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What a campfire means to a summer camper!

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015

Camp life may thrive on variety, but the traditional evening campfire has remained constant for as long as anyone can remember. The mere mention of a campfire brings back a flood of memories for many summer campers; memories of friends gained, challenges overcome, and a time when all there was to worry about was playing games and growing stronger. Nothing captures the spirit of the summer camp experience quite like the snap-crackle-pop of the hot fire and the magical smell of freshly split logs waiting to get thrown on the flames.

A day at camp is often hectic and wild, and the evening campfire offers everybody a chance to wind down. Camp simply wouldn’t be the same without it. After all, the traditional evening campfire represents more than just a nice way to stay warm on a brisk night; gathering around the fire represents community, the circle of life, and togetherness with friends new and old.

Tradition

Fire has been a life source for all of recorded history, from the first ancient person to rub two sticks together to the diligent camper wielding flint and tinder. For all that time, friends and family have gathered around the fire to tell stories, play games and enjoy good food. (or s’mores, as the case may be!)

Building a fire with only matches, kindling and elbow grease is a chance to pit your wits against nature and enjoy a connection to “the old days” — before light bulbs, or flashlights, or flashlight apps on your smartphone.

Experiencing a campfire, and perhaps even starting one yourself, is a taste of independence for campers, for whom camp is the one of many steps towards independence and self-sufficiency.

Togetherness

Another thing campfires represent is a time for winding down through songs, skits, and theatrical games. Charades is never as funny as just before bedtime, when your best friend is dancing and gesturing desperately to get everybody to guess the right word. Even if you’re feeling tired after a long day of activities, you can count on this to be true: laughter flows freely by firelight. Just watch out for all the camp-related inside jokes!

And of course no mention of campfires is complete without talking about traditional camp songs, especially the kinds that involve audience participation. (“Hey, Burritos!” anybody?) Legend has it that there are campers out there who know so many verses of “The green grass grows all around” that it would take a whole day just to sing it from start to finish. Even if everybody sings out of tune, the harmony comes from the camp community’s commitment to keeping the traditional melodies alive — even the completely goofy ones.

…And of course we can’t forget s’mores!

One part of the fire nobody wants to miss: s’more time! Crafting the perfect golden-brown marshmallow is an art as old as marshmallows and fires. Like any fine art, roasting a marshmallow to perfection is a tricky task that takes hard work and commitment. (Thankfully, perfection is in the eye of the beholder, and truth be told some folks prefer to let them catch fire for a crispy flavor!)

Whether you prefer a classic graham cracker and hershey’s milk chocolate s’more or have your own special recipe — I for one appreciate homemade chocolate chip cookies — roasting marshmallows on a rip-roaring campfire is something nobody forgets.

Plus, it’s just the right amount of sugar to keep you awake for the closing songs, but not so awake that you have trouble drifting into peaceful dreams after lights out!

Tags: America's finest summer camps, American summer camps, benefits of camp, Benefits of Summer Camp, camp activities, Camp Starlight, camp traditions, life at summer camp, sleepaway camp, summer camp, summer camp activities, summer camp programs, summer camp traditions, value of summer camp
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Easy Camp Food at Home- A Kids Perspective!

Tuesday, September 15th, 2015

Ughhhh….Camp is over and of course, NOW summer is over too! This stinks! I mean being back home is kind of a buzz kill. School’s no fun, homework’s lame and dealing with my little bro is like, BRUTAL! All I can think about is how much fun I had away from here, with all my friends and so many awesome things to do!

But the reality is, I’m stuck here for 9 more months, until I can go back to camp. So I asked my Mom, if we could make some real camp food – you know, to bring me back! I figured she’d be game, since she says she needs new ideas and gets tired of making the same stuff over and over again. So we’re bringing camp home YO! How cool is that? Check out the recipes below, for some yummy goodness you can make at home. You gettin’ me? Oh, and no campfire needed!

HOBO DINNERS – makes 4 servings

1 pk. – Ground beef

2 TBS. – Olive oil

Dash – Salt and pepper

3 – Potatoes

2 med. – Red eppers

2 med. – Tomatoes

1 – Yellow Onion

½ c. – Salsa

4-6 – tortillas

Tear off four squares of tin foil, lay each one out and portion out ¼ cup of ground beef, dash of salt and pepper and 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil for each. Then personalize it! Chop up the vegetables and add the ones you like to your Hobo dinner and add a little salsa. Fold up each tin foild square and bake at 350 degrees, on the middle oven rack for 45 minutes. Whala!! Eat it right out of the foil pouch or scoop all the ingredients into a tortilla. Now this is chow! Yum!

TACOS IN A BAG – makes 4 servings

4 – individual bags of tortilla chips

1 lb. pk – grass fed hamburger

¼ c. – taco seasoning mix

1/8 c. – water

½ c. – salsa

½ c. – tofu sour cream

Lettuce

Brown the hamburger until well cooked. Drain. Add in the taco seasoning and water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Crunch each bag of tortilla chips. Add hamburger, salsa lettuce and sour cream to each tortilla chip packet. Crunch with a fork and munch! It’s so easy it’s cray, cray!

SMORES DIP – makes 4 servings

1 pkg. – chocolate chips

1 pkg. – large marshmallows

2 pkgs. – graham crackers for dipping

Pour the chocolate chips in an 8 X 8 pan. Set large marshmallows on end, covering the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for five minutes or until melted. Serve with graham crackers. Dig in and dip away!

CAMPFIRE CONES – makes 4 servings

4 – waffle or sugar ice cream cones

1 c. – marshmallows

1 – banana

1 c. – chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Fill each cone with as much bananas, chocolate chips and marshmallows as you want. Wrap each cone in aluminum foil and bake for 8-10 minutes. Unwrap and grub down!

Tags: America's finest summer camps, American summer camps, benefits of camp, Benefits of Summer Camp, Camp Starlight, camp starlight s'mores, camp traditions, life at summer camp, s'mores at camp, sleepaway camp, summer camp, summer camp activities, summer camp programs
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Fun Things I Learned to do at Camp!

Tuesday, September 8th, 2015

I’m still amazed by the fun and unique skills I acquired as a camper for 8 years of my life. Camp brought me to the mountains each summer, out of the smog and into the fresh air, where sometimes I felt like I could breathe for the first time; literally and figuratively.

I was obsessed about those weeks at camp during the summer all year long. What new campers would I meet? Who would be my counselor? But mostly it was about the activities that I looked forward to participating in. Each day at camp was action-packed with things to do, and many of the skills I learned proved beneficial in the future – although some proved to be just for fun. Here are the best skills that summer camp taught me:

1. How to be a Crafting Goddess: To this day I’m an avid crafter and Do-it-yourselfer. For one thing, there was the beading. We’d make friendship bracelets and necklaces – something I still do today – and there was also painting and drawing, which remained important throughout my youth. The silk screening was perhaps my favorite.

2. How to be Brave in the Face of Ropes and Obstacle Courses: If you’re not familiar with something called ‘high ropes’, then you should know that it’s a serious courage/team building experience. The aerial obstacle course – with the use of harnesses and ropes – was seriously one of the most terrifying things I ever did as a kid, and the most exhilarating. It inspired a rock-climbing passion in my later life.

3. How to Canoe: Not only was canoeing a big part of camp, but also sailing and swimming. Any reservations I had about getting in the water when I was little were put to rest at camp.

4. Target Shooting: Ok, this might not sound like a good idea, but archery was a big deal at camp, and sharpened my precision and focus. It also just made me feel like I was super cool.

5. Sing with Courage: The first time I sang in front of a crowd was at a campfire, and it took courage. I wasn’t the best singer, but it did impress a few of my friends. No shame in that.

6. How to be Comfortable with Nature: Camp was the first time in my life that I slept under the stars. I was scared at first of the bugs, the ground, animals; you name it. But I learned that it’s pretty spectacular, and today I’m still not afraid of the big bad wolf.

7. Social Skills: In hind sight, I realize that this might have been the greatest thing that camp taught me. When you’re sleeping in a cabin with 13 other girls, or boys, your age, you learn how to interact and get along with people who are different than you. You learn about the commonalities that you share with those of various backgrounds, ethnicities, and interests. This is a skill that benefits every aspect of your life as an adult, and I’m grateful that camp taught me how to get along with people.

Tags: America's finest summer camps, American summer camps, Benefits of Summer Camp, camp activities, Camp Starlight, sleepaway camp, summer camp, summer camp activities, summer camp programs
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5 Signs That You’re Campsick and Miss Camp Starlight!

Monday, August 31st, 2015

1. You Can’t Stop Singing Camp Starlight Songs

Have you been caught randomly singing a camp song in public? If you’ve become a walking camp jukebox, chances are you’re missing Camp Starlight a lot more than you know. But hey, where’s the harm in introducing some of your favorite camp songs to your school friends? “Friends, friends, friends….”

2. You Won’t Take Any of Your Friendship Bracelets Off

What do you mean I have to eventually cut these off? Let’s face it, those colorful pieces of thread wrapped around your wrist signify every friendship you made while at Camp Starlight and the thought of getting rid of them is just too hard. That’s okay though, more are to be made next summer!

3. You Wake Up In The Morning And Ask Your Mom What Time You Have Water Skiing

Sigh, there’s no disappointment equivalent to waking up in the morning expecting a nice water skiing session on the lake, but being told that it’s actually time for school.

4. You’re Always Craving a S’more After School

Forget the ice cream! There’s nothing that beats the gooey deliciousness of a s’more right after a long day of math equations. They may be known as a Camp Starlight delicacy, but why not treat yourself to one as you reminisce over your favorite camp memories?

5. You’re Sooo Bored!

Yes, it is nice to sleep in and not wake up to the sound of the bugle. It is also nice to have a break from all the activities throughout the day. However, it is just soooo boring being back at home. Who doesn’t miss having your friends around 24/7.

Tags: America's finest summer camps, American summer camps, Benefits of Summer Camp, camp friends, camp memories, Camp Starlight, camp traditions, kids summer camp, life at summer camp, sleepaway camp, summer camp, summer camp activities, summer camp programs
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Final Camp Starlight Olympics Score

Thursday, August 13th, 2015

Tags: America's finest summer camps, American summer camps, Benefits of Summer Camp, camp activities, camp memories, camp programs, Camp Starlight, camp traditions, sleepaway camp, summer camp, summer camp activities, summer camp programs
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Camp Starlight Rope Burn

Thursday, August 13th, 2015

It’s a night that defines a summer. From Juniors to Seniors, all enjoy the most intense night of Camp Starlight Olympics: Rope Burn. Here, the oldest division in the camp throw themselves into a fire, working vigorously to take down the three ropes that bring the glory of a victory. The pristine Perch Pond will feel the best it’s ever felt when that third and thickest rope is burnt down. For either the victor or loser, Rope Burn will forever be engrained in the memories of all the campers’ summers.

The night begins with a single blow of a whistle signifying the start of the gathering. In this moment, the Lower Seniors as well as some willing Upper Seniors sprint into the woods looking for the driest sticks that will help raise the picturesque fires to take down the brutally difficult ropes. As the “gatherers” run back down the hill with piles of sticks and hay twice as high as their own height, their respective teams ignite with cheer, encouraging them to gather even more from their next run.

When time comes for those who will be building the fire, the true unification of each team begins. Chants and screams toward specific Upper Seniors “in the pit” rapidly increase their perseverance and motivation to burn down the ropes. Whether one is an introverted lower Junior or a timid Plebe counselor, they understand the intensity and seriousness of the night, screaming their heads off, as well as maintaining a positive attitude even if their team falls behind.

Rope Burn is one of the most pivotal events of the summer, and its impact prevails for the cold brutal winters, only to remind the “campsick” children and counselors the true beauty of Camp Starlight.

Tags: America's finest summer camps, American summer camps, benefits of camp, camp activities, camp fun, camp programs, Camp Starlight, Camp Starlight Olympics, sleepaway camp, summer camp, summer camp activities, summer camp programs
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Big Easy Blues

Monday, August 10th, 2015

The day began well for the Blue team, starting 115 points up and with an uplifting Billy Madison reference by General Ben Kadel. As the day progressed Big Easy Blues fought as White Madness attempted to ease the lead.

In the Upper Plebe Gamma game, Cooper G. and Kyle F. both caught several touchdown passes. Even with their impact, Blue was overpowered by Abe W. and lost 70-54. This afternoon the Junior Gamma hockey game was decided by just one goal and it was the Blue team that had it. With time running out, Owen G. scored our team’s sixth goal and then ended the chance of a comeback by White. Tonight is rope burn, one of the most exciting nights of camp, our Seniors look to continue our impressive run and improve our lead.

Tags: America's finest summer camps, American summer camps, Benefits of Summer Camp, camp activities, camp counselor, camp memories, Camp Staff, Camp Starlight, Camp Starlight Olympics, sleepaway camp, summer camp activities, summer camp programs
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Day 2 Big Easy Blues Boys

Monday, August 10th, 2015

Today the day started off almost in a tie. We, the Big Easy Blues, were only down by two points! We had thought that we might be up due to our triumph over the white, but what we thought turned out to be false. The day started off as usual, 7:55 wake up, 9:30 meetings and so on.

First, the Upper Camp had their swim meet, where the Lower Plebes lost and the Upper Plebes and Seniors won, which pushed us to the victors of the Upper Camp Swim Meet. Next came Junior Newcomb where after a very hard fight, the Junior Gamma and Sigma teams lost to White Madness. Then, the Upper Inters played hockey and again, after a long and hard fight, Sigma and Gamma lost to the White Team. Finally, the Lower Inters fought and the Blue Gamma team won, but unfortunately the Sigma team lost, resulting in a ‘split’.

In the next 24 hours many points are up for grabs. Who will be in the lead? Hopefully the Blue! See you guys tomorrow!

Tags: America's finest summer camps, American summer camps, Benefits of Summer Camp, camp activities, camp friends, camp programs, Camp Starlight, Camp Starlight Olympics, sleepaway camp, summer camp, summer camp activities, summer camp programs
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In Pursuit of Trivia

Saturday, August 8th, 2015

No question about it, Olympics at Camp Starlight comes in a flurry of excitement, and campers are immediately thrust into the action that begins the first night with the Trivia Bowl. Dressed in team colors and Olympic regalia, faces painted in various patterns, teams silently marched into the Field House or the Rec Hall. Festooned with Blue and White, the stage was set for the first battle of brains and wit.

Campers and counselors came up by division in three heats, the final heat being the lightning round where it was all about speed and accuracy. Questions ranged from pop culture and movie trivia, history and geography, to algebra and geometry. Not a sound could be heard from the audience as the moderator posed the questions. Campers buzzed in, their color lighting up the room as they attempted to make the right answer. The battle of the Blue V White was off to a great start.

Tags: America's finest summer camps, American summer camps, Benefits of Summer Camp, camp activities, Camp Starlight, Camp Starlight Olympics, sleepaway camp, summer camp, summer camp activities, summer camp programs
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Up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a drone, it’s Olympics!

Friday, August 7th, 2015

Anticipation, Excitement, Tears & Cheers,- those are some of the words to describe this year’s Olympic break.

It was a typical Thursday afternoon at Camp Starlight. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the campers had just started their 5th period activities. But, if you know David and Allison, what was about to happen was anything but ordinary. At approximately 3:15PM campers noticed drones in the sky with signs reading, “Follow Me”, that led the camp to the Snack Shack.

A “Special Delivery” truck had driven and stopped, alerting our campers that something epic was about to unfold. Two uniformed men stepped onto the roof of the truck with a package dropping a cryptic sign that read “GOOD”.

By this time, campers and counselors had come running from all corners of the camp screaming with excitement and cheering, “1, 3, 5, 6 we want Olympics!” The drones reappeared, hovering above the mass, again revealing signs saying, “Follow Me” leading campers to the Rec Hall. There, Jeff Moss stood atop a platform holding a medium sized package with a sign that unfurled reading, “Things come in . . .”

By now the campus was in a frenzy of excitement and anticipation. More drones overhead led campers running towards the Dining Hall where David stood on the porch holding a small package. Knowing how hungry the children and staff were for Olympics, David slowly unrolled the final note that read, “Small packages.”

Just as a wave moves across the ocean as it breaks its way to shore, the whole camp moved towards the carriage house, following the drones and the sound of a low-flying helicopter that was now circling overhead, dropping hundreds of small packages.

They raced and scrambled to pick up and open these special deliveries where they found blue and white M&Ms emblazoned with the names of this year’s Olympic Teams: Big Easy Blues and White Madness. The drones reappeared once again with the most important message of all, OLYMPICS flying from the banners.

And madness it was as finally, the coveted Olympic lists were dropped from the sky, fluttering down to outstretched and awaiting hands revealing what the campers have been waiting ten months for, their team’s color. United in excitement and spirit, sportsmanship and friendship, the camp was ready to begin the most anticipated week of the summer. This is one Olympic Break that turned an ordinary day into an extraordinary memory that will last a lifetime.

Tags: America's finest summer camps, American summer camps, Benefits of Summer Camp, Camp Starlight, Camp Starlight Olympics, camp traditions, life at summer camp, sleepaway camp, summer camp, summer camp activities, summer camp programs
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