Hey, Summer Campers!

There are plenty of celebrities who, like you, attended summer camp in their youth. After posting about more than one hundred former summer campers turned celebrities, I come to post about yet another celebrity who attended summer camp. Ms. Bryce Dallas Howard joins our list of summer camp experienced celebrities today as she is a Stage Door Manor alum. 

Found in the Catskills Borscht Belt in Loch Sheldrake, New York, Stagedoor Manor provides awesome setting for its campers to get the experience of being on the stage and in the spotlight. Spending three weeks of her summer among Stagedoor Manor’s awesome theatre spaces like the Carousel, the Cabaret, the Forum, the Merman, and the outdoor Garden Theatre, Bryce attended the same camp as Natalie Portman, Mandy Moore, and Zach Braff.

Born to a writer and an actor-turned-director (Ron Howard), Bryce was raised the oldest of her siblings with two younger twin sisters and the youngest of the family, their brother Reed. Bryce’s uncle is in the acting business too—Clint Howard. Her godfather is the Fonz himself, Henry Winkler who co-starred alongside Bryce’s father on the television show ‘Happy Days’.

Bryce went to Greenwich Country Day School and then graduated from Byram Hills High School in 1999. After that, she intensified her education, burning the candle at both ends! She studied at New York University’s (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts while simultaneously attending the Stella Adler Conservatory, The Experimental Wing, and International Theatre Wing in Amsterdam.

Acting in New York plays, Bryce appeared in a number productions at the Theatre Club. When she performed as Rosalind in Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like it’ at the Public Theater, Bryce got her break, having caught the attention of the up-and-coming director M. Night Shyamalan.

She was cast as the lead alongside Joaquin Phoenix in the horror director’s film ‘The Village’ only a couple weeks later without auditioning. She returned to another Shyamalan production, ‘Lady in the Water’ to play the role of Story, a water nymph by the name of narf. Heading onward and upward, Bryce recently starred alongside Chris Pratt in Jurassic World, the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park series.

Bryce has made a name for herself just doing what she’s always loved and had fun doing. What do you love to do? Find your own sense of fun at Stagedoor Manor! Check out this camp for yourself and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Aficionados!

It was great to read all the camper submissions we received this year for our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest at Everything summer Camp. We’re happy to share them with our online community and post each submission right here on the Blog! Besides our seven lucky winners of larger prizes, all other entrants received a $15 gift certificate to our online store! Today’s post is from Gwendolyn M., who wrote in to tell us about her first year at Camp Cayuga. Here’s her submission:

“This year was my first year at sleep away camp which is called Camp Cayuga, however, I have attended numerous day camps within the past 8 years. Camp was so much fun because I became really close with everyone including my counselors within only a few days.
          lI loved camp because you got to sign up for what activity you wanted to do such as trapeze, horseback riding, lake, archery, and many other fun activities. At camp it was my first time doing archery, however, the counselors that were also instructors made it easy and fun to learn and by the second or third time I did it I was able to shoot a bulls-eye.
          lEven though it rained a lot while we were at camp, no matter what the weather was, we always had fun. Before I left for two weeks at camp I was nervous that I was going to become homesick, however, camp was so much fun that I would go back for 6 weeks next year because there was so much to do and we had so much fun that I didn’t miss not being at home since I had so many friends that comforted me.
          lThe counselors were also really nice and it was interesting because two of the counselors were from the U.K., 3 of my bunk mates were from Italy, and one was from France. There were also many other people from different places around the world at camp. It was nice to meet people from places outside of the United States because you get to see how people of different cultures live.
          lNobody was allowed to bring their phones and it was probably a good thing because if we had our phones we would have been glued to the but instead we played cards, made friendship bracelets, and talked to each other face-to-face instead of through the phone. There was also plenty to do at camp so not having phones was not an issue. Overall Camp Cayuga was so much fun and I would definitely go back for long than 2 weeks next time!”

Congratulations on your first year at sleep-away camp, Gwendolyn. You clearly had a blast making friends and enjoying the fun at camp. Gwendolyn obviously loved Camp Cayuga. You may love it yourself if it’s a good match for you. Look into Camp Cayuga on their website by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Ahoy there!

We’re always looking to sing the praises of the businesses and camps with whom we’ve formed tight bonds here at Everything Summer Camp. Today we’re pointing our spotlight to the coast of North Carolina. Read on to get a glimpse into the summer getaway of Camp Sea Gull for boys as well as Camp Seafarer for girls.
Now in full preparation for their 70th season next year, Camp Sea Gull and Camp Seafarer have been providing their campers with the safety and the kind of fun kids need to develop and grow since the summer of 1948. Situated in Arapahoe, North Carolina, each campsite sits on over 150 acres of beautiful land with abundant access to the waterfront.

Thanks to the exceptional location of Camp Sea Gull and Camp Seafarer, the campers are treated to very wide parts of the Neuse River. On this awesome body of water, the campers can learn great skills required for the art of sailing, powerboating, skiing, fishing, and more. Characteristically calm, the Neuse River provides a safe and magical place to have these great experiences.

Both of these camps offer a variety of sports and other land activities including Archery, Riflery, Basketball, Soccer, Lacrosse, Tennis, Golf, Horseback Riding, and more. Other indoor activities in the Creative Arts include Printmaking, Ceramics, Sculpture, Wheel-Thrown Pottery, Batiking, and more.

The cabins at both Camp Sea Gull and Seafarer houses roughly 10 to 13 campers along with two to three cabin leaders to stay with the campers. Each cabin is well lit with excellent ventilation and features fully furnished interiors with twin bunk beds. All cabins have restrooms, sinks with mirrors and individual shower stalls to offer total privacy for every camper.

You can get even more details on the website for either Camp Sea Gull or Camp Seafarer for your son or daughter’s next summer camp experience. Click here. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Summer Camp People!

We like fun just as much as the next online summer camp retailer and we surround ourselves with equally fun product suppliers, summer camps, and other business contacts. And we love singing the praises of the wonderful folks with whom we’ve developed excellent relationships. Trunk accessories are important products to help personalize your camp trunk and the people at Fathead are the great folks that supply us with decals that really put the finishing touch on your trunk.
When you’re looking to spruce up your camp trunk, peruse our selection of sport-themed Fathead decals. In any case, these Fathead Decals of Team logos from the NFL, NBA, MLB, and the NCAA are a surefire way to spark up your living quarters at summer camp or afterward at home. 

Maybe you want to advertise your favorite sports team elsewhere. They’ll stick on your bedroom door, windows, walls, school desk, locker—pretty much anywhere because Fathead materials are movable, reusable, and virtually indestructible. They also peel off surfaces cleanly—risking no tearing and leaving no sticky residue behind. Whether you use them at summer camp or afterward in your bedroom at home, they’re sure to be a blast!

Starting out small more than a decade ago in 2006, a limited band of innovative and passionate people got their hands on a number of sports licenses and set off to create graphics material to cover all kinds of spaces—large and small. Using authentic and officially licensed sports/entertainment graphics, Fathead quickly rose in popularity and became a leader in the industry.

Happy to have a selection of Fathead’s awesome Teammates Decals, we here at Everything Summer Camp encourage all campers to advertise their favorite sports teams and represent for your team right on your camp trunk or bedroom or wherever else you’re able. Check out our selection of Fathead Camp Trunk Decals by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We saw an excellent response to our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest here at Everything Summer Camp and now we’re eager to publish each one right here on the Blog! After our seven lucky winners, everyone else who submitted received a $15 gift certificate to our online store! Today’s post is from Victoria F., who wrote in to tell us about her exciting acrobatics at Camp Louise. Here’s her submission:

“‘Finally!’ I said quietly. Even though it was only the third day of summer camp our bunk schedule finally said ‘Ropes Course.’ We found out yesterday, but we had been counting hours until our second activity of the day arrived. As our counselors led us downhill to the tool shed I could not help but wonder what we would be doing. One of the Outdoors staff approached us and led us to the Leap Of Faith. After she explained what to do I decided not to go first. Instead, I watched my friends climb up the twenty foot pole using the staples, hoist themselves on top of the pole, and scoot off. Nobody actually grabbed the trapeze like they were trying to. Then, it was my turn. When I made it to the top the pole shook in rhythm with the rest of my body. I triple-checked my harness and my helmet and counted in a whisper one, two, three. I couldn’t move. At least I was the first one that stood up on the pole. Without counting I bent my knees and flew off of the pole. As I extended my arms I felt the trapeze and quickly grasped the black pole. I did it! I was the first one. When I got down on the ground I heard my bunk cheering for me. I could not believe it. I look forward to activities like this all year long. Now I was positive this would be an amazing summer!”

Victoria clearly had a blast during her summer camp stay. Congrats for being the first to succeed at The Leap of Faith at Camp Louise. Check this camp out at home to see if it’s a good match for you. You can visit their site by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

l
- John