The Complete Summer Camp Packing List for Day Camp

Pack these day camp essentials

Choose containers your child can manage without help. Practice opening the lunch box, water bottle, sunscreen, and backpack zippers before the first day, especially for younger campers.

• A comfortable backpack your child can open and carry
• A refillable water bottle labeled with first and last name
• Lunch and one or two snacks if the camp does not provide food
• A hat with a brim
• Sunscreen, only if the camp permits families to send it
• A light rain layer when the forecast is uncertain
• Any forms or pickup identification requested by the camp

Add a simple clothing backup

For preschool and early elementary campers, pack a complete change of clothes in a labeled zip bag. Include underwear, socks, shorts or pants, and a shirt. Older campers may still benefit from spare socks and a shirt after water play, sports, or a sudden downpour.

Send closed-toe shoes unless the provider clearly says otherwise. Specialty activities may require swim shoes, cleats, dance shoes, or clothing that can get stained.

Prepare for swim and water days

• Swimsuit worn under clothes or packed separately, based on camp instructions
• Towel labeled on a corner or tag
• Goggles if permitted
• Water shoes or sandals if required
• Plastic or waterproof bag for wet items
• Dry underwear and clothes for the trip home

Pack food for heat and activity

Campers often eat more after an active morning. Pack familiar food with enough protein, carbohydrates, fruit or vegetables, and water. Use an insulated lunch bag and cold pack when needed. Check the camp's allergy policy before sending nuts or foods that may be restricted.

Avoid containers that are hard to open and foods that require heating unless the provider confirms it is available. Write your child's name on the lunch box, cold pack, and reusable containers.

Handle sunscreen and bug protection correctly

Apply sunscreen before leaving home. Ask whether staff may remind, supervise, or physically help with reapplication. Some programs require a permission form or a specific type of product. The same questions apply to insect repellent.

If your child must apply their own product, practice at home and choose a container they can use. Do not send aerosol products unless the camp explicitly allows them.

Follow the camp's medication procedure

Never tuck medication into a child's backpack without following the provider's written process. Camps may require original packaging, physician forms, parent authorization, a health-office handoff, or advance review. Ask how emergency medication travels with the group during field trips and outdoor activities.

Label what you would want back

Use first and last name on the backpack, bottle, lunch box, jacket, towel, swim bag, and hat. A laundry marker on a care label is often enough. Decorative name labels work well on smooth containers, but test them before camp because condensation and dishwashers can loosen them.

Leave these items at home

• Valuable jewelry, expensive watches, and sentimental objects
• Personal electronics unless the camp requests them
• Toys, trading cards, and money unless specifically allowed
• Pocketknives, tools, and other restricted gear
• Anything your child cannot independently keep track of

Create a five-minute evening reset

When your child gets home, empty wet items and food containers right away. Refill the water bottle, replace the cold pack, check tomorrow's weather, and restock spare clothes. Keeping a second sunscreen or towel near the bag can prevent rushed searches in the morning.