Hey, Camp Folks!

The recommended camp outfitter for more than 270 summer camps, we here at Everything Summer Camp are proud to work with every single one of them! And we love singing the praises of the many camps with whom we’ve developed a working relationship too. That’s why today I’m shining our camp spotlight on the great AYF Camp Haiastan summer camp in Franklin, Massachusetts.

Situated among the 100 acres of East Coast, Camp Haiastan offers an amazing view of the Uncas Pond as well as the surrounding beauty of Mother Nature. The first Armenian camp in America, Haiastan was founded 71 years ago back in 1951 though the seeds for it were first planted in 1939 when the Armenian Youth Federation elected their new Central Executive and it was decided to establish a youth camp.

When they found their land, everyone involved was convinced that this was a great service to the Armenian youth in America, as well as the people of Franklin, MA. With the mission set to provide a healthy and safe summer camp experience for the Armenian-American youth, the dream of Camp Haiastan finally became a reality in 1951.

Enjoy fun times there engaging in great activities such as Swimming, Athletics, Hiking, Ropes Course, and Boating. They also hold educational programs that teach about Armenian cultural which creates a bond between your camper and your Armenian heritage—an opportunity they’re not likely to find elsewhere. Haiastan. They even offer a class to help campers start learning the Armenian language.

At Camp Haiastan, your camper will have the extraordinary thrills of sleeping in a cabin, building a fire, competing in a team, or learning an Armenian dance. Check out more great information straight from the source on the Camp Haiastan website by clicking right here. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Folks!

If our name didn’t already give it away, we’re all about summer camp here at Everything Summer Camp, your one-stop shop for kid’s gear for summer camp and a wonderful assortment of other camping supplies! Summer camp is a big deal to us. That’s why we work with more than 300 camps across the country. And we love shining our camp spotlight on those camps!

We’re swinging our spotlight eastward to the heart of Virginia, about a mile southeast of Charlottesville. Here we find Camp Friendship amidst the verdant forests of the southern East Coast. This is where a former Navy pilot named Chuck Ackenbom founded Camp Friendship back in 1966. The camp is still run by the Ackenbom family to this day.  

With many summer’s from his childhood spent in the Scouts, Chuck was inspired from a young age to start his own camp. After his service in the Navy, he turned his dream into reality and established Camp Friendship.

Camp Friendship offers great adventure activities like Archery, Challenge Course, Horseback Riding, Mountain Boarding, Wilderness Survival, Aquatics: Aqua Zumba, Canoeing, Fishing, Kayaking, Paddleboarding, and Water Polo. They offer great activities in art such as Arts & Crafts, Dance, Drama, Drawing & Painting, Dungeons & Dragons, Friendship Bracelet Making, Music Jam Sess, Pottery, and Zumba. And they also offer fun sports like Aerial Silks, Badminton, Basketball, Flag Football, Gymnastics, Mixed Sports, Soccer, Tennis, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, and Yoga.

Since its heyday in the 60’s, Camp Friendship has grown from the two, small, original cabins (built by Chuck himself) to nowadays accommodating hundreds of kids. Nowadays, their cabins have bunk beds, electricity, and screened windows. The Junior Villages and Equestrian Village lodgings have their own bathrooms, while Senior Village cabins have bath houses just a short distance away.

Give Camp Friendship a closer look by checking out their website when you click here(https://campfriendship.com/campers/) and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Girls!

Nowadays, summer camps can be found in every state across the country. But the initial camps that started the whole idea of summer camp all began along the East Coast. The very first summer camp, The Gunnery, was started in 1861. It was rather ahead of its time, though; camp popularity didn’t really start spreading until around the end of the 19^th Century. Today we have an earlier, East Coast camp to shine our spotlight on—Camp Wa-Klo.

Off in the woodsy southwest corner of New Hampshire and a breathtaking view of Mount Monadnock, Camp Wa-Klo got its start more than 80 years ago back in 1938. You may think the name of the camp is borrowed from some Native American culture or a magic word—an abra-cadabra of sorts. Camp Wa-Klo, however, is just the end result of the camp’s co-founders smashed together: Miss WAtkinson and Miss KLOberg.

It was Miss Kloberg who, after operating one of the very first day camps in the country back in 1927 paired with her experience working at other residential camps, decided to join forces with Miss Watkinson and find a camp together that they could call their own.

The came across the beautiful site that would come to be theirs and they envisioned a magnificent waterfront, striking playing fields, and outdoor courts for Tennis. They saw girls going down the Zip Line and traversing up a mountain. They saw proper activity venues designated for Archery, Field Archery, Gymnastics, Field Hockey, Soccer, LaCrosse, and Volleyball—all of it set with the required equipment.

The reality of their vision is there in New Hampshire, ready each summer for a three, four, or seven-week adventure. Wa-Klo campers stay in comfy cabins—airy and bright. They offer a sink and toilet located within each bunk. Younger campers typically get a bunk with a shower while older girls (ages 10 and up) are able to shower in the shower houses that have individual stalls.  

Check out the same vision Miss Watkinson and Miss Kloberg had when they first set eyes on their own space. Give Camp Wa-Klo a closer look by checking out their website when you click right here. Give them your consideration for next summer’s camp adventure and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

Here at Everything Summer Camp, we’re always singing the praises of nearly 300 summer camps with whom we’ve formed a great relationship. And, it’s never too early to start thinking about where you’re going to attend camp for next year’s summer season! Today we’re shining our spotlight down to Georgia where we’ll highlight Valley View Ranch Equestrian Camp for Girls.

Located on 600 acres of lush pastures, wooded trails, and panoramic views of the gorgeous Northwest corner of Georgia State, the mountainous landscape of Valley View Ranch has dazzled young women for 67 summers going back to 1954 when the camp was first founded by Jack & Olive Jones who had also been operating Camp Cloudmont for boys in Mentone, Alabama for the past six years.

Upon moving to Cloudland, Georgia, Jack and Olive dreamt of an equestrian camp for their four daughters: Nancy, Marsha, Janis, and Angela. The girls were fortunate enough to grow up at the camp and they went on to help improve and develop the riding programs at the camp.

But nowadays, Valley View Ranch is so much more than just Riding! They’ve got Archery, Hiking, Environmental Education, Swimming, Canoeing, and Kayaking, Kickball, Basketball, Tether Ball, Foosball, Ping-Pong, Horseshoes, Bean Bags, Dance, Yoga, Capture-the-Flag, Hobby Horse Tournaments. And there’s great Arts & Crafts too like Pottery, Sketching, Painting, Horseshoe Art, Knitting, Jewelry and Beadwork, Dream Catchers, Tie-Dye, and lots more.

They also love to put on Talent Shows, Skit Nights, and Scavenger Hunts. And then there’s still fun to come with trips and excursions, and other special events!

The five, large wood-framed bunkhouses are designed with swings on the porches and equipped with plumbing and electricity. Campers are divided into cabins according to their age. Five girls with at least two counselors share each bunkhouse. The girls wake up to stunning views of the surrounding beauty and the sounds from the horses as they graze in the fields outside the screened-in windows.

Check out what a magical time you can give your daughter when you send her to Valley View Ranch Equestrian Camp! Visit their website by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

It’s never too early to start thinking about where you’re going to attend camp for next year’s summer season! And, here at Everything Summer Camp, we’re always singing the praises of nearly 300 summer camps with whom we’ve formed a great relationship. Today we’re shining our spotlight over to North Carolina to highlight Skyland Camp for Girls.

Off in the mountains of Western North Carolina, more than a hundred years back, a small girls camp got its start in 1917. The story of Skyland Camp begins several years back when Susan Courtney Harris (known to Skyland campers as ‘Granny’) brought her five kids from the fiery Floridian heat of Jacksonville to the cool climes of the Great Smoky Mountains on vacation.

So taken with the property, Susan began leasing it in 1917 and launched Skyland Camp for Girls. But in Skyland’s fourth season, Susan learned her beloved property would be auctioned off. Susan took it upon herself to join the bidding and shout out, “I’ll give you $3000 for the whole kit and caboodle!” And she got it.

Fun and good times abound at Skyland Camp. They offer great, traditional summer camp activities such as Archery, Arts & Crafts, Culinary Arts, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Musical Theatre, Nature Walks, Swimming, Tennis, Tubing, Volleyball, Whitewater Rafting, and more!

Skyland’s ‘Main Lodge’ keeps eight guestrooms, a large sleeping porch, a library and office, health services, kitchen, as well as the dining rooms. The Main Lodge is actually the hotel that Granny to her kids too back in 1917! How cool is that?!

Over the years, cabins were added as well as a number of amenities for camp activities. All campers sleep in screened-in porches to give it a treehouse kind of feel and allows them to listen to the birds as they wake up or maybe some light rain as they fall asleep. And they can look and watch the fireflies outside.

Check out what a magical time you can give your daughter when you send her to Skyland Camp for Girls! Visit their website by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John