Yesterday, I sent Blake, my 9 yr. old off to church camp. I was provided with an excellent list of things to pack and suggestions of ways to pack. If you are preparing to send your kid to camp, this may help.

Here’s the list:

play clothes (Don’t send them with anything that you have to have back.)

sneakers (If hiking is involved, they will need more than sandals or flip flops)

shower shoes

personal items like shampoo, toothbrush, etc.

twin sheets

blanket or sleeping bag

pillow

sunscreen

laundry bag

towels and washcloth

bathing suit

flashlight

bug repellent

clip on fan and drop cord if there is no air conditioning

water bottle

bookbag

hat or sunglasses

snacks

LABEL EVERYTHING!

One mother suggested putting each outfit in ziploc bags labeled for each day of the week. I also sent him with a disposable camera and one of his favorite stuffed animals to help with homesickness.  Kids love to get mail while they are at camp.  Send them a letter early in the week, so they will be sure to get it.  You could also give them a post card to send to you.

Now that Blake has returned from camp, I had to add a few things.

Specify that your child put the dirty clothes in the laundry bag after wearing them! I thought that I had, but evidently… Who knows? He made it back with about 85% of his things and we gained a few things. Again, who knows? He also didn’t use the bag at all for his clothes. He just threw them in the suitcase which made a mess of everything in there. Trust me, they will get dirty and sweaty. One of our towels, actually I don’t really know who’s it is, returned almost black!

Also, show them everything and everywhere you are putting things in their suitcase. It wasn’t until the 3rd day that Blake realized that I had packed him any towels. Who knew this would be a problem? I sure wouldn’t have thought it.