Hey, Camp Parents!

Visiting Day is undoubtedly going to be a big day for you and your kid! After all it means that two of their worlds are merging for them—their home life and summer camp. Your kid will likely love it, but could be a little overwhelmed by it as well. Just the same as the separation of summer camp can produce some homesickness, this sudden reunion can cause your child to undergo some unpredictable behavior.

That’s why I’m writing this two-part Blog series for today and next Tuesday, to give you some tips for visiting your kid at camp. Today, I’m giving you just one tip—or one Cardinal Rule to keep in mind for Visiting Day:

It’s ALL ABOUT Your Kid!

Having said that, here are four key tips and pointers within this Chief Rule:

Visit on Visiting Day
If it isn’t ‘Visiting Day’, ‘Family Day,’ ‘Parents’ Weekend’, or whatever your camp calls it, then you shouldn’t be visiting. Visiting unannounced on a day that isn’t scheduled for visiting is a bad idea. All it does is create envious friends, provoke homesickness for your kid, and deter you’re his or her blooming sense of independence.

Don’t Plan Anything
Pretty much everything about visiting day is sure to be out of your control so try to just go with it as it unfurls. Your kid has so much to show you, there’s no time to spare on something you had planned. Let your kid give you the tour. And throughout the tour, try to reserve any harsh judgments. When kids are expressing their excitement and interests, don’t make them defend themselves about these things.

Don’t Give Exact Times
It’s best to give a window for your arrival instead of an exact time. You’ll be able to stick to a time range much better than you can an exact time. There’s no telling what hiccups or snags might delay you. Instead of saying ‘9 am,’ say you’ll get there sometime between ‘9 and 10.’

If You Can’t Make It…
Huge distances, emergency situations—sometimes, Visiting Day is just impossible. Try working something else out. It isn’t the same as seeing their own parents, but kids love going out with their friends’ families on Visiting Days. You’ll need to call, write, fax, or email the camp to make this arrangement and give your permission to have your kid leave the camp with somebody else.

If you can, it’s good to set plans like this up weeks in advance in order to give your kid some time to adjust to the idea. And check out ‘The Summer Camp Handbook,’ written by Chris Thurber and Jon Malinowski for more excellent information on the topic.

Tune in next Tuesday to read about your kid’s reaction to your reunion. And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Though we like to talk about ourselves a lot, here at Everything Summer Camp, it’s good to let somebody else have a turn from time to time. That’s why we like to spotlight other deserving vendors and summer camps with whom we’ve developed a rapport. Camp Agawak is just such a camp. Located in the beautiful woods of northern Wisconsin, Camp Agawak has 200 acres to its name—all of it heavily-wooded and adventuresome! Bordering Blue Lake, one of the purest lakes in Wisconsin, Agawak also boasts 1500 feet of sandy beach for fun waterfront activities like skiing, sailing, snorkeling, fishing, and, of course, simple swimming. And they have paddle boats and a water slide too!

Ample space for pretty much any land sport you can think of, Camp Agawak is equipped with two fields for soccer, softball, baseball, volleyball, and other camp games. Archery is available as well as riflery, basketball courts for basketball, tether ball, and a gaga pit for Camp Agawak’s Trampball!—a bouncy combination of volleyball and four-square with trampolines! There’s space indoors for gymnastics, dance, aerobics, and various games. And the Happy Camper Hall, complete with stage and costume room, is the perfect place for campers to share their abilities. Kids can be part of a production put on by the camp or put on their own production in the summer talent show or other creativity that campers would like to express.

Agawak’s awesome arts and crafts program teaches campers to enjoy fun projects like basket weaving, beading, candle-making, and more. And if nothing else, the Trip Program at Agawak is super fun with scenic hiking treks and awesome canoe trips. You can also enjoy a night under the stars in their 26’ teepee—a mandatory experience!

With great facilities and cabins that are equipped with heat, electricity, bathrooms, ceiling fans, and a set of shelves for each camper. But Agawak is about so much more than a fun time, a great environment, and nice cabins. This camp is a community of girls who all can each realize their own personal growth and identity within the camp community.

Girls have been having the time of their lives at Agawak for the last 94 years. Join in in the summer camp experience at Camp Agawak and check it out for yourself sometime. As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Fourth of July Fans!

Today is the day of our country’s independence. Way back in a time that we only know from history books, the people who lived in “The New World” (more modernly known as the United States of America) still felt the rule of Great Britain. Independence Day is the day that we adopted our Declaration of Independence in 1776.

For 239 years we’ve been celebrating this federal holiday, but there’s a lot about it that most people don’t know. Here are four things that you probably didn’t know about the Fourth of July:

Did you know…
…that, ironically, three presidents have died on Fourth of Julys past? It’s true. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died within hours of each other in 1826. John Adams last words were, “Thomas Jefferson still survives.” And just five years later, the fifth president James Monroe died in 1831.

Bet you didn’t know…
…the Fourth of July is one of only four other federal holidays that get celebrated on the same calendar date each year? (The other three holidays are Veteran’s Day, New Years, and Christmas.)

And I bet you never knew…
…despite common belief, the Liberty Bell was not rung on the Fourth of July in 1776, but on the eighth of the July. It was rung in honor of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Last, but not least, did you know…
…that some people have argued that the Fourth of July should actually be the Second of July? They’re crazy, right? Well, the argument holds some validity as July 2 is the day that our forefathers did the actual VOTING on their Declaration. The document simply wasn’t written up completely until July 4.

In any case, despite controversy over the proper date or the unfortunate loss of presidents on this national celebration, let your freedom ring along with everyone here at Everything Summer Camp today and enjoy your Independence Day. As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Smart Shoppers!

Smack-dab in the middle of the camp season comes the summer holiday that singlehandedly epitomizes this typically scorching season. The Fourth of July is right around the corner and, in preparation for it, Everything Summer Camp has gone discount crazy, knockin’ prices down left and right. If you’ve been able to hold off on your summer camp shopping until now—or, if your kid’s already off on their summer camp endeavor, but you want to pick up gear for next year—you’re in luck! You can save on select camp gear with the Everything Summer Camp Fourth of July Sale. Check it out!

We’ve got almost everything on our website on sale. And when I say ‘almost everything’, I mean 99% of everything on our site is marked anywhere from 5 to 25% off. First and foremost, our trunks will be on sale at 8% off. That means that our Happy Camper, which regularly costs $174.99, is now just $161 on the dot!

Aside from our C&N footlocker trunks, our Name Labels are on sale at 20% off. That goes for everything in the category, including Clothing Name Labels, Clothing Stamps, our waterproof Stick On Name Labels, and more.

We also have our Laundry Bags marked at 15%. And if you’re wondering if that goes for our Personalized Laundry Bags as well—YES! It does.

You can shop all of our Bedding items for least 15% off and our Sleeping bags are somewhere between 10% – 25% off. Find the Wenzel Moose, normally $29.99 on sale for an even $24!

All Footwear is on sale somewhere between 10 and 20% off and our swimsuits are all 15 to 25% off! Also, be sure to check out our closeout category where you can find items marked anywhere from 30 to 50% off!

Our Fourth of July Sale runs through Tuesday, the 7th, so be sure to take advantage while the opportunity is here! Have yourself a fun, shopping frenzy and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Everything Summer Camp Fans!

While our competitors will have you ordering for camp a whole month in advance or emptying your wallet to get your stuff on time, we ship your order out in days, not weeks. When your order is placed at Everything Summer Camp, it goes through our system and, after any personalized items on the order are made, the order goes to shipping.

When the camp season hits, we have to be ready for it in multiple ways which is why we either stock all our products or make them in-house. This way, we ship your order fast. It’s certainly a team effort among departments, but in the end, every single order goes through the shipping department. The season inevitably gives these guys a workout every year!

Welcome to shipping.

This giant warehouse where we stock all of our camp trunks and other products (aside from our customizable graphics and camp clothing) is where the magic happens.

An extremely busy place—this time of year especially—the summer shipping crew works methodically thanks to shipping manager, Ryan’s, careful orchestration and execution of the day. These guys get your quality camp gear from Everything Summer Camp out to you on time every time!

The details of each order is printed and all the orders that need to ship that day are pushed out the door first. The crew goes to work “picking orders”. Orders without customizable products get “picked” from our stocked products. The order is then looked over to make sure that it’s complete and ready to be shipped out to you.

Each order is boxed up then. The shipping labels are printed and the order is seen into the back of a UPS truck and delivered to you. A fun and moving work environment, the shipping department is great at what they do! As always, thanks for reading!

- John