Steps to Packing for Sleepaway Camp

My daughter is going to sleepaway camp for 3 weeks this summer! She is so excited, and while I am going to miss her so much, I can’t wait for her to have this adventure.

The prep for sleepaway camp is a lot of work… There are medical forms, personal forms, zooms to meet the other campers, and of course, sourcing and packing everything she’ll need (all items here in an Amazon list) for 3 weeks away from home! It’s that last step of sourcing and packing that I just completed and wow - it was A LOT. The camp she’s attending requires the kids’ trunks be shipped ahead of arrival, so that’s why even though she goes in mid-June, I already had to pack and send off her trunks!

When I set out to organize and pack all the items, it was daunting and a MESS! But, I settled in and slogged through it and got it all done… Since I’m your Type A Mom friend, and my job is to help streamline the behind-the-scenes work of parenting, I thought I’d share how I packed it all to help you if you’re also packing for sleepaway camp! And if you’re not, but know someone who is, please forward this on to them since it may be helpful to them😊

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PACKING PREP/BIG PICTURE

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1. I printed out a copy of the sleepaway camp packing checklist I created - boy checklist here and girl checklist here. I built these checklists by combining the official camp list PLUS a list I created of “extras” and fun accessories that kids like to have at camp but are not on that official list. I used those lists as my guide and I crossed off items as I packed to make sure I didn’t forget anything!
2. I ordered items early, had my daughter try them all on, and then exchanged and ordered more as needed.
3. Every time an order would arrive and I knew we were packing it, I’d add it to the dining room pile. Then, once I felt like I had everything on the lists, I set aside time to pack.
4. I packed in this order: clothing, then shoes, then bedding, toiletries, fun stuff, etc. - this was in order of importance so in case I was running short on time for getting new items, I could have enough time to get all the necessities set before finalizing the fun stuff.

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PACKING STEPS

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1. I created a staging and packing zone - in my case, this was our dining room. Key is that this is on the ground floor so the bags are easy to carry out once they're fully loaded! I put every camp item in that room so I knew exactly what I had to pack.
2. I gathered all the packing tools - 2 sizes of Hefty zip bags, a Sharpie that labeled each of those bags, a lot of packing cubes that I labeled with what was inside, and I put name labels/stamps on everything I sent (shirts, underwear, pillow, packing cubes, toothbrushes, books, shoes, sunglasses - everything!!) with Mabel’s Labels stick-on labels and/or their clothing stamp.
3. I set aside my daughter's backpack and kept a separate list of what needs to go in the backpack that she’ll carry with her to camp so that I didn’t pack those items and ship them by mistake! She is riding a bus with other campers for 3 hours, and has to wear a specific opening day shirt and shorts so I set those aside in their own plastic bag to be saved for when she goes to camp. I knew she’d be wearing a pair of sneakers and have a water bottle, so I added those to my backpack list and could cross them off the official camp packing list (which states we need 2 pairs of sneakers and 2 water bottles - this meant I only sent 1 pair of sneakers and 1 water bottle in the trunk). I’m also packing her music player (doesn’t have a screen or Wi-Fi so it’s allowed at camp), her headphones (with wires so she doesn't have to charge them!), her screen-free digital camera to record memories, and her Sticker Beans sticker book and stickers for some entertainment and trading fun with other girls on the bus!
4. I put every item into piles by category and labeled every single thing!
5. I counted how many items I have in each pile and then placed a sticky note on top listing how many are there and how many are needed. Then I added or omitted as needed.
6. I packed each pile into packing cubes, labeled the packing cubes with what's inside and with my daughter's name label. Packing this way meant:
   
   1. I could completely finish packing one category and cross it off my list and never think about it again
   2. I could clearly see what I was missing since I was so focused on one category (I wasn’t distracted by thinking about too many items at once), and that meant I could order/purchase what was missing and then be all set!
7. I packed shoes, toiletries, and accessories into the containers she'll use them in while at camp. This makes setting them up when she unpacks much easier! I kept the toiletries sealed (unopened/brand new) and then bagged them in a plastic bag for extra protection.
8. I gathered all letter writing materials and "quiet time" activities (remember to pack these - there's quiet time every day and kids need things to do! boy list here and girl list here) together and labeled every item with her name. I packed them in containers and/or simple labeled plastic bags for her to arrange when she gets to camp.
9. I packed some "sweet surprises" for her to discover while she's at camp. Since we can't send care packages I wanted to find ways for her to feel special love from me while away - these are items like new Jibbitz for her Crocs with a note in her Caboodle, a goodnight note in the zip pocket of her sleeping bag, a new stuffy, new hair clips, and I always pack letters from me, my husband, and her brothers so she has them to look at right away!
10. I showed my daughter what was packed and had her help me load in items! This way, when she opens her trunk, she’ll know what she has to choose from for different needs.
11. I dragged the bags out of the house!
12. I added the shipping labels and double checked her bag name tags were securely on!
13. Waited for the bags to be picked up and then waved goodbye and CELEBRATED!

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ADDITIONAL DETAILS PLUS PICTURES

Clothes & Shoes

I packed all her clothes by type inside of packing cubes, and added labels on the outside saying what was inside each cube plus her name label on every cube. I put her “special occasion” clothes that she will only wear for certain events (i.e. 4th of July outfit) into a clear plastic bag so she can just keep them in there and take out on that one day. The organized cubes will make it easy for her to unpack and just keep everything together by type, or she can keep the items in the cubes as makeshift drawers since the camp only offers shelves. I packed her shoes into her end of bed shoe organizer and her shower slides into her shower caddy.

Toiletries

I double bagged all the toiletries (shampoo, body wash) in Hefty zip bags and I also kept the items sealed (brand new) to avoid spilling all over everything - my daughter can ask a counselor for help unsealing the new bottles if she needs it. I also put items together by type when packing into plastic bags - and added items she’ll need like nail clippers, bandaids, and toothbrush covers (in case it falls on the floor) that are not on the official lists. I added wipes with the fun face crayons I got for her to use for skits, and got some easy to apply sunscreen (the big stick is going to be easiest) and natural bug deterrent (a continuous spray that’s non aerosol but not a squirt one and also a stick). And I added itch relief patches!

Letter Writing & Art

I grouped the art and letter writing items together. On the inside of her clipboard I taped the addresses she’ll need, and I pre-addressed and stamped envelopes to family to make it easy. I used small storage boxes as a pencil box for her to carry her markers around as needed, and packed a couple empty boxes so she can organize other items when she’s at camp.

The Fun Items

For some fun items, I grouped each of these together: I packed a Caboodle with her hairbrush, hair ties, sunglasses, cute bracelets and necklaces for her to carry around and use. I packed "quiet time" games, coloring books, different stationery, and more (girl list here and boy list here). I added a drawstring simple backpack and casual crossbody/fanny pack for her to carry things around camp. Her music player, digital camera (both of these have no screens so are allowed) and her headphones will be in her backpack with her (they’re stored in a plastic bag right now).

Fans

My daughter said fans are SUPER IMPORTANT at camp! She asked for two bunk fans this year - one for each side of the bed - and of course needs her handheld misting fan! We went through how to change the batteries together - reminder to pack tons of extra batteries!!

Sweet Thoughts

I also sent along a few surprises to help her feel loved while away. I got her a new stuffy in her favorite color for her to snuggle and added a sweet note about how much I love her, I added a sweet dreams note into the top pocket of her sleeping bag for her to discover with a flashlight too, and I bought her some extra Jibbitz for her crocs and added a note for her to discover them.

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Doing all this sourcing and packing was A LOT OF WORK! If you’re going through the sleepaway camp packing process right now, I see you. I truly hope that these ideas are helpful and that they lessen any feelings of overwhelm you may have as you pack🩷

❤️, Amanda, your Type A Mom friend

PS: Camp resources:

‍Click here for the camp “extras” list to send with your kid‍‍

Click here for all camp items in an Amazon list

Click here for girl "quiet time" activities

Click here for boy "quiet time" activities

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