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Sleep-away camp is such a difficult thing to pack for as a parent. You don’t know what they need or what they don’t need. We send our daughter to a Bible camp for a few days in the summer, it is such a rewarding time for her. She can make friends with people that she has never met and learn new things she wouldn’t typically try. She loves camp, but packing for camp is always the worst. I have compiled a list that will definitely help parents who just are not sure what else to bring besides clothes, but I got you covered.
10. Dorcy LED flashlight
This floating water resistent flashlight is an awesome flashlight for kids. My daughter loves how bright it is and its pink! This flashlight is perfect for those late night bathroom runs or flashlight tag!
9. Hardcover Holy Bible
I know some of you are not sending your children to Bible camp and if that’s the case, then forget this one. But for the parents that are sending their child to Bible camp, this bible is so neat. It is easy to read and really cute. The pages are colorful and it actually made my daughter enjoy the Bible study portion of camp. It may seem like just a Bible, but to her its HER Bible and she takes pride in it.
8. Portable Hanging Toiletries Bag
Everyone needs a toiletries bag when they are on vacation or camping. This bag is compact enough for travel size bottles and travel size needs. This bag was nice for her to have so she didn’t have everything all over her tote. This is a nice affordable option for a travel bag.
7. A Cute Pair of Pajamas
I think a really important part of going to camp is getting your child excited to go. Sure, they say they are excited, but are they really. They are leaving their safe place, to meet new people they don’t know, and your child is putting faith in these people to take care of them without mom and/or dad. To get my daughter excited, I bought her a new set of jammies and surprised her with them. She loves new jammies. These jammies from Amazon are perfect for those hot summer nights in a stuffy cabin. They are breathable and are comfortable. They also come in a bunch of different color options, not only that, but you get shorts and pants.
6. Coloring Book
My child is very artsy. She loves coloring and this coloring book is awesome. It is a definite favorite of mine because the messages that are on the pages are the perfect confidence boosters for a girl in an unsure environment.
5. Squishy Toys or some type of Fidget Toy
Squishy toys or fidget toys are perfect for those kids that have this pent-up anxiety. Sometimes these kids do not want to express their frustrations and squishies/fidgets are perfect for this type of camp anxiety. My daughter personally loves squishies, she likes to look at them and keep them as a “pet”. Having something to project their anxieties onto could be a very important step for a successful camp experience.
4. Large Storage Trunk
A large plastic storage trunk is the way to go for packing. Everything fits in there and its hard plastic so it will not get ruined. Also, instead of packing four bags and squishing things together, you only need to pack one large trunk.
3. Water Bottle Stickers
These water bottle stickers are awesome. I love items with confidence booster messages. We use these to decorate the inside of the plastic trunk. You can’t not be happy looking at these stickers and they give that little boost of individuality.
2. Mosquito Bands
These mosquito bands are amazing. They are a definite must-have, if you don’t want your child bringing bug spray to camp. They are so colorful and fun, they come in resealable pouches, and you can get a couple of uses out of one single band. So put this on your shopping list!
1. Hand written letters
This is the most important thing you can do for your child who is either unsure about camp or is absolutely excited about camp. I wrote seven letters for everyday my daughter was a camp. Each letter included my sage and all-knowing wisdom, a snack of some sort and a hand drawn picture. These letters were so important to her, she still has all of them in her dresser.
Overview
All of these items, I have personally used, and I believe each one will help a parent sending their child or children to camp, especially, for the first time. I hated not knowing what to send to camp with her, but I hope this list helps a few people with making decisions.
Be a Cupcake in a world of Monsters.
