Dragging out the enormous duffle bag, breaking out the preordered labels, taking inventory of last year’s gear…packing for sleepaway camp plays a major role in the exciting build up to dropoff. But what to bring? Every camp provides a packing list, but experienced camp moms know it’s really just a jumping off point. Are 14 pairs of socks enough? Will they really wear a raincoat? What kind of water bottle? (That’s easy—an Owala, or whatever else is trending).
To figure out what to pack or pass on, Tracy Levine, director of One Happy Camper, recommends asking to be connected with a local camp family or two, because it differs by camp. “Maybe the girls all bring Hunter rain boots,” she gives as an example, echoing Morristown mom Samantha Pedinoff’s eighth grader who reported that having Malibu Sugar-brand tank tops helped her fit in. Which is to say, must-have items can change year to year, says Levine.
We asked around, and here are a few suggestions on what to bring to make camp comfier, cozier and cooler. Oh, and be sure to know the camp’s care package policy in the event of an (inevitable) omission.
A BETTER LETTER
“Yes, kids at camp still send letters,” says Levine, who suggests parents should give their digital natives a lesson in analog envelope addressing. Or, better yet, Levine suggests pre-addressing and pre-stamping stationery together as another way to get pumped for the summer, while giving parents time to discuss things like writing prompts and what sorts of things kids want to hear about from you. Some kids have FOMO or are sensitive to “I miss you’s” so keep it light and focused on them.
While letter writing is highly encouraged at camp, some parents take a different approach to communication. “I packed my kids with a free pass—no letter writing,” says South Orange’s Mark Bromfeld, whose no-letter deal with his kids came with a motivating $1 per camp photo incentive. “I was thrilled to see my kids pop up on the screen either smiling or photobombing in the background,” he says. Any parent who got calluses clicking refresh waiting for photo updates knows why this is brilliant.
RETRO PURSUITS
Without access to screens, kids are (wonderfully) forced to fill downtime with low-tech entertainment like novels, sketch pads, puzzle books, playing cards, games (like Mancala), and other items that pass even the strictest care package policies.
Camp stores and bookstores are full of options, though several parents up the ante with personalized notebooks filled with custom-created games, inspiring messages, word scrambles full of kids’ favorite things, inside jokes, prompts about activities (like three new things they tried at camp), and other made-for-them surprises to be enjoyed while away. It’s a loving way to connect without actually being there, and it makes for a great keepsake, too.
ONE-OF-A KIND DESIGN
Personalized anything is cool. “We seem to be selling more and more custom items for camp,” says Lori Stern, owner of Camp Stuff 4 Less in Livingston. Classic camp gear like blankets, stationery, cabin organizers, backrest pillows, stickers, labels, duffle bags and more come in a choice of fun patterns with your child’s name printed or embroidered. “It’s a great way for your child to express themselves, but it can get pricey so it’s really up to the parent,” she says, noting that statement bedding and custom stationery holders are especially popular. For an affordable foray into the trend, nameemblazoned drawstring nylon bags get daily use and are easy to locate in lost-and-found.
TOOL AROUND
A clip fan (some moms say they pack two!) is de rigueur to keep bunks cool on hot and humid nights, but rookie moms often forget the things necessary to keep them spinning—like a small screwdriver. “I was so proud of all of the batteries that we packed for my daughter’s first summer at camp and was confused why so many came back home. Turns out she couldn’t change the batteries,” says Michelle Schaeffer, a Maplewood mom of a seventh grader.
Pack the right tools (and lots of batteries) to keep fans, fairy lights, clip-on LED bulbs, reading lights, radios, and Campfire Players (devices designed for music streaming) running at least until visiting day. Consider packing Fun-Tak hanging putty, Scotch tape, stick-on hooks, lint rollers, etc., so kids can maintain their space without help.
TRADE SECRETS
There’s a hot swap economy happening at summer camps, and knowing the currency is the key. There are three that keep coming up. The first: colorful blingedout collectible StickerBeans, the rarer the better. “Trading was a big deal in the bunks. We got a bunch of them and included a few in each letter that we mailed to her at camp,” says Schaeffer. The second is Jibbitz, shoe charms designed to adorn Crocs. Parents say you should send way more than you think your child needs. “We did not have enough to trade,” says South Orange mom Heather Roberts Murray after her fourth-grade daughter’s first summer away. Friendship bracelets are also the rage at some camps, so it pays to do some reconnaissance pre-summer. And while rare items are a must for trading, it’s also good to send doubles or items your child is willing to part with.
HUG IT OUT
Every child needs something soft and cuddly on their bed. Soft, candy-branded pillows promise to be a hit this summer, according to Lori Stern, while ubiquitous Squishmallows are still a favorite. For kids needing comfort at lights out, something sentimental feels like a hug from home.
Jamie Nowak of Allendale sent her sixth grader to camp with a pillow printed with her family’s picture. “It really helped my daughter on her first full summer away,” she says. Other parents touted pillows personalized with an image of the family pet (there are even companies that can create a look-alike stuffed animal). You can also pack their favorite stuffie, of course.
THE HOT SEAT
Some packing lists recommend bringing a camp chair—but what kind? Designed to prevent wet tushes from the damp ground, the lightweight, fold-up classic clamshellstyle seat features two cushions kept at a right angle by connected straps. It has imitators everywhere, but parents will tell you the only one to get is Crazy Creek’s version, citing its superior ability to bolster backs. The other contender for an “it” seat is the off-ground, pop-up “bungee” chair. At around 10 pounds, it’s more suited to indoor use, yet parents say kids lug it everywhere.
COLORFUL GEAR
Color Wars is a time-honored tradition of pitting half the camp against the other for several days of contests, games, songs and scavenger hunts, requiring color-themed fits. You may need to purchase a preselected collection of tees and other items in both colors so kids can trade with their bunk rivals. Up their game with versatile, shareable things like colored hair chalk, face paint, ribbons, nail polish, scrunchies, tutus, socks, shoelaces, and supplies to make color-war inspired friendship bracelets. If you want to invest a bit more, a hoodie in each camp color will also make sure they’re warm on cool nights.
DIY TLC
A basic first aid kit with Neosporin, itch cream, cute plastic bandages (we love Welly’s designs), and a tweezer for splinters allows kids to tend to minor boo-boos and bug bites without going to the infirmary, and teaches them self-reliance. There’s even a must-have first aid item: The Bug Bite Thing, an innovative gadget which Corey Phelan Watson regretfully did not pack for her fourth grader last summer, much to his chagrin. “My son was annoyed he was the only one without a mosquito bite sucker,” says the Livingston resident. Packing must-haves like this will make your kid’s day when they need it. And if the kids are happy, so are we.
—Jennifer Kantor is a Maplewood-based parenting and lifestyle writer and a mom of two.
