Summer looks a lot different this year with many sleepaway camps shuttered amid the coronavirus pandemic. But summer camp memories—whether glorious or traumatic—last a lifetime. Scratch your nostalgia itch with this collection of great long reads about the loved and loathed summer ritual.
I Went To A Summer Camp For Adults And It Was Weird
BuzzFeedThere were open bars, Slip’n Slide competitions, and hookups, but trying to recapture childhood can turn dark really fast.
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The Gooey Story of S’mores
National GeographicThe classic dessert’s long yet vague history, dates back at least to 1927 when a recipe appeared for the more formally designated “some mores.”
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15 Classic Summer-Camp Movies, Ranked From Worst to Best
VultureSummer-camp movies are less about applying bug spray, and more about like-minded people banding together to make something impossible and wonderful happen.
My Daughter Went Away to Camp and Changed
SlateThe best moments of childhood—the memories that stay with you into adulthood—are ones where your parents aren’t there.
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How I Lost My Faith at a Boot Camp for Christian Kids
NarrativelyAt twelve years old I was sent away for one long hot summer of obediently serving the Lord. But instead of finding God, I discovered my rebellious streak.
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What Happens to Your Marriage When Your Kids Go to Camp
Cup of JoCurious about the parents’ point of view? “I’m alone with my husband for the first time in 10 years.”
Dickens in Eden
The New YorkerWhat would Charles Dickens say if he knew that two hundred and sixty people had given up a precious week of summer vacation just to talk about him?
What Happened to All the Scary Stories at Summer Camp?
SlateCamp and ghost stories used to just go together. But the tradition seems to be increasingly rare at American summer camps.
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