Towering Pines Blog
A Gift Guide for Your TP Boys
We love the Holiday season for all the reasons you might expect: spending time with friends and family, enjoying traditions old and new, the anticipation of the first snowfall of the year and all of the activities that come along with it. Presents are always a big part of the festivities. We care about these, because to us, they are more than just “stuff.” When we gift generously and thoughtfully, we demonstrate our love for other peoples’ joy.
In that spirit, we are sharing our gift guide for the TP boys, where we’ve compiled our best ideas for meaningful presents to encourage growth and connection. Of course, experiencing camp is the best gift ever, but these are just a few extra ideas!
Gifts for Social/Emotional Growth
- Our top recommendation? Nothing ever beats a trip to see his camp friends! Help him bridge the gap
between summers by having a reunion with his favorite people mid-year. If an “in person” visit isn’t possible, try scheduling a Zoom or FaceTime call so that your camper can “catch-up” with his camp friends. - Snail mail may be going out of fashion in the “real” world, but we still love it in our camp community! Believe it or not, our boys LOVE snail mail! Help him reach out with personalized return address labels. There are also cool stickers to make writing more fun!!
- Put down your technology and laugh together with a family adventure book where you can scratch off challenges to complete together. After you’re finished, it becomes a crazy scrapbook of the memories you’ve created!
- Make family game nights interesting with a new one you can all enjoy. Check out Herd Mentality Board Game: The Udderly Hilarious Family Game that’s for ages 10+ and can include 4-20 players. Betrayal at The House on The Hill or Catan are a couple of TP cabin favorites. This article has LOTS more suggestions if you’re in the market!
- Table Topics are a classic and will get your family connecting and sharing.
Gifts for Mental Growth
What about giving your son a special journal to record his awesome camp adventures? He can use it to jot down special memories, goals for the summer and school year, as well as amazing accomplishments. These journals are also awesome for doodling or drawing. You might also consider a sketch book or art supplies from a local hobby store to spark his creative side.- Subscription boxes are perfect for mental growth that keeps on giving! KiwiCo has options for all ages and interests that will help him flex his brain. Crunch Labs was created to help kids “think like engineers” and Think Outside is great for the adventurer.
- Check out local museums and aquariums to experience their current art, history or science exhibits.
- Visit your area children’s museum or explore others in different communities as you travel for the holidays.
- Encourage his curiosity with a memorable experience. The options these days are endless! Search for concerts, classes, tours, and more in your local area. That crazy thing he might be interested in? This is the time to try it!
Gifts for Physical Growth
- Recreate his favorite camp activities at home! Look for an archery or shooting range or an opportunity
to explore a new physical activity in your hometown. There are online activities and day camps offered during the holidays as well. - You can also gift him an upgraded accessory for next summer. Think about a new tennis racquet, crazy costumes for special events or even a camera to capture his favorite memories.
- While calling this “growth” might be a stretch, the holidays are the perfect time to get him some new camp apparel! Check out Everything Summer Camp for your TP gear!! (10% off TP and Woodland apparel through December 9th!!)
Whatever gift you choose this holiday season, your camper is sure to love the meaning and thoughtfulness behind it! Also, it’s not too late to give the gift of camp! If you haven’t yet registered your son or daughter for 2024, click this link: Register Here for Summer 2024. Also, we are most grateful when you share your experiences with other families who may want to explore the option of sending their son/daughter to Towering Pines or Camp Woodland. Camp is the gift that keeps giving!!
Angie Ziller
- Camp Mom at TP
- Leadership Staff at TP/Office Manager
- Marketing TP/Woodland
- Leadership Team TP/Woodland
- Assistant Waterfront Director at Woodland
- Counselor at Woodland
- “Building in our hearts fond memories, Towering Pines for you.”
**Thank you to a camp in North Carolina for the original blog inspiration!!**