The Summer Camp Morning Prep Checklist!

Be ready for a great camp experience with these tips!

The first day of camp is exciting and sometimes overwhelming. While the kids are counting down the days until summer begins, parents are busy planning the summer routines and making sure that everything still runs smoothly on a new schedule. In order to ensure a smooth transition and guarantee a solid summer camp routine, follow this simple checklist for a great first day that sets the tone for the whole camp season!

[   ] Create Your Own Morning Checklist!

To stay on top of your morning routine, create a checklist with all of the camp essentials needed for each day. Place the checklist right next to the door so you’ll never leave the house without being 100% prepared. You can use the items in this checklist as your guide, or you can even add your own specific ideas and needs as you see fit.

[   ] A Good Night’s Sleep, a Healthy Breakfast, and a Positive Attitude!

The best way to start your child’s camp experience is for them to be physically and mentally prepared before even leaving the house. Sleeping 8-9 hours the night before, eating a complete, nutritious breakfast, and getting mentally psyched about camp are perfect ways for your child to put their best foot forward. If they are going to a musical theater camp, listen to the musical soundtrack with your child a few times leading up to the beginning of camp to get excited. If some of your child’s friends will be going to the same camp, gather them all together the weekend before to hang out and talk about how much they’re looking forward to camp. If your child is well-rested, fully satiated, and feeling good and positive, they will have the most amazing time.

[   ] Lunch & Snack: Quality AND Quantity

Proper hydration and nutrition are critical for a child’s overall sense of enjoyment and ability to completely partake in the summer camp experience. In addition to a great lunch, it’s also important to bring lots of water, a mid-morning snack, and depending on how long your child’s camp day is, a late afternoon snack as well. It’s best to overpack their lunchbox to ensure that they have enough food to get through the day, especially at camps that involve lots of physical activity. After a couple of days of lunch-making, you’ll have a good gauge of how much food to pack daily. It would be terrible if your child could not 100% engage with camp curriculum because they were too hungry or thirsty halfway through the day. A good snack amount is a fruit or veggie with pretzels or a granola bar plus water. A good-sized lunch has lots of water, an entrée (like a sandwich or pasta dish) plus a fruit or veggie with pita chips or crackers. If you’re unsure of what to pack or if you know that the camp location has food restrictions (many camps and schools prohibit nuts, for example, due to allergies), always double-check with the camp office. Making sure they have quality foods and beverages from day one on will set them up for camp success.

[   ] Medical & Emergency-Related Items

If your child has allergies, special needs, or other medical conditions (like diabetes or epilepsy, among others), disclose this to the camp office during the registration process in the weeks leading up to camp. On the first day, make sure that you get there a little early to introduce yourself and your child to the onsite camp director and talk with them about your child’s needs. The director should already have a copy of the written health plan that you provided to the camp office, and you can take time to go over the plan with them once more. This is the time to give them any medications, inhalers, Epi-Pens, or other medical devices that your child may need (and have their name clearly labeled on them), review instructions for the devices, and then the director will store it in a safe, easily accessible first aid kit for the duration of the camp session. Additionally, if there are any other pieces of emergency information that the camp needs, like the names of people authorized to pick up or drop off your child, getting there early to hand it off to the director will make certain that it is kept safe.

[   ] Appropriate Clothing

Make sure that the clothes your child wears to camp (or brings to change into) are appropriate for camp activities. Unless your child is going to a beach or pool camp, keep the flip flops at home and bring some comfortable shoes that they can wear for physical activities. An extra layer, like a sweater or hoodie, can be helpful on early summer days when there are cool mornings and hot afternoons. And of course, if your daughter is wearing a dress or a skirt, make sure she has some leggings or shorts underneath for ease of movement. If you have any questions about the specific dress code of the camp, always check ahead of time so your child’s wardrobe is summer camp ready.

[   ] Activity-Specific Gear

Forgetting to bring any gear that’s essential to participating in camp activities can put a damper on your child’s camp day, so it’s extra important to remember these items. For example, if your child is going to photography camp, it is vital that they bring their digital camera with them every day so that they can take part in the camp curriculum. Some camps may provide materials for you (like a filmmaking camp providing the cameras) or they may provide some but not all of the gear (soccer camp may provide jerseys and balls but ask children to bring their own cleats). It’s important to double-check with the camp ahead of time about things that they’ll need to bring so that you have everything prepared before day one.

[   ] Putting the Pick-up Plan in Place

Of course, you will have already made arrangements for drop-off and pick-up before camp begins, but it’s always helpful to go over it again with your child the morning of the first camp day. Particularly when you have a younger camper, it’s important to get the drop-off/pick-up routine down so that they feel comfortable at camp and so they know what their day will look like. Make sure your child (and the camp) know who will pick them up if it’s not you, and make sure they know when they’ll be picked up from camp. For example, if camp officially ends at 3pm but your child will be at the extended care program until 5pm, be sure that your child knows that they will be picked up at 5pm. It will be very disorienting for them when their friends are picked up at 3pm and they don’t know when they’ll be going home. Knowing when they’ll be picked up will give them a sense of security that will allow them to enjoy the whole camp day.

While you know what to do and bring for the first day, it’s just as essential to be aware of what not to bring:

DO NOT BRING:

·  Items that hold significant sentimental or financial value to your child or your family. Bringing your 5-year-old’s favorite toy might seem like a good way to calm their separation anxiety, but if the toy was lost, it would ruin your child’s experience at camp. Likewise, taking expensive items like designer clothing, makeup, and other things that require a large financial investment to replace is not recommended as they could also get lost as the campers move around throughout the day.

·  While cell phones will be stored in a safe space for use after the camp day ends, any other technology (handheld gaming devices, tablets, etc.) should be left at home unless needed for camp curriculum.

·  A good rule of thumb~ If your child’s school would not allow the item on campus, then there’s a good chance that the camp site does not allow it, either. Always double-check your child’s backpack to make sure they don’t accidentally bring something along with them that is not allowed.

Preparing for summer camp is essential in creating a fun and memorable summer experience for children. Feeling ready on the first day and every day will ensure that they can fully absorb the camp curriculum, connect with campers and counselors, and have a great time.

PAW’s award-winning camps for kids ages 5-14 include Musical Theater, Filmmaking, Guitar,  Magic, Photography, Rock The Mic, Stage F/X Makeup, Debate Camp & Camp LOL!

Trusted for over 30 years, PAW has 10 camp locations to choose from including; Brentwood, West LA, Manhattan Beach, RPV, Redondo Beach, El Segundo, East Pasadena, Old Town Pasadena, Northridge, and Studio City. For camp information call us at (310) 827-8827 or check out our website at www.PerformingArtsWorkshops.com.

Performing Arts Workshops ~ the ultimate ARTS experience.
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