Balcones Blog

All of the lastest news from camp during the summer and beyond.

Cabin Compound Night!

The fun continues on our second full day of summer camp at CBS! Today, older girl campers had the opportunity to partake in our cooking class, whipping up the same Caribbean fare mentioned yesterday. We’ve included photos of the recipes to give you a better idea of just how tasty these dishes are! After a day full of activities, including boating on the lake, rock-climbing, and arts and crafts, campers participated in the first Compound Night of the summer. Compound Nights are an opportunity for campers to hang out with the other young people in their age group. (“Compounds” are... Read more.

An Ice Cream Social, Caribbean Cuisine, & a Carnival Party!

The first full day of summer camp in Texas is in the books! Monday was packed to the brim with exciting activities and traditions. First, we held our annual First Day Ice Cream Social for new campers. While new campers enjoy an ice cream bar and meet-and-greet with our leadership team and full-time staff, their counselors and returning camper bunkmates hold special cabin talks about what it’s like to be new. In these discussions, counselors encourage returning campers to think of times they have been new or inexperienced and to remember and brainstorm ways that they were or could have... Read more.

Camp Balcones Springs - Term 1 Team Initiation

The day we’ve been waiting for is finally here – it’s the start of Summer 2022! We kicked off the first day of summer camp at Camp Balcones Springs with costumed staff singing camp songs at our gates as families dropped off their boy and girl campers. Campers got settled into their cabins, met their counselors, and reunited with old friends – including our beloved summer camp dogs who were so happy to see a crowd of smiling faces again! Once campers were settled into their cabins and had met their bunkmates and counselors, we began our traditional Opening Night... Read more.

Balcones Springs is a Hill Country Haven for Adults and Children Alike

The moment I step foot onto the pebble path of Balcones Springs, it’s clear I’m somewhere remarkable. Tucked neatly off of Hill Country Road 1431, the summer camp/retreat/event space/outdoor mecca is both homey and romantic. Every inch of the 250-acre property is carefully detailed — a bright tablecloth, a bouquet of fresh cut garden roses, a western scene stitched onto the hem of a pressed quilt. Simply put, Balcones Springs is magic. So it’s no surprise its owner is magic, too. Dust lifts in the late afternoon light as Christine Baskin eagerly welcomes us in with a wave. Her chinoiserie... Read more.

10 Reasons for Camp

10 Reasons to Go to Camp Balcones Springs 1) New friends: School friends are great, and so are those on your soccer, swim, and dance teams, but there is truly nothing like a camp friend. The friends you make at camp will know you like no one else – and you’ll share some of the most exciting and unique memories together. The continued pandemic has also made childhood socialization and new friendship-making more difficult than it has ever been before. Camp provides a respite for that and a fertile ground for developing new friendships and cultivating old ones. And trust... Read more.