Getting children ready for different adventures and transitions in life is both very fun and scary. This summer, my oldest had his first sleep-away camp. As the week got closer, this momma’s excitement and anxiety increased. To ease some of my concerns, I went into planning mode. Luckily for this particular camp, it came with a packing list. I looked at the list and thought about how to pack it in the best way to minimize his stress and hopefully help ensure everything returned when the week was done.
Clothing –
We packed underwear, shirts, and shorts in 1-gallon bags each day. Then we labeled the bags with the day of the week. This momma bear might have gone a little further and written out simple notes daily for him to read (all done while my husband rolled his eyes). All his pajamas were also bagged separately in different bags, including a pair of pants and a sweatshirt. Since my son was going to a scout camp where he would be outside camping all week, we also did a one-gallon zip lock with just socks.
Now the reality is that my son may not listen. I suggested to my son that when he went to shower or change for the day, he take out the clean outfit and place the dirty stuff in the zip lock. This would help with keeping dirty separate from clean and help with the unpacking process when he returned.
First Aid and Hygiene –
In a one-gallon zip lock, he had his first aid essentials, Band-aids, Neosporin, and some oil rollers that we use in our home and have proven to be useful for the outdoors.
- Tea Tree Roller
- Bug Bite Roller
- Lavender Roller
- Tea Tree Spray
In another bag, we put sunscreens and bug spray. For this particular camp, we were unable to give anything in an aerosol can. We found bug spray wipes and lotions. In another gallon zip lock, we placed all that he would need for the shower and bathroom. We found a 3-1 soap, and travel toothpaste with brushes (toothbrush covers).
Personal Touches –
Now that all the necessities were packed, we gathered some more personal items. In a book bag, he put some things he wanted to bring, i.e., books, a notebook, and a camera. Since this was his first time away from us, we made him a bracelet with a note that said I would wear the same one all week to remind him that we were thinking of him while he was gone. We also put an extra bracelet in his bag. Should he lose one, he would have a backup.
Fast forward to unpacking. It was a success! I opened up his bag, and not only did it not explode in my face, but it also prevented some unnecessary washing. We were able to dump the dirty bags right into the wash. Clothes that were not worn were still neatly closed up in bags. Woot Woot! This made his time away easy and coming home stress-free.
We hope this can help to calm what can be a chaotic process. Please let us know if you have any things that you may have added to this process. We hope your little ones (big ones) have a great time at camp.