Hey, Camp Fans!

It makes us so happy here at Everything Summer Camp to get such a great response to our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest! Now we’re having a great time publishing each one right here on the Blog! After our seven lucky winners, everyone else who submitted received a $15 gift certificate to our online store!

Today’s post features a submission from Bella E., who wrote in to tell us all about her fun summer camp stay away at Camp Newaygo. Check it out:

“Hi my name is Bella and I am 11 years old. This year I went to Camp Newaygo and I had a great time. I was in Cabin 7 this year and I had the best counselors. Their names were Lauren and Audrey. At camp you do many activities. My favorites were Dark Room Photography and Volleyball. The second night that I was there we played a game called Gold Rush and my cabin got 3rd place! After that, we went back to our cabin to celebrate. The next day we had a cook out and we had foil pack dinners and they were SO good! In our free time we liked to play lots and lots of Gaga Ball. I can't wait to come back to Camp Newaygo next year to make even more memories!”

Thanks for this submission, Bella! Summer camps always seem to have the best people and the most fun activities, don’t they?! It’s great to hear what a wonderful time you had during your stay at Camp Newaygo! Sounds like it was a perfect match for you! For everyone else, if Camp Newaygo sounds like it could be the right place for you, check out Camp Newaygo for yourself by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Having received more than 30 entries for our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest here at Everything Summer Camp, we’re eager to publish each one of them right here on the Blog to share with all our readers! After our ten lucky prize winners, everyone else who submitted received a $15 gift certificate to our website!

Today’s post is from Lily E., who wrote in to tell us about her unforgettable camp stay this year at Camp Newaygo.

“Hi my name is Lily and I am 7 years old. This year I went to Camp Newaygo and I had a very fun time. This was my 3rd time going, but the first time by myself. There I met some friends and we had a blast together. My counselors in cabin 9 were really nice. Their names were Audrey, Joyce, and Laura. At Camp Newaygo we do many activities. My favorites were fencing and animals. At camp we did Marshmallow paint war. It was fun but messy. Afterward we jumped in the lake to wash off. This will be a memory that I will never forget. To end our week at camp we had a cook out and we played a ton of gaga ball. In our free time we built a fairy house together. I hope it is still there when we come back next year. The last day I was sad, but I will always remember the fun time I had at Camp Newaygo in Cabin 9.”

Glad to hear how much you loved your stay at Camp Newaygo, Lily! I’m glad that your first solo trip to summer camp went so well! Sometimes it’s even better when you head to camp on your own! It certainly doesn’t sound like you’ll be forgetting this summer in Cabin 9 any time soon! Thanks for sharing with us, Lily! For anybody else, if Camp Newaygo sounds like it could be a good match for you, give them a closer look by clicking 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 $15 gift certificate to our online store!

Today’s post is from Kayshav M., who wrote in to share about his first time building a fire while he was away at Camp Mowglis. Check it out:

“It was one of my first days at Camp Mowglis when I went to do the camping industry. Mr. Team, one of the camping instructors helped us gather materials for the fire. We needed birch bark, hemlock twigs, tiny sticks, and maybe a log cabin (a cross of sticks that conceal the materials for the fire). Mr. Team lit the fire and a bit after that it started to rain and our fire started to go out, but Mr Soucop, a camper from Den, (the oldest dormitory in camp) helped and we kept the fire going for a while. After that we went back to our dorms because it was thundering. I was proud of the fire that we made and how we took materials and lit them and took care of the fire. I had many more campfires after that but that one was the most special because it was my first one!"

Thanks for this submission, Kayshav! It sounds like your very first fire really was something special as you kept it going even with the rain coming down! Sounds like a cool time with the thunder rolling in the distance! It’s great to hear that it was so memorable for you. Check out Camp Mowglis for yourself by clicking here if you’re interested in this camping experience and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

It was great to read all the camper submissions we received this year for our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest at Everything Summer Camp. I’m happy to share them with our online community and post each submission right here on the Blog! Besides our ten lucky prize winners, all other entrants received a $15 gift certificate to our online store and get their story published on the Blog, one at a time!

Today’s post is from Cameron K., who wrote in to tell us about his positive camp experience at French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts. Check out his submission right here:

“Camp. When I hear the word ‘camp’, my entire demeanor changes. Camp is my second home. I am a theater kid, so at home, I’m not like most of the boys, especially any of the so-called ‘sports boys’. At home, I often feel as if I’m on the outs. Then camp comes around. My camp, French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, is a welcoming, safe place for individuals to be whoever they want to be. I have been going to camp for 5 years now and, this year, for the first time, I went to camp for six weeks and had the best time of my life! There, I can be a singer. A dancer. A performer. And fit right into a group of guys, girls, and just be me. Camp has made me feel so much better about myself and has drastically improved my state of happiness. I don’t know what in the world I would do without this camp as a part of my life. Thank you French Woods. Thank you to camp in general! You have been my saving grace. Can’t wait to see you next year!”

Hey, Cameron! I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that being different is nothing to be ashamed of. Everybody is different; you’re just better at it than most of the folks you know. But it’s great to hear that summer camp is your sanctuary where you truly do fit in! Camp is a great place! Readers may love it too if it’s as good match for you as it is for Cameron! Look into French Woods for yourself—check out their website by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

There are more stories to share from the Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest! Your camp stories were so great and were such a fun time reading 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 one by one!

We had ten lucky prize winners and now it’s time to publish the rest of your submissions. The following post is from Carol H. who wrote in to us about her grandchildren’s time at Camp Seneca Lake. Here it is:

“My grandchildren Sam P. (age 10) and Abby P. (age 8) had a blast at Camp Seneca Lake! It was Sam's second summer there and he opted to stay both 3 1/2 week sessions. Abby did a trial two week session and opted to stay one entire 3 1/2 week session.

At camp they made new friends, tried new foods, and had no screen time, all of which made me very happy!

At Camp Seneca Lake, boys and girls in each of the four villages (divided by gender and age) and the senior camp village get to know each other. There is a big brother, big sister program where Sam and Abby were paired with an older camper for many activities. There is a hobby program with dozens of choices. Both Sam and Abby did theater and got to spend time with campers also interested in acting. A daily bunk schedule ensures that campers participate in all sorts of sports and cultural programs. There are Shabbat services every week. And, of course, there is Color War (and other signature programs) where there is competition, paired with good old-fashioned fun. I don't know how the staff comes up with such great ideas!

One day each session the villages go on a trip to area attractions. Everyone is happy to ride a yellow school bus into the real world!

I helped Sam and Abby prepare and pack for camp and ordered many things from Everything Summer Camp. I was impressed with the quality of the items and the prices. There are great sales! The Clothing Stamp and the Stick-On Waterproof Name Labels are the best! I think Sam's water bottle label will stay on till he goes to college.

I have great memories of my own summer camp experiences and I'm thrilled to share these and to re-live camp through my grandchildren.”

Summer camp is certainly a great way to relate, Carol! How cool that Sam and Abby are now getting the camp experience like you had at their age and reigniting the excitement of it all! Sounds like camp at Seneca Lake was a success all around! Summer camps truly are fun factories, aren’t they? I’m pleased to hear that the camping gear from Everything Summer Camp worked so well and hope it sees Sam and Abby through many more summers! If anybody else is interested in Camp Seneca Lake, you can give it a closer look by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John