Hey, Scrabblers!

Last year, I told you all about how today, April 13, is Plant Appreciation Day. You can check that Blog post out by clicking here. Today, however, we have a whole other reason that makes today special—it’s my sister’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Kim!

I guess that one’s really just celebrated by the people in her life, though. Okay, well there’s yet another reason that makes today special even if you don’t know my sister; today is Scrabble Day. And Kim’s a huge Scrabble fan so it all works out.

This board game concentrated on crafting words out of tile letters has an interesting history that goes back to 1933. It began with a New York architect who was out of work for some time. His name was Alfred Mosher Butts. Alright, folks—let’s get all the jokes out now before I continue…

Ready? Okay. So Butts was an avid reader of the New York Times and would often play the word games like the anagrams and crosswords. He once said, “There is one thing that keeps word games from being as popular as card games: they have no score.”

Inspired by the anagrams and crosswords, Butts went about developing a game that put a scoring system to the letters you randomly picked and had to form crossword style with other words on a board. He called this game…Lexiko. You weren’t expecting that, were you?!

Going by a different name than what we all know and love, Butts’ board game was turned down by game manufacturers time and time again. Unsatisfied with the name Lexiko, Butts changed the name and started marketing it as...Criss Cross Words.

Unfortunately, the concept of this game continued to be declined until Butts met a game enthusiast and entrepreneur named James Brunot. Brunot helped Butts refine the rules as well as the design of the board. And, most importantly, they changed the name once more.

They named the game Scrabble, a word that means ‘to grasp, collect, or hold onto something’. This game was finally trademarked in 1948 and caught on slowly, but surely and eventually became the household name that it is today. A Scrabble set is found in three of every five American households.

Enjoy a game of Scrabble today and send my sister warm birthday wishes (if you know her)! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks! And happy camping!

- John

Hey, Fishy Folks!

Today, April 1, is modernly known as April Fools Day. But, as we’ve covered in Blog posts past, the first of this month wasn’t always called this. And the day April Fools wasn’t always called April Fools Day either. It was called April Fish Day—no joke. For today’s Blog post, I thought I’d share a few little known facts about April Fools and April Fools related items. Check it out:

Something Smells Fishy Here…
It probably sounds like a cheap gag, but April Fools Day likely came from the French holiday, ‘April Fish Day’. In France, they used to celebrate a different version of the holiday in which the same prank was attempted on friends, acquaintances, and strangers of sticking a picture of a fish on their backside and calling out “April Fish!” in French.

April First for Two Days Straight
Likely derived from the April Fish custom, the Scots and the French came up with the ‘Kick Me’ sign. Scots REALLY like April Fools Day. They like it so much that they celebrate it twice. The next day is called ‘Taily Day’ which is all about sneaky pranks in which kids tried to stick strips of paper to someone’s backside. When successfully executed, the jokers gave their victims a new tail.

The Whoopee Whoopsie
Did you know that just one man in responsible for so many of the novelty gag objects you can think of such as the handshake buzzer, the snake-in-a-can, the stink bomb, and so much more—Soren Sorenson Adams. Back in 1930, he actually turned down the rights to the granddaddy of all gag toys: the Whoopee Cushion, declaring the entire premise to be “too indelicate.” Whoops.

In conclusion, watch out today for anybody trying to attach something to your backside, sit you down somewhere specific, or shake your hand. Maybe enjoy a Fish Fry as today lands on a Friday. Happy April Fish Day! And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Happy Old Stuff Day, Everybody!

It’s no surprise that we have a day dedicated to old stuff; many people have a great fascination with old things. Old things mean history. And the past is always interesting to explore. Old stuff and the ways of the past are at the heart of summer camp.

Campers are typically encouraged to embrace an immersive experience that champions old practices and non-electronic gear. And even summer camp itself is a look back to a more primitive time when the days were mostly spent outdoors.

For the last hundred years or so, people have developed and established summer camps. The idea rose in popularity with the rise of big cities. It quickly became a part of summer for so many kids whose city-living parents wanted to give their kids a glimpse of the good ol’ wholesome country life that comes along with a natural, rural setting.

In a technology-driven world that gets further and further away from our primitive roots, summer camp is a way to keep the ways of the old world alive. Technology (especially electronic and digital technology) has benefited the world greatly, however, the natural world is hidden from us when our eyes are glued to a screen.

Learning about old things like how to use a compass or spying something at a distance with a pair of binoculars are great ways to enjoy a physical experience in the real world. I don’t think too many people would describe a time of their life viewing something on a screen as a life-changing moment. The natural world presents us with plenty of life-altering experiences.

Enjoy doing something real today with a toy like a yo-yo or grab a few bean bags and learn to juggle. Happy Old Stuff Day to all and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Little Birdies!

Today is Feed the Birds Day—a wonderful day to participate in not just for the birds, but for yourself as well! Feeding birds can be a very educational experience, imparting scientific concepts built in to nature and giving us a better understanding of the importance in caring for our environment and the life that lives there. Ask your folks if they can help you feed the birds. Here are some things to consider:

A Balanced Bird Diet
Just the same way that your body requires you eat the right things in order for it to function its best, birds are no different. Birds stay healthy and energized by eating the right kind and the right amount of nutrients. But wild birds are all different. Some eat bugs, grubs and worms for their nutrition while others eat seeds and berries. In order to see what kind of birds enjoy what kind of food, put out a variety for them like seeds, nuts, berries, and suet (fat).

Tweeter Feeder
Different feeders will attract different birds. Bowl-style feeders provide an open shape that allows several birds to feed at once. It’s also an easy one for kids to refill as opposed to a tube-style feeder. Tube feeders take a little extra effort to fill up, however, you can usually get away with a refill once every several days or a week (depending on how much food fits in your feeder. Probably the easiest method yet is to simply get a suet cage and blocks of suet to put inside. Hang it up outside and you’re done.

Hit the Spot
Some locations are better than others for birdfeeders. It’s important that the feeder goes somewhere several feet away from shrubs where predators could be hiding. Birds also want to be either in or near a tree where they can take shelter. Be sure to pick a spot for your feeder where you’ll be able to see it from inside the house. You want to be able to enjoy watching all your new feathered friends! Perhaps you’ll want a pair of binoculars handy to really study these amazing little creatures!

So whether you want to devote a lot or just a little time to putting out some food for the birds in your yard, the birds will sure appreciate it and you’ll love it too. Have a great Feed the Birds Day and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! Till next time.

- John

Hey, Snail Mailers!

Writing letters is really in the spirit of summer camp, but it’s such an appropriate activity for right now in the winter season—a great time to flex your writing muscle and practice this therapeutic and cheerful indoor activity as we venture into the holiday season! Here are some great reasons to sit yourself down today and write a letter or two to some of the people you have in your life.

Process Events
Writing things down is an extremely useful means of people cementing events as they come to pass during the course of our lives. All of the people you meet, skills you learn, and things you do—it’s great to review all of those new experiences you’ve had to help yourself process and reflect on what you learned. Writing about your personal perspective can allow you to explore what you’re feeling.

Say What You Mean
Writing letters gives you an opportunity to write down your thoughts and express your feelings. We tend to feel more comfortable saying things to someone by means of written word that might go unsaid in other forms of communication such as talking face-to-face or texting.

Preserve Memories
Don’t leave your memories behind! Put them down on paper. Write about your school, home life, memories of summer camp, etc. Sharing fun memories is a great way to cherish a friendship or family relationship you have with the recipient of your letter! It’s always good to revisit a cool moment or an inside joke we may have shared with someone close in our life!

These are just a few of the many benefits there are to writing letters to people. Make the connection and spread some cheer as we venture into the holiday season! Put your pen to some paper and see what comes out! Happy Letter Writing Day and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John