Hey, Camp Fans!

We were thrilled to get the turnout that we did this year for our annual Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest! Your camp stories were great! I had such a fun time reading through them and we’ve been having a blast publishing them here on the Blog to share them with all our readers online! We’re posting each submission with their own individual post right here on the Blog!

Since I’ve finished announcing our ten lucky winners who took larger prizes in September, I’ve moved on to the rest of your submissions. The following post is from Devon P. who wrote in to tell us about his summer stay at Camp Sloane. Check it out: 

“My name is Devon and I’ve been going to Camp Sloane YMCA for 4 years. My story is kind of unique because I’m a 3rd generation camper at Camp Sloane, my mom and uncles went and so did my grandma. My sister who also submitted her story goes to camp with me and went one year before I did. My favorite thing to do at camp is water skiing. I started water skiing 4 years ago and have done it for at least 2 weeks every year since. This year one of my biggest accomplishments was being able to get up on one ski and stay up for 3 minutes. One of my favorite things about camp is the friendships I make every year. This year my best friend at camp was Desmond and we had a lot of fun together. We had some of our activities together and hung out during our village time. My tent was also awesome and I made friends with a lot of them. My tent counselors' names were Blessing and Mario(Session 2) and Dean and Marcell(Session 3). It was cool to have them as counselors because they are all international and I learned a lot about where they come from and their cultures. I love coming back to Camp Sloane year after year because of the people and the fun that we have every day. I'm already signed up for Summer ‘23 and I’m so excited.”

Camp Sloane must be one amazing camp if it has your family going back summer after summer and generation after generation! It’s great to hear that your confidence on water skis is building throughout the years—sounds pretty brave to manage yourself on just a single ski. Well done! Along with great friendships, it sounds like you always get the most out of your summers at Camp Sloane!

For everyone else, give Camp Sloane a closer look. Check it out for yourself by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Pumpkin People!

The wait is over to find out who won our Decorated Pumpkins Contest. In fact, today's our chance to share all the great entries we received! But before anything else and any more wait, let's have a look at our winners!

First up we have Natalee C. who goes to Camp Huawni as our First Place Winner! Congratulations, Natalee! That's some tasty-looking pump-corn!

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Hey, Camp Fans!

The camp stories we received for our ‘Share your Camp Story’ Contest here at Everything Summer Camp were so great! It was a wonderful time reading through them all and now I’m excited to share them with all our followers on the Blog and post each submission right here on its own day!

After our ten lucky prize winners, I’ve moved on to the rest of your submissions. The following post is from Lindsey S. who wrote in to tell us about her daughter’s camp experience at Camp Longhorn. Here’s her submission:

“This was my daughters first time at camp. Neither my husband nor I went to sleep away camp as kids. Needless to say, we were all nervous the months leading up to camp. Once a month we did the Camp Longhorn merit questions together. That was fun because there were little details about the camp that made my daughter, Bobbi, excited about what to expect at camp. Once summer started, I knew it was time to start packing for camp. I had no clue how to pack a kid for a week at camp. My friend told me to start with ordering the trunk. Bobbi ended up asking Santa for her trunk and accessories. It was fun to have her pick out and personalize everything. As a mom, I wanted all of her things to coordinate, but she just wanted all kinds of different things. It seemed like every week we were thinking of something that I needed to order to make her stay comfortable. About a week before she left, we started compiling everything. She was very into helping me. She wanted each outfit in a different labeled Ziploc bag and everything to have a place.

The bus to camp came on a Sunday morning to the Target in our town. I knew she didn't know anyone at her camp location and I was excited for her to meet new people, but when the bus arrived and she did not know anyone and it seemed like everyone else had a familiar face to sit by, I felt terrible for her. I had tears in my eyes because I felt guilty for sending her away with no friends but she went on the bus with no tears. I remember checking the website constantly that evening checking to see if there were any pictures of her. I just wanted to see one smile.

Finally, I saw her laughing and smiling with her cabin. We picked her up after the week and she exhausted. When I unpacked her trunk—it was like she was only there for 3 days because most of her clothes were never touched.

The best thing I can say about the camp experience is this story. My daughter is very timid and does not like to try new things. We went to a waterpark the week after camp and she did not want to try anything. I asked her if she did scary things at camp and she said she did because she was having such a great time with her new friends. I knew that camp was the right decision after that. I think camp is important because it gets kids out of their comfort zone!”

Absolutely, Lindsey! As comfortable as our comfort zone may be, it won’t do much for personal growth. Sounds like Bobbi had a great time at camp if she was so distracted with having fun that she tried new, scary things! Here’s to many more fun summers for Bobbi and further steps outside her comfort zone!

For everyone else, you can give Camp Longhorn a closer look by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We were delighted to see such a great response to our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest here at Everything Summer Camp and now we’re eager to publish each one right here on the Blog! After our seven lucky winners, everyone else who submitted received a $20 gift certificate to our online store!

Today’s post is from Gianna B. who attended Camp Tapawingo in Maine. Check out her submission on why camp is so great!

“My best memory at camp It was my first year at a new camp and I was very nervous to meet my bunk, but when I got to my bunk immediately I got to know my bunkmates and they were all so nice to me. The next day we had our swim test and when I was getting tired my bunk mate motivated me into finishing it and later that day I was feeling home sick and my bunkmate comforted me and when my friend had to be sent home all my bunkmates comforted me. I actually have a few memories one being when I first got to know one of my best friends and when she got back from her 6 day trip and getting to spend time with her later that day. Another memory that will stay with me is when I got on a horse for the first time. And although I had to leave I will never forget my first year at Tapawingo.”

Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Gianna! I’m glad you found such a welcoming and comforting home away from home in Camp Tapawingo! How cool that you got to meet so many new people! What a great place Tapawingo must be! For everyone else, if it sounds like Tapawingo could be the right place for you, check it out for yourself by clicking here. As always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Your camp stories were great this year! It was lots of fun to read through them all and now I’m excited to share them with all our readers online! We’re posting each submission right here on the Blog! Since I’ve finished announcing our ten lucky winners who took larger prizes, I’ve moved on to everyone else who got a $20 gift certificate as a show of our appreciation.

The following post is from Garner F. who wrote in to share her summer experience while her sister attended Camp DeSoto for nearly a month. Here’s what she wrote:

“Hi! My name is Garner F. My sister, Anna F., attended Camp Desoto during the month of July. I missed her so much. During the weeks she was away, I learned some important lessons. One lesson I learned was what it was like to not have my sister around. She has been away for a week, but that is different than 3.5 – 4 weeks. This was a whole new experience for me and my family. While she was gone, I realized just how big a part of my life she is. I missed her funny jokes and hilarious remarks, her artwork everywhere, and, yes, even her comings and goings in and out of my room without my permission. I noticed that I missed the little things that she does that I’ve never really noticed before. Now, even though my family and I missed her so much, I had the opportunity to grow closer and spend extra time with my youngest sister, Dorothy. I am so thankful for that opportunity. It meant a lot to me and I think it meant a lot to her too. However, even though I grew closer with Dorothy, I stilled missed Anna a ton. I missed her sarcasm and sass. But her being away taught me that I should not take the time I have with her for granted. She is a very special part of my life, and I couldn’t wait to see her again. Finally, pickup day arrived. I eagerly walked into the camp and stood waiting and looking. Then I saw her. My sister. We ran and hugged each other. It was awesome. I missed her more than I thought I did. Getting to be there for pickup was great. I was so happy to see her and couldn’t wait to hear all about camp.”

What a sweet submission this is, Garner! We’ve heard from campers and their parents before but this is the first time we’ve gotten the perspective of a sibling’s account of a summer camp story. Our siblings are easy to take for granted—they’re always around…until they leave for somewhere. It’s nice that you saw her time away at summer camp as a lesson to appreciate her as well as an opportunity to bond a little better with your younger sister. Sounds like you’re fortunate to have such close siblings and likewise they’re fortunate to have you. Thanks for sharing, Garner.

If anybody else would like to give Camp DeSoto a closer look, take a peek when you click right here and, as always, thanks for reading. Happy Camping!

- John