St. Patrick don't banish our Snakes!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! (Well Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day But Whatever!) Time to don green clothes and lots of shamrocks and celebrate this fun Irish holiday. This day is named after the patron saint of Ireland Saint Patrick who was a bishop on the island during the fifth century.

My favorite myth about St. Patrick is that HE is the reason there are no snakes on the island in Ireland. The myth says that the snakes attacked St. Patrick during a 40 day fast he was undertaking on top of a hill,  and he  banished all the snakes, and chased them into the sea. As funny as that image may seem, the truth is there is actually no proof that snakes EVER lived in Ireland...

But you know where they do live????? HERE AT CAMP FOLEY! We would never want to banish them from camp, and in fact we love them! They are a favorite among campers and have been a staple of camp for over 20 years!

A Hognose snake in the wild

According to some of our snake expert counselors from 2019 Ace and Ryan, one of our most popular snakes is a Hognose snake, named "Hoggy". She's old enough to vote, clocking in at 18 years old. She uses her upturned nose to dig and burrow in her cage. Her scales mimic that of a rattlesnake and sometimes she will "rattle"trying to pretend to be a much more dangerous snake.

Ryan holding Lucy with campers

Our nature instructors  also say our gentlest snake is a black rat snake named Lucy. As you can see from her pictures she isn't black though! She is something called "leucistic", a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal causings white scales or fur. This is similar to an albino animal except leucistic animals do not have red eyes. Lucy loves to climb all over campers and be held.

Check out some pics of our campers with the camp snakes. And from everybody here at Camp Foley... HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Happy Love Day

 This Sunday is Valentine's Day! We here at Foley are always full of love for our campers, parents, alumni, and for Camp Foley itself! We think it is very important to take the time to show your friends you care, and Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity. This Day doesn't just belong to couples and romance, it is also all about friendship. Here are some Foley ideas of how to show your friends some love this weekend on Love Day...

1.

Think about how excited you get at Mail Call

Write a letter and send it snail mail style! With all the technology we have at our finger tips we sometimes forget how fun it is to receive real actual mail. Sending a heartfelt note to your friend in another state is a great way to remind how much you love their friendship and care about them. Bonus points if you have any Riflery paper at home, what a cool Valentine note that would be!

everyone loves friendship bracelets

2. Make them a friendship bracelet. This could go along with number 1 or you could make and hand deliver a friendship bracelet to a camp friend who lives close by. You could use Valentines day colors like red, white, and pink, or make one that is completely your own. Add beads or special knots and make it entirely unique. 

3. Make them a collage of Camp pics. Depending on your skills and time frame you could do this physically or digitally. But who wouldn't want to get a grouping of pictures from your time at Camp Foley with your best friends. Instagram has great story features for this as well as apps like Canva and Picsart. You could also print the pictures off and decorate them in a frame or on a corkboard and have it delivered. This takes a little extra time but can be really extra special. 

I know you have some great camp pics!

4. Bake them a Camp Foley treat! Candy and chocolate hearts are so over done. This year why not bake your friends some awesome Camp Foley treats. This could be anything from soda bread, to oatmeal bake, skillet brownies, rice krispies, or even corn bread! You can find the soda bread recipe here and if you got one of our "Camp in a Box" kits, you'll find lots of fun camp recipes in there! If you want to snag one of kits, head to our camp store.

Tag us on instagram @campfoley if you make any of these cool valentines for your camp friends! And remember you don't need one day of the year to send some love out into the world. Enjoy your weekend and from all of us here at Camp Foley, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. 

Luca made his own soda bread at home

Happy 4th of July!

This Saturday is 4th of July! This Holiday is a favorite here at Camp Foley, and we have celebrated it with our campers for many years.

Recently in the last few years we have brought back the 4th of July challenges! We have all the cabins compete against each other in a variety of challenges.

These challenges include...







A Chalk Competition! Each Cabin creates a mural on the black top.

Seeing how many of Red White and Blue campers can wear all at once!

Watermelon Eating contests!

Dressing up as a historical figure from American History.

Pie Eating contest. Made with whipped cream and oreos!

A Patriotic Twin Competition, who can dress the most alike??

Cheese Puff and Whip Cream contest! How many cheese puffs could a camper stick to their face?

I know we can't be all together celebrating, but we have our memories and we will be making even more next year! Happy 4th of July Everybody from all of us here at Camp Foley.

How Do You Celebrate Love Day?

Valentine's Day is this Friday! Which means it's time to celebrate all the love we have in our life. But did you know that the US is not the only country to celebrate Valentine's Day? While we are off buying roses and cards for our special people, check out how these 5 countries celebrate Valentine's Day...


Spain
The day of love in Valencia of Spain falls on October 9th. This is known as the feast of Saint Dionysus. The festival is celebrated in most parts of Spain by making "macadora", a marzipan figurine. The figurines are made by men to gift to their female companions. There are also colorful parades that can be see down many streets in spain.

Denmark
Although Valentine’s Day is a new festival in Denmark, the country also celebrates the day of love like us on February 14th, but with a twist! In Denmark, Valentine’s Day is not limited to roses and chocolates. Friends and loved ones exchange handmade cards with pressed white flowers that are called snowdrops. Danish men also sometimes send women funny poems called "gaekkebrev", signed anonymously with a series of dots. If the receiver can guess who sent the letter, he’ll give her an Easter egg later in the year.

Japan
Japan does it quite differently. A part of the holiday is celebrated February 14th, where women buy gifts and chocolates for their male companions . Men can’t return gifts until March 14, which is
called the “white day”. In fact in Japan, almost every month of the year on the 14th day celebrates a different aspect of love. This includes a friendship day, kissing day, and hugging day.

Wales
In Wales, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in a very unique way. The country celebrates its day of love on January 25th, which is called the “day of San Dwynwen.” On the day, couples exchange unique and beautifully handcrafted wooden spoons to each other. This tradition has been in practice since the 16th century.

                                                                South Africa
South Africans don’t mind wearing their heart on their sleeve, literally! Following an old Roman festival called "Lupercalia", which is thought to be the predecessor to Valentine’s Day in general, Girls pin the name of their love or crush on their sleeve for the day, to make it known to all how they feel,




I hope you learned something new! This valentine's day maybe try out a new tradition, and don't forget... here at Camp Foley.. WE LOVE YOU!

10 Things To Do Over Christmas Break

Time off from school is the best! Or at least it was from what I remember channeling my inner student and reminiscing on those winter breaks. As an adult, this holiday time usually isn't as long as it's harder to take multiple weeks off of work. But regardless, having time off whether it be from school or work is a great excuse to do all the exciting things around town.

With so much free time over the Holidays, there is a lot that can be done, yet most individuals will probably spend it binge watching the latest show. To help limit screen time and to make the most of the break...

...here are 10 Things To Do Over Christmas Break and the Holidays:

1. Visit a museum or attend a concert (there are always shows going on over break - check your city's local events calendar). Stimulating and exciting! 
2. Go to a sporting event. (Doesn't have to be professional. Go root on the local High School!)
3. Play a family board game. (Clue anyone?)
4. Host a family movie night complete with popcorn, candy, soda & those comfy pajamas. 
5. Volunteer as a family at a soup kitchen, animal shelter or anywhere that is important to you.
6. Drop everything electronic and spend that tech time reading a good book.
7. DIY crafts. Check out some ideas!
8. Get outside! Go sledding or ice skating (or skiing/snowboarding). Don't live where it's cold enough for snow? How about a bike ride or walk around a park, maybe stargazing at night?
9. Cook a meal as a family. Look for a new recipe, and make a home made dinner. And **ahem** have the kids try their hand at being the cook. 
10. Write "Thank You" notes to everyone who got you gifts or went out of their way to help you this holiday season. (This one isn't just a suggestion, it's an expectation!)

There's plenty more to do besides these 10 ideas, but these are a great place to start. Reach out if you need more help making the most of your holiday break!

And don't forget to follow us on our socials below to stay up to date on all things Foley!

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Holiday Entertainment Guide!

Stay entertained this winter break with the Camp Foley Holiday Entertainment Guide. We've found the best movies and provided you with some awesome indoor and outdoor activities!

Movies (CST)

It's a Wonderful Life 

Friday, December 20 at 7 PM on NBC

Tuesday, December 24 at 7 PM on NBC

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Friday, December 20 at 5:30 PM on ABC Family

Sunday, December 22 at 6 PM on ABC Family

Tuesday, December 24 at 7:30 PM on ABC

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 

Saturday, December 21 at 3 PM on ABC Family

Wednesday, December 25 at 8 PM on ABC Family

The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause

Saturday, December 21 at 5 PM on ABC Family

Tuesday, December 24 at 4 PM on ABC Family

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Animated)

Saturday, December 21 at 5 PM on Cartoon Network

Jack Frost

Saturday, December 21 at 7 PM on AMC

Monday, December 23 at 3:45 PM on AMC

Home Alone & Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Sunday, December 22 at 2 PM and at 5 PM on AMC (5 PM starts a Home Alone marathon of all four Home Alone movies!)

Monday, December 23 at 8 AM and 6:15 PM on AMC

White Christmas

Monday, December 23 at 1 PM on AMC

I'll Be Home for Christmas

Monday, December 23 at 2 PM on ABC Family

The Polar Express

Monday, December 23 at 7 PM on ABC Family

Tuesday, December 24 at 2 PM on ABC Family

Scrooged 

Monday, December 23 at 11 PM on ABC Family

Netflix has: The Polar Express, White Christmas, I'll Be Home for Christmas, Jingle All the Way and Jack Frost on watch instantly! 

Outdoor Activities

We know winter break isn't all about sitting in front of the TV. Those of you that are fortunate enough to have SNOW, why not get outside and build a snowman or start a snowball fight with your neighbors? Check out Jack Frost first to get ideas of how to throw an EPIC snowball fight! Why not go out and visit Santa - we'd love to see any photos of campers and alumni Mr. Claus!

Indoor Activities

photo from marthastewart.com

Get crafty this holiday season and make some snowflakes to decorate! The paper ones are a classic, but you could also shake it up with pipe-cleaner snowflakes! If you're feeling EXTRA crafty you can make your very own snow globe! We think the winter scenes are fun, but why not get creative and make a summertime themed snow globe? 

When all else fails, you can always fall back on some good ol' holiday baking! Try these easy recipes and satisfy your sweet tooth! 

• Holiday Wreaths 
• Gingerbread Cookies
• Cocoa Thumbprints
• Snickerdoodles
• Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Whatever you choose to do this winter break, we hope you have some fun with friends and family!