Hey Camp Fans!

Throwback with us once again to another Throwback Thursday Blog post in which we link back to a past post that we feel is so valuable we want to get its information in front of you again. Today’s Throwback post goes back to a post from last year in April, written by Dr. Thurber about keeping in touch with your kids during their camp stay.

This post prepares you for a couple weeks without seeing your kids, talking to them on the phone, or even texting them! Take Dr. Thurber’s advice on today’s Throwback Thursday Blog post.

- John

Hey, Campers!

Last week I posted the second installment of my ‘Making Friends at Camp’ series about how easy it is to make friends at summer camp whether you’re a little shy or dreadfully terrified of talking to others. The thing is, once you’re there at camp, you don’t even think about it. You’ll naturally start talking to other kids and become fast friends with them.

It’s just a given. That’s what happens at camp.

But it’s not all that happens at camp. Sure, spreading your social wings and making friends is what camp is all about, but it’s also about getting to know yourself better. See, a funny thing happens when you’re away at camp because when you’re away from mom and dad, you do things a little differently than you otherwise would.

You take some healthy risks that you find within your character, you make decisions based on different values, you even behave differently and may discover things about yourself that you never realized were there before. This is all a part of the summer camp experience. You’ll begin to get a sense of the boundaries you’ve set for yourself thanks to opportunities like making friends at camp.

Making new friends at camp is made possible by these discoveries, after all, we need to have some sense of our own personality in order to share it with somebody else. But the experience of making new friends at camp can also help to fuel those self-discoveries too and so goes the cycle goes as both actions help encourage the other.

Isn’t summer camp great?!

Be sure to come back to my Blog next Tuesday to read the last segment about making friends at summer camp and the lifelong benefits of the relationships you build when you’re there.

Thanks for reading.

- John

Hey Camp Fans!

Welcome again to another Throwback Thursday Blog post in which we link back to a past post that we feel is so valuable we want to get this information in front of you again. Today’s Throwback post goes back about a year ago to a post written by Dr. Thurber including pointers about odds and ends packing.

This post gives you great pointers on, not just what to pack, but how to pack for camp. And most of all not to pack FOR your kids, but rather ALONG with them. It’s all right here on Everything Summer Camp’s Blog post from May 28 of last year.

- John

Hey, Campers!

Last week I talked about the importance of making friends at summer camp. As I briefly mentioned in that post, making friends at camp may sound daunting or even a little scary to some of us who may be on the shier side. That’s why I’d like to take some time today, to talk about how easy it is to make friends at camp. It’s so easy you might not even realize it when it’s happening!

Making friends at camp will truly be one of the most effortless parts of your summer camp stay—even if you’re a little (or extremely) shy. One of the best things to keep in mind is that no one is going to push you away if you give them a friendly hello. Introducing yourself to the people around you is a great way to start making friends.

I know I was rather shy during my days at summer camp, but even so, it would have been pretty much impossible not to make any friends while I was there. You start talking to your cabin mates and before you know it, you know everyone’s name.

The topic may concern you now, but that’s just your anticipation getting in your head. The truth is that, once you’re there at camp, you won’t even think about it. You’ll naturally start talking to other kids and become fast friends with them.

Your cabin mates are the people with whom you’ll spend most of your time. Every morning, every night, every meal, and all throughout, these people will be there to talk to, laugh with, and share the summer camp experience. In fact, while you’re making all your friends at camp, you may even make the grand discovery that you’re not as shy as you think you are.

Next week, I’ll talk about other discoveries you might make about yourself at camp and why camp is able to fuel these discoveries.

Thanks for reading, Camp Fans.

- John

Hey, Campers!

There’s a lot that can be said about summer camp, but first and foremost, you can say that camp is FUN! It’s literally designed for fun with activities, teamwork, and most of all making friends. In fact, making friends is one of the most important parts about camp!

The act of making friends at camp may sound daunting or even a little scary to some of us who may be on the shier side, but making friends at camp is actually one of the easiest parts of your summer camp stay.

As easy as it is, making friends truly is the ticket to enjoying your camp stay. Once you make friends with your cabin mates (which starts happening instantly) you have a band of people that you can talk to, laugh with, play with, and do everything else with for the remainder of your stay!

Socializing and getting to know the other kids around you naturally keeps your mind focused on your enjoyment of camp and you really don’t think about how much you miss your dog or wish you were home. It’s the best way to prevent homesickness! Sure, you still miss home, you just don’t dwell on it.

Sharpening your social skills and making friends is what summer camp’s all about! A good camp provides a world in which kids meet kids on neutral ground and respect one another. Whether it takes teamwork to finish a task or simply joining in on a mean game of Capture-the-Flag, connecting to the community of your camp will impart life lessons to you.

Socialization and friendships may be what camp is all about, but it’s also about you getting to know YOURSELF better. See, when you’re away from mom and dad, you make decisions differently. You even behave differently and may discover things about yourself that you didn’t even realize were there. Making new friends at camp is made possible by these discoveries and certainly helps fuel them too.

Thanks for reading, Campers!

- John