Camp packing + prep.

A day-camp list stays small: clothes for the day, swim gear, lunch, sunscreen, water bottle. An overnight list is a different animal: 7-to-10 days of clothes, bedding (a lot of camps require a specific size — twin XL is common), toiletries, shower shoes, a flashlight, stationery for letters home, and comfort items. Overnight lists usually run three or four pages. A day-camp list fits on a 3x5 card.

Everything that could conceivably leave your kid's backpack or cabin. For clothing, Mabel's Labels, Stamptastic, and Name Bubbles are the standards — iron-on or sticker-based. For water bottles and lunch boxes, a permanent marker on a patch of tape works, or use a dedicated label. For electronics — for older kids at camps that allow them — engraved or laser-etched. At overnight camp, label every single piece of clothing including socks. The volume of the end-of-session lost-and-found pile has to be seen to be believed.

Eight common mistakes. New shoes (break them in two weeks before — blisters ruin day one). Anything white (stains day one). Expensive clothes you'd grieve if they didn't come home. Valuables or irreplaceable items, which camps lose constantly. Food beyond what the camp has explicitly approved — allergy and wildlife policies exist for reasons. Prohibited items: pocket knives, fireworks, matches, electronics where banned. Medication you haven't put on the intake form. And your kid's entire favorite-toy collection — one or two comfort items max at overnight, none for day camp.

One primary transition object — the favorite stuffed animal, a blanket, a small pillow. A photo book with six to ten printed photos (a phone usually isn't allowed). Two or three pre-written parent letters, sealed, to be opened on specific days. A small pocket-sized item from home — a rock, a shell, a keychain. What to skip: anything that makes the kid stand out as needing comfort, and anything fragile or valuable.

Day camps usually don't need money. Overnight camps vary a lot. Some run internal bank systems where a $20-to-$50 deposit covers the whole session's camp-store spending. Some want cash for specific trips. Some prohibit money entirely. Ask your camp specifically. One practical note: if your camp uses a bank system, deposit a modest amount. Big deposits correlate with kids spending the session buying candy instead of engaging with the rest of it.

Five conversations, spread across two or three weeks — not crammed into the night before. First: 'Tell me what you're excited and worried about.' Validate both, specifically. Second: 'Here's what the first morning looks like.' Walk through it using the camp's website photos or a drive-by. Third: 'Here's who'll be there' — counselor names if you have them, activity rotations, schedule. Concrete reduces anxiety. Fourth: 'Here's what you do if something feels hard.' A self-advocacy script plus two or three specific trusted-adult types (counselor, nurse, director). Fifth: 'What will you tell me about at pickup?' A forward-looking question shifts the narrative from fear to anticipation.

Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, not right on time. Intake — medical check, bag drop, meeting the counselor, finding the assigned cubby — takes longer than parents expect. Rushing delivers your kid to camp next to a stressed parent, which is the last thing you want. For overnight, plan two hours for intake. Handle labeling and paperwork the night before. Have a specific goodbye ritual worked out in advance: a hug, a phrase, a wave pattern. Then don't linger. Five-minute goodbyes are kinder to anxious kids than twenty-minute ones.

Eight quietly commonly-missed things. Backup underwear and shorts — accidents happen past age eight more often than parents admit. A refillable water bottle instead of a fresh disposable one every day. Clip-on sunglasses or a keeper strap so they don't walk away. A wet-bag for swimsuits. Insect-repellent wipes, which are easier than spray for a kid to self-apply. A small emergency-contact card in their backpack. Allergy medication if applicable — Benadryl for insect bites, with a camp-signed authorization form. And a familiar comfort snack for the inevitable homesick moment during lunch.