encouraged, even when things didn’t go exactly as planned—that’s the true spirit of camp life! We’re so glad to hear that your cabin mates made you feel right at home and that keeping family photos helped you stay connected to home while you were away.

Thank you again for sharing your story with us, and we hope your next summer is filled with even more amazing camp memories! For those interested in learning more about Keystone Camp, be sure to check out their website by clicking right here. As always, thanks for reading, Folks! Stay tuned for more inspiring stories from our awesome camp community. Till next time.

- John

What’s up, Camp Fans?!

We love all the camp tales you've shared for our 'Share Your Camp Story' Contest here at Everything Summer Camp. These stories are great and I can't wait to showcase them all to our online community. Every submission is getting featured right here on the Blog!

And now that we’ve finished announcing our ten lucky winners last week who took larger prizes, we’re ready to share the rest of the submissions we received. The following post is from Cynthia W. who put pencil to paper about her time and the smells at her Assembly of God Bible Camp. Read her camp story right now…

“I was lucky and got to go to summer camp with my older sister. I was super excited and a little scared, but I knew my big sis would take care of me. As soon as we got off the bus, everything smelled different. I could smell the pine trees and there was an obvious smell of dirt. The smell of pine trees kind of went away the longer we were there, but the smell of dirt stayed the whole time. I really like the smell of pine trees, but I’m not crazy about the smell of dirt, especially when it never goes away. And especially when it seems like everything there smelled like dirt. Everything and every place smelled like dirt. Even the cabins and cafeteria smelled like dirt. Dirt, dirt, dirt, everywhere dirt. I tried to find the smell of pine trees again, but I was doomed to smell the dirt I guess. I still had a lot of fun!”


Hey, Cynthia! It’s awesome that you got to experience camp with your older sister by your side! It’s so funny how you noticed the distinct smells of the camp environment right away—pine trees and, of course, all that dirt! It’s such a bummer that the pine scent didn’t stick around, but it sounds like you made the most of your time there despite the never-ending dirt aroma. We’re glad you still had a lot of fun amidst all the earthy smells!

Thanks for sharing this unique perspective on camp life, and we hope you find more pine trees and less dirt next summer! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!


- John

Hey there, Camp Adventurers!

Camp was full of fun times, wasn’t it? But did you have any experiences that you didn’t appreciate? Sometimes, when you're hanging out with new friends and trying new things, you might come across something that "rubs you the wrong way." But what does that even mean? Let's find out together!

So, you’re at camp and you meet someone new. They're nice and all, but there's something about them that just doesn't sit right with you. Maybe they talk too loud, or they always want to play a game you don't like. It's like they're rubbing you the wrong way (not literally, though)!

The phrase "rub the wrong way" is an old saying that means something is bothering you or making you feel a bit annoyed. It's like when you stroke a cat's fur in the opposite direction—instead of feeling nice, it can make the cat irritable. Our ancestors noticed this and thought, "Hmm, that's kind of like how people feel when something bugs them!"

Initially, the phrase was actually "rubbing someone UP the wrong way." It's like when you're hanging out with your friends, and someone says or does something that just doesn't FEEL right. It's nobody's fault, really—it's just how things go sometimes.

But here's the cool part—understanding what "rubbing the wrong way" means can help us get along better with others. If something bugs us, we can talk about it calmly and try to find a solution together. After all, camp is all about making friends, trying new things, and having fun!

So, whether you're a kid getting ready to head off to camp or a parent sending your little camper on their big adventure, remember this: Sometimes, things might rub you the wrong way, but that's okay! Just take a deep breath, talk it out, and keep on enjoying all the amazing experiences camp has to offer. After all, the best adventures are the ones we share with friends, even if they sometimes rub us the wrong way!

 

- John

Hey there, Camp Fans!

Your stories from the ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest have truly stood out, and it’s been a joy reading through all the amazing entries. Now, it’s time to share these fantastic camp adventures with our online community! We’ll be featuring each one right here on the Blog!

We’ve already revealed our ten lucky prize winners, and now we’re excited to highlight even more of your stories. Today, we’re featuring Victoria S.’s heartwarming tale about her memorable time at Camp Harlam. Read her story below and relive the magic of her summer right now...

Click here for an enlarged view of Victoria's Letter.

“Camp means so much to me. Whether we’re climbing the tower or it being a rainy day, and everyone hanging out together inside. When I’m at camp, I feel happy and adventurous in whatever I’m doing! Camp is so special to me because I get to see some of my best friends that I don’t get to see a lot. One thing at camp that means a lot to me is Shabbat services. It is a time where the whole camp gets together and we all sing prayers and songs. Everyone is just so happy and glad to be here, all together. Another thing that I love at camp is Maccabia (Color War). The whole camp is separated into 4 different groups, red, green, gold, and blue. We all complete in different games and sports. Like Tug of War, soccer, and more! It’s always so much fun and makes camp even more special. I have spent the last 4 summers at Camp Harlam! Every summer gets better and better as we learn different things.

I am so happy that I decided to go to Camp Harlam, and get to experience the best summer every year! I am so glad that I get to call Camp Harlam my second home!”

What a wonderful camp experience you had at Camp Harlam, Victoria! Fun summer activities like climbing the tower and rainy day hangouts sound very exciting and full of fun! The way you describe Shabbat services really shows how special and meaningful the community is at camp, especially when everyone comes together to sing and be joyful. And Maccabia (Color War) sounds like such an exciting tradition! Tug of War, soccer, and all the competitive spirit must really add to the fun! It’s clear that Camp Harlam is your second home, and I can see why every summer is even better than the last.

Thanks for sharing this submission on what Camp Harlam means to you! If anybody else would like to check out Camp Harlam for themselves, have a look-see around their website when you click here. Come back next week to see what other stories we have ready to share and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!


- John

Hey there, Camp Crew!

Wow! We got great camp stories from you guys this year for the ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest! The energy and excitement in these submissions have been incredible and we can’t wait to showcase them all right here on the Blog. We’ve wrapped up announcing our top 10 winners, but there’s still more fun to be had!

Today, we’re featuring an awesome story from Laney C., who shared her experience at Camp Kanakuk in Branson, Missouri. Dive into her adventure and check out her story right now...

“Hi, my name is Laney C. and every summer I go to Kanakuk camp in Missouri. I look forward to coming to camp every summer to not only learn more about Christianity, and the God I believe in, but to make lasting memories and friends to last a lifetime. This summer (my 4th year) I went to one of the many Kanakuk camps called K-West. K-West is a middle school camp for kids ages 12 through 14. I am twelve years old and was assigned to Cabin 3. My counselors welcomed me with warm smiles and energy. They were a mix of fun and excitement. They put all of their energy into making sure I was getting closer to God and having fun. I learned valuable life lessons about God at camp. Kanakuk makes me a better person every year, by far making it the best camp ever! I was greeted by amazing and kind girls from my cabin; there was never any drama or gossip. All the people welcomed me happily and I truly felt like people cared about me. I have made friends that I will go to Kanakuk with next year, make more lasting memories. I matured over the 2 weeks I was there. Next year I will be going for a month! I did fun things with my friends including bluff jumping, tubing, the ropes course, pool rings, blob, and super fun slides. Kanakuk has taught me to face my fears and uplift my neighbors. During the ropes course activity, we partnered with an older group of girls; they were 14. A girl immediately pointed me out and asked to be my partner and I said yes. Her name was Zoey and she supported me throughout the rest of camp. She helped me when I was too short to reach obstacles in the ropes course. And we had the most fun ever! Me and Zoey will still remember each other even though she’s moving to the older camp. While having fun, Kanakuk has taught me so much about Christianity, that there is a God that loves us so much, that sent His only son to die for us. And that’s why we need to put as much effort as possible into our relationship with God, because of how much He loves us. Kanakuk changes kids’ lives, and if the wisdom of Kanakuk was shared to the world, it would truly make a difference.”


Hi Laney! Wow, your summer at Kanakuk sounds absolutely awesome! It’s great to hear about your time at K-West and how much you’ve grown in your faith and made lasting friendships. Sounds like the counselors in Cabin 3 and the girls you met were all so welcoming and supportive—what a special experience! Bluff jumping, tubing, and tackling the ropes course with Zoey must have been so much fun, especially with all the encouragement from your new friends. We love hearing how Kanakuk has taught you to face your fears and uplift those around you.

Thanks for sharing your wonderful camp adventure with us! If anyone else wants to check out Camp Kanakuk for themselves, check out their website by clicking here. Keep checking back for many stories to come and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!


- John