Create a summer camp checklist
Simplify packing with an itemized template
By Sharon Oosthoek
Are you sending your kids to camp this summer? How do you keep track of all of their clothing and packing essentials?
The key, of course, is to create a concise camp checklist that makes packing easy and stress-free. This year, keep the frenzy of last-minute packing to a minimum with Microsoft Home Magazine’s packing tips and a downloadable template that you can customize for each child.
Allison Prime is leader-in-training program director at Centennial College’s day camp in Scarborough, Ont. As a camper and then counsellor at Tanamakoon camp in Algonquin Park, Prime has been on both ends of the packing process. Along with the shared advice of parents of seasoned campers, Prime offers her recommendations for creating a checklist — for day camp and overnight camp.
Don’t forget to tuck copies of the list into your children’s bags so they can check off everything they should bring home.
Day camp: Pack a bag full of necessities
Prime says her list of essentials for day camp should fit into your child’s backpack. Click here to save Prime’s day camp checklist in Word. The first item is sunscreen with an SPF rating of 15 or higher. The list also includes a bathing suit and towel, insect repellant, a water bottle, a hat, comfortable running shoes or sports sandals, an extra set of clothes and a raincoat.
Any prescription medication should be accompanied with a note from you about how the medicine should be administered. All camps should ask for your child’s medical information to keep on file, but a note attached to the medicine is still a good idea, explains Prime.
Most day camps will provide lunch and snacks. If they don’t, Prime recommends packing a lunch that’s easy to eat on the ground. A sandwich (avoid peanut butter since most camps are nut-free), fruit and a juice box make for a good lunch, while granola bars are excellent for snacks. Prime advises against chocolate since it melts in the heat and will only give your child a brief sugar high, followed by an energy slump.
Toronto mother Wendy Wright has wise words to share about food and drink. Her daughter, Colette, is a veteran of the day camp scene, having attended YMCA swim and horseback riding camps.
Wright always packed Colette’s bag with two water bottles, one of which she put in the freezer the night before. By the time Colette was through the first bottle, her second one would be thawed and wonderfully cold.
“And remember, kids get ravenous,” says Wright. “I’d bring a couple of granola bars in the car for when I picked her up.”
Overnight camp: Fundamentals for a long stay
Prime suggests following her day camp checklist plus several important additions for overnight camp. Download the overnight camp checklist and save it in Word. Prime says that since many overnight camps have weekly laundry service, it’s not necessary to pack much more than a week’s worth of clothes.
Pack 10 days’ worth of socks and underwear in case there’s a problem with the camp’s washers. In addition, she recommends packing several T-shirts, sweatshirts, one or two pairs of long pants, a few pairs of shorts and pajamas, one warm jacket and two pairs of comfortable shoes. Running shoes, sports sandals or hiking boots are best.
For camps that hold banquets at the end of each session, Prime suggests children bring one dressier outfit — a skirt or dress for girls and nice pants and a golf shirt for boys.
A sleeping bag is a camp necessity while an extra blanket is good for chilly nights. Of course, hot nights might call for a sheet sleeping bag, which is simply two sheets sewn together.
A government-approved lifejacket is essential for water sports. Toiletries should include biodegradable soap and shampoo, toothbrush and paste, a hairbrush, face cloth and two towels (in case one gets wet).
Don’t forget feminine hygiene products if they’re necessary. Prime says some children might like to bring a fishing rod and tackle. A camera is great for capturing memories.
For the child who suffers from separation anxiety, Hamilton, Ont., mom Deborah McIvor has a useful suggestion. Her daughter, Jessah, has been going to an overnight camp in Haliburton since she was seven.
“Send them with a stuffed animal that you put your kisses on. Kiss it in front of them and tell them the animal is holding kisses for you, so that whenever they miss you, they can collect kisses from the animal,” she explains.
