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

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! I recently stopped by the office of our Operations Manager, Brian, to see what his pick would be for favorite camp activity! 

Without the need to deliberate on the question, Brian responded with Archery. This was the camp activity he was most excited for when he was a child headed to summer camp. But back then, he almost didn’t get the chance. He had been denied for being too young. 

The disappointment crushed him! Archery became that much more tantalizing now that it had made the move to forbidden fruit. To make matters worse, the alternative activity the camp had lined up for him was wallet-making. “I really didn’t want to make a wallet,” he told me. 

He had to do something about his situation and he had to act fast. In a frenzy, young Brian threw up his arms and made just as much of a temper tantrum as he had to before the counselors reassessed their stance on his eligibility for Archery. 

“I had fun,” Brian told me. It sounds like he wasn’t too bad a shot either, but—truth be told—I’m just glad he didn’t wound anybody! 

Will you be participating in Archery this summer like Brian wants to? If it’s something your heart is set on, don’t let anyone deny you the way Brian didn’t. Happy shooting. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! Till next time. 

- John

Hey, Swimmers! 

Swimming is easily the #1 activity of choice for summer campers all over the country. After all, few activities bring you the refreshing splash that epitomizes the summer season the way Swimming does. While this activity is incredibly fun and loved by many, it does have the potential of danger for inexperienced swimmers. Be sure to go over these basic water safety tips before heading off to camp! 

Of course any good camp sees to that their campers follow essential safety swimming practices. They categorize swimmers and place them in appropriate instruction groups and water depths. They set swimmers up in buddy pairs. And they have likely trained all their staff in emergency water rescue. 

That being said, mistakes can happen anywhere. Camps are doing their part to keep your campers safe. Do your part by sitting down with your camper and going over basic water safety to ensure their safety in the water at camp. 

In Good Company
Playing in the water is fun, but should never be enjoyed alone. Teach your child to swim in buddy pairs and that there must always be a properly-trained adult lifeguard present. 

Swimming Lessons
Teach your child to swim. Even the youngest day campers can learn to swim. Before the camp season starts, bring your child to some lessons at the local municipal pool, YMCA, or club. Children will likely become better swimmers at camp, but learning basics prior to camp is a plus. 

Best Behavior
Reinforce your expectation that your son or daughter will follow all of the camp’s aquatic rules, such as: No Diving in Shallow Water, No Running on the Dock or Deck, Always Wear a Life Jacket in Boats, etc. 

Make sure to instill these means of safety so that your camper can have some good, safe fun in the water at camp! Make a splash, kids! As always, thanks for reading and happy camping! 

- John

Hey, Camp Folks! 

It’s been interesting, going around the office here at Everything Summer Camp and asking what camp activities people would be most excited about if they had the opportunity to go to summer camp now, as an adult. I’ve talked with a handful of people so far including Anita, our Shipping manager, about going camping and our Vice President, Mark, about going up a mountain. Today we’ll go over the activities that Ed, the president of our company, would be most interested in. 

Capture-the-Flag
Ed’s immediate first answer hearkened back to his own summer camp experiences around the age of 13 when he and his camp friends were introduced to Capture-the-Flag. “We took it to new levels of strategy and trickery,” he smiled. 

Mountain Biking
Ed enjoys seeing the sights on a bike. He said he recently got the chance to ride an electric bike which was a really cool experience. Electric bikes assist the rider’s pedal-power, coming in extra handy for strenuous mountain biking excursions! 

Woodworking
Ed’s always been naturally drawn to woodworking as you may gather from his position at a factory that manufactures trunks. Ed himself has built a number of very cool pieces from wood like his live-edge table from a rough slab of wood. He plans to build his kids farm tables from trees felled on his own land. Pretty cool! 

While he didn’t have as much to say about other activities as he did Woodworking, Mountain Biking, and Capture-the-Flag, Ed also expressed interested in other common summer camp activities such as Horseback Riding, Gardening, and Trapshooting. 

Do you love the same camp activities as Ed? His picks are very essential summer camp experiences—likely to be found wherever you’re headed for camp! As always, thanks for reading and happy camping! 

- John