I was overwhelmed when Nina, my 8 year old daughter was getting ready to go to sleep-away camp. If you also find the organizing difficult, I hope that this post on how to pack for sleep-away camp will help!
1. Gather your stuff
- Start EARLY in case you need to shop for anything (wish I had thought of that sooner! Nina goes away in six days and I just stared, which means I had to pay for expedited shipping 😬)
- Take everything out of your drawers and closets (especially a good idea when you have put off spring cleaning!)
- Consult the child about what s/he MUST have and s/he absolutely would NEVER even consider bringing (!)
- make your (now angry) child try on clothes to be sure they still fit
- make three piles: to pack; to stay home; and to donate
STEP 1 – how to pack for sleep-away camp
2. Decide how much you REALLY need
- print the list that your camp provides; use it as a guide and checklist
- eliminate things that you know that your child will not use (for us, that included top sheets for the bed)
- add things you know your child CAN’T LIVE (!) without
3. Label EVERYTHING!
- I used Mabel’s Labels since Nina’s school had done a fundraiser with that company, and I had used them in the past with good results
4. Group like items and package them
- Our categories included bedding, towels, swim, sleep, tee shirts, long sleeves, pants, shorts, occasion wear and olympics gear
- Bag the items to ease the unpacking experience. I used Hefty Jumbo Sliders, but you could go fancy and use packing cubes or go the opposite way and recycle grocery bags
- label your bags
Step 4 – how to pack for sleep-away camp
5. Add special gifts throughout (optional)
Obviously this is not necessary, but I wanted to, so I added the following secret items that Nina will find when she unpacks:
- Blanket with a special photo: Ours was a picture of Dexter, who Nina adores. I made this one on Shutterfly
blanket with a photo of our dog
Special gift for sleep-away camp
- Some games, emoji tattoos and bubbles to help break the ice amongst bunk-mates
Step 5 – how to pack for sleep-away camp
- A journal and some pens in a cool pouch
Special gifts to add to luggage for camp