Hey, Camp Fans!

Shyness is a quality found in everybody. Some folks are more shy than others and some people hardly seem shy at all—but even they are sure to turn timid in certain social situations. The point is that it’s only normal to be anxious about meeting new people. We may get overwhelmed or even scared in our anticipation for summer camp. There’s no need to wallow in your worries, though! Just check out these four simple tips that will have you making friends in no time.

Everything Summer Camp to the rescue!

Use Your Eyes
The first step is easy. Just hang back and observe. See what you spot. Can you find any common ground between yourself and anyone else? What are your cabin mates doing? Does someone have the logo of your favorite sports team on their camp trunk? Maybe somebody is wearing the same shirt as you. Finding similarities gives you an immediate and easy introduction.

Introduce Yourself
Next is the hardest part, but most of the pressure has been lifted from the first step. Once you spot someone who appears to have some similar interest as you—being sports, fashion, or what have you—go up and introduce yourself. It may take a little bravery to approach somebody, but you can keep it simple: “Nice shirt. I’m Tommy. I’m from Chicago.” And an accompanying handshake usually helps a little.

Ask Questions
Introductions don’t need to take long. Instead of divulging everything from your pet’s name to your favorite color, try asking your new acquaintance a question about him or her. You can even offer your own answer to a question first—like this: “I’m most excited for archery. How about you?” People love when you show an interest in them, so this kind of approach can lead to some easy connection. And now that you learned this person’s name and something simple about them, you’re well on your way to making a friend.

To truly become friends takes a little more time, but hardly any more effort. After introductions and striking up a little conversation, add some bonding time to the recipe and you’ve got yourself a friend.

Bring a Game
Bonding doesn’t necessarily mean sharing all your deepest secrets—just have a genuine laugh together. You can’t really force it, but what you can do is bring a game to camp. Games are the ultimate ice breaker. In fact, most camps have games at the ready on opening day because of what a great ice breaker they are. But a deck of cards or some other group game of your own never hurts. Just announce it and see if it generates any interest—“I brought cards for Poker!”

It’s pretty easy to have bonding moments at camp since the entire stay is based on having fun. You’re sure to find yourself laughing away and having a blast with your newfound friends in no time, flat! Summer camps have been making it happen for kids since they first started up in 1861 and they’ve only gotten better at it. Put these easy tips to good use when you head off to summer camp and enjoy the friendships you make! And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

Just the thought of making friends at summer camp may seem daunting or downright scary to some—especially kids who are on the shier side. But making friends is actually one of the easiest parts about a camp stay. In fact, it’s something that campers tend to stop worrying about once they set foot in the natural surroundings of summer camp. Conversation naturally strikes up with another kid and, before either one of them realizes it, they’re getting along great!

It’s natural to feel nervous about meeting new people, but there’s really nothing to worry about. Going hand-in-hand with making friends, here are a few benefits that are sure to make you eager to mingle!

Boosts Confidence
Having friends means you have a support system. And it feels great knowing that you have people who are willing to back you up. Knowing that you’re in a community, surrounded by other campers who appreciate you and believe in you is positive reinforcement from peers to just keep doing what you’re doing. You’re great! A boost in confidence makes it easier to talk with people which will in turn boost your confidence even further. Aren’t friends the best?

Distracts from Homesickness
Every child misses home throughout their time away at camp. But the severity of homesickness your camper experiences depends on how much time they spend thinking about how homesick they are. Getting acquainted with other campers naturally keeps a camper focused on having fun in the moment instead of leaving their thoughts to wander about parents or pets or what might be going on at home right now…. Make friends and get involved in summer camp fun to lessen your feelings of homesickness.

Strengthens Self Identity
Camp’s not just about making friends—it’s about getting to know YOURSELF too! And a funny thing happens when you’re away from mom and dad. You do things a little differently than you otherwise would. You take some risks within your character and start making choices based on different principles. It’s not uncommon for campers to start acting a bit differently as they start to discover things about themselves that they never knew were there before.

Connecting to the summer camp community imparts life lessons to campers every summer. Making friends helps us see ourselves through a different lens and offers the great opportunity of networking. You might meet someone from the other side of the country—or, even, the world! Discover the ease of making friends at camp and the awesome benefits that follow when you head off for your stay at summer camp. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

Summer is a perfect time to enjoy nature, and a trip to summer camp is one way to give your kids a terrific summer experience in the great outdoors. However, summer also brings some dangers from insects. Read on to learn how to avoid ticks at camp with the simple tips to ensure your summer season is safer and more enjoyable.

What Are Ticks?
A tick is a tiny insect, almost the size of a watermelon seed. These parasitic insects bite and attach to the skin of mammals, including humans, sucking blood over time.

Ticks differ from mosquitos in that they don’t fly and they move slowly. Once a tick latches onto your skin, it may remain in place for several hours or days. During the bite, the ticks can infect humans with viruses, bacteria, and other parasites that can lead to serious illnesses.

Avoiding Ticks
Ticks exist in areas with tall grass and near wooded areas. Walking through grass or brushing against shrubs and small trees can allow a tick to climb onto your body. Wearing long sleeves and long pants can prevent a tick that’s crawling on you from reaching your skin.

Another way to avoid ticks at camp is through treating clothing and skin with repellents. Use permethrin on your clothing to repel or kill any ticks that land on your clothes. Using an insect repellent that contains DEET on your skin will provide protection too.

Checking for Ticks
Because ticks are so small, they can often climb onto a human and bite without the victim’s knowledge. Checking yourself for ticks after spending time outdoors is extremely important. Be sure to check for ticks in front of a mirror, so you can check your back and neck.

To kill ticks that may be hiding on your clothing, run the clothes through a dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes. Additionally, take a shower after walking in areas where ticks may exist. The shower can wash away any ticks on the skin, while also helping you find any ticks in your wet hair.

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

You’re sure to have a blast at summer camp. You’ll be spending the days in the sun, running around with your friends, going on long hiking excursions, and…say—you’re going to get pretty thirsty while you’re there. For today’s Blog post I’ll be going over some good hydration information to keep in mind while you’re summer camping.

It should be pretty obvious to all of you how essential water is in our lives and extremely important to our own survival. It makes up 60% of our own bodies. So, you can clearly see then, staying hydrated during your fun in the sun this summer is a very important responsibility.

Fortunately our bodies utilize rather advanced systems that let us know when we need to refuel in order to stay hydrated. There’s a big difference between being thirsty and being dehydrated. When you’re feeling thirsty, you’re simply not as hydrated as you could be or as hydrated as your body would prefer itself to be.

When you go too long sweating in the sun, running around, and exercising without the help of hydration—after your body has made use of every last drop of water or other fluids it still had—is when you suffer dehydration.

You’ll know you’re dehydrated when your mouth is dry, you get a headache, and you start feeling weak, dizzy, sleepy, continuously thirsty, or even feverish. Severe and untreated dehydration can result in full blown fevers, unconsciousness, and eventually death. Without a single drop of water in the harsh environment of a desert, you would be lucky to survive a day! That’s how important water is.

Luckily, dehydration is more-than-treatable should you ever find yourself or someone you know in the situation. Make sure to drink plenty of water along with fresh juice. And if you’re severely dehydrated, you’ll need fluid with electrolytes (as can be found in the clever bottled water brand SmartWater).

So “water” you waiting for? Enjoy your summer. Enjoy your water! And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Smart Packers!

Summer camp lasts a long time. Long enough to make the prospect of storing all the things you need for a month-long (or longer) stay away from home a real dilemma. You can’t go more than a month without a lot of these necessities you bring along, whether they are clothes, toiletries, electronics, or other personal items, but your space at camp is going to be very limited.

Fortunately, Everything Summer Camp offers a wide range of options to help allay the storage conundrum. Foot locker trunks in various sizes and colors can be personalized and make the storage issue a fun one. A Create-Your-Own Footlocker Trunk made of steel and birch plywood is customizable, roomy, and sized to fit under your camp bunk. A camera, souvenirs, clothes, and other necessities can easily fit in this foot locker, which can be accessorized with a Glide & Go Tray to hold small items. This birch plywood camp trunk with a baked enamel steel outer covering, nickel-plated trim and screw-fastened hardware offers 3.8 feet of storage space, which is ample room for a kid’s camp essentials. The trunks leave Everything Summer Camp’s warehouse within four business days after your customized order. Foot lockers in other sizes include the Happy Camper (32″ x 18″ x 13.5″), UnderGrad (32″ x 18″ x 16.5″) and Graduate Foot Locker Trunk (32″ x 18″ x 18.5″).

A snap-on duffel bag is another handy and colorful storage option. It doubles packing space and snaps on to a foot locker, giving you an auxiliary means of storing bulky pillows, blankets, and towels and leaving more space in the foot locker for other stuff that matters. Soft, nylon travel packing cubes can save space in your trunk, sparing you the hassle of rummaging through shirt piles and helping you keep your clothes organized. With mesh tops and labeling pouches, you know exactly what’s inside each cube without having to dig through them. The cubes can also serve as a standalone overnight bag. Glide & Go Trays sit inside your trunk and slide from side to side, making the contents of the foot locker easier to grab.

As always, thanks for reading!

- John