Hey there, Summer Campers!

For today’s blog post, I’m going to tell you about a very “pretty woman” that we all know as Julia (Fiona) Roberts. Like many other famous people- not just in Hollywood, but from all sorts of different scenes- Julia Roberts went to summer camp when she was around your age.

She actually attended her uncle’s summer camp, Camp Birchwood, located in beautiful Minnesota. Camp Birchwood is a summer camp with whom we here at Everything Summer Camp are proud to work with. She once stated that "All the coolest things I know how to do - I learned to do at camp."

But it wasn’t long before she reached for stardom at the young age of 23 and caught it! Now, having been an obviously caring and charismatic character in Hollywood for the last few decades, Julia has stolen the hearts of millions.

Known for such classic movies as My Best Friend’s Wedding, Runaway Bride, Notting Hill, and Mirror Mirror, Julia Roberts has also voiced for animated films like Charlotte’s Web, as the voice of Charlotte the Spider, and was the voice of Hova in the Ant Bully. She has received multiple accolades for her acting and continues to bring warmth and beauty to the big screen.

Julia married Daniel Moder on July 4, 2002. Daniel is a cameraman whom she met on the set of one of her films where they fell in love. Still together, they are now a family of five with their three children. They have twins, Hazel Patricia Moder and Phinnaeus (or “Finn” for short) Walter Moder and also Henry Daniel Moder.

Julia Roberts went to summer camp and went on to find success, love, and happiness, what will you find? Thanks for reading, Camp Folks!

Hey, Summer Enthusiasts!

It’s always a burst of excitement and wide smiles when your campers return home. You’ll want to brace yourself for the next few days for the flood of camp stories your kid has. Whether you want to or not, you’re going to hear all about their new camp friends and crazy adventures that may or may not be exaggerated.

For today’s blog post, I want to give you some tips to help you and your kid upon their homecoming after summer camp ends. The best advice I have for you is that the best time to plan for the next year’s summer camp season is right now.

A great way to start getting ready for summer camp next year is to go over your kid’s packing list. First of all, did your kid bring everything home that was brought to camp? If anything is missing, it’s smart to contact your kid’s summer camp to see if they might have any of the missing items.

Next, you can go through the camp clothing your kid has. Often times, you can keep the clothes for next year’s summer camp stay. If your kid will soon outgrow their clothes for camp or you no longer want the clothes for whatever reason, you can donate them, use them as a hand-me-down to a younger sibling, or throw them away (if they’re ruined).

After the clothing, you’ll want to see if any gear is broken whether it’s a flashlight, fan, or any other breakable product.

In doing so, you’ve discovered all the items that will need to be replaced for next year. Why wait for next spring to go through stressful shopping? Buy your summer camp gear now and get great season-ending sales on quality products!

It’s smart to talk to your kids about summer camp promptly after their return home when the memories of camp are still fresh on their minds. Ask them about what gear worked and what didn’t. Was the sleeping bag warm enough or maybe too warm? Maybe the backpack wasn’t big enough.

Unpacking gear can also be split into two groups—one to store away until next year, and the other to use up now. You’ll want to use up any liquid toiletries like sunblock and bug repellent this summer. Those products will lose their effectiveness by next year.

It’s wise to go over the second group of products that’s to be stored away to remove the batteries of any battery-operated items. You’ll want to watch where you store your camp trunk or duffel for the remainder of the year as well. If you’re storing your footlocker in a garage or basement, you’ll want to make sure it’s off the ground. Cold concrete floors can slowly deteriorate the metal of a trunk over time.

You may want to store it with a Moso Air Purifying Bag to secure it from funky smells due to moisture or mildew.

Lastly, I just have a friendly reminder not to forget about developing the pictures from your disposable camera if your kid brought one to camp (though I doubt your child will let you forget)! As always thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Bookworms!

For as much time as you’ll spend at summer camp running around, participating in vicious games of Capture-the-Flag, daylong hikes, and general fun, you’ll also have some downtime—time to yourself if you like. Maybe you like to draw. Maybe you like to write. But no matter what you like, I’ll bet you love to read.

How do I know that? Well, for starters, you’re reading this blog post.

Anyway, if you love reading and you love summer camp, then allow me the complete pleasure of introducing you to Melissa J. Morgan’s Camp Confidential book series for preteens. These books (which are also sold in the UK under the name Summer Camp Secrets) are certain to get you into the summer camp spirit and keep you entertained for days!

Ms. Morgan’s Camp Confidential series currently consists of 26 books but still has potential to expand if the author so wishes to continue telling of the misadventures and secrets that the girls have at Camp Walla Walla.

The series gets started with a group of girls at Camp Lakeview. Despite their secrets, dislikes, disagreements, and fights the group grows together. You’ll fall in love with great fictional friends like the compassionate and caring Natalie or Alyssa who’s more of the cool and quiet type. Meet the ever-pranking Jenna, the charming Grace Matthews, and all the snootier girls that the Lakeview group must abide at their new camp, Walla Walla.

You’ll struggle to put these books down as you learn more about these lovable characters and turn page after page of plot twists, misadventures, and hilarious moments. Discover who your favorite character is, which camp you’d rather go to, and if Natalie can make things work with Simon.

You can find every single installment of Melissa J. Morgan’s Camp Confidential series right here at Everything Summer Camp. So delve into these great cool summer camp paperbacks and enjoy your camp stay!

Closing Day = Opening Hearts and Minds

Children’s reactions to being reunited with their parents are tough to predict. Rather than predict your family’s exact experience, let me share with you some typical reactions that I’ve seen over the years. These descriptions are a bit abstract. No child will behave exactly like these stereotypes, but it’s helpful to know how widely kids’ reunion behavior varies. Your child may show a combination of these responses.

The Fountain of Youth: Fountain of Youth kids will be very excited about their camp experience and will immediately want to describe everything about camp in two minutes. Parents will be drenched with a steady stream of stories and explanations that they may not completely understand. Not to worry. Fountain of Youth kids know that their parents are the most important people in their lives, so they want to share with them all the great things that happened. Whirlwind tours of important places and people are a common part of this sharing. Parents should just smile and go along for the ride (with a camera, of course!).

The Poker Face. Poker Face kids probably had a great time at camp, but are oddly quiet on closing day. They don’t want to tell their parents much right away, but parents should not assume this is because they disliked camp. It’s just that Poker Face kids have an especially hard time leaving. They may be a little depressed about leaving new friends and wonderful places. However, the stories and experiences, good or bad, will come out in time. Parents who want the scoop right away can spend a few extra minutes talking to the child’s cabin leader.

The Tearful Camper. Tearful Campers are visibly moved by the close of camp. Tears are a real testament to the power of the camp experience. Indeed, a priceless moment for a cabin leader or a parent is witnessing a camper who cried when he arrived (because the separation was so hard) suddenly cry from sadness that he is leaving. Tearful Campers may want to leave quickly to avoid the awkwardness of the moment, or they may wish to linger. Parents should ask their child’s preference or play the day by ear.

The Sensationalist. Sensationalists immediately tell their parents the single most dramatic thing that happened to them during their camp stay. “When we were camping out, the tent stakes broke and it started to rain, and my sleeping bag got muddy, and then we heard thunder, and I thought we were gonna die!” Don’t assume the worst. All campers have a mix of powerful positive and negative experiences at camp. Sensationalists may tell horror stories, but most of them had a great time at camp. Parents should listen carefully to get a balanced account of the session.

In the days, weeks, and months that follow closing day, you can expect three things: (1) increased self-reliance; (2) ongoing stories about camp; (3) emotional volatility. The best response to all of this is empathy. Notice what your son or daughter is doing independently and compliment them for their initiative and maturity. Listen carefully to their adventure narratives and ask open-ended questions about why such-and-such was meaningful. And tolerate the mood swings that are a natural byproduct of challenge and triumph.

Enjoy the summer!

Dr. Christopher Thurber

Hey there, Everything Summer Camp Aficionados!

Today I want to tell you about another great employee whom Everything Summer Camp appreciates having onboard. He’s our guy in the shipping/receiving department, Derek. Working alongside Ryan—the manager in shipping as well as Derek’s brother-in-law—and the rest of Ryan’s crew.

Not only does Derek bear enough of the duties that everyone else has in shipping, like picking, packing, and printing orders, but he also handles the majority of Everything Summer Camp’s incoming freight whether the shipments be stock items, equipment for all of our personalized products, or simply overhead for our office building.

Derek, at 24, has been giving Everything Summer Camp 110% for the last five years. Not just a hard worker but a smart worker too, Derek excels at his job on a day-to-day basis.

When discussing his favorite part about the job, Derek says it’s simply the “work flow.” He loves the way the job makes everyone come together, give it their all, and see the job through to the end of the day. The tasks of the job aren’t always the most challenging, but making everything happen in the right synchronicity is another story.

“The job itself isn’t that hard,” says Derek. But still, he enjoys the work. “I keep on coming back, right?” he says with a smile. Derek is normally kept on with part-time hours during Everything Summer Camp’s slower time of the year.

He’s certainly one of our employees who knows what a good time summer camp can be. He fondly recalls his days at Bible Camp with a good laugh over “this kid Mark who snored so loud he sounded like a kid choking,” and kept everyone up for hours after lights out. “It was a good time,” he says.

So, remember, Camp Fans! The next time you get an order from Everything Summer Camp, it very well could have been Derek who packed it for you! Until next time!

- John