Hey, Camp Folks!

The Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ drawing saw an excellent response with nearly 30 entries! That’s why we’re publishing each and every one right here on the Blog! Today I’ve got two campers’ submissions comin’ atcha. Read about the great time Grace K. had at Camp Lurecrest:
“Hi! I’m Grace and I am 10 years old. I went to summer camp for the first time this summer. It was called Camp Lurecrest and I had so much fun. They picked us up on a big bus to drive us to camp. I had 4 friends in my cabin and met lots of new friends too. My favorite activities were tubing in the lake and zip lining and worship time. It was like a big sleepover for a week. The food was yummy too. I was worried I would not like it. They have a dessert called cookie mush- it was my favorite!! The counselors were so nice and funny. We did devotional every day together! I can’t wait to go again next summer.”

And here’s the entry from Samantha G. who had a wonderful time at Camp Eisner:“This was my first summer away at sleep away camp. I loved it. One of my counselors was named Ofek and was from Israel. She was doing a tick check on me one day and she told me to lift one arm, then the other, then she said, ‘let me see your poopick’. I laughed and said ‘what’. She said bellybutton, turns out poopick is Hebrew for bellybutton. At camp I tried lots of new things such as self-defense and lots of new foods like Israeli couscous. We went on trips to amusement parks and I loved making lots of new friends. My Olim buddy, Maddie, was awesome. She was so nice and took such good care of me. Now I have a new ‘big sister’ I cannot wait until next summer when I can go back the ‘bubble’ for more fun!”

Thanks for these submissions, ladies! It’s really great to hear that you two had such great summer camp experiences. To anyone else who may be interested in Camp Lurecrest or Camp Eisner, check them out for yourself. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Happy Campers!

Everybody loves talking about themselves—and we’re certainly no exception here at Everything Summer Camp! I could go on forever about the great camping gear that we sell here, our solid customer service, or our awesome team. Instead, I’ll talk about a deserving summer camp. Today we’re shining the Everything Summer Camp spotlight on the beautiful Camp Netimus for girls.
Situated in the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Camp Netimus is the home for 7-16-year-old girls from all over the country (or even the world) as well as over 80 staff members every summer. Showing the young generation of women a fun summer since 1930, Netimus offers an unforgettable experience!

The philosophy of the directors at Camp Netimus is that their campers get real value just by letting them have fun. So they have a lot of it there. How could they not? They offer all the traditional sports like volleyball, basketball, softball, archery, and more. They have all the water activities you could want, along with outdoor adventurous trips, horseback riding, rock climbing, and more. And they have an excellent performing arts as well as arts and crafts programs.

Founded by the Moore family in Philadelphia, Camp Netimus was named after a Native Chief from Delaware in the 18 Century. Its opening summer, 85 years ago, saw just 16 campers and a small fraction of the facilities that can be found there today.

Today, you’ll find enough facilities to accommodate 145 campers, but Netimus is about so much more than their comfortable cabins and other campus buildings. Always succeeding in showing their campers a fun time, Netimus girls gain a world more than just a good time. They discover their individuality as well as their part in a community.

Check out Camp Netimus for your daughter so she can have the same experience. And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

The Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ drawing saw an excellent response with nearly 30 entries, so we’re happily publishing each and every 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 includes Parker P.’s camp story about his summer days at Camp Ridgecrest:

“When I was four, my mom read me a story called The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp. I was fascinated with the idea of going to camp and began asking when I could go. She was surprised that as such a young child I would express an interest in camp, but I loved the idea of the outdoors, the adventure, and the excitement. Over the next couple of years, my mom became aware of Camp Ridgecrest for Boys and as soon as I entered first grade, she registered me to attend the next summer. I didn’t know anyone. She didn’t know anyone whose child had been. She drove me to camp. Helped me set up my bed and trunk area, and headed to her car to depart. I was a little overwhelmed and so was she. Neither of us anticipated how hard it would be to separate that first summer, but I am so glad that she trusted the plan and the camp staff. All throughout the week, she watched online for pictures of me. I don’t really like to be in pictures, so she was worried that I wasn’t having fun. When she picked me up and we got back in the car, she asked me about the experience. I said that I was glad I went. I was glad she was back to pick me up and go home. I was looking forward to coming back the next year for two weeks, and I asked if I could go for four weeks when I was older. I had immediately fallen in love with camp. Now after seven years at camp, I continue to look forward to camp as it’s the highlight of my summer. I hope to one day be a Little Chief (a camp honor) and then continue as a counselor after I am too old to be a camper.”

Thanks again for your submission, Parker! It’s great to hear that you and your mother put your trust into summer camp and that it ended up being such an enjoyable time for you! To anyone else who may be interested in Camp Ridgecrest, you can check it out sometime and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Unhappy Campers.

Did the summer camp season leave you disappointed and unimpressed? All the good things everyone had to say about camp and everything you read about it (including posts on THIS Blog) led you to believe that your kid’s summer camp experience would be nothing short of amazing. What went wrong? While this certainly isn’t the norm, it’s not unheard of for children to have an unpleasant summer camp experience. However, I cannot stress this next point enough—just because your kid didn’t like their summer camp, doesn’t mean that they don’t like SUMMER CAMP.

If you didn’t pick the right camp for your kid, there’s still hope to find a different one that your kid will enjoy next year. Finding a dud camp stinks for that summer visit, but in the long run, it’s a bad taste in your mouth that goes away petty quick.

Even the summer camp experts who wrote the literal book on camp, ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’, didn’t fall in love with the summer camp experience at first sight. Both of their initial camp stays were chaotic and ungainful. But it wasn’t enough to deter them from pursuing better camps that offered a little more organization and fun. Now they can’t get enough of summer camp!

Tune into this Blog next month (October 12) to read a post contributed to us by one of the authors of ‘The Summer Camp Handbook’, Dr. Chris Thurber. Chris will take the reins on this topic and give you great advice for giving your kids a healthy, unforceful push back into the summer camp direction despite their recent disenchantment.

So, if your kid didn’t enjoy their time at summer camp this season, don’t despair—just come back to the Everything Summer Camp Blog for excellent advice on the subject. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Summer Camp Fans!

You know at this point that there are a LOT of summer camp fans out there. That includes kids, teenagers, and even grown-ups. Lots of grown-ups today were once summer campers like yourself. Some of them went on to become famous people. There are musicians, athletes, actors and actresses, and all kinds of celebrities who were once summer campers!

Gwyneth Paltrow was a summer camper back when she was little. She went to Brown Ledge Camp in Vermont. On the banks of Lake Champlain a little ways away from Burlington, Brown Ledge Camp is a residential, overnight girls’ camp.

Though she was born in Los Angeles, California, she enrolled in a private school for girls in New York City. During her enrollment at Spence School, she had the opportunity to go to camp and it certainly was a positive influence that affected her throughout her life.

She spent some time in Spain as an exchange student around the age of 15. She learned to speak Spanish and stayed with the Lazaro-Ruiz family in a town near Toledo. She’s returned a number of times out of her love of the country and the people she knows there. Julia Ruiz is quoted in an article for the online journal, El Mundo, “She was very warm from the first day, and ever since, we have maintained a good relationship.”

She went on to attend the University of California where she studied in anthropology. Once acting took hold, however, she became fully vested in pursuing a career with it. She hit it hard when she was just 19 in a movie called ‘Hook’—the story of Peter Pan, all grown up. Since then, she’s been in dozens of blockbuster hits including all three ‘Iron Man’ movies.

After a role starring in a 2019-2020 series called The Politician, she's taken a break from acting and has dipped her toes in the arenas of audiobooks, food, and cosmetics. 

As always, thanks for reading.

- John