Hey, Camp Fans!

Our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest went over pretty well last summer and we saw an even bigger response this year, so it goes without saying that we’re very excited to post these stories to share with all our readers right here on the Blog. Everyone who submitted receives a $15 gift certificate and seven lucky winners will receive larger prizes of $25, $50, and the grand prize of $100. This week we’ll be announcing the first four winners of the $25 gift certificates—and we’re starting right now! Today’s winner is….

Emily B.!

Congratulations, Emily! You’re our first $25 prize winner! Emily spent some fun summer days at Camp Merrie-Woode this year and who made unbreakable bonds with her campmates. Read all about it in her excellent entry:

“I started going to camp with my best friend and I loved it so much. But six years later I decided to go to a 3-week stay. I was scared at first but we had the best counselor ever. It was the last night of camp and all the squire cabins went to Sports field to play a game of manhunt but we were too loud and Lindsay came and told us we had to go back for cabinets. We were pretty bummed but a counselor said because it was her last night she would let us sleep in a different cabin, so we all brought over our mattress pads and sleeping bags and went into the cabin Winken. We were all so excited that we didn’t get much sleep that night but the bonds that we made that year at camp last forever.”

Thanks again for your submission, Emily. Glad you enjoyed your extended camp stay and bonded with your cabin mates! For anyone else interested in Camp Merrie-Woode, you can check it out for yourself sometime. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Did you hear us ask how your camp stay went? Here at Everything Summer Camp, we’re begging to know. That’s why we’re asking for summer camp submissions from you to tell us about how you liked camp. We want to know about your accomplishments, friends, fears that were overcome, favorite parts of camp, or just a diary/journal-style submission recounting the jam-packed days of your camp experience.

Now that August is coming to a close, there’s no more time to dally! Get your submissions into us now—there are only six days remaining! The deadline for these summer camp submissions is next week Monday!

Don’t forget: Everyone who submits gets a $15 gift certificate to Everything Summer Camp!

We will be selecting seven random winners. Our randomized first-place winner will receive a $100 gift card for our website. Then, we’ll pick two more winners randomly who will receive $50 gift cards to our site. And then, after that, four random winners will get our $25 gift cards. Everyone else who submits will be getting a $15 gift card just for your participation!

To remind you of some suggestions that I posted when I first announced children’s camp story submissions for the 2016 season in case it’s hard for you to single in on just one part of camp among all the fun times—here are some ideas:

You could submit something about what you thought was the most fun. Or you can share some things you learned whether they’re athletic skills, artistic skills, thinking skills, etc. You can give us stories about all the great people and all the camp friends you made. You can describe how it felt to be away from home and away from your parents. Or you can exercise your creative muscle and describe the beauty in the nature that surrounded you saw at camp.

In your submissions, talk about your summer camp and why you think it’s the best. Include your first name and your last name’s initial, what camp you visited, and how long you’ve been going to camp, please.

We loved hearing about your summer last year. We can’t wait to receive a fresh new collection of your summer stories from this year! Share your stories right here. As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

How was camp? At Everything Summer Camp, we REALLY want to know! That’s why we’re asking you to write us…AGAIN! We saw such a great response to our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest last summer that we felt compelled to do it again this year! We can’t wait to hear all your stories this year!

If you weren’t a participant last year, join in on the fun this time around! Whether you tell us about the one thing that was the most fun or talk about all the great people you met, we’d love to hear about your camp experience!

Please include your first name and your last name’s initial, what camp you visited, and how long you’ve been going to camp. You only need 150 words to qualify, however, we’re looking for submissions closer to 250. In these submissions, we encourage you to talk about YOUR camp and why you think it’s the best.

Not sure What to Write?                         l Well, you could tell us about the things you learned at camp like how to shoot an arrow or which way is north. You could share stories about all the friends you made while you were there. You could describe how it felt to be away from home. You could exercise your creative muscle and talk about the beautiful landscapes and natural surroundings you saw at camp. Or just give us something like a journal entry that chronicles a day in the life.

To Enter                                                                                                                          l You’ll need to submit your written story about your summer camp experience using the entry form found here. There’s no entry fee. If you’re under 18 years of age you’ll need the permission of a parent or guardian to enter the Contest.

Speaking of Parents                                                                                                          l We’d love to hear from you as well! Don’t hesitate to submit something yourself if you’d like to share your experience in sending your kid to camp. How did it go? Have you noticed any changes in your child since they got back? How did you fare with being away? How will you be better prepared for next year? Tell us anything you want. We’ll listen!
Everybody who submits gets a $15 gift certificate to Everything Summer Camp!
Seven random winners will be chosen. Our first randomized winner will receive a $100 gift card for our website. We’ll then randomly pick two more winners to receive $50 gift cards to our site. After that, four random winners will get our $25 gift cards. Everyone else who submits will get the $15 gift cards.  

So tell us how camp went and share your stories right here on the Blog! Check out the entry form for further details and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Having brought in almost 30 entries The ‘Share Your Camp Story’ drawing here at Everything Summer Camp saw a great response, making us 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, I post our last Camp Story from 2015 about Emily Y. and her great time at Camp

“2015 TAW 2nd Session

T.A.W. did not open until 8:00 am. I got there at 6:00 am. When I unpacked, I had my lice check, and then we had a camp cookout. My dad was so hungry and he loves cookouts. There were hamburgers and cake with fruit on top. After the cookout my mom and dad left. The camp went to the gym to sign up for the activities. After, I had a swim test. I didn’t pass. Then we went to our cabins for a few hours to play. After that we had dinner and E. P. (Evening Program). In the morning I got up and did the morning routine, Then I Went to breakfast. Then we did cabin cleanup and then we would do three activities. After that we would have lunch. Then we had happy nappy my favorite. Then we did three more activities, then dinner and E. P. and I did that for three weeks. On the day before we left we pack day and night. I left the next day. I cried when I left. Camp is Awesome!!!

God Bless Ton-A-Wandah.”

Thanks for your camp submission, Emily! Sounds like camp meant a lot to you! Camp IS Awesome! Maybe you can pass your swim test next summer! To anyone else interested in Camp Ton-A-Wandah, be sure to check it out for yourself. As always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Having brought in nearly 30 entries The ‘Share Your Camp Story’ drawing here at Everything Summer Camp saw a great response that made us 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 Tali R., reviewing her favorite camp memories from

“These are my best (and most embarrassing) camp memories:

My 10-year-old friend Leora broke into bunk G10 and she didn’t get in any trouble. Her 13-year-old sister was in G10. She looked around and saw a bra chain and thought it was really funny. She didn’t get caught.

On the second to last day of camp I got so much canteen I literally barfed. I bought orange soda, cotton candy, razzles, corn pops, nachos, smart fries and M&M’s. My stomach still hurts thinking about it.

My most embarrassing moment was when I was answering a question in front of the whole camp and I farted. I will never forget that!!

At our overnight camp out, me and my friend Rami were in a tent together and we heard a sound and we thought it was a ghost. But really it was our friend Moo Moo outside the tent making ghost sounds.

I was on the rolling log in the lake and my friend Isabella pushed me off. I had to get out of the water and there was lake water coming out of my mouth.

For color war we had swim races but I had red makeup on my face (GO RED!) and my makeup shmeered all over my face. It made me look all bloody. I will always regret this moment. The good news is that WE WON COLOR WAR!!!!!

We went fishing with nets and I kept catching the same fish over and over. It kept on jumping back into the water. It was so funny.

The camp food was pretty horrible. Good thing I had a package of ramen noodles.

On the camp out we heard lightning and thunder, but it wasn’t really lightning and thunder!!! It was just the counselor’s ring tone on their phone.

Mom’s packages from your website [everythingsummercamp.com] helped make camp a lot easier and fun! Until my friend Shelly robbed my silly string!!!! At least I still have my sleeping bag, it sure made me warm in the woods. Thanks!!”

Thanks again for all the memories, Tali (as well as the laughs)! To anyone else interested in Camp Moshava, be sure to check it out for yourself. As always, thanks for reading!

- John