JULY 30 • 2020 | 21
them camp fun at home this
summer?’
”
Leeb was actually involved in
the business even before there
was a business. “I have four
grandchildren and since March
I have created ‘
theme’
boxes for
them to enjoy,
” she said. “These
boxes were dropped off each
week so they could have fresh
and new activities to do while
quarantined inside their home.
When the weather improved, I
brought over the boxes and we
had more interactive activities I
created for us to enjoy together
— socially distanced, outside.
”
In May, Leeb and Landau
blended their ideas and founded
Camp In-A-Box.
Now that the official boxes
are in play, Leeb’
s grandchildren
have received the completed
version but enjoyed being the
‘
test kids.
’
“My mom and my aunt are
so creative, and playing with
kids and making something
fun out of nothing is so natural
for them,
” said Leeb’
s daughter,
Jessica Triest of Oak Park.
“When they come over to
visit, I have to tell them when
it’
s time to leave,
” she joked. “My
mom’
s house is the best outing
for my kids. It is half filled with
toys from when I was a kid
and she is constantly adding
to them. She plays with kids
for her job and knows how to
engage them in different ways.
”
UNEXPECTED BUSINESS
Debbie Steinberg’
s three
boxes were purchased for her
great-nieces in two different
states. She shipped one to the
5-year-old in Texas but made an
in-person delivery to 6-year-old
Haylie and 4-year-old Brooklyn
Elson in Birmingham.
“I knew the girls were home
for the summer, not going to
camp because of the corona-
virus, and I wanted to be able
to bring them something fun
and educational that they could
spend their time on as an alter-
native to camp,
” said Steinberg
of Huntington Woods.
“I actually went there just to
drop them off, but I ended up
staying for two hours. When
they opened the boxes, they
were so excited about finding
so many creative things inside.
They took out an arts and crafts
project with crayons and glue
and feathers first, and I ended
up doing it with them.
”
Steinberg was impressed that
the boxes’
activities were chosen
Haylie and
Brooklyn Elson are
engrossed in an
art activity.
to be enjoyed, at different levels,
by children of various ages. “My
nieces can do some of them by
themselves, which is a bonus,
and some with the help of an
adult, which is a great connec-
tion for all of them.
”
Camp In-A-Box is headquar-
tered in Leeb’
s Orchard Lake
home, with “offices” in her din-
ing room, living room and kitch-
en. “
At first we did all our prep
work and assembly outside on
the porch and patio as we kept
our social distance,
” Leeb said.
“
At night we would each type up
ideas that we were brainstorming
and come back together the next
day to share our visions. We then
‘
Shark Tanked’
our individual
ideas to my husband, Fred, our
volunteer assembler.
”
The sisters now work both
inside Leeb’
s house, in face
masks, as well as individually in
each of their homes.
“This is our first business
together,
” said Leeb, who refers
to the June 29 launch date as “the
first day of camp.
”
“We share a common interest
in children. We love to be cre-
ative and always thought it would
be fun to do something together.
We never imagined COVID
would give us the opportunity
to come up with this idea. But
it did.
“Both of us have been working
with children for decades,
” she
said. “We have grown children
and grandchildren. Debbie has
endless camp ideas and I adapted
some ideas from the COVID
boxes I made for my grandchil-
dren.
”
The two will continue to work
together, selling Camp In-A-Box
as long as stock lasts, with a plan
to debut a new and different box
of fun in the fall.
For the Chappells, the boxes
they purchased are a jumping-off
point for expanded activities,
with many new ideas coming
from Chad, a former camp direc-
tor, who coincidentally worked
with Landau at Tamarack. In
addition to taking guidance from
suggestions in the boxes, they
added a dining hall, theme days
and camp away from home days,
like on a lakefront visit.
“We are totally using this for
everyday camp,
” Amanda said.
“Our girls loved making treasure
boxes and finding treasures in
scavenger hunts. There is this
sponge game that allows the girls
to have fun in the water on hot
days.
“Camp In-A-Box truly helped
us make a great summer for
our girls. We don’
t know what
we would have done if it didn’
t
arrive just when we needed it.
Sending them to camp wasn’
t in
the cards this summer. Bringing
camp to them at home was a
huge hit.
”
Rosie and Issabella Chappell create a Tic-Tac-Toe game with Camp In-A-Box
instructions and materials.