My first summer camp was in 3rd grade. My last summer camp was the year I married. Camp is one of my best and favorite memories. And it’s a big deal in my family–my mom is a camp director, while my dad, brother, sister-in-law and cousin all volunteer at it. Lydia is chomping at hte bits to be old enough to attend.
This year, while the family was at camp, Lydia and I decided to make a special camp necklace to deliver to our camping family on the last day. We made S’mores Necklaces! Aren’t they the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?! It’s as easy as it looks–just string them together and wear! But I’ll show you some of the things we learned along the way…
Supplies: dark brown craft foam, light brown craft foam, paper clips, string for necklace, scissors and Foam Marshmallows
1. Cut out 2 identical squares of the light brown foam. These are your graham crackers! Cut out a smaller square from the dark brown foam. This is the chocolate!
2. Flatten out a paper clip leaving the smaller end intact. (I tried using a quilting needle and just stringing them all together. I couldn’t get it–maybe my string was too fat or my needle too skinny. Paperclips are more my style anyway!)
3. Stack your chocolate on top of one graham cracker. Then poke your paperclip through the bottom! If you do this out of order, your chocolate will be underneath or above the marshmallow and you won’t be able to see it.
4. (Yikes! Sorry about that crazy focus job!) Now, fold down the paperclip to be flush with the craft foam. It makes a nice little clamp that keeps everything from slipping off!
5. Then slide on your marshmallow (through the equator, not the north/south poles!) and your final piece of graham cracker!
6. Now twist that paper clip into a little circle and add a string!
We delivered them to my family this morning and everyone loved them! My mom said a bunch of kids asked her, “Where’d you get that S’mores necklace?!” I wanted to add a little tag to it that said, “You’re loved S’MORE than you know!” Or something like that. Maybe next time!
Have you been to summer camp? Do your kids go? What’s your favorite part—besides the s’mores, of course?
My oldest is going to a week of sleep-away camp for 8-12 year olds on Monday. She turns 8 on Sunday. She’s so excited; I’m a little nervous, but I loved camp as a kid and worked as a counselor from college- married. I know she’ll have a blast.
I love camp, too. Lydia will go next year–I’m sure we’ll both be a little nervous.