Sleepaway Camp Gear & Accessories
It's almost time to pack for sleepaway camp! While each camp requires different clothing & bedding, all kids need similar "comfort gear"/accessories when they're at camp - here's the best of the best!
Three months from today we take my daughter C(8) to a 3-week-long sleepaway camp! She’s going away to an all-girls camp in Maine, and she is super excited for the new adventure that a long sleepaway camp will bring! As her mom, and as a “Type A Mom”, I’ve been planning and researching great ways to prep her so she has a fantastic time and is prepared for whatever happens!
The biggest thing I need to do is pack 2 large trunks that are filled with everything she will need while away from home. Her camp sent us a list of everything that is required to bring (clothes, shoes, bedding, toiletries, etc.) and the date by which we need to send the trunks to the camp (they require us to send those trunks ahead of time with a specific trunk shipping company). I looked at the dates last week and saw that the date by which we need to order the camp uniform clothing is March 31st, and the date we need to send the packed trunks is April 15th! That is SO SOON! So, since I’m me, I want to get this started now so we have time to adjust as needed for her to have a great experience.
I ordered all the camp uniform items and personalized camp trunks to pack everything in on Friday, and now I need to focus on the gear and accessories that she’ll need while there. Since those items are usually the comfort items and fun items (like cute cozy blankets, special twinkling lights for the bunk bed, different accessories needed for camp skits, etc.) I set out to research the best of the best of those accessories so that I could make sure my daughter is prepared, and so I could share them here so your kids have a great time at camp too!
My kids have been to week-long sleepaway camps so I know a lot about the basics of what they need to be away from home for a while. But, this is my first time sending a kid to a 3-week-long sleepaway camp so to confirm what extra gear worked great at a 1 week camp will also be great at a 3 week camp, and to see what additional stuff kids need, I reached out to friends who have sent their kids to longer sleepaway camps for years, and who are other Type A Moms like I am😊 When I thought about what my kids needed at 1 week camps and heard what my friends said their kids needed at longer camps, it was very similar - it’s clear that there are some universal items that kids love having at camp no matter what camp they’re attending. And, some of these items are actually very valuable to kids when they’re making friends since there is a lot of trading that goes on at camp!
I have compiled the best items my kids used at their week-long sleepaway camps, plus the suggestions from my fellow Type A Mom friends who’ve sent their kids to longer sleepaway camps, into one shoppable list. I made sure there were a few options for items, but that all are what kids need, want, and will value while away from home. I hope these ideas help you when you prep for your kid’s sleepaway camp experience!
🏕️Click here for Type A Mom’s Sleepaway Camp Gear & Accessories List🏕️
A few items I want to highlight from that compiled list:
SLEEPING BAG
In my kids’ experience, the sleeping bag MUST be a “stuff sack” style which means you simply stuff it into its bag - it is so much easier than rolling the bag and trying to make it fit into a small bag. Also, look for a sleeping bag with a small pocket inside of it right at the top so that your kid can put a small flashlight there (and so you can pack a note to them before you send it to camp that they can find and feel loved when they read!)
STATIONARY
Whatever stationary you choose, it’s a good idea to pre-address the envelopes - that way it will ensure it arrives to you!
LABELS
These are a necessity and usually required by every camp. I love Mabel’s Labels and have used them for years and found them to be indestructible on water bottles, in clothing, on bags, etc. I also love their stamp for the inside of clothes. One friend told me she sends the stamp with her daughter to camp just in case a label falls off so she can stamp it there - consider doing that or sending a sharpie with them!
CRAZY CREEK CHAIR
These are all the rage with kids! A plain one is great, but there are also airbrushed personalized ones that kids love!
FLASHLIGHTS/LANTERNS/HEAD LAMPS
Flashlights are usually a required item for camp! I like to get a few different sizes for different needs. A larger one for walking to and from evening activities, small ones that can fit easily inside sleeping bag pockets or in bed (I always stash these in my kids’ sleeping bag pockets and in the small pocket of their backpacks), lanterns/glowing bulbs for cozy lighting in bed or while walking around camp, and a headlamp for walking to and from cabins at night (my kids are obsessed with their headlamps).
CROCS/JIBBITZ
Crocs are the ultimate camp shoe. And, at many camps, trading Jibbitz is a camp rite-of-passage. So be sure to get Crocs that fit and then send many different kinds of Jibbitz so your kid has lots to trade with other kids - it’s a great way to make friends!
BATTERIES
Send too many batteries so kids can keep using flashlights, fans, twinkle lights, etc.!
COSTUMES FOR SKITS
There are a lot of fun camp dress up days and skits! Pack some fun/quirky items that can be used for different events - tutus are a big hit for girls and easy to pack! Also, if the camp session is during 4th of July, pack red, white and blue accessories!
CABOODLE
Yes, the same Caboodles we all had (or wanted) when we were young are back in demand for kids today! Kids use these as a makeshift side table/vanity that they keep in their bunk or on their dresser, and they fill it with hair ties, Chapstick, personal trinkets, and more! They’re available in tons of colors.
COZY BUNK ITEMS
Their bunk (bed) is the main personal space the kids have while away from home, so it needs to be a home-away-from-home of sorts. Think cute blankets to cuddle with when hanging out on top of their comforter, a cozy big arm lounge pillow to sit with and color/write letters/relax, some battery powered twinkle lights to make the space warm, and family pictures and art taped up on the wall next to them. Anything that you know your kid will love to see and feel when they’re taking some time to themselves!
As I go through all these “extras” that I’ll be sending with C(8) to sleepaway camp, I am getting so excited for her and for all the amazing adventures she’s going to have and the memories she’s going to make this summer. I hope that sending her with all these items will help make her experience even more fun, and I’m so grateful to my fellow Type A Mom friends for chatting and sharing their packing experience information with me💜
Hope this newsletter and the full list of Type A Mom’s Sleepaway Camp Gear & Accessories (click here to access it!) that I put together helps you prepare your kids for a wonderful summer!
❤️, Amanda, your Type A Mom friend
amazing list!!!