Hey, Camp Folks 

There certainly is a lot of prep work that goes into summer camp. And all your hard work culminates on this one day—Opening Day of summer camp! Making it to this day is a big win, but you’re not out of the water just yet! In fact, there can be quite a list of tasks to check off. Here are six valuable tips to stay organized and successfully navigate Opening Day: 

1. Make a Travel Plan
The first tip is to add two hours to your travel time so you can make the trip in relaxed, leisurely fashion. With the extra time on your hands, you don’t have to worry about a snag or two. Feel free to make a stop for an extra pillow or toothbrush or anything else you may have forgotten. You could even stop for lunch and enjoy some time together before you get to camp. 

2. Complete Registration
Keep to the time your camp has set for registration; you don’t want to be late and arriving extra early can really interfere with last-minute prep the camp has going on. The registration process includes meeting the directors, settling your camper’s account, getting your cabin/group assigned, talking to medical staff if you need, moving your child’s gear into the cabin, and meeting the staff. 

3. Meet Your Child’s Leader
Sometimes your kid will have more than one cabin leader—get to know at least one of them. Ask them questions about their camping experience, where they are in school, how their summer’s going, and where they’re from. Make sure to tell them a bit about your camper and fill them in on any necessary info like any physical, behavioral, or emotional concerns. You may want to mention anything going on in your child’s life—a grandparent passing, a new pet, change in school, etc. 

4. Address Medical, Behavioral, and Emotional Concerns
If your kid suffers from conditions (like asthma, allergies, injuries, ADHD, sleepwalking, bedwetting, etc.), you and the camp director and the medical staff can decide how the whole camp can best meet your child’s needs. At the very least, the medical staff needs to know about any meds your camper’s on or recently stopped taking. Send prescription meds in their original bottles with dosage instructions. Don’t be afraid to mention private affairs to your camp staff; they handle such matters discreetly. 

5. Allocate Spending Money
Since most camps don’t allow campers to keep cash on them, your camp may ask you to leave money set aside for things like buying items at the camp store, arts & crafts projects, or out-of-camp trips. You’ll get back whatever is leftover at the end of the session. After registration, you can decide as a family how to spend the money. Camp apparel and other paraphernalia make great purchases on Opening Day to help build camp spirit! 

6. Saying Good-Bye
All kids are different, but a lot of campers want their parents to leave as soon as they have moved into their cabin. Other children want their parents to stick around a bit longer. It’s a good plan to decide together what a good amount of time is to hang out before leaving. It’s also wise to discuss beforehand exactly HOW you’ll say goodbye (i.e. a short walk, a hug and a kiss, just a hug, a high-five…) what’s your camper most comfortable with?  

Once you’ve actually said “goodbye” make a decisive departure (lingering or returning unexpectedly after a short time will cause anxiety about when you’re actually leaving). Of course, if your child requests you can stay a little longer, you can. Give them a little more time and then say something like, “We could say goodbye now or in 10 minutes, which sounds better to you?” 

Remember, your sending your kid to camp to gain some independence. It may or may not start right away. Maybe your kid will have no trouble with goodbyes, don’t be upset or surprised if they start making friends right away and express that you don’t need to stick around long. That’s a good sign! Make Opening Day a success and enjoy knowing your child is about to have a fantastic time! 

As always, thanks for reading! 

- John

Hey, Swimmers! 

Swimming is easily the #1 activity of choice for summer campers all over the country. After all, few activities bring you the refreshing splash that epitomizes the summer season the way Swimming does. While this activity is incredibly fun and loved by many, it does have the potential of danger for inexperienced swimmers. Be sure to go over these basic water safety tips before heading off to camp! 

Of course any good camp sees to that their campers follow essential safety swimming practices. They categorize swimmers and place them in appropriate instruction groups and water depths. They set swimmers up in buddy pairs. And they have likely trained all their staff in emergency water rescue. 

That being said, mistakes can happen anywhere. Camps are doing their part to keep your campers safe. Do your part by sitting down with your camper and going over basic water safety to ensure their safety in the water at camp. 

In Good Company
Playing in the water is fun, but should never be enjoyed alone. Teach your child to swim in buddy pairs and that there must always be a properly-trained adult lifeguard present. 

Swimming Lessons
Teach your child to swim. Even the youngest day campers can learn to swim. Before the camp season starts, bring your child to some lessons at the local municipal pool, YMCA, or club. Children will likely become better swimmers at camp, but learning basics prior to camp is a plus. 

Best Behavior
Reinforce your expectation that your son or daughter will follow all of the camp’s aquatic rules, such as: No Diving in Shallow Water, No Running on the Dock or Deck, Always Wear a Life Jacket in Boats, etc. 

Make sure to instill these means of safety so that your camper can have some good, safe fun in the water at camp! Make a splash, kids! As always, thanks for reading and happy camping! 

- John

Hey, Birthday Boys and Girls! 

If your child’s birthday happens to land during the time they’ll be away on their summer stay for camp, no sweat! Just make sure you plan in advance for the occasion. You can simply bump the birthday celebration ahead and have it at home before camp, postpone it and celebrate at home after camp, arrange for your child’s birthday to be celebrated at camp, or go with a combination of these options… 

Birthdays at Home
You probably don’t want to miss out the celebration of your child’s birthday. And your child probably wants to celebrate with family as opposed to fresh friends from summer camp. Celebrating at home means your whole family can get together and celebrate without restriction—throw a party, have a special dinner, give lots of gifts, etc. 

Birthdays at Camp
Most summer camps are prepared to whip up a birthday cake and serve ice cream for your child along with some cabin mates. Maybe your camp will simply sing Happy Birthday to your camper in the dining hall. If you find out ahead of time what birthday celebrations at your camp look like, make sure your camper understands the plan so there isn’t any disappointment. 

Gifts at Camp
Your kid will love a gift on their actual birthday during their camp stay. Things that would otherwise go in a care package maker great gifts. Save anything too big or expensive for before or after camp—you wouldn’t want it lost, stolen, or broken at camp. You also need to take care not to make your camper’s cabin mates jealous. Stick to gifts that your camper can share and send a birthday card with a note to remind your child of their other gift at home. 

Check all your boxes to make sure that this upcoming summer camp season is awesome for your child and make sure they feel special on their big day! Have a great camp season, folks. As always, thanks for reading. And happy camping! 

- John

Greetings, Cards—I mean, Kids! 

Our Summer Camp Greeting Cards here at Everything Summer Camp are a great sentiment and such a great show of thoughtfulness. Write a little message inside the card or just send it as is. Either way, it’s sure to put a smile on your camper’s face. 

We enjoyed writing and designing these cards so much last year that we thought we’d do it again for this upcoming season and keep adding more new card packs to our store. Be sure to scope out our latest designs among the rest of our selection when you click right here. 

Our creations feature general camp-themed cards, themes geared toward specific interests like fishing or horseback riding along with, of course, all those magical camp moments. You’re sure to find a set of cards that are perfect to send to your camper. There’s also a card for campers to send home! 

You can rest assured that receiving one of these cards will make your camper’s day! It may help ease a little homesickness they’ve been feeling as well as let them know that you’re thinking of them during their time away. 

Summer camp expert Dr. Chris Thurber does a great job detailing the importance of sending word to your camper in this previous Blog post he wrote for us called Write Right. Check it out by clicking right here. 

You won’t find cards like these anywhere else. Pick the Set of 5 Cards (with their colorful envelopes) that fit your camper best and send your child a warm hello with these cute, campy cards! Enjoy these cards with your kids and get your Summer Camp Greeting Card Pack today. 

Shop more and take a look at our Postcards as well as our other Stationery products right here. Thanks for reading, Camp Fans and happy camping! 

- John

Hey, Campers!

One of the most important parts about a fun summer camp experience is forging great friendships. Camp is a prime place to meet lots of new people, develop your social skills, and have a ton of fun. It’s a perfect recipe for long-lasting friendships!

Making friends isn’t really hard work at all. But you do need to be open-minded. Everybody’s different by the way we look, dress, act, speak, etc. Making friends begins with respecting everyone at camp. You don’t need to become everyone’s best friend—you don’t even need to LIKE everyone at camp.

You do, however, need to get along with everyone. Being respectful of everyone at camp means treating them the way you want them to treat you. You should work with your cabin mates. Listen to your leader and pitch in. Always be a good sport whether you win or lose. Use good manners. And keep your things in order so you never add to a mess.

These are just a few examples of how to be respectful at camp. Can you think of more ways? Go ahead and share them by commenting to this Blog post.

While making friends isn’t hard work, it tends to come easier to some than it will for others. Here are some pointers you can look through to get some ideas for putting yourself out there in case you aren’t overly familiar with meeting new people.

What’s in a Name?
Introduce yourself by telling people your name. Walk up and say, “Hi, my name is_____” Hold out your hand and shake while you look your fellow camper in the eye and smile. Say, “pleased to meet you.” And maybe say something about yourself like what grade of school you’re in or where you’re from.

What’s There to Talk About?
Camp itself is something to talk about How did your new friend find the camp? What year of camp are they in? Did they travel far to be there? A C&N Camp Trunk is also a great conversation piece. In fact, bringing one of our awesome Designer Trunks could have kids coming up to YOU to say what a cool trunk you have.

Bring the Fun
Camp is all about having fun and that’s really the best way to make friends! Laughing and having fun is a great bonding experience. What’s a game you like to play? Think of something like a Frisbee or football and suggest a game of catch. Maybe it’s cards, or tag, a game of H-O-R-S-E, jumprope, etc. Bring it along and get the fun rollin’!

Camp is sure to be a blast. Go prepared to have a great time and meet lots of fun folks like yourself! Be confident, be yourself, and you’re sure to develop some great friendships at camp! Learn more about camp prep with the helpful guidebook 'The Summer Camp Handbook'. As always, thanks for reading and happy camping.

- John