Every August, days grow shorter. And it’s not just hours of daylight. The time between now and the end of camp gets compressed too. Each night, the end of a magical summer draws closer.

Finally, we all go home. It’s a bittersweet time for everyone. Packing seems so final.

But not everything a camper brings home fits in a duffel. Certain things are impossible to stow.

Independence. Your child may have been gone for a month or two….but he or she comes home more than several weeks “older.” Away from parents, siblings, familiar teachers and hometown friends, campers gain a sense of independence that serves as an important springboard for the coming year.

Skills and confidence. Kayaking. Acting. Tent-putting-up. Lacrosse. Stand-up Paddleboarding. Your child returns home with a bag full of new tricks. She may not kayak again until next summer, and he might not try out for the school play. But every September, campers know they can do things they never thought possible way back in June.

Friendships. It can be strange hearing stories about youngsters you don’t know well. Suddenly your child talks about other towns, schools and states. Your cell bill may include calls all over the country. Camp is a great way to make new friends. And those friendships are far deeper and real than anything on Facebook.

Relationships. More than friendships, campers develop real relationships. Living together 24/7, they develop bonds – and not just with peers. Campers live with and learn from young adults, and older directors. The unhurried pace of camp life nurtures many strong relationships.

Strong bodies and a healthy glow. Sure, kids wear hats and sunscreen. But nothing beats summer days, spent in the water and out of doors.

Memories. You can’t stow memories in luggage. You can’t ship them home. But they belong to every camper, and they’ll never be lost.

After being faked out twice, College Days broke on the Upper Fields with an incredible performance of medieval jousting! The Super Seniors then took over and helped split the camp into our two teams; University of Alabama and Auburn University! The athletic prowess, sportsmanship, creativity, and sheer enthusiasm that has taken over Laurel is unbelievable! Every camper has the chance to add to the team dynamic through tennis matches, dance championships, soccer, music trivia, kickball, basketball, track meet, swim meet, Simon Says, plaque making, tug ‘o war, and so much more! What an awesome four days that our campers will be talking about for weeks and months to come! Well it’s time zip-it-up, tonight is a College Days favorite: Silent Dinner! (All campers from both teams are challenged to remain completely silent while staff members put on crazy costumes and try their best to make them laugh!)

Last night we were treated to the Acadia and Apache musical, GLEE, and it was AMAZING! The kids were fantastic! and sang their hearts out. We loved it!! Today, we are having one of those perfect Maine days in Readfield. Acadia took full advantage by going blueberry picking, recording songs at Rockport, and creating a time capsule full of memories to be opened their Super Senior summer! Apache had a ping pong and pop-a-shot tournament, Sequoia went bumper tubing, and Baxter had a “crazy fun” time at their 2012 Celebrity Presidential Elections – the cast of Modern Family will be moving into the Laurel White House! Our four oldest campuses are off to the movies tonight – will it be Batman, Spiderman, or Ice Age?? All awesome options! Well…gotta go drop in on the dress rehearsal of THE JUNGLE BOOK, show-time is tomorrow!

We finally have all of our campers back at camp! The Super Seniors haven’t stopped raving about their seven day tour of Maine and New Hampshire!! Yesterday Acadia and Apache had an awesome trip out to the movies, Baxter and Sequoia competed in the Second Annual Amazing Race challenge, and Bec and Bago attended an open mic Coffeehouse where 15 campers and counselors performed songs, stories, poems, and jokes. Tonight is another camp fav – Julius C returns for Rock Star Camp! Can’t Wait!! This week is looking pretty great as well; the 2nd rotation Dance Showcase, The Jungle Book and Glee Musicals, Laurel Idol Finals and much more…we’ll keep you posted!

What a week here at Laurel! On Wednesday, Junior Bec and Bago returned from their two night excursion to Boston and won’t stop raving about their incredible trip: Duck Tours, Fire and Ice, Quincy Market amazing cruise around the harbour, plus much more. Last night, Senior Bec and Bago returned from Montreal and had the most amazing time!! The Super Seniors are still out on their 7-day trip all over Maine and New Hampshire and all reports have been awesome. Meanwhile in camp, Acadia, Apache, Baxter, and Sequoia have had camp to themselves and are taking full advantage. We’ve had tons of intercamps, camping trips, Crack of Dawn fishing, special Log Cabin visits, S’mores, Socials, and a special pizza party at Jem and Debbie’s house! The staff from all four lower campuses will be entertaining throngs of cheering campers tonight during the Ultimate Dance Off, while the JR Bec girls write letters to their future selves and the Bago boys play in a Dogdeball Tourney!

What an incredible Visiting Weekend! Guests joined us from all over the country to visit their campers, meet their counselors and spend the day at Camp Laurel! Everyone had an awesome day enjoying the fantastic weather, playing sports, taking a dip in the lake, and making the most all of the fun Laurel has to offer!!
Programming highlights could be seen everywhere: The Batting Cages, The Equestrian Center, Waterskiing, ChefCamp, Tennis, Basketball. Lacrosse, Metals, S’Mores, and so much more!! On Saturday evening, we enjoyed cabin and campus parties. unday was a full program day with all activity areas running at full speed. Monday was an S-Day and our older campers headed out to Montreal, Boston, and the 7-day tour of Maine and New Hampshire. Baxter and Sequoia enjoyed a fantastic afternoon at Funtown, leaving Acadia and Apache to rule the roost. We took everyone bumper-tubing followed by some great in-camp special events. It’s going to be a great week with Baxter and Sequoia taking the reigns as the BMOC’s Suntil Bec and Bago return!

What a week!! Tuesday was the annual Big Show as Baxter, Sequoia, Bec and Bago joined forces to WOW us all with two fantastic showings of FAME the Musical. We were so proud of the incredibly talented cast and crew and can’t wait for THE JUNGLE BOOK in 10 days. Wednesday was an S-Day and we started the day with the Bec/Bago Laurel Idol Semi-Finals and a dodgeball tournament and spent the afternoon heading out all over the state. We had trips to Aquaboggan, Rummels, Old Port, and Funtown/Splashtown. Last night was Group Sing as each group in camp sang a popular song with the lyrics customized to a camp theme. If you surveyed our campers, most would tell you it’s one of their favorite night of camp!! And the weather this week has been Maine-Picture-Perfect!

What an exciting past few days at Laurel! This week we started the Second Rotation of program and every camper received an updated schedule. We’ve already heard great things from campers trying new activities for the first time and of course raves from the stand-bys – Tennis, Waterskiing, Equestrian, Football, lacrosse, Fitness, Metals, ChefCamp and more.

Sunday featured one of the highlights of every summer—Carnival! We brought in bounce houses, photo booths, a dunk tank, and the one and only – Steve’s Fried Dough Stand! Tonight is the Dance Showcase which features all of the dances from each period of First Rotation at the Dance Studio. We have 60 incredibly talented campers performing tonight…WOW! Some highlights of the coming week include the Big Show (FAME), Bec & Bago Laurel Idol Semi-Finals, trips to Aquaboggin, Old Port, & Funtown, and of course, Group Sing! Can’t wait!!

Wow! There are 178 members of our Five Year Club at Laurel! To become a member, you simply have to be a camper or staff member who has been attending camp for five years or more – and today they receive their t-shirts, enjoy a special meal and then head on their trip to the movies! It gets more fun every year in Readfield. Speaking of camp fun, four camping trips leave today and tomorrow. Apache is heading out to Camden, a group of Acadians will be going to Rangeley and another group of Acadians will take a canoe adventure to 3 Rocks. The Sequoia boys are on their way to Acadia National Park. They will camp out, swim in some awesome lakes, and take some great hikes. Back at camp, for the second summer, music has been very popular at our Rockport recording studio. Campers learn to layer drum beats, create melodies, process vocals for the breakdown of songs and arrange remixes. Introducing Rockport (specifically audio, music, and vocal instruction) to camp has inspired so many campers to become focused, creative, and discover hidden talent!

Bug juice. Mystery meat. For years, they were the staples – real or imagined – of camp food.
Well, eat your words.
Like other parts of the summer camp experience, mealtime has evolved.
At Camp Laurel, for example, we no longer serve white bread. In its place, we offer plenty of whole grains, plus fresh fruit and other choices. Campers (and staff members) eat it up.
There’s fresh-sliced turkey at lunch – every day.
Homemade soup daily too.
A 16-item salad bar at dinner.
Fresh-baked desserts.
Campers eat five or six times a day. There’s breakfast; a fruit break in late morning; lunch; canteen at mid-day; dinner, and a “nite bite.”
Of course, camp being camp, we do serve tasty treats like brownies, Whoopee Pies, chicken fingers and more.
But because we limit access to sweets and soda – and because youngsters are so active – they return home in great health.
So forget the bug juice and mystery meat of your youth (which comedians dined out on for decades).
“Dining Hall” is no longer an oxymoron.
Of course, some things never change. Mealtime at camp is still quite a bit louder than at home.
We wouldn’t have it any other way.