3 Ways to Preserve Summer Camp Memories

Fact: there’s nothing better than spending the summer at Camp Tioga. Although school may be in session, the wonderful memories of camp are still floating through the air. Unlike actual air, your child’s favorite summer camp moments can be preserved for a lifetime! If you’re looking to keep the spirit of summer around for the years to come, then you’ll love these simple DIY ideas:

Way #1: Make a Shadow Box

One of the most universal ways to preserve summer camp memories is to create a shadow box! Taking mementos from their epic summer at Tioga, piece together a physical collage consisting of a Tioga t-shirt, photos, crafts, and anything else baring great camp memories, and place them within the shadow box. Once you put together this one-of-a-kind piece, you can hang it up in your child’s room and they can admire it for years to come!

Way #2: Create a Scrapbook

Have a collection of photos from your child’s Camp Tioga experiences? Create a scrapbook of their favorite memories! When piecing together this scrapbook, you and your child can be as creative as possible — just like when your child attends one of our classes at camp! In addition to any photos you may have, you can also put any tiny mementos in there such as friendship bracelets!

Way #3: Build a Keepsake Box

Does your camper have a collection of sentimental items from their Tioga summer? Take a shoebox or a cardboard box and decorate the outside with your child’s favorite Camp Tioga memories and activities! Once you’ve completely decorated your Tioga Box, your camper can place any items they have from camp within. A keepsake box is a wonderful way for your child to relive their summer, no matter what season it is!

At Camp Tioga, we work with our campers to improve and develop new skills, as well as help build their confidence and self-esteem. We are confident that Camp Tioga is the right fit for any child. If you would like to become apart of our family, call 516-938-0894 or visit our website to enroll today!

3 Ways to Prepare Kids for School After Summer

Once the warm sun begins to dwindle down and freshly sharpened pencils are on the rise, summer vacation soon turns into the beginning of a new school year. Although it may be difficult to transition from camp activities to sitting in class, it can be done. Without further ado, here are some simple ways to turn summer mode into school mode at home:

Way #1: Make a Schedule

At Camp Tioga, our campers are always kept on a tidy schedule, bringing them from one fun activity to the next. Since a day in the classroom is built around a schedule, too, it’s important to implement a daily schedule at home for the next few weeks. To start: setup times for your child to wake up, to when they will read a book, to when they complete their chores. It’s the most essential way to help get that school schedule spirit going!

Way #2: Inspire Choice Making

One of the best ways to prepare kids for school is to let them make their own choices. Here at Camp Tioga, we let our campers make the choices that suit their interests, such as which activities they’d like to participate in. Before your child heads off to school, give them the option to choose simple things such as what they’d like to eat for lunch. Your child’s confidence will soar when they’re encouraged to make their own decisions.

Way #3: Keep the Books Open

Take advantage of the gorgeous weather with some outdoor reading! Just like the free time we factor into our campers schedules, you can do the same with your child’s schedule — but include reading a book into the equation. While reading is quite fun, it will also prepare your child for the assignments they’ll have at school, and may even spark a new hobby — if reading isn’t their hobby already!

At Camp Tioga, we work with our campers to improve and develop new skills, as well as help build their confidence and self-esteem. We are confident that Camp Tioga is the right fit for any child. If you would like to become apart of our family, call 516-938-0894 or visit our website to enroll today!

4 Things to Do in the Final Weeks of Summer With Your Kids

With the fine-tuned orchestrations of cicadas in the distance, the final weeks of summer are upon us. Although we sincerely wish that summer camp would continue throughout the year, it’s now time for school to take over and prepare our campers for next summer’s session. Even though the sun’s powerful rays may be winding down, there are still plenty of activities to do before class in session.

Host a Water Balloon Competition

One of our campers’ favorite activities at Tioga are the many water balloon competitions we hold! Before the brisk fall air arrives, have a family water balloon competition in your backyard! It’s a great way to keep cool in the summer sun and a fun way to run around and laugh. It will be one of the most memorable summer moments for sure!

Play Sports at the Park

Besides the wide variety of aquatic activities we offer at Tioga, our campers also love playing sports! For a fun-filled day with the family, visit your local park and play a game of soccer, baseball or basketball! You can even go a step further and create custom team jerseys before you head out the door.

Go On a Nature Walk

An incredible feature at Camp Tioga besides the many activities we offer are the views! One of our most popular features are the group nature walks we provide to our campers. Take your family on a nature walk at your local preserve and take in the incredible views! On your nature walk, bring a camera with you and take photos of all the wonderful wildlife you encounter!

Enjoy An Evening of Stargazing

There’s nothing better than a view of the stars above — especially at Camp Tioga! Instead of watching television one night, take your family outside and look up at the sky for some stargazing! You’ll be pleasantly surprised to see what celestial shapes you’ll spot!

At Camp Tioga, we work with our campers to improve and develop new skills, as well as help build their confidence and self-esteem. We are confident that Camp Tioga is the right fit for any child. If you would like to become apart of our family, call 516-938-0894 or visit our website to enroll today!

5 Celebrities Who Were Camp Counselors

Lights, cameras, camp — some of the biggest names in Hollywood got their start at summer camps! From singers to actors, there over a hundred a-list stars who were camp counselors worldwide. Although no globally-known celebrities reside at Camp Tioga currently, we do have stars in the making: our campers! Without further ado, here are five celebrities who were once camp counselors:

Zac Brown

The “Chicken Fried” singer was such a huge fan of his experiences as a camp counselor, that he founded Camp Southern Ground in Fayetteville, GA. Before this country singer’s claim to fame, Brown was a summer camp counselor at both Camp Glisson in Dahlonega, GA (where his new camp is now), and at Camp Mikell in Toccoa, GA.

Lady Gaga

Way back when, when Gaga was known as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, she too was a camp counselor. Instead of donning gowns made of meat and writing power ballads, Gaga spent her summer at YMCA Camp Hi-Rock in Mt. Washington, Massachusetts. Although it isn’t specified what Gaga taught, we presume it was something of a creative nature!

Penny Marshall

The famed actress spent most of her youth attending summer camps, before appearing on the television sitcom Laverne & Shirley in 1976! Before regularly appearing as Laverne DeFazio, Marshall was a camp counselor at the Catskills’ Camp Diana-Dalmaqua. Imagine seeing your camp counselor on television, after spending numerous summers under their care?

Drew Carey

Before he appeared on his self-titled show in the nineties, and now as the host of The Price Is Right, Carey spent his summers working at a camp. Carey was known to have been a summer camp counselor at YMCA Camp Y-Noah in Akron, Ohio.

Jennifer Nettles

Besides being a singer, songwriter, TV host, and actress, Nettles was a camp counselor! For three summers, the Sugarland singer was known to Georgia locals as a summer camp counselor extraordinaire at Rock Eagle 4-H Center. We could only imagine how awesome camp songs must have sounded, with Nettles singing them!

Want your child to have summer camp memories for a lifetime? Schedule a tour at Camp Tioga today, and see the magic for yourself! Call us at 516-938-0894 or visit our website for more information — we look forward to seeing you soon!