Summer Camp Packing List: What Kids Need for Sleepaway Camp

Leave out phones, tablets, and gaming devices, which most camps ban, along with expensive jewelry, large amounts of cash, and anything irreplaceable. Food and candy are usually prohibited because they attract pests in cabins. Always check the camp's specific no-bring list.

Plan for about 10 days of outfits plus extras for messy activities, since laundry is typically done once a week. Pack more underwear and socks than days, durable play clothes, one warm layer, a rain jacket, and at least two swimsuits so one can dry.

Use iron-on or stick-on name labels, or a laundry-safe permanent marker, on every clothing item, towel, water bottle, and piece of gear. Labeling everything is the single best defense against the camp lost-and-found, where unlabeled items pile up fast.

Pack a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap or body wash, shampoo, a comb or brush, deodorant for older kids, and any daily medication in its original container handed to the camp nurse. A small caddy keeps it organized for shared bathhouse trips.

It depends on the camp: some provide mattresses needing twin sheets and a blanket, while others expect a sleeping bag. Check the required list. Either way, pack a pillow, an extra blanket for cold nights, and a stuffed animal or comfort item for younger campers.

Send pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelopes or postcards plus paper and a pen so writing home is effortless. Many camps also offer one-way email portals where you write to your camper. Set expectations before drop-off so homesickness doesn't catch anyone off guard.

A sleepaway camp packing list covers bedding (a sleeping bag or twin-XL sheets, a pillow, and an extra blanket), about ten days of durable labeled clothes plus extra underwear and socks, a warm layer and rain jacket, two swimsuits, a toiletry caddy, a flashlight or headlamp, a refillable water bottle, shower shoes, a laundry bag, sunscreen, and bug spray. Add comfort items like a stuffed animal and pre-stamped stationery for writing home. Leave phones, tablets, food, and anything valuable at home, and always check your camp's specific required and prohibited list — it overrides any general list.

A girl's summer camp packing list is the same core list — labeled clothes, bedding, toiletries, a flashlight, and a refillable water bottle — plus a few extras: enough hair ties and a brush or wide-tooth comb, a quick-dry towel, and one-piece or sporty swimsuits that stay put during lake and pool activities. For older girls who have started their period, pack a supply of pads or tampons in a small zip pouch even if it isn't due that week, since camp stores are limited. Skip anything valuable or hard to replace, and label hair clips and accessories too — small items vanish fastest in a shared cabin.

Before you pack, most families shop for a few camp-specific supplies: a trunk or duffel, iron-on or stick-on name labels, a sleeping bag or twin-XL sheets depending on the camp, a flashlight or headlamp with spare batteries, a refillable water bottle, shower shoes, and bulk sunscreen and bug spray for two weeks outdoors. Buy clothing in cheap multiples you won't mind losing rather than new outfits. Always cross-check your shopping list against the camp's own required-items list before buying, so you don't double up on gear the camp already provides.

This list doesn't cover cash directly, since it varies so much by camp. Many sleepaway camps run their canteen or camp store on a prepaid account system instead of cash — you deposit funds ahead of time or at drop-off, and your child draws down the balance for snacks or camp swag — while other camps don't allow spending money at all. Check your specific camp's policy on cash, canteen accounts, and camp-store limits before drop-off, since it varies widely by camp.