Hey, Parents!

How can you know when your kid is ready to head off to summer camp? In the end, kids are their own best gauge of heading to camp at the right age. Kids naturally get wind of the summer camp idea from other kids talking about it or maybe a parent or grandparent who has shared some fond camp memories. My older sister went away during the summers and I was always curious where exactly she was going and what she was doing.

When kids start asking questions about camp it’s usually a good sign: your kid’s thinking about it and getting curious about camp. Check out this excerpt from Parker P. who wrote in to us back in 2015 to share how he discovered camp.

“When I was four, my mom read me a story called ‘The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp’. I was fascinated with the idea of going to camp and began asking when I could go. She was surprised that as such a young child I would express an interest in camp, but I loved the idea of the outdoors, the adventure, and the excitement.

Over the next couple of years, my mom became aware of Camp Ridgecrest for Boys and as soon as I entered first grade, she registered me to attend the next summer. I didn’t know anyone. She didn’t know anyone whose child had been.

She drove me to camp. Helped me set up my bed and trunk area, and headed to her car to depart. I was a little overwhelmed and so was she. Neither of us anticipated how hard it would be to separate that first summer, but I am so glad that she trusted the plan and the camp staff…I had immediately fallen in love with camp. Now after seven years at camp, I continue to look forward to camp as it’s the highlight of my summer.”

Maybe your kid hasn’t shown any interest in camp but you think they would enjoy the experience. A good approach might start something like this: “Did you know Grandpa was your age when he first went to camp? What do you think of going for a couple weeks?” Your child’s response ought to help you figure out where your kid stands with camp.

There’s an entire chapter dedicated to the subject in ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’, an amazing guidebook put together by two camp experts—Chris Thurber and Jon Malinowski. The chapter discusses other things to consider about your kid’s readiness for a camp stay such as their age, the length of the camp stay, their previous experience away from home, and more.

Check out this invaluable guidebook, ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’ when you click right here, published by and made available here at Everything Summer Camp! Till next time, Camp Folks. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Families!

Getting your child ready for summer camp is a crucial element to whether or not they enjoy their stay! It’s hard to smile in a downpour when you forgot to pack a raincoat. Camp prep remains just as important today as it’s always been, but the way we go about getting ready for camp has been changing along with the world in the last couple years.

Families used to make a day out of it. Parents would take their children, load up in the car, and hit a number of retailers where they would acquire the camping gear and other camp supplies for the upcoming season. You might stop for lunch amidst all the shopping and really make the day a treat.

This has changed drastically since 2020, but just because you’re not venturing out to any physical stores doesn’t mean you can’t make it a special day. Have your camper join you for a virtual visit and check out places online where you can order your gear. The shopping experience at everythingsummercamp.com has plenty of great options to choose from as well as a wide array of customized products and gear.

Maybe order in or bake something tasty in the kitchen that day so you and your child can have a treat as reward for all your productivity in your camp preparations.

Being involved in the decision-making and playing a part in designing their own gear gives your child a ownership over their time away. As summer camp expert and co-author of ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’, Chris Thurber puts it, “Something as simple as picking out the color of the new toothbrush will give your son or daughter a healthy sense of agency over the camp experience. Enjoy this co-shopping experience and share your positive expectations for camp.”

Check out this past Everything Summer Camp Blog post from Chris Thurber about the importance of involving your to-be camper in their camp preparations. As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! Till next time.

- John

Hey, Happy Campers!

We all love spending some time on the screen whether we’re playing Xbox or a game on a mobile phone. And now in these months of winter chill, screen time and gaming make for a great means of indoor entertainment. But, as much fun as this time can be, many camps disallow the use of electronic technology including smartphones, tablets, video games, and personal music players. Yet, summer camps manage to give kids a blast summer after summer…somehow.

Video games are great for reinforcing skills, enthusiasm, and providing challenge after challenge. Camp does the same thing but without any electricity. In real, natural settings, camp teaches campers about sports, art, friendship, and plenty more. Camp is about connecting with people and nature, not hiding your face in a screen.

Technological devices don’t align with the mission of most camps. If you’re tempted to bring electronics to camp, check your information packet first to be sure it’s allowed. But even if your does allow certain electronics, consider leaving yours behind for your time at camp. Enjoy nature, read a book, engage in outdoor activities, and talk with your cabin mates. 

Kids ought to use camp as a time to reconnect with nature. It will feel good to take a little break from screen time. Alanna G. wrote in to us back in 2015 to say, “Phones are a HUGE part of teenagers’ lives today. However, at Beber, there is a ‘no screen’ policy. So, there are no phones. From personal experience, it is so amazing to be without my phone and learn to appreciate the people that I don’t get to see every day. It also helps me define who I am as a person. I have learned so many new things about myself and others.”

Lastly, there’s a decent chance of electronics getting broken at camp. Don’t bring anything that would be expensive to replace. And if your camp allows electronics, remember to bring along the charger.

While there are definite benefits to learning online and playing video games, there are definite benefits to living in a quieter, based lifestyle, but you have to shut the screen off to discover them. Why not start now and go for a walk. If it’s too cold for that, maybe focus on an indoor project like drawing or writing. As always, Camp Folks, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Mountain Men and Women!

Conquering a mountain is no easy feat. Breathing gets harder at higher altitudes and each step is work to lift yourself that much higher. But the feeling of accomplishment paired with a view that can’t be beat urges folks onward and upward to do what many others might say is impossible. Celebrated all over the world but on differing dates, today is Mountain Climbing Day in the USA.

You’ll want to have conditioned your body to be the best climber you can be.

There are a few different ways you can start your training. There’s no better practice than actually climbing—that’s for sure—but even before practicing, there are great exercises you can do at the gym or maybe even right at home. Here’s how I broke it down:

Upper Body Strength
Climbing, of course, takes a world of Upper Body Strength to hoist yourself into higher and higher positions. Any kind of muscle-building exercises will work—push-ups, pull-ups (if you have a bar available), or weightlifting (if you have the proper weights) are great ways to build strength in your arms and shoulders. Even more intricate of an exercise are Hand Grips. These will help develop the muscles in your fingers to build dexterity for those difficult-to-hold-onto-rocks.

Lower Body Strength
Sometimes when climbing, you’ll need your legs to make impossible strides upward and to push the rest of your body to the next point of pausing. Jogging is always a great way to build up those leg muscles. You’ll also want to incorporate some of the exercises we recommended for horse riding like Front Squats and Forward Lunges. Exercises like these are sure to sculpt your leg muscles for the job.

Flexibility
Stretches alone are a great means of training your body to be able to make far reaches and gliding steps. Sitting with your legs outstretched and touching your toes is one great way to extend the span of your stretching. For those with a chin-up bar available, you can practice what is called a ‘Deadhang’ in which you hold yourself up by your fingers. If you have a Finger-Board, that would be most convenient.

Rock climbing is fun, but extremely strenuous work. Make sure you’re ready for it when you head off to your mountainous adventures. Happy Mountain Climbing Day and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

It’s the end of July and the camp season is winding down. Most campers are likely either returned or still away for their stay. For some of you the rush of the camp season is already over. Others just need to pick up their kid on closing day. Time to unpack and take a year-long break from all the planning and prepping and thinking about summer camp. Right?

That’s an option, sure. However, if you push yourself to go the extra mile in putting away your gear now, the work for next season could already be done for you. Do it now while it’s fresh in your kid’s mind!

Listen to your kid’s stories and answers to your questions. You may learn that the raincoat didn’t fit or that the sandals hurt their feet. Ask them if their Duffel Bag was spacious enough for them to conveniently live out of or was it cramped and limiting—things like that.

As you go through your child’s gear to put everything away, ask your camper what worked well and didn’t. Should you discover a giant tear in their laundry bag, don’t just put it away and leave the problem for yourself to deal with next season. Instead, set it aside to throw away or cut up for dust cloths. Make a note to replace the laundry bag and do the same for any cracked water bottles or fans.

A more in-depth guide can be found right here on a previous post.

And, of course, listen to your child and ask them about the non-material aspects of summer camp. Was it lots of fun? Were they comfortable enough being away from home? How did they do at making friends?

Solutions to any problems your kid may have encountered at summer camp can be found by scrolling through our advice posts here on the Blog or in the invaluable guidebook, ‘The Summer Camp Handbook‘ from camp experts Dr. Christopher Thurber and Dr. Jon Malinowski. Check out this great book when you click here and browse our site for any other camping gear or summer camp supplies would have made things easier this year.

We sincerely hope you all had the best camp stay possible this summer. Enjoy the rest of the summer season and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John