Tips to Prepare You and Your Children for Camp!

With camp just around the corner, we at Canaan wanted to give you and your camper some quick tips on how to prepare!

• Bring a Backpack: For day campers, be sure to bring a backpack and fill it with everything they’ll need for the day. This will make it easier for your camper to find their items throughout their week of camp.
• Change of Clothes: We mention this in our last blog post but be sure to bring an extra change of clothes. Camp can be messy and after particular activities, it can be nice to change into a fresh change of clothes.
• And speaking of dirty activities ….. we highly recomend not packing your campers nicest clothes, shoes etc… Your child will be outdoors all day and will get dirty! We’ve spoken to many parents who will purchase their camper an inexpensive pair of shoes for their week of camp.
• Swim Shoes: Don’t forget a pair of strapped sandals or swim shoes. These always come in handy for some of our water activities on the island.
• Don’t Forget the Evenings: Resident Campers should pack a long sleeve shirt or hoodie. While it’s hot during the day, some of the nights can be chilly.
• Pack a Hat for the Week: We always encourage anything to protect your camper from the sun and a hat is a great idea. From kayaking to playing on the sports field, a hat is a great option to keep your camper safe from the sun.
• Write Your Campers Name: Be sure to write your campers name on their items especially water bottles, swim goggles, lunch boxes and towels. We typically see these items left at camp and they’re easier to locate and return if we have a first and last name written on the item.
• Keep things Cool: Pack your day camper’s lunchbox with an icepack. We have the campers store their bags and lunchbox in a cubby which is shaded but it can still get pretty warm. An icepack will help keep their food at a nice temperature and ready for lunch time! Also, remember to pack foods that are full of energy to keep your kids moving and active throughout the day. Lastly, consider packing a Gatorade or Powerade for lunch to provide some electrolytes.
• Be a Friend: If your child has never been to camp, encourage them to be themselves, camp is a wonderful place to find new friends. If your child is a returning camper, encourage them to find a camper they’ve never seen at Canaan before and welcome them to the island!

These are some of our favorite tips for preparing for camp. Do you have any tips that you’d like to share? Feel free to send them to connect@campcanaan.org!