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

Hey, Blog Buddies!

For our blog post today I’m going to be discussing excellent stationery accessories that we carry here at Everything Summer Camp. That’s right—not only do we have a couple, great sets of stationery from Paper So Pretty as well as Seal N’ Send Stationery—we carry excellent accessories for stationery too!

Aside from actual stationery, you can also find cool Camp Grams, Postcards, an impressive Storage Clipboard, Call Me Cards, Lap Desks, and—of course—Forever Stamps.

First up, our Camp Grams are available in a kids as well as a grown-ups set that you can get for summer camp. The sets include helpful guides to writing a letter home, mini-letters, and two-way postcards. Staying in touch is very important during your summer camp stay. Camp Grams make it easy. Aside from Camp Grams we also have simple postcards with fun, campy illustrations and designs.

Our Storage Clipboard is great for organization! It’ll do everything but write your letters for you. Write on the surface, then tuck your letter away in the convenient storage bin underneath the hinged lid. It’ll hold your stationery, pens, stamps, envelopes, and whatever else you need for your letters home.

One of our own personalized products, Call Me Cards remind you to keep in touch with your new camp friends after camp is over. Make it easy by handing out these personalized business cards with your information to new friends. There are also blank cards for you friends to fill out and give to you.

Lastly, our Lap Desks from All for Color as well as Three Cheers for Girls. Make anyplace at camp into your very own personal spot where you can write letters home, draw, play card games, etc. These Lap Desks come with different designs to choose from, a built-in cup holder, a detachable pillow, and a zippered pocket in the pillow for storage of pens, paper, and anything else you would normally keep in your desk at home!

That’s all for today, Camp Fans!

Hey there, Camp Enthusiasts!

Packing for camp is an exciting time. Are you having trouble deciding on the best camp trunk? In this Blog post, we’ll compare hard trunk and soft trunk options available from Everything Summer Camp. Both options provide safe storage for your child’s belongings, but we hope this post will make your choice easier as you prepare for camp this summer.

Hard Camp Trunks

A footlocker is a reliable hard trunk that will last summer after summer. They are extremely durable and come in endless solid colors and designs. If you go with this option, we’re sure you’ll find one you love.

Everything Summer Camp is the home of C&N Footlockers. Our best-selling camp trunk is the Happy Camper Footlocker Trunk pictured below. Our nameplates, metal signs, and popular LidSkinz make it easy to personalize your camp trunk.

Why Should I Choose a Steel Camp Trunk?

• Better Protection: Your belongings are safely kept inside a hard trunk, as it is compatible with standard locks.
• Durability: They are more durable than soft camp trunks, with a baked-enamel steel outer covering and nickel plated trim.
• Traditional: Steel trunks kind of belong at camp. It’s what you picture when you think about the traditional camp experience. At Everything Summer Camp, we manufacture our own steel trunks. In addition to being more protective, they’re cooler and classier than duffels or pop up trunks.

Shop Hard Trunks for Camp

Soft Camp Trunks

Another option to consider is a soft trunk or duffel. They are still durable, yet much easier to transport and store away after the summer’s over.

Pictured below is a great soft trunk option from Everything Summer Camp, our Pop Up Soft Camp Trunk, which also happens to be a best seller. With several colors to choose from, there’s bound to be one calling your name.

Benefits of a Soft Camp Trunk

• Easier Transportation: Soft trunks are comparable to duffel bags, as they are much easier to carry and transport. They are undeniably lighter than traditional steel camp trunks, making them ideal for air travel.
• Convenient Storage: Collapsible camp trunks are superior to steel trunks when it comes to finding a place for them to live at home. When camp is over, it can lie flat for simple storage until you need it next.
• Spacious: You have a lot of room to store your belongings in the plethora of pockets that come with soft camp trunks and duffels. Storage space is not necessarily better than that of a hard trunk, but it’s definitely comparable. Our pop up soft trunk has a collapsible wire frame, so it will only cave in if you want it to.

Browse our Full Soft Trunk Collection

Considerations When Buying a Trunk

Before buying a camp trunk, consider the following:

• Quality - Think about the materials you want your trunk to be made of. You should want it to be sturdy and able to last you for more than one summer.
• Size - Think about what you’re planning to take with you to summer camp, and make sure you buy a trunk that will fit everything you need it to hold without difficulty.
• Color - While color shouldn’t be a deal breaker, you want a trunk that will make your camp bunk feel more like home. You can always personalize your trunk later.
• Features - Trunks with built-in wheels make transportation easier. Think about what kind of features you want your trunk to have.

Check out our blog post, What You Need to Know Before Buying a Camp Trunk, for even more tips on selecting a trunk for camp.

Next Stop: Summer Camp!

There’s not one answer when it comes to choosing the right camp trunk. It all depends on your particular, personal needs. Whether you’re looking for a hard or soft trunk, hopefully this post can help guide your decision making. Until next time, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Every kid needs a good pair of kicks for summer camp! You’ve come to the right place, fans of footwear—Everything Summer Camp carries an impressive variety of shoes, sandals, and boots of all different, reputable brand names, like Speedo, Teva, and more. But before we get into that, let’s go over our entire collection of footwear.

We’ve got Water Shoes, Sport Sandals, Trail Shoes, Tennis Shoes, Horse Riding Boots, and Flip Flop Sandals. Each one of these footwear styles has its own distinctive look and attitude that’s derived from its geographical specialty. We basically have your feet covered with any kind of footwear you might want for anything you might do this summer.

Our Water Shoes from brands like Speedo, Teva, Northside, and Beach Basics, are a fun collection of cute and cool Water Shoes. Don’t be afraid to get these things wet! They’re great for the beach or around the pool, giving you more traction than you would have in bare feet.

We get our Sport Sandals from Northside, Beach Basics, and mostly—Teva. These pieces of footwear are largely credited to Teva who introduced the world’s first crossover shoe/sandal—the Sports Sandal. Let your feet breathe with more foot coverage in these innovative Sport Sandals.

Check out our Trail and Tennis Shoes from places like Northside, Hi-Tec, and Teva. The Trail Shoes are attractively rugged and give you a smooth ride while hiking the roughest terrain. The Tennis Shoes are sporty and cute.

Our Horse Riding Paddock Shoes from English Riding Supply are made with quality construction to be fitting and durable. Find these great-looking riding boots in youth and ladies sizes here at Everything Summer Camp.

Last but not least, you don’t want to forget about our cool, summer Flip Flops. Stylish and summer, these summer sandals make a great collection of basic, nice, and sporty flip flops. Check out our cute Beach Basics as well as the Barracuda from Teva and your feet will thank you.

That’s all for today, Camp Fans. Until next time.