Summer camp packing list
Packed for a week away from home rather than a day out — name everything, and pack for the child who loses a jumper, not the one who keeps track of it.
23 items
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
The items
- Camp's own kit list checked firstCamps are specific about what's needed and what's banned — check it before packing anything else on this list.
- Underwear and socks×7One per day plus a spare, named individually if the laundry at camp doesn't sort by owner.
- T-shirts and shorts or trousers×6
- Warm layer for the eveningsEven a summer camp gets cold once the sun goes down.
- Waterproof coatA week outdoors with no rain gear is a week spent damp.
- Swimwear and a towelIf there's a pool, lake or water activities on the programme.
- Pyjamas×2
- Wash bag
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Soap or shower gel
- Hairbrush
- Sun cream and insect repellent
- Sturdy shoes plus a spare pairOne pair wet through by day two is normal — a dry spare matters more than it sounds.
- Sleeping bag and a pillowIf it's residential and bedding isn't provided — check the kit list rather than guess.
- TorchFor a dorm or a tent once the lights go out.
- Named kit bag or suitcaseNamed on the outside and, ideally, on the big items inside too — a week of mixed-up socks is not worth the argument it causes.
- Spending money in a labelled envelope or purseWhatever the camp's tuck shop or trip policy allows for.
- Stamped, addressed envelope or notepaperSome camps ask for this so a letter home can actually be posted.
- Any medication, handed to camp staff with your instructionsNot packed loose in a bag — camps expect medication to be declared and held by a leader, not carried by the child.
- Medical and dietary information given to the camp in advanceAllergies, conditions and anything a leader needs to know before the first day, not on arrival.
- Consent and medical forms signed and returned before the deadline
- A way to contact home agreedCheck the camp's phone policy — some hold phones for the week and call a set time instead.
- Kit list checked once more against the packed bagBefore it's zipped, not once you're already at the drop-off.
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- Should I pack medication in my child's bag?
- No — hand it to a leader with your instructions instead. Camps expect medication to be declared and kept by staff, not carried loose by a child.
- How much should everything be named?
- More than feels necessary. A week's worth of mixed-up socks and jumpers is the most common complaint from camps, and initials in the collar solve most of it.
- What if the camp doesn't allow phones?
- Check the policy before you pack one — many hold phones for the week and arrange a set call time instead, which is worth agreeing with your child beforehand.