National Ice Cream Month

Did you know July is National Ice Cream Month?? Well, for our Maine Camp family— this is a big deal!Of course, when we think about summer— no matter where we are— we think about yummy ice cream keeping us cool. But for our Maine campers and counselors, ice cream is more than just a summer dessert!Maine Camp Experience (MCE) blogger Emma remembers her camp’s “ten 10’s ice cream” tradition: “Each summer, campers in every bunk cleaned each morning in the hopes of getting a 10/10 in bunk inspection. If a bunk achieved 10 tens, we got a special trip to our favorite ice cream place across the lake. This was a HUGE deal, and cleaning tended to become almost a competitive sport! The desire to get Moose Tracks or the infamous Maine Black Raspberry flavor was just too strong!”MCE blogger Ali also remembers ice cream as one of her favorite parts of each summer in Maine: “At my Maine Camp our favorite ice cream was a few miles away from camp at an ice cream store called “The Gazebo.” We stopped there on the way back to camp from every trip. Aside from the view at the top of the mountain, the Gazebo was the perfect reward for hiking a mountain and camping out. And, the tastiest treat after canoeing a long distance.The Gazbeo is also where myself and my bunkmates learned to channel our inner financial skills. Back in my day, we were given $3 each to purchase what we wanted at the Gazebo. My go-to order was the $2.25 chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream with rainbow “jimmies” (as they call sprinkles in Maine). This left me $.75 to pool together with my bunkmates’ left over change. Together we would buy curly fries to divide evenly among the group!”Summers in Maine are incomplete without a few trips to our campers’ favorite ice cream spots like Gifford’s Favorite Ice Cream and Mini Golf. And, ice cream can be a treat within the camp grounds too! Blogger Emma remembers her camp’s Sunday Sundaes tradition as one of her favorite weekly rituals: “After a Sunday cookout, we could always look forward to our ice cream sundae. We would choose from countless flavors and go through the toppings bar—as our favorite counselors topped our sundaes with extra whipped cream and hot fudge. This was always a special Sunday treat, and the best way to finish a weekend— I want to start a ritual of my own, even outside of camp!”Whether you’re in Maine or beyond this summer, we recommend that you and your campers take advantage of National Ice Cream Month! We know everyone in our Maine Camp family has a favorite flavor— and a favorite memory of ice cream at camp! — Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.