Hello, Camp Enthusiasts!

We're thrilled about the overwhelming response to our 'Share Your Camp Story' Contest at Everything Summer Camp. We received fantastic entries from over 50 campers eager to share their camp experiences, and now it's time to showcase each of your stories right here on the Blog! As we celebrate our ten lucky winners who received larger prizes, all other entrants have been awarded a $15 gift certificate to use on our online store.

Today, we're featuring Sabrina S. and her story from summer camp. She's here to share her exciting summer experience at Camp Cullen. Let's dive into her story:

“My name is Sabrina, and I am 9 years old. This summer, I embarked on an exciting journey to Camp Cullen, nestled in the picturesque wilderness of Texas. It was my first time being away from home, and I was both nervous and eager to see what adventures awaited me. As we drove up to Camp Cullen, my heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and apprehension. The tall trees and the scent of nature filled the air, making me feel like I was about to enter a magical world. My parents hugged me tightly before bidding me farewell, assuring me that I would have an amazing time. As I stepped foot into the campgrounds, I was greeted by friendly counselors and other campers who were just as excited as I was. It didn't take long for me to feel at ease as the warm atmosphere enveloped me.

I was assigned to a cabin, where I would spend the next week with my fellow bunkmates. Everyone in the cabin was friendly, and we quickly became friends. There was Mia, who loved telling funny stories, and Emma, who was an expert at making friendship bracelets. We laughed and chatted like we had known each other forever.

The camp was filled with so many activities to choose from, and I couldn't wait to try them all. From tubing in the lake to hiking through the wooded trails, every day brought new excitement. I was determined to make the most of this adventure. On the first day, we had a water test. They basically needed to make sure that we could all swim. And if not, then we would take additional swim classes to help us. I was a bit scared at first, but with the encouragement of my bunkmates and the caring guidance of the camp instructors, I conquered my fears and felt a sense of accomplishment. One of my favorite activities was horseback riding. The gentle horses and the beautiful scenery made it an unforgettable experience. I felt like a true cowgirl riding through the Texan wilderness.

As the days passed, I discovered talents I didn't know I had. I found joy in arts and crafts, creating colorful masterpieces. I also surprised myself with my archery skills, hitting the target bullseye more often than I thought I would. Nights at Camp Cullen were magical. We gathered around the campfire, roasting marshmallows, and singing camp songs. The counselors shared captivating stories that kept us entertained until the stars filled the sky.

Throughout my time at Camp Cullen, I grew not only in skills and confidence but also in friendships. The girls in my cabin became like sisters to me, and I knew I had found friends for life. As the camp session neared its end, I felt a bittersweet emotion. I was sad to say goodbye to the place and the people who had made this experience so special, but I also felt grateful for the memories we created together. On the day of departure, I hugged my new friends tightly, promising to keep in touch and return next summer.

As I waved goodbye to Camp Cullen, I knew that this adventure had changed me in the best possible way. I had overcome my fears, made wonderful friends, and discovered the true joy of being part of a camp family. I couldn't wait to share all my stories with my family, and I was already counting down the days until my next visit to Camp Cullen.”

Hi, Sabrina! Thanks for writing into us and detailing your first trip to summer camp so well! Sounds like Camp Cullen gave you a great first-year experience away from home! I’m glad you had such a fun time and made such good friends. Nice job stepping outside your comfort zone with activities like swimming and archery. Enjoy keeping in touch with all the friends you made during your camp stay and enjoy the anticipation for next time!

If Camp Cullen sounds like a summer camp you have interest in, check it out for yourself right here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Happy to receive all the great entries we did for our yearly ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest we put on here at Everything Summer Camp, we’re now eager to share each one right here on the Blog! After ten lucky winners of larger prizes, all other submissions got a $15 gift certificate to our online shop! Today we have a submission from Leighton L., who wrote in to tell us about his experience at Camp Dudley. 

“My name is Leighton, I live on Cape Cod, and this was my 1st year away at summer camp. I went to Camp Dudley in Westport, NY in the Adirondacks. This was certainly a memorable summer. To start things off, I was in Avery cabin. This was such an amazing cabin because we had a nice porch overlooking Lake Champlain! To make things better, my cabinmates were amazing. They gave me a warm welcome and showed me around campus. Dudley is the perfect camp for me because I'm an active kid and there lots of sports and activities to do! I loved playing my main sports which is Basketball, Baseball, Soccer and Lacrosse, but I also enjoyed trying new things like Kayaks, Paddleboards, Track and Field and Ultimate Frisbee. While I wasn't playing sports I was most likely playing cards with friends and counselors and having a fun time with them. No matter what I was doing I was having a blast. The Wednesday and Saturday night shows were really fun and festive! I loved Pizza night and the night we got Steak Tips but the tacos could have used a little more work. Camp is all about trying new things and I definitely lived up to that phrase. All in all, my experience at Camp Dudley was so amazing and I definitely want to head back next summer. I would recommend this camp for anyone who is active and is looking for an Adventurous summer. Thank you to all the people who made camp possible.”

That’s awesome, Leighton! Camp Dudley sounds like it was a great camp stay for you with food, friends, fun, and a great view. There’s always lots of fun sports and other activities at summer camp, but the mark of a good camp shows its campers a fun time just hanging out! I think you put it best when you said “No matter what I was doing I was having a blast.” Thanks for sharing, Leighton.

If Camp Dudley sounds like a summer camp you have interest in, check it out for yourself right here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We were glad to receive such a great response to our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest we put on here at Everything Summer Camp! Of course, we’re eager, now, to share each entry right here on the Blog! After ten lucky winners of the bigger prizes, all other submissions got a $15 gift certificate to our online store! Today’s post is from Jan U., who wrote in to tell us about her summer stay at Camp Jones Gulch.

“My camp adventure happened when I was in 5th grade and went to camp at Camp Jones Gulch in La Honda, CA. I had never been away from home and was so nervous. The trip to camp was over 3 hours from my home but felt like much further. I was so excited and nervous all at the same time. After arriving at the camp and getting checked in, I was put into a group and assigned to a camp counselor. She walked our group to our cabin. It was full of girls I had never met before, but I quickly made friends, so much giggling. The smell of the redwoods was amazing, the trees were huge! I had no idea I was hiking through ‘the valley of the giants’ some of the largest and oldest redwoods. Each morning we got up and hiked to the dining hall. The food was really good, scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon and sausages, yum! We went on day hikes through the redwood forest and learned so much about all the beautiful vegetation, I loved all the ferns! We also did beach trips where I saw my first hermit crab and starfish. Then I met the strangest thing I had ever seen before, a huge yellow about banana slug. They put it on my arm and it slowly crawled along. They brought out more of them. They were huge, slow and kind of sticky. Our camp counselors and the conservationists taught us the "Banana Slug" song, "juicy, delicious banana slugs". I still remember the song and it's been a while. So many sea creatures like seals and otters, and all the ocean vegetation to see and learn about. The seagulls and pelicans were amazing to see too. Our night hikes were kind of scary, you could hear coyotes and things running through the forest. Each evening we hiked to the showers, got into our pajamas and went to the outdoor ampitheater where we got to participate in skits and listen to stories our camp counselors told. There is nothing like a summer camp experience! A week of time, a lifetime of memories.”  

Jan, you lucky duck! Your camp stay sounds absolutely incredible! You got to hike ‘the valley of the giants’?! That must have been a truly enchanting experience. I’m glad you had such an easy time making friends—summer camp has a way of breaking the ice and giving into the giggles! Your hikes sound great—even the nightly ones! And all the nature must have been so cool to get an up-close look at (maybe a bit too up-close with the Banana Slug!).

Be sure that you check out Camp Jones Gulch for yourself sometime and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Thrilled to have received such a great response of about 30 entries for our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest that we held here at Everything Summer Camp, we’re eager to share each entry right here on the Blog now! After t;en lucky winners of bigger prizes, all other submissions got a $15 gift certificate to our online store! And today’s post is from Nola H., who wrote in to tell us about her return to Camp Chimney Corners YMCA. Check it out:

“Hi my name is Nola and I went to Camp Chimney Corners for 4 weeks this summer. I loved camp so much but there is one part everyone dreads about summer camp, packing up and having to leave! The thing is, I have never been great at packing everything back up, I've only been good at packing it in the first place. But since my mom bought me a pop up soft trunk, it made the process of packing so much easier! Not only were there many pockets and compartments to organize my stuff in, but the best part was that the trunk could pretty much turn into a rolling suitcase and could easily be rolled around instead of having two people carry around a heavy hard trunk. What's more is your able to customize the trunk which I had so much fun doing (I made mine light blue and purple and got a volleyball under my name because I love volleyball). The funny thing was my bunkmate, Zoe, had the same trunk and we both agreed it was the best. All of my cabinmates loved my trunk and are planning to get it for next year.”

Way to be a trend setter, Nola! The Pop Up Soft Trunk certainly is perfect for packing and travel at summer camp! I’m glad you and your bunkmate both loved yours so much! I hope you enjoy your stay come next camp season! Thanks for sharing this submission with us, Nola. Click right here to check out Camp Chimney Corners YMCA to see what Nola’s talking about and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We were delighted to have received such a great response for our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest that we held here at Everything Summer Camp. In fact, we got such a great response that we’re still publishing each of your entries right here on the Blog! Following our ten lucky winners of bigger prizes, all other submissions got a $15 gift certificate to our online store! Today’s post is from Sachin S., who wrote in to tell us about his time at Pocono Springs summer camp! Check out what he wrote:

“My name is Sachin and I’m 8 years old. I went to a sleepaway camp for the first time for 5 weeks, at Poconos Springs. When I left my parents, I felt nervous but then a counselor there pumped me up and got me very excited to see all the amazing things they had at camp. The camp sits on a humongous piece of land, with a big lake, a golf course, a pier, and a ton of great big pine trees. The pine trees were like a forest and lots of creatures came to visit like deer, bears, snakes, lizards, eels, fish, butterflies, ladybugs, spiders, and many more. The pine tree forest surrounded our big cabins. In my cabin there were amazing people and I didn’t get along with a couple of them, but I got along with others. Before I knew it, we became friends. Our counselors in our cabin were extra funny. They would always comfort us when we felt homesick and it was really fun to be in our cabin and I really liked being there. Besides hanging out with my friends, some of my favorite activities were Tribals (some people call it Color Wars), water skiing, and the Aqua Playground in the middle of the lake. There was also the adventure course in the forest, cabin time, football, soccer, and lacrosse. My most memorable meals were Gyro Night because we could pick out our own drinks. I had a Coke, which my mom never lets me drink. I also loved Breakfast for Dinner Night where we got to make our own breakfast sandwiches. Now that camp is over, and so is summer, I really miss seeing my friends and counselors and I really miss all the people at camp. It was so fun to just be there and I loved it. I can’t wait to go back next summer.”

Awesome, Sachin! Five weeks is a long time to be away for your first stay at overnight camp. You must have had a blast. I’m glad your counselors were able to curb your homesickness right out of the gate! Sounds like you had a summer chockfull of nature, friends, fun, and food! I hope your stay next season is even better.

If want to have a great summer like Sachin and you want to check out Pocono Springs summer camp for yourself, you can do so by clicking right here. As always, thanks for reading!

- John