Hey, Camp Folks!

We all get great enjoyment out of a hard day’s work here at Everything Summer Camp but, just like all you, we want to have our fun in the sun as well. I’ve been asking people all around the workplace to see what kind of summer camp activities people would be most interested in returning to or trying out for the first time! Making the rounds in our Graphics Department recently to talk to Deb who’s been our sewing expert for the last decade!

Check out her camp activity picks:

Pottery
It was just last May that Deb got the chance to take a one-time class in Pottery. She enjoyed her time learning to make a plate and a couple bowls. She is now eager to try her hand again. “I will definitely be going back to try more,” she told me. “I’d like to try a 6 week course.”

Archery
Next, Deb said she would set her sights on Archery. She went to a Women’s Retreat in Rhinelander a few years back where she got to try her hand with a bow and arrow. She didn’t do too bad either. In fact, she hit a bullseye! At this Retreat, she also got to take boatrides, go horseback riding, and enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides—all of which she would love to do again.  

Climbing Wall
Deb’s Women’s Retreat also gave her the opportunity to climb a tall Climbing Wall, but she opted out. Another opportunity found her at Action City in Eau Claire when she took her son and his friend when they were 6 years old. She chickened out yet again, but would return with her son another seven years on and she was brave enough to do it. She said once she was climbing the wall, it wasn’t even that frightening. She’d do it again!

What have you had the opportunity to do at summer camp? Do you share any of Deb’s interests? Let us know in the comments and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks. Happy camping! 

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

A few years back in January of 2019 is when I started this category on the Blog of Pioneers and Record Setters of summer camp activities. The first person I posted about was Brady Ellison, the world’s leading archer. Since Archery and Riflery are considered to go hand in hand, you could say Paul Phillips is the Brady Ellison of Riflery.

Having established 25 years of awesome success in competitive marksmanship, Paul Phillips was already a formidable force:

Over the course of his career, he has acquired 47 national records, 14 national championships, three U.S. Team gold medals, and one individual gold medal at the world championships, three "King of 2-Mile" championships, an International Distinguished Shooting Medal, and a Congressional Medal for Lifetime Achievements in Shooting.

What he and his team of 13 members did just a couple years back, however, is an incredible feat in all history of rifle shooting! His Riflery team made an astounding rifle shot of four miles—an immediate world record that won’t likely be broken any time soon! But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

Discover your Riflery skills and maybe you’ll find that your abilities exceed those who first inspired you! Look into the activities your camp offers or get out for a Riflery class near you and test out your skills to see how much you enjoy it. Have fun out there and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

Rocketry aficionados are all in to plan, construct, and launch model rockets sky-high as it delivers an explosively good time, watching your work blast off into the deep blue! But it’s not all countdowns and exciting thrills! Rocketry requires focus, creativity, and sharp problem-solving skills.

Rocketry covers a variety of disciplines, including math and physics, and helps students to reach STEM educational objectives (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) at middle school and high school level. Let’s dive into a few major ways people exercise their brains with Rocketry.

Provides Hands-on Learning
You can’t go wrong with experiential learning. In fact, many people (myself included) learn best from DOING it themselves. Rocketry is certainly a hands-on kind of activity that has you actually draw out plans and build a functional model rocket.

Encourages Creativity
More often than not, we think of fine arts like Music, Dance, Visual Art, and Writing when we think of activities that call for creativity. Building model rockets, however, calls for just as much creativity as all the aforementioned “artistic” activities. Building something is an incredibly creative task. And then you paint it afterward too!

Develops Problem Solving Skills
Practicing Rocketry will regularly challenge your mind and help you find new ways to view and solve problems. Sometimes, there’s only one solution. Other times there are many. You’ll likely feel unsure throughout the construction and run into a problem or two. But simply taking a moment and assessing your situation will lead you to a solution. The more you do it, the better you’ll get!

Of course, Rocketry can be found as an available program at many summer camps across the country. Look into the activities your camp offers or find a Rocketry class near you to test out your skills and see how much you enjoy it. Have fun out there and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!  

Staying hard at work with a myriad of personalized products waiting for a design to be embroidered on them, Mellina works in our Graphics Department. Well acquainted with our embroidery machines, Mellina has her area well-organized with stocked products and has the machines constantly plugging away on the next ordered design. But that’s enough work talk!  

More than work, today is about what Mellina would do if she got to go to summer camp right now as an adult. She gave me a well-rounded rundown of her favorite activities that she’d try, striking a decent balance between adventure and artistic skill. 

Mellina hasn’t had any experience in the activities she picked, which is why she picked them. She wanted to do something she’s never tried before. Check out the schedule she would make for herself:  

Stained Glass
A colorful first pick, Mellina has always been drawn to and intrigued by the look of Stained Glass. Mellina enjoys being crafty and so something with as much of a process to it as Stained Glass seems right up her alley. “It would be cool to make something,” she told me. “I like making stuff.” Indeed! Making stuff is what summer camp is all about! 

Ropes Course
While she’s never executed a ropes course before, but it sounds like a real thrill to her. She would love the opportunity with an elaborate course to truly challenge herself and find out what she’s capable of! 

Snorkeling
Snorkeling is an experience that Mellina would love to have. She said she’d love to see such a foreign world that exists down there. That and she’d simply love to do something she’s never tried before. 

Pottery
Pottery too was one that Mellina’s always had interest in and wanted to try. She’s simply never had the chance before. But it would definitely be found on her list of camp fun!  

Do you love any of the same camp activities as Mellina? Did you get to enjoy any of these essential summer camp experiences this summer? Comment below to let us know. And, as always, thanks for reading. Happy camping!  

- John

Hey, Camp Fans! 

Meet the latest addition to our Graphics Department here at Everything Summer Camp, Maria. Returning for a handful of years as temporary summer help, she joined us full time in 2021 as we saw enough business beyond the camp season to keep her busy year-round! Maria makes our Clothing Stamps, Name Labels, Nameplates, Patches, and plenty other fun, personalized accessories for our camp trunks and more. But that’s enough work talk for now. 

Today, let me tell you what camp activities she'd be interested in if she were given the opportunity to go to camp right now as an adult. 

Archery
Growing up on 40 acres, Maria was free to set up some targets and practice Archery whenever she wanted. She was fairly good, but always looking to improve. Throughout the years, she’s acquired five different bows and, from time to time, she will still head to her mother’s land to shoot bow and arrow (as recently as a few months back). 

Mountain Biking
Her family would make trips out to parks in surrounding areas and woodsy trails where they would cover ground at a fast pace on their mountain bikes. She recalls enjoying the exhilarating rush of beautiful scenery zipping past her. She hasn’t been out for a ride since she was a young girl—about eight or nine, but she’d love to get out again. 

Fencing
While she’s never actually done any Fencing, Maria said she would jump at the opportunity to try her hand at it. Her attraction to Fencing was likely triggered from watching spectacular sword fights in movies like ‘The Princess Bride’, but really she would love to try it just for the chance to try something new and unique. 

For a couple bonus activities, she also told me she’d be interested in learning some Outdoor Skills as well as playing Capture-the-Flag. Are you passionate about any of the same interests as Maria? Hopefully you got to enjoy a passion or two of your own this summer season. Thanks for reading! Till next time, Camp Fans. 

- John