Tag: summer camp activities

Having Fun in the Summer Sun

August 2nd, 2021

The good times never seem to end at our summer home! From the Ballfields to the Waterfront, Arts to Equestrian, Adventure to Nature…the sounds of campers having a blast can be heard all over camp!  Saturday was our annual Carnival Day. The rides and games, the food and the photos…we had an incredible time!

Our CITs and LITs will head out today to North Country Rivers for their whitewater rafting trip!  For the rest of camp, tonight will be our annual Drive-In Movie Night! We’ve got our private excursion to Funtown/Splashtown USA coming up as well. Not to mention, the excitement is building for such favorites as: Spirit Days, Theater shows, Moose Bowl & Katahdin Cup…the list goes on and on.

 We’re making the most of every second we have together at this magical place in Casco, Maine.

Down the Stretch We Come!!!

July 16th, 2021

Time really does fly when you’re having fun! It seems like just yesterday we gathered on the shores of Crescent Lake, not fully knowing what was in store for the 2021 season. But thanks to the cooperation of our wonderful camp families before camp and from our incredible staff and amazing campers after arrival, we were able to stay safe AND have an amazing summer!

We’ve had so much going on this week. Our Rangeley men played in the 10th Annual Moose Bowl, and the game did not disappoint, a back and forth contest that came down to the final minutes! The entire camp loved the games and the tailgate cookout, the campers’ rendition of the National Anthem, the concessions and s’mores, and the halftime dance show. It was, as always, a magical evening! Not to be outdone, our ladies of Katahdin took to the soccer pitch in front of the entire camp, and played (and bested) an All-Star team made up of our staff! Both the Moose Bowl and Katahdin Cup teams truly demonstrated the Laurel South philosophy or play hard, play clean and have fun!

Tuesday night was our camper’s spectacular performance of Beauty and the Beast. The campers worked so hard and put on a performance to remember! And we can’t wait for this evening’s performance of The Wizard of Oz! We may be winding the summer down, but the fun will not let up until Departure Day. It’s been a magical summer so far…and 2nd Session is just around the corner!

It is a beautiful day in the state of Maine today!

Having a Blast in Casco, Maine!

July 5th, 2021

With pods long in the rearview mirror, our campers are thrilled to be back into our typical, guided-choice scheduling. From Crescent Lake to the Ballfields, Equestrian Center to the Culinary Studio, Challenge Course to the Arts Studios…we’re all experiencing what we now refer to as The New Awesome! We’ve managed to experience not one — but two — incredible “S” Days! First was the Amazing Race, in which each campus, equipped with their own “passports” traveled from “continent to continent” working together to complete tasks and win prizes! We also had our traditional favorite…The Laurel South Carnival. Games were played, faces were painted, prizes were won, snow cones and cotton candy consumed…and a great time was had by all!

Of course, a Laurel South summer would not be complete without our 4th of July Celebration, culminating in the greatest fireworks show anywhere! With beautiful weather and a sense of fun, we’re back into programming. Tomorrow our CITs and LITs head off on their exhilarating White Water Rafting Trip. For 3 days, they’ll raft the Kennebec River and spend time bonding and reflecting on their time as campers. But there’s so much more to come…from Funtown to Moose Bowl, Theater Shows to Banquet Night…the fun just won’t let up!

As always, it is a beautiful day on the state of Maine today!

Crescent Lake: Like Nothing Else

November 14th, 2019

I consider myself very fortunate to spend my summers at Laurel South on Crescent Lake. I remember thinking the name of the lake was something really special my first summer. Many of my favorite camp memories are traced back to the time spent in the water: jumping on the trampoline, passing a level in swim and waterskiing for the first time all rush through my head.

As I look back on those memories they come into a greater focus. I can picture one of my favorite counselors giving me instructions from the boat while I put on my skis. I can hear the lifeguard reminding my friends and I of the waterfront rules while she strapped on my life vest. I still feel nostalgic about getting out of the lake for the last time as a camper, wishing I had one more summer with the friends I grew up with.

It’s only in looking back now that I realize the magic of Crescent Lake is tied to the people as much as it is to the location. The waterski counselors were so excited when I first got up skis. My friends and counselors were always ready to have a great time. As a counselor now, it’s through that lens that I’m reminded of the magic of Crescent Lake.

The Way Life Should Be

August 19th, 2019

Another magical and amazing summer has come to a close. From our two incredible Theater shows to Moose Bowl and Katahdin Cup…Gymnastics to Rocketry…the Arts to Adventure…Equestrian to Culinary…Waterfront to Anything Goes and all points in between, the summer could not have been better.

To our Campers:  We hope you had the summer of a lifetime. Watching you laugh and support each other is what makes it so worthwhile to us!

To our Staff:  Thank you for your tireless efforts throughout the summer.  Your dedication to our campers amazed us all summer long!

To the CIT’s of 2019:  You truly made the most of your final summer as campers!  Thank you for setting such a wonderful example to our younger campers.  You represented the best of what a camp experience could and should be!  We will miss you and can’t wait to see many of you back as staff members in the near future.

 

And to our Camp Parents:  Thank you for trusting us!  We understand the decision to send your child away is incredibly difficult, and we will never underestimate the responsibility we have taking care of your children.

At Laurel South, we choose our attitudes, so while we may be sad the summer has come to an end, we choose to be excited that the countdown for the 2020 summer has officially begun!  We hope you all have an awesome year, and we can’t wait to reunite in Maine next summer.

It’s a beautiful day in the state of Maine! Camp and Laurel South: The way life should be!!!

Reunited…

July 29th, 2019

Out-of-Camp trips offer our campers the opportunity to see many of the beautiful destination spots in Maine. Our 8th Graders (Acadia National Park & Bar Harbor) and CITs (Whitewater Rafting on the Kennebec River) both returned this afternoon. We can’t wait to hear their stories about the adventures they had, but we’re glad to have our entire camp family back together!  Yesterday was our first “S” Day, and each group had its own special trip:  Saco & Kineo (Splashtown USA), Baxter & Allagash (Aquaboggan) and 7th Grade Nation (Old Orchard Beach). After so much excitement in one day, it was nice to sit back and relax last night with our annual Drive-In Movie on the Downeast Field. It was the perfect end to an amazing day!

 

As the summer keeps moving, the fun never takes a break. Tonight, Roger and Dagni are dining in town with our 7-Year Club. It’s always an awesome time to hang out and reflect on some of the most memorable times of their long camp careers. And while camp may be moving quickly, we have so much to look forward to: Canobie Lake & Funtown, Moose Bowl & Katahdin Cup, Lion King & Aladdin, Carnival…the list goes on! We’ll keep you posted, and, until next time: It’s a beautiful day in the state of Maine!!

Down the Stretch…

August 10th, 2018

It seems like just yesterday our campers arrived and we kicked off the 2018 Laurel South summer. In the blink of an eye, though, here we are gearing up for our final “A” and “B” Days of the season. Wednesday’s performance of Peter Pan was truly spectacular! The campers and staff involved worked so hard, and we’re so proud of their efforts! Yesterday the entire camp ventured to Funtown USA, where we rode all the rides, played all the games, ate all the food, had fun with all of our friends and had an absolute blast!

Tonight is Final Banquet. Campers and staff will feast on steak, lobster or vegetarian lasagna, while sharing memories with their cabin mates and friends. Also tonight, our older campers have a chance to shine in the Theater, as they’re ready for their production of High School Musical. We can’t wait to see them perform! Moose Bowl has been pushed back until Saturday night, and the Rattle Snakes and Black Bears are so excited to show the entire camp the level of competition and sportsmanship that makes the evening one of our best traditions! Of course, Sunday night is our Final Ceremony. While we’re sad to see such an incredible season come to an end, we always choose to look at the positive, focusing on each moment we’re together. And, as you can see, we’re going to get every drop of fun out of these last few days!!

The Half-Way Point

July 31st, 2018

Can it really be that we are officially half way through the session?  It seems like just yesterday we arrived, but the sounds of cheering and laughter from the ballfields to the Theater, Crescent Lake to the Equestrian Center, Adventure to Culinary lets us know that we are having another truly spectacular Laurel South summer! 

Yesterday was our first In-Camp “S” Day, and Brad once again hit it out of the park with our now annual Resort Day!  After a delicious continental breakfast and elective morning (including those awesome Bumper Tube rides on the lake) our campers had the opportunity to compete in the Tough Moose Obstacle Race (similar to a Tough Mudder competition), and everyone who participated had a blast!  The afternoon was filled with Saco/Kineo berry picking, a Baxter/Allagash Waterfront Party and special events for Rangeley and Katahdin, followed by boat tours of Crescent Lake.  Our CIT’s spent the day on their Magical Mystery Bus tour, and visited  sites all around Portland.  They had such an amazing day, and they were thrilled to be back home.

At Laurel South, we always accentuate the positives, so we choose to not look at the session as being half over; we look at it as being half full of amazing experiences:  Spirit Days…Theater Shows…Funtown…Carnival…Moose Bowl…Final Banquet, etc.  We’ve got so many things left to look forward to, especially making new friends and building memories that will warm our hearts all year long. 

One Week Down…So Much Left to be Done!

July 27th, 2018

What an amazing first week we had! After our first “A” and “B” Day rotations, we celebrated our first “S” Day. Saco and Kineo made some waves at Splashtown USA, Allagash and Baxter made some more waves at Aquaboggan and our incredible 7th Graders had a ball at Old Orchard Beach. Everyone came back with smiles on their faces, stories to tell and memories that will last a lifetime! We were so glad to welcome back our 8th Graders from Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, as well as our CITs from their White Water Rafting trip. We love that they are able to see some of the most beautiful sites in the country, but we miss them while they’re gone. We’re always so happy to have the entire Laurel South family reunited!

While we’ve already done so much, there’s still so much left to look forward to: Spirit Days…Rocket Launches…Theater Shows…Intercamps…Funtown…Carnival…Resort Day…the list never ends! As always, we’ll keep you updated in future blogs about all the wonderful goings-on in Casco. And remember…It’s always a beautiful day in the State of Maine!

Reunited and it Feels So Good

July 20th, 2018

For the past 11 months we’ve been waiting and counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds. And yesterday, it was here!  What a fantastic Arrival Day we had! With each car, bus and van that pulled into camp, our summer family was reunited. We were giddy with excitement as we met at Evening Cove and Roger officially kicked off the summer with his trademark, “What a beautiful day in the state of Maine today!!”  After a wonderful cookout dinner, each campus spent the evening playing games and bonding before heading back to cabins for some quality time before getting a well-deserved good night’s sleep.

Today is our Moose Stomp Day, a mixture of photos combined with super fun activities like making s’mores at the outpost and bumper tubing on Crescent Lake. Tonight, schedules will be set, and we can’t wait to jump right into first period program tomorrow! This evening is our Opening Ceremony Council Fire, celebrating fun and friendship. We may have just arrived, but we are jumping in right from the start. We’ll make every day count as we look forward to: Moose Bowl…”S” Days…Rocket Launches…Theater Shows…Saco/Kineo IC periods…Intercamp games and Tournaments…Spirit Days…the list goes on and on! We’ll keep you updated in future blogs. Until then, rest assured it’s always a beautiful day in the state of Maine!!