Hey, Summer Camp Fans!

If you’re a regular climbin’ Simon, then you’re no stranger to the strength, endurance, and overall health that goes hand in hand with the climbing life. You can imagine that there’s really no telling just how old Rock Climbing is; people have been climbing rock for as long as it has stood in our way. We’ve been doing it out of necessity since the expansion of our species when we first encountered towering rock formations that had to be surmounted.

Rock Climbing as a sport, however, is something that came along in the late 1800s, gradually growing in popularity as it changed its face from its origin of necessity to an athletic accomplishment. So why do people choose to get into Climbing when it’s no longer a necessity? Well, like all activities at summer camp, it promotes a happy, healthy lifestyle.

Check out just a few of the benefits that Rock Climbing brings with it:

Valuable Life Skills
Rock Climbing may feel like an incredibly physical sort of activity—and it is! But don’t let that take away from the character-building traits that this sport can instill in you. Along with Rock Climbing comes strength, determination, perseverance, stamina, and more.

Reduces Stress
While the process in itself is certainly no stroll in the park, Climbers often experience the equivalence of a runner’s high once they’ve hit their summit, resulting in a lightness and almost invincible sort of feeling. Ella B. gave us a Climbing account for our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest a couple years back saying, “I feel so small and so big at the same time. I close my eyes and let all my worries melt away.” Check out the whole submission by clicking here.

Builds Muscle and Endurance
It goes without saying that Climbing takes incredible upper body strength in order to hoist one’s own body into higher and higher places. Other times, Climbers need to use their legs to push themselves upward to the next position. I posted a number of years back about training techniques Climbers can utilize before they hit the wall (or real rock) Check it out by clicking here.

Boosts Brain Function
More than muscle strength, flexibility, and finger dexterity, Climbing calls upon constant consideration and problem-solving skills. Climbing a route requires body awareness and extreme focus to know where your next grab is going to be and where you can place your foot.

And, as Ella’s camp submission alludes, the cherry on top of all these Climbing benefits spending your time in the outdoors (assuming your climbing rock). Simply spending time outside shows signs of decreasing ADHD symptoms, improving memory, boosting creativity, and more. Always take the proper safety precautions when Climbing and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Thespians!

To be or not to be: that is the question. Well, it’s A question, anyway. I guess my question is more so, do you have a passion for Acting?  Y’know—drama, stage performance, the theatre! If you love attention, if you have a passion for storytelling, and if you are fascinated with breathing life into fictional characters, then you certainly belong on the stage!

Folks have been flexing their Acting muscle since ancient times. The oldest surviving play that we’re aware of would be ‘The Persians’, a tragedy from the playwright Aeschylus—first performed back in 472 BC. Perhaps there were other productions that precede this, but there is no existing evidence of one. In any case, people have been acting for thousands of years!
More than just a career, people devote themselves to truly building and becoming all sorts of characters. Check out what people get out of the Acting experience and why they love it so much:

Develops Confidence
Performing in front of an audience can seem daunting to some people (I know it would make me sweat)! But if you can muster up the courage to see yourself through your first production, you’re likely to find yourself hooked on the limelight!

Teaches Empathy
Acting IS putting yourself in another person’s shoes. Actors quickly develop their abilities to understand what other people are going through—a trait of maturity that some people never attain.

Builds Memory
Memorizing lines—not to mention, the rundown of entire productions—certainly helps keep your mind sharp and your memory keen! Exercise your memory; you never know if you can commit all your character lines to memory until you try!

Thinking outside the Box
Philosophies behind acting can often lead to profound, paradigm-shifting concepts that end up tweaking our perception of life. For instance, many people believe Acting to be about pretending to be a different person while a good actor knows it’s about finding and magnifying the part of you that’s similar to your character.

Enjoy developing the actor in you during your summer camp experience. Don’t be afraid to ask camps about the level of focus they have on theatre productions so you know if it will be suitable for the level that you’re seeking for your kid. Break a leg this summer and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Fishing Aficionados!

Waterfront activities are pretty much essential to every summer camp experience! And no matter what your favorite thing to do is when it comes to the water, everyone knows that the water welcomes us into almost another world. From Swimming to Kayaking to Canoeing and Wakeboarding, summer camps offer lots of activities involving the water. But one of the most relaxing ones is Fishing.

People have been Fishing since…forever ago. You can check out this Blog post from a few years back in which we look into the history of Fishing by clicking here. Fishing is an age-old sport—like prehistoric kind of old. It goes WAY back. Even long before ancient Egyptians caught Perch and Tilapia in the Nile, Stone Age cavemen would fish for their food. We see evidence of our ancestors Fishing as early back as the ‘Paleolithic Era’ which was around 40,000 years ago.

More than just a sport—more than just a pastime, some people love spending their days Gone Fishin’ just as often as they can. Check out what people get out of the Fishing experience and why they love it so much:

Peace and Serenity
It’s easy to understand what people love about Fishing. Sitting out on the serene surface of the water out in the wilderness provides an immediate sense of peacefulness. We could probably all benefit by breaking from out busy lives and finding some stillness as Fishing offers.

Teaches us Patience
Whether the fish are biting or not, you can enjoy a day out on the water. Fishing doesn’t require excitement. It’s enjoyable to just look out on the water, soak in the sun and relax. Fishing brings enjoyment even when nothing is happening and we welcome stillness into our lives. It teaches us to be patient with our time.

Adrenaline Rush
The thrill of the catch brings an edge to this patient, peaceful activity. It’s not all about resting and waiting. And you better be ready when the moment comes that you get a bite! The battle can go either way. Feel out the motion of the fish on your line and reel it in with steady force!

Atmosphere
Like many things, your time Fishing depends on your company. But whether you go with friends or you go alone, Fishing offers you time away from everything else. It creates the atmosphere for bonding time among friends and can be a meditative time to know yourself better for times you go alone.

Remain peaceful and patient with Fishing as your guide. A common activity at summer camps, find one where you can Fish to your heart’s content with other kids who love Fishing just like you and be sure to enjoy your time on the water. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Animal Lovers!

Do you belong in the zoo? Well, let me rephrase that—I don’t mean living there. Do you love your zoo visits? Seeing the animals of the world in their imitated natural habitats all in the same setting is always such a thrill for us to absorb and appreciate. It’s certainly fun to take in the majestic, humorous, and adorable charm of the animals as you tour a zoo.

Today is Zoo Lovers Day! For those who can’t get enough of this place, perhaps you should consider a Zoo Camp if you have a local zoo that offers such an experience. Some Day Camps take place at the zoo in order to show kids a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on there.

Fortunately, it just so happens that our very own Operations Manager here at Everything Summer Camp attended a Day Camp at the zoo when he was a kid. So I talked with Brian about his experience.

Bri attended Zoo Camp back in the days when he was just eleven years old. The days would last from 8:00am till 2:00pm, but Bri remembered hanging out for longer afterwards. “We were already at the zoo,” he said so of course they would stick around once his family arrived to pick him up.

For one whole week, Brian was given a backstage pass to see the zoo from a zookeeper’s perspective. He was treated to walks inside some of the cages and seeing behind the exhibits. He saw animals that were either babies or newcomers to the zoo who weren’t ready for the public eye just yet.

He fed baby animals. He saw the gigantic cuts of meat that were fed to the carnivorous creatures. And, yes, he even saw people cleaning up poop…a lot of poop. “It was relatively hands-on for 10-year-olds,” he noted.

Extremely educational, Bri described the experience as sort of a cross between being at camp and being at school—like, your favorite school field trip. It was very structured and you were taught a lot. It made for a valuable experience to Brian who, at the time, aspired to be a marine biologist.

You can imagine his favorite part was the aquariums. He recalled walking the walkways from above and peering down into the huge tanks. “I’d seen the aquariums countless times through the windows,” he said, “but seeing them from such a different view—that was something that always stuck with me.”

Bri also had the traditional overnight camp experience when he was young, so I asked him how the experiences measured up. “I recommend both,” he answered. “Zoo Camp was very structured, with an educational, curriculum; there wasn’t any downtime to form lasting friendships,” he said, highlighting one of the best parts of overnight camp.

Happy Zoo Lovers Day, Everybody! Get out to your local zoo today and pay all your favorite animals a visit! See if you can find the opportunity for a Zoo Camp experience like Brian had and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Creative Campers!

Summer camps are fun factories. They’re all different, but most provide their campers with somewhere between 50 and 100 activities! Some activities are an outlet for your sense of adventure while others indulge your quieter side to enjoy a simple activity that provides a creative outlet. Jewelry-Making definitely lends itself to the latter.

The art of Jewelry-Making dates back to ancient times. Jewelry artifacts have given archeologists some insight into the culture of civilizations from long ago such as the Ancient Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Greeks, and Romans. We can trace jewelry through history of ancient times to the Middle Ages, to the Renaissance, the 18^th Century, and beyond.

Depending on the style, jewelry can either add a spark or gently complement the outfit you’re wearing. They typically consist of such valued materials as gemstones, amber, beads, shells, precious metals, and an assortment of other alternatives. Culturally, jewelry is appreciated for its beauty, sentimental meaning, status symbol, and more. Wearing jewelry makes you feel good, special even—sort of like wearing a good luck charm as you go about your day.

This list of benefits for actually MAKING pieces of jewelry, however, are much more than simply wearing it. Take a look at some of the different healthy effects jewelry-making has on us:

Therapeutic
First of all, Jewelry-Making is an absolutely therapeutic hobby. It helps creators to unwind and zone in on this one, simple task. This hobby helps quiet the mind and gives you time to do some other less-busy things like listen to music and enjoy a cup of tea.

Creativity
Assuming you have an abundance of supplies and pieces from bead shops at your disposal, there’s really no limit to the creativity you can put into your creations. Make them as unique and as beautiful as your artistic vision drives them to be!

Healthiness
Committing your time to a hobby is always as good for the soul as it is for the body and mind. Jewelry-Making offers your body decompression time that relaxes the mind and eliminates stress from the body. And you’ll feel a sense of satisfaction in your soul over your creations.

Social Skills
As intimate and personal as your projects may be, Jewelry-Making can be fun with the right group around too. Making jewelry with friends can give you the chance to compare designs, get advice, or simply share stories as you pass the time. It could be a great way to make friends too.

Personalized Jewelry
You’re sure to love your jewelry that much more when it bears your own creative touch. Make your jewelry YOUR jewelry when you create your own pieces! The jewelry you make is an extension of yourself so it can feel very rewarding to wear what is essentially a piece of yourself.

Gifts
As good as it feels to wear your own jewelry creations, it can feel just as good to share your skills with family and friends by gifting your pieces to the loved ones in your life. And a homemade gift that’s from the heart is sure to be appreciated.

A great hobby to keep you happy and healthy, Jewelry-Making at summer camp is bound to provide you with awesome materials and people with whom you can share your creative passion! Enjoy making your jewelry pieces at camp and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John