A picture is worth a thousand words
Summer 2024 has come to a close!
Around this time of year everyone starts asking “How was the summer?” I love this question but find it difficult to answer. How do I tell someone about all the little moments that make camp feel so alive. How do I share how it went when SO much happened and SO many stories are bouncing in my head. So as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
The Stump
Picnic tables are famous in Stomping Ground world, they are where we typically meet for business time and breakout between options. This year a new character entered the story, The Stump. This stump quickly became our gathering place, a spot where we collected and congealed to hear points of business or choose which option to go to. Our fearless stump leader, Patty Days, would always be waiting with tunes playing and energy that brought us all together.
Milk LIVE!
Outrageous activities were abundant this summer. This crew spent an hour drinking milk, creating songs and chants inspired by milk, doing milk-related challenges, and streaming it all live!
Brainrot
What's up brother! Two campers, Maple and Danielle, came up with and wrote this entire night game! All of the counselors were infected with brain rot and the campers had to work to free them and flush Danny down the skibidi toilet.
The Fox Hole
Campers of all ages flocked to this massive dirt hole in our Adventure Playground, rumors of the infamous hole spread through camp like wildfire. Rain or shine campers worked together to create an impressively deep hole and even created framing and bucket pully systems to remove more dirt. Who knew a giant hole in the ground could gain such a following!
Palpable Love
The love and magic were palpable when you walked into Cedar 3 during ArtsFest. From creating a dance routine for the Showcase together to late-night inside jokes to taking care of each other in all of the little and big ways, this cabin truly felt like a family. They constantly showed each other that they belonged and that energy emanated into the rest of camp.
A Stomping Ground Wedding!
Campers planned and hosted a beautiful wedding cermony for two of our staff members. Complete with a marriage contract, vows, and a real wedding dress!
Paint BIG TIME!
This has become a traditional option run by the BIG TIME campers each summer, doing what they do best and creating magical moments for other campers!
Watermelon Gazpaccio
We had some of the fanciest and most delicious food this summer! Our incredible chef Mark made watermelon gazpacho with fresh local watermelons from our friends at Pitney Farms!
Village Murals
One of our Artists in Residence, Genevieve Kling, created murals with campers to represent each of the main camp villages: Blueberry, Firefly, and Cedar. This was the inaugural summer of Firefly village and campers quickly made it feel cozy and like it has always been here.
