Hey, Camp Fans! 

More than just a good chunk of a baby’s lexicon, Gaga is a game whose popularity has boomed at summer camp for the last forty or fifty years. Some know it better as Gaga Ball or Gaga Pit, but for simplicity’s sake, I’ll just call it Gaga. Essentially a friendlier, milder version of Dodgeball, Gaga is chockfull of rules that are typically different based on where you play and who you play it with.  

Gaga is played in an enclosed area referred to as the “gaga pit.” A lightweight ball is bounced in the center and campers give the ball a one-handed push to try and hit other players below the knees. The object of the game: be the last person standing. 

It’s no surprise that the popularity of this game has skyrocketed specifically at summer camp. After all, it’s very universal and aligns well with basic principles of summer camp. 

Anyone and Everyone
Unlike just about any other sport, Gaga does not necessitate skills in strength, speed, or hand-eye coordination. Children and adults alike are welcome to play—even against each other. The small playing boundaries combined with the soft ball and short span of gameplay make it easy for everyone to participate. 

Kind Competition
It’s healthy for kid’s to embrace their competitive nature a little. Gaga isn’t about athletic skill so much as it is about having fun which gives campers incentive enough to win, but doesn’t pit ability against ability which can lead to poor self-image. 

Sportsmanship
Cabin leaders are watching and playing so they can always give a just ruling on fair play and sportsmanship in the game. Players who have been temporarily sidelined start to watch out for fair play as well, helping encourage everyone to play according to the rules and treat your fellow players with respect. 

Enjoy the entertaining game of Gaga at summer camp where the score is always fun to fun! If your kid returns from camp, unable to stop talking about this crazy game called Gaga, now you know why! Enjoy the summer fun and, as always, thanks for reading! 

- John

Hey, Camp Folks! 

Idioms are everywhere! We’ve adopted a ton of common phrases and expressions into our everyday language that we often use them without even knowing it. For example, ‘Keep it Up’ originated from Badminton spectators chanting out for players to keep the birdie in the air. You can read more about that right here. Let’s *ahem* keep it up with today’s Blog post we’re going to delve into the origin of the phrase ‘Steal your Thunder’. 

You say that somebody 'steals your thunder' when they get the credit after using your ideas or creations. It’s an odd phrase the more you think about it as we don’t typically think about thunder as being something we possess. I always expected the thunder was a symbolic role in this saying, but the origin behind this phrase is actually more literal. 

Okay, maybe it wasn’t actual thunder, but a sound effect that imitates that rolling roar from the sky. Theater productions have always needed to be creative to make the sounds they need for their plays. 

A playwright in 1704, John Dennis put on a show called ‘Appius and Virginia’. To put on this play, he came up with a new means of the making the sound effect for thunder. While nobody knows exactly what his method was for sure, it’s heavily expected that it involved rolling metal balls in a wooden bowl.   

The play turned out to be a giant flop. After the disappointed playwright’s show closed, John Dennis found himself at a production of ‘Macbeth’. Thunder struck and John recognized the sound effect as his own invention! He was rather displeased to discover his method was stolen. 

He was later quoted putting down the theater, saying “They will not let my play run, but they steal my thunder!” At least he’s still credited nowadays for coming up with this common saying that we still use centuries later. Hope you enjoyed learning the origin of this old phrase today. And, as always, thanks for reading and happy camping! 

- John

Hey, Camp Folks! 

Staying hydrated is an absolutely essential part of staying healthy—especially in the summer when you’re running around on hot days! Creating convenience for kids to take an easy swig in the middle of whatever activity they’re engaged in, Platypus is one brand name that we’re happy to offer here at Everything Summer Camp. Check out the several water-themed and innovative products we provide from this excellent brand. 

Platypus Big Zip EVO Reservoir
Carry a couple liters of clean water on your person during your camp adventures. With a self-sealing bite valve and wide tubing, this Reservoir delivers a fast, refreshing flow rate. Between the bite valve and leakproof shutoff valve it's pretty much impossible for water to escape the Platypus unless you're drinking it! It features a high-mount drink tube that provides a quick-disconnect so it's super-fast and super easy to load and unload the reservoir. 

Platypus QuickDraw Filter
This drinking filter gives adventurers the peace of mind of having a drink of water wherever water is available. The easy-to-use QuickDraw filter cartridge is made of hollow fibers which are responsible for transforming pond water into healthy drinking water. It weighs just over two ounces and filters as much as three liters per minute! 

Platypus DuoLock SoftBottle Water Bottle - .75 Liter and 1 Liter
Designed to stay upright on its own whether it's full or empty and is shaped for easy gripping, sipping, and pouring! Easily flattened after use, the SoftBottle, when empty, will roll right up for compact packing. It's easy to carry with its gate handle. A wide mouth means great flow rate so you can get the satisfactory slug of water you need. 

No matter how you choose to fill your days at camp and all the days until then, it's important you keep your water bottle filled and stay hydrated. Peruse our excellent hydration products from Platypus by clicking right here. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! 

- John

Hey, Camp Fans! 

As a camping gear store directed at families with kids heading to summer camp, we’re thrilled to have formed such awesome relationships with a whopping 300 camps across the nation. We can’t help ourselves but to sing their praises every now and again. Today let’s shine our summer camp spotlight over to the East Coast in New York—just 30 minutes south of Rochester. 

There, resting on East Lake Road in the small, rural town of Livonia, we find Camp Stella Maris. This camp was founded in 1926 by Gerald Lambert and Eugene Hudson. For nearly a century, this camp has invited boys and girls to come be a part of the Stella Maris magic summer after summer. This camp offers not just overnight stays, but day camp services as well a family camp getaway! 

There’s definitely fun for everyone! Campers are shown a great blend of different types of activities ranging from Adventure and the Ballfield to Arts and Nature, Spirituality and, of course, the Waterfront. At Stella Maris, kids enjoy Camp Fires, Shaving Cream Wars, Mudslides, Makerspace, Tie Dye, Archery, and Dodgeball. And older campers can choose to participate in more challenging activities like High Ropes, Water Skiing, Pottery, Climbing Wall, and plenty more! 

Unplugged for a week, campers at Stella Maris are show the time of their lives! The fantastic fun is about more than just a good time. Camp helps build confidence, friendship, personal growth, and wonderful memories. Overnight campers sleep in one of the 21 awesome cabins. 

You couldn’t be bored if you tried, but there’s tons of opportunity for downtime too. Time to reflect on the all the fun you’re having! Give Camp Stella Maris a closer look and click here to check out their website. And, as always, thanks for reading. 

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!  

Lending her hand to our Printing Department for this summer season, Emma has been a great help, picking the proper piece of apparel for orders and printing the appropriate design onto the garment. We’ve had one of our best years yet and we had A LOT of printed clothing orders to fulfill! But enough work talk! Today we’re talking about what camp activities Emma would pick for herself if she got the chance to go to camp right now.  

Without much deliberation, Emma gave me her top three choices. Here’s what she picked: 

Painting
An obvious choice for her first pick, Emma has been painting for about as long as she can remember. She’s continued to pursue this lifelong passion of hers into her college major. While she’s tried her hand at multiple styles, Impressionism is what speaks to her most—that’s visual art that attempts to incorporate changes in light and motion into a still image.    

Spelunking
Next up, Emma said she would go Spelunking. She’s been in the infamous Crystal Cave in western Wisconsin before. From stalagmites to stalactites and huge rooms of hanging bats, Emma loves the feeling of being surrounded by natural elements well below the ground! 

Conservation
In the same vein of appreciating nature, Emma chose Conservation for her third pick. She enjoys planting trees, composting, picking up litter, and all-around learning about and doing good stuff for nature. 

With such interest in creativity and talent as well as adventures in the natural world, Emma’s been a great fit for our busy summer season getting you all geared up for your camp stay. Do you share any of the things Emma is interested in? If so, let us know by leaving a comment. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! 

- John