Scenic view of trees at camp

Category: Camp Culture


The Ultimate Pine Cove Bucket List

by Mina Hudson

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Whether you’re a first-time camper or a Pine Cove pro, there are a few things every camper has to experience to make the most of their week at camp. We’re talking high-flying, joy-filled, spirit-packed adventures that make camp unforgettable. While we know each and every camper probably has their own list of things to check […]

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Staff Favorites: Camp Traditions

by Mina Hudson

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There’s just something about camp traditions that stick with you. We’ve got traditions so fun, so weird, and so beloved that staff count down the days just to relive them. The goofy cheers, the late-night snacks, the moments that make you laugh until you cry. They’re the heartbeat of camp, passed down from camp director […]

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Summer 2025’s Craziest Camp Names

by Mina Hudson

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“NAME GAME, gimme that name, I want that name!” If the cheer hasn’t already been stuck in your head, it will be now as we reflect on all the singing and dancing we’ve done to it around camp as new staffers were receiving their camp names! Since way back in 1967, every staffer has been […]

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The Craziness of Flag

by Valerie Morby

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Picture this… you’re at Pine Cove, and you wake up in your bunk bed knowing you have an entire day of excitement ahead of you: incredible activities, hilarious skits, and unforgettable theme nights. And it all starts at Flag. Each youth camp kicks off its day at “Flag,” a time to raise the stars and […]

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Top 5 Funniest Skit Moments

by Pine Cove

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We asked our staffers what their most hilarious skit moments were. From raw fish to broken doors, you don’t want to miss this! Skippy the Fish “Way back in the day—when the Ranch dining hall was still down by the pool (and had a fireplace with vent holes near the stage, which becomes important later)—we […]

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Turkish Delight: Origins of an Iconic Camp Game

by Colin Post

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The game was more intense than anyone had seen all season, and it was tied with less than a minute remaining. Players cut back and forth across the freshly-cut grass, sweat and dirt flew everywhere, and the fans in attendance either stood anxiously or sat at the edge of their seats. With ten seconds remaining, […]

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The Graduates: High School Seniors at Pine Cove

by Jenny Lay

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At the end of each spring, as Pine Cove ramps up in preparation for another summer of Christ-centered, others-focused, seriously fun ministry, there is a special group of people who are closing out one chapter of their lives and ramping up for some of their own adventures: high school seniors. And while these seniors have […]

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Scholarships for Hope

by Sarah Jane Souther

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Pine Cove’s scholarship fund launched in January 2009 as a response to the financial crisis that had begun the previous year. The leadership team at Pine Cove recognized how important camp could be for families who were struggling—a beacon of hope in a time when their lives felt upended by hardships, financial and otherwise. The […]

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Here Am I: Send Me

by Valerie Morby

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How the Springs Assembled its Inaugural Summer Team You can’t open a summer camp without a few invaluable ingredients. A large enough property, for one. The buildings that will feed, house, and entertain your campers, for another. But most importantly—especially if your constant refrain is “Our Staff Is Our Program”—you need the counselors, health assistants, […]

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Summer Recap 2022

by Pine Cove

Summer Recap 2022

“Pine Cove set the table for intentional conversations with my kids that I don’t usually get to have.” — Bluffs family camper “This is my first year at Pine Cove. I did not think I could ever be saved, it wasn’t in the cards for me. But now I realize that sin doesn’t define me […]

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