Hey, Ball Fans! 

Who can resist the old-fashioned call of Baseball?! It’s come quite a long way from hitting a ball with a stick in an alley. Baseball today is far from your great-grandfather’s baseball. Instead of an unorganized activity for fun after school, it’s become the Major Leagues, Homeruns, Stadium Hot Dogs, and Bob Uecker. This is the story of America’s favorite pastime and how it got be the way it is now. 

Baseball is a sport that dates back over 250 years to 1744 and likely long before that. John Newbery’s children’s book ‘A Little Pretty Pocket-Book’ includes a brief poem and an illustration depicting a game called base-ball. Instead of flat plates, the illustration shows the bases being marked by tall posts. 

Many variations of bat-and-ball games that involve bases have existed throughout the years. They’ve gone by many different names as well. Such games have been called ‘Bass-Ball’, ‘Playing at Base’, ‘Play with Balls and Sticks’, ‘Rounders’, and countless more. Rounders in particular highly resembled the modern game of baseball that we all know and love. 

‘Rounders’ was played on a diamond-shaped infield with a base at each corner—the fourth base being the spot where the batter originally stood at to hit the bat and make their way around the bases. Three strikes and you’re out…three outs a team’s turn at bat came to an end. Baseball was taking shape. 

By 1854, reputable baseball clubs put their heads together and made modifications to the game play as well as the proper ball weight and size. They settled on the dimensions in between bases along with a number of other points on specific rules when certain circumstances play out—matters that have remained in place to this day! 

Enjoy playing your own variations of this game—whether it’s an organized team that you join or just a casual game of catch in our backyard! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks! 

- John

Hey, Camp Fans! 

Returning each summer to create the great products in our Graphics Department here at Everything Summer Camp, Imani has been making Clothing Stamps, Name Labels, Nameplates, Patches, and plenty other personalized accessories for the past six years. When it comes to producing, picking, checking in, and shipping, Imani’s kind of a pro at this point! But we’re not talking work stuff today. 

Let me tell you what camp activities Imani would be interested in if she were given the opportunity to go to camp right now… 

Photography
Imani has loved taking pictures ever since she can recall. She loves having those ‘memories’ frozen in time. “When I was 17, I grew more interested in taking photos to capture the beauty of nature and people,” she told me. “I continued photography in college by taking courses based around photography and photo-editing.” 

Moviemaking
As Imani pursued her passion for photography, she discovered along the way that she was developing an interest in video editing. It’s not a crazy jump since the art of photography is at the core of filmmaking. “I love putting clips together and editing them,” she said. 

Creative Writing
Another love of hers since an early age, Imani has been putting words to paper since she was about 11 or 12 years old. “I started out writing short stories and progressed into writing poems and even songs.” Imani loves how the written word allows her to express herself in a variety of ways and different depths. 

Are you passionate about any of the same interests as Imani? If it’s something you really love, hopefully you’ll be enjoying that activity come the summer season. Enjoy viewing the world through your artistic lens and, as always, thanks for reading! Till next time, Camp Fans. 

- John

Hey, Camp Fans! 

A new addition to our hard-working Shipping Department this year, Natalie has brought her sunny demeanor and close attention to detail to the job! She’s been fantastic help this season, catching on quickly and getting lots of orders out the door and on their way to campers! But that’s enough work talk for today! Let’s shift our focus to the top summer camp activities that Natalie would want to try if she got to head to camp right now. 

It wasn’t too hard for her to figure out what she’d sign herself up for if she somehow got the opportunity to try out any camp activities now in her adulthood. 

Archery & Horseback Riding
They’re two of the most popular and iconic camp activities and Natalie has never gotten the chance to try her hand at them before, despite how much she would jump at the chance. “To this day they’re something I need to do,” she told me. 

Dance & Theater
Natalie has loved to dance ever since she can recall. From hip-hop to ballroom dancing, she’s a fan of all styles. While she has less experience with it, she also said she’d be interested in theater. Really, she just loves being on the stage. 

Tennis
A love for Tennis is a more recent discovery for Natalie. She’s always had an interest in watching televised matches, but she randomly started playing it in the last couple years with great enjoyment.

Math Camp
Natalie teaches math to a range of grades from middle school to high school. Her favorite kind to teach is algebra. “I do math even when I’m not teaching it throughout the summer,” she told me. “I LOVE math.” A Math Camp fits right into the equation for Natalie’s camp activity picks! 

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

- John

Hey, Camp Fans! 

More than just a good chunk of a baby’s lexicon, Gaga is a game whose popularity has boomed at summer camp for the last forty or fifty years. Some know it better as Gaga Ball or Gaga Pit, but for simplicity’s sake, I’ll just call it Gaga. Essentially a friendlier, milder version of Dodgeball, Gaga is chockfull of rules that are typically different based on where you play and who you play it with.  

Gaga is played in an enclosed area referred to as the “gaga pit.” A lightweight ball is bounced in the center and campers give the ball a one-handed push to try and hit other players below the knees. The object of the game: be the last person standing. 

It’s no surprise that the popularity of this game has skyrocketed specifically at summer camp. After all, it’s very universal and aligns well with basic principles of summer camp. 

Anyone and Everyone
Unlike just about any other sport, Gaga does not necessitate skills in strength, speed, or hand-eye coordination. Children and adults alike are welcome to play—even against each other. The small playing boundaries combined with the soft ball and short span of gameplay make it easy for everyone to participate. 

Kind Competition
It’s healthy for kid’s to embrace their competitive nature a little. Gaga isn’t about athletic skill so much as it is about having fun which gives campers incentive enough to win, but doesn’t pit ability against ability which can lead to poor self-image. 

Sportsmanship
Cabin leaders are watching and playing so they can always give a just ruling on fair play and sportsmanship in the game. Players who have been temporarily sidelined start to watch out for fair play as well, helping encourage everyone to play according to the rules and treat your fellow players with respect. 

Enjoy the entertaining game of Gaga at summer camp where the score is always fun to fun! If your kid returns from camp, unable to stop talking about this crazy game called Gaga, now you know why! Enjoy the summer fun and, as always, thanks for reading! 

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!  

Lending her hand to our Printing Department for this summer season, Emma has been a great help, picking the proper piece of apparel for orders and printing the appropriate design onto the garment. We’ve had one of our best years yet and we had A LOT of printed clothing orders to fulfill! But enough work talk! Today we’re talking about what camp activities Emma would pick for herself if she got the chance to go to camp right now.  

Without much deliberation, Emma gave me her top three choices. Here’s what she picked: 

Painting
An obvious choice for her first pick, Emma has been painting for about as long as she can remember. She’s continued to pursue this lifelong passion of hers into her college major. While she’s tried her hand at multiple styles, Impressionism is what speaks to her most—that’s visual art that attempts to incorporate changes in light and motion into a still image.    

Spelunking
Next up, Emma said she would go Spelunking. She’s been in the infamous Crystal Cave in western Wisconsin before. From stalagmites to stalactites and huge rooms of hanging bats, Emma loves the feeling of being surrounded by natural elements well below the ground! 

Conservation
In the same vein of appreciating nature, Emma chose Conservation for her third pick. She enjoys planting trees, composting, picking up litter, and all-around learning about and doing good stuff for nature. 

With such interest in creativity and talent as well as adventures in the natural world, Emma’s been a great fit for our busy summer season getting you all geared up for your camp stay. Do you share any of the things Emma is interested in? If so, let us know by leaving a comment. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! 

- John