One of the greatest things about childhood Summers [1] (besides that three-month break from school, of course) is Summer camp [2]. From playing Capture the Flag [3] to putting on talent shows to maybe having your first Summer crush, camp is usually every kid's chance to be independent [4] and have adventures all their own.
If your little one is off to camp this Summer (whether for the whole break [5] or just during the day), or you want to relive your best Summer camp years with them from the comfort of your own home, then check out these 11 incredible Summer camp classics. Chances are you've seen some of these already, but no matter how many times you watch, you're guaranteed to feel so nostalgic [6], you can practically smell the s'mores.
Meatballs
There are few camp counselors better than Bill Murray [7]'s Tripper in 1979's Meatballs, who makes it his mission to defeat rival Camp Mohawk in the Olympiad competition (and falls in love with Kate Lynch as Roxanne in the process).
The Parent Trap (Remake)
No Summer camp movie list is complete without The Parent Trap [8] remake, the movie that had all of us convinced we had a secret twin that was separated from us at birth (and had us practicing that epic handshake). Are you more of an Annie or a Hallie?
The Parent Trap (Original)
We all know and love the 1998 Lindsay Lohan [9] remake, but we can't forget to include the underrated 1961 Hayley Mills classic that inspired it.
Ernest Goes to Camp
When a camp janitor finally gets his chance to play counselor in 1987's Ernest Goes to Camp, hijinks ensue (especially when the campers are all juvenile delinquents).
Camp Nowhere
If you spent your childhood Summers attending (and hating) computer camp or acting camp, then you probably also dreamed of posing as a counselor and creating your own no-rules Summer camp, just like Mud and the gang did in 1994's Camp Nowhere.
Heavyweights
Ben Stiller [10] has had some great characters, but few are greater than Tony Perkis, the fitness fanatic in 1995's Heavyweights, who turns Camp Hope for overweight boys into a cardio nightmare.
It Takes Two
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen [11] tackle that whole "wish we had a secret twin thing" in 1995's It Takes Two. They pull off an epic switcheroo to play matchmaker, and you better believe there was a food fight in the mess hall along the way.
Addams Family Values
We honestly can't think of two campers we'd rather befriend more than Wednesday and Pugsley Addams (especially at Camp Chippewa with the perky Gary and Becky Granger at the helm). This 1993 sequel to The Addams Family has the dark comedy of the original, with the added bonus of Summer camp fun.
Camp Rock
Step aside, haters. Camp Rock is a Summer camp film for the ages, and if you haven't shipped Demi Lovato [12] and Joe Jonas [13] ever since, then you probably need to watch it again.