As of today, there are only 150 days until the start of Summer 2020 at CEL! What an incredible summer it will be. If you’re like me, you might not be able to wait that long for the summer to begin. I wanted to give you a few ideas to bring that amazing Camp Echo Lake summer fun indoors this winter. You can try these activities out by yourself, with your family, or maybe even a camp friend or two!

Before we begin, you’ll need to dig out some of your favorite Echo Lake gear. A hoodie, CEL T-shirt, fuzzy pants, or even a jersey! This will help you get into the right frame of mind and bring you right back to those memorable camp days.

The Coolest Carnival Ring Toss

As most of you know, every summer we host a camp carnival where each group is in charge of a different game booth. An annual carnival favorite is the ring toss. The aim of the game is to land as many rings as you can in order to be rewarded with a ticket! You might not have the same carnival equipment laying around your house that we do at camp, so we will need to get creative. You will need three things: paper plates, scissors, glue, and a few cardboard tubes (from the center of a paper towel roll). Stick each tube to a paper plate, so the plate acts as a base and the tube won’t fall over. Cut the centers out of a few of the other paper plates, so it looks like a ring! Now you have yourself an amazing homemade version of the carnival special. I can’t promise that you’ll win an ice cream party at Tony’s house, but it is still a lot of fun!

Hoopy Doops (Basketball Trick Shots)

One of my favorite camp evening programs is an all camp event, off track betting! You can do so many different fun games with this, but I am going to pick just one. My favorite segment of the last few years has been watching Stu and Lemoine make unbelievable basketball shots in Hoopy Doops! For this activity, you will need a bucket (or similar) and some socks. Bundle up the socks to make a nice, indoors friendly ball. Place the bucket somewhere in the room and start hitting those trick shots! Here are a few challenges for you to take on. Number 1: The Bank Shot. Place the bucket about 2 feet away from a blank wall. Start shooting the ball off the wall and see if you can get it to land in the bucket! Number 2: Over the Door Shot. Open the door to your room and place the bucket on the other side. Step back inside so you’re on the opposite side from the bucket. Take shots over the door until you make it in!

Indoor Shmallow Roasting

I have s’more great activity ideas, but I think it’s time to take a quick break and refuel on a camp classic, s’mores. You’ll need to put all of your summer training into this. This is your time to show your friends and family how to make the perfect s’more, whether you like yours golden brown or burnt to a crisp! Of course, you will have to lead them through s’morientation. Make sure that they know what to do if their shmallow catches fire (MY SHMALLOW’S ON FIIIIIREEEE) in order to avoid sending a shmrocket across your kitchen! All you’ll need for this one are some graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate, and your stove or fireplace. Don’t forget to teach some of our favorite campfire songs too!

Family Group Sing

Last but not least, another camp classic that will surely bring all of the CEL spirit inside this winter is a family group sing! Grab your pencil and paper and start brainstorming some lyrics! Get all of your family or friends involved and see what songs you can turn into a Winter Group Sing hit! Remember to add some dance moves and maybe even costumes to really bring it all together. 

These are just a few ideas of how you can bring some of that summer fun back home this winter as you start to get excited for Summer 2020. Once you have finished your full day of camp activities, you can nominate your friends or family for a fuzzy! If you have a camp day don’t forget to let us know. We love seeing how creative you can be! See you in 150 days!