Hey, Camp Fans! 

Bob’s been in our Shipping Department since 2018. Always ready to attack the workday, he goes through each order he ships with a careful eye and efficient consistency. He comes from a laundry list of experience, so he comes in pretty handy out in our warehouse—one of few at our company brave enough to drive the forklift. But enough work talk! Today we’re talking about what camp activities Bob would sign himself up for if he were to go to camp right now. 

Without much hesitation, Bob gave me two activities that he would try his hand at nowadays if given then opportunity: Zip Line and Snorkeling. 

Zipline
Bob’s never zip lined before and it sounds like a real thrill to him. He had the chance to do it back when he was 14 but he opted out. When the time came that he had his own son, he watched him do a zip line and really regretted not doing it when he had the chance. From that point on he’s always regretted not having done a zip line. I happened to write a recent Blog post about zip lining that you can check out by clicking here. 

Snorkeling
Bob went snorkeling in the Bahamas when he was 52 years old. He said he was absolutely astonished at all the cool sights to see like the coral reef, giant sea shells with sea creatures living inside, starfish, and an endless list of other foreign creatures and landscape. Bob was blown away by the abundance. “All this stuff LIVES down here?!!” he said, imitating his initial reaction. 

These were the only two activities that he had anything to say about, but he threw out some other activities he would sign up for like Fishing, Kayaking, Hiking, Cooking, Gardening, and—of course—Baseball. Sounds like a wonderful way to spend the summer! What camp activities are you excited for this season? Let us know in the comments and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks! Happy camping! 

- John

Hey, Camp Adventurers! 

Much like Archery and Horseback Riding, Zip Lining is something of a classic summer camp staple activity. It’s one of those iconic camp activities that kids look back on as a truly thrilling moment that they achieved because they dared to! 

Ziplines have been used for centuries to move people and goods rather quickly over hilly terrain, mountains, woods, lakes, rivers, canyons, etc. This rather ancient and innovative invention is still used today, but typically associated less nowadays as goods transportation and more so as fun!    

Here are some interesting facts about Zip Lining: 

Biology to the Max
Believe it or not, Zip Lines were popularized in the field of Biology. Scientists doing research in the Costa Rican rainforest were literally able to zip around to different areas and observe the surrounding nature without disturbing the animals or plant life! Pretty cool, huh? 

We used to Zip Line to School
There are some children in China who Zip Line to school over the Nujiang River. Talk about a morning wake-up call! You’d arrive at school wide awake and alert after your morning zip. 

A Long Zip Trip
Zip Lines are extraordinary fun and usually completed in about 20 seconds or less. The longest Zip Line in the world is the 1.3-mile Eye of the Tiger in Peru. That’s nearly 6500 feet! It takes longer than a minute to reach then end site. 

Do you plan to travel by zip this summer at camp? It takes a bit of courage and possibly fear-conquering to hang tight and soar across the land! But it’s sure to be a memory that will last. Let us know in the comments about any Zip Line experience you’ve had or hope to have in the coming camp season. As always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks. And happy camping! 

- John

Hey, Camp Fans! 

Dive with us on another investigation into those abundant phrases and old sayings that are so woven into our everyday speech that, often enough, we don’t even realize we’re using them. These sayings are more specifically referred to as idioms or adages. Today’s adage: ‘Face the Music’. 

As you can probably gather from the context in which you’ve heard it used, the phrase ‘Face the Music’ means to accept and confront the unpleasant consequences of the actions you took. For example: Tom decided to admit that he didn’t do his homework and face the music. 

The exact origin of this phrase is unknown, but there are a few good guesses: 

Theory 1
When an officer in the military is relieved of their duties due to a failure to uphold the law of their office, they call it a dishonorable discharge. In older times, a spectacle would be made in a number of ways including playing the drums solemnly behind them or ‘drumming them out’ of the regiment. 

Theory 2
Another theory is that it applies to the high-pressure stage setting where actors sweat through a performance literally facing the orchestra pit. This theory would have it that fellow actors would say to one another when it was someone’s turn to take the stage—“time to face the music.” 

Theory 3
‘Face the Music’ could also come from the West Gallery singing from the west galleries of Old English churches—the idea being that the singing common folk weren't allowed to sit in the parts of the church reserved for the nobility. Only the upper class was allowed to face the music of the singing choir. 

The next time you need to fess up to something, just get it over with and face the music! Enjoy another adage origin Blog post from the past by clicking right here. And, as always, thanks for reading! 

- John

Hey, Camp Folks! 

Sending your kids to summer camp can be quite the endeavor. But knowing where you want them to go is half the battle! Today, we’re swinging our summer camp spotlight southward, down to the heart of the Missouri Ozarks—maybe just the place you’re sending your boy or girl this upcoming season! 

Occupying 145 acres that stretch out along the banks of the beautiful Black River, Camp Taum Sauk has been showing boys and girls incredible summers since 1946! Owned and operated under the Smith family since 1958, Taum Sauk remains in good hands with Nick Smith as the current camp director. 

There’s so much to do at Taum Sauk—there’s Archery, Arts & Crafts, Backpacking, Basketball, Broadcasting, Camping, Canoeing, Caving, Climbing Wall, Cookouts, Dance, Drama, Fishing, Frisbee, Horseback Riding, Kayaking, LaCrosse, Mountain Biking, Paddle Boarding, Ping Pong, Riflery, Ropes Course, Soccer, Softball, Snorkeling, Storytelling, Swimming, Tennis, Tubing, Volleyball, Yoga, Zip Lining, and even more! 

Campers are often treated to a field trip out to nearby locations like the Johnson Shut-Ins, Reed Springs, Marble Creek, Taum Sauk Mountain, Mina Sauk Falls, Elephant Rocks, Pink Rocks, Pickle Springs, Rocky Falls, and Blue Springs. 

Of course, there’s endless fun without having to leave the Taum Sauk campgrounds with their riding stable and ring, miles of trails, nature lodge, tennis courts, swimming pool, high ropes course, giant swing, zip line, scenic tree house, archery and riflery ranges, and plenty more. 

Complete with an air-conditioned dining hall, administration building, health center, recreation room, pavilion, and arts & crafts building, the Taum Sauk campus is a very welcoming environment. And the private facilities at this camp provide separated areas for the boys' cabins and the girls' cabins including private bathrooms as well as modern bathhouses. 

Have a closer look for yourself on the Camp Taum Sauk website when you click right here! As always thanks for reading, Folks and happy camping! 

- John

Greetings, Cards—I mean, Kids! 

Our Summer Camp Greeting Cards here at Everything Summer Camp are a great sentiment and such a great show of thoughtfulness. Write a little message inside the card or just send it as is. Either way, it’s sure to put a smile on your camper’s face. 

We enjoyed writing and designing these cards so much last year that we thought we’d do it again for this upcoming season and keep adding more new card packs to our store. Be sure to scope out our latest designs among the rest of our selection when you click right here. 

Our creations feature general camp-themed cards, themes geared toward specific interests like fishing or horseback riding along with, of course, all those magical camp moments. You’re sure to find a set of cards that are perfect to send to your camper. There’s also a card for campers to send home! 

You can rest assured that receiving one of these cards will make your camper’s day! It may help ease a little homesickness they’ve been feeling as well as let them know that you’re thinking of them during their time away. 

Summer camp expert Dr. Chris Thurber does a great job detailing the importance of sending word to your camper in this previous Blog post he wrote for us called Write Right. Check it out by clicking right here. 

You won’t find cards like these anywhere else. Pick the Set of 5 Cards (with their colorful envelopes) that fit your camper best and send your child a warm hello with these cute, campy cards! Enjoy these cards with your kids and get your Summer Camp Greeting Card Pack today. 

Shop more and take a look at our Postcards as well as our other Stationery products right here. Thanks for reading, Camp Fans and happy camping! 

- John