|
Sleep Away Camp
Summer Party
by J.K. Rock
Maybe this will be the summer after your Senior Year and you need to make some memories before the fall. Or maybe you're just bored of the same tired parties. Either way, it's almost time for some fun summer entertaining. Remember that Girl Scout camp you went to in fifth grade? The one where you flew kites, played flashlight tag as the stars came out and wore so many friendship bracelets your wrists never saw the sun? Relive the fun of summer camp with a Sleep-Away Party and share the silly, fun awesomeness of camp with your gfs.
Send invitations ahead of time and get everyone on board with the plan. Remind guests to bring an extra blanket and a flashlight (handy for navigating dark backyards or providing lighting effects in an impromptu karaoke laser show). Let people know ahead of time they don't need to sleep outdoors... you can have a fire outside, but once the temp cools off, you can create a massive blanket fort in the living room for sleeping. Just find a few sturdy pieces of furniture to tie some twine between. Drape your blankets and voila- indoor tents with no bugs or crawlies.
Meet your friends before night falls. Get some help starting your backyard  fire if you don't remember the proper techniques from your camping days. While the fire gets going, you can search for wildflowers for braiding old fashioned daisy-chain necklaces or a floral crown. See who creates the best Nature Bling and take a picture of the group complete with floral headdresses. It's an Instagram for the Ages.
Once the fire is going, de-stress from your week while you nosh on s'mores and test out a Bonfire Breeze or Mess Hall Punch. Try mixing six cups cranberry juice with three cups orange juice and a half liter of Sierra Mist or ginger ale. Play with the proportions to suit your taste. Just be sure you give your specialty drink a fun, campy name. For that matter, you could try out this recipe at Yummly for Bug Juice.
 By now, night is falling and the fireflies are out. Challenge your friends to see who can catch and release the most fireflies. Or just enjoy the incredible magic of one or two lighting up your paper cup before you let them go again. You're never too old to be charmed by this!
Now, look up... Pass out copies of a map of the stars and take turns finding constellations in the sky. Or look up the Ten Brightest Stars in the Sky and give each friend a map. Have them find their star and share with the group.
Once you've got your camp fun in, you can head inside to build the blanket fort. Tell ghost stories. Let your girlfriends try on your killer floral crown. Most of all, pat yourself on the back for throwing a fun party and just be glad you recaptured the magic of camp one more time.
| 
