Preparing Your Child for Camp
Summer camp is a fun and exciting adventure for your child! It can also raise questions for parents wondering how to prepare kids for outdoor activities and time away from home. There are a few things to keep in mind when your child is heading to camp.
Before they go:
Make sure your child is up to date with a recent wellness or sport physical exam. This will ensure that your child is in good shape for participation in all the activities that camp offers. Checkups also allow your pediatrician to get your child up to date on all age-appropriate vaccines before camp. Some camps will require your doctor to complete a health form before camp attendance.
What to bring:
Many camps will have a suggested list of items to pack such as clothes and other gear. From a health standpoint, it is important that your child have all necessary daily or emergency medications packed and clearly labeled. The camp staff need written instructions on when and how to give your child their medications. It is best to keep children on all their usual daily medications while at camp- this is not the time to take a medication holiday.
It is also important that all kids bring sunscreen and other sun protection (hats, sunglasses, etc.) as well as insect repellent if necessary. We recommend all kids 6 months and older regardless of skin tone wear sunscreen SPF 30 or higher on any sun exposed skin. Sunscreen should be reapplied every 2 hours, especially after water activities or sweating. EPA registered bug sprays using DEET, picaridin, and oil of lemon eucalyptus are safe and effective to prevent insect bites for kids 3 years and older. Permethrin is the most effective product for tick bite prevention and can be used to pre-treat boots, clothing, sleeping bags or other gear.
Discussions to have with your child:
Stephanie Toder, MD
All kids heading to camp should be aware of basic water safety and to never swim without adult supervision. If your child is not a confident swimmer the camp needs to be aware of this before they participate in water activities.
You should review the technique for all self-administered medications with your child such as an Epipen or inhalers. If your child does not know how to self-administer medications yet, please make sure camp staff are trained to do so for them.
Homesickness is a common experience, and it can happen even if this isn’t your child’s first year at camp. It is best to stay positive when talking about camp overall, but before they go it is good to for kids to know that they won’t be alone if they miss home sometimes while they are away.