Preparing Your Child for Success at Summer Camp

Sending your child or teen to overnight summer camp for the first time? Want a few easy tips and strategies to help get them ready for camp? While some anxiousness and homesickness is normal and unavoidable, the more prepared your child is, the more ready they’ll be to conquer their first summer away. So let’s take a look at some simple ways on how best to prepare your child for success at overnight summer camp:

Key Points

• Before camp: Familiarize them with the camp, encourage questions, and talk about what to expect
• During camp: Be hands-off, write them positive letters without negative messaging
• After camp: Allow them to adjust, have some chill activities ready if needed

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Before Camp

Review camp materials together (videos, schedule, activities)

Nobody likes going into anything blind, especially kids. So it’s important you sit down with them and go through the camp’s website or welcome packet together to help them get a better sense of what to expect before they get there. This is also a great way to get them excited about going and serves as an opportunity for them to ask questions.

Normalize their feelings and encourage them to ask questions

Talk with them about how they are feeling. Give them a chance to voice any fears or concerns they have and validate them but don’t feed into them. Let them lead this discovery and simply help guide them with follow up questions like “why do you think that?” or “what about that makes you nervous?”

Talk about homesickness and strategies to use

For some kids, hearing ‘homesick’ can imply they have an illness when they simply miss home. Explain that it’s not a real sickness but a normal feeling that even veteran campers experience and usually doesn’t last longer than a day or two. We encourage you to read our more in depth guide on preparing for and conquering homesickness.

Avoid making the “I will come get you” deal

You are 100% setting your kid up for failure by doing this. Avoid any language or messaging related to the idea of “if you don’t like it, I will come get you” as this undermines your child’s ability to grow and build resilience and independence.

Talk about communal living

One of the biggest (and most fun) aspects of camp is bunk life. However, a shared living environment with other kids and counselors can be a bit of an adjustment. So talk to them about respecting other’s space, belongings, and privacy. Remind them of the importance of compromise and working together, and how their actions (or inactions) can impact those around them.

Involve them in packing and label everything

Don’t send your child to camp with too much stuff and label everything (yes, everything). Involve your kid in the packing process as well so they know what they have with them. Read our helpful guide on packing tips for sleepaway camp for more details.

Build them up with excitement

Always focus on the positives of the camp experience– from daily activities to evening events to the friends they’ll make. Try to frame any concerns or questions they have in both a truthful and positive light.

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During Camp

Write to them but be mindful of what you share

Campers of all ages love receiving mail or letters while at camp. However, it’s very important to be thoughtful about what you write. Avoid any language or messaging that implies they are missing out on anything back home. Here are some examples:

What to avoid mentioning:

• Don’t say how much fun you or their siblings are having at home
• Don’t share that you visited grandparents, friends or did something special
• Don’t mention how much you miss them
• Don’t ask if they’re homesick
• Don’t share anything negative

What you should talk about:

• Make home seem uneventful or how they aren’t missing out on much
• Remind them how jealous you are of all the fun they are having
• Ask them about things at camp (new friends, activities, events, funny stories)
• Be positive, reassuring, and encouraging when possible

Be hands-off, let them thrive

For some parents, it’s hard to take a step back and allow their kids room to grow on their own. It’s important you be hands-off and let your child fully immerse themselves in this experience. Avoid trying to control or influence their journey from afar, and don’t expect constant updates. Trust the camp to handle any issues and allow your child to grow independently, build resilience, and make decisions on their own.

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After Camp

Give them time to adjust

A common mistake first-time camp families can make is planning a trip or a lot of activities immediately following camp. Overnight camp can be an incredibly fulfilling experience for kids but also a very draining one. It’s important you set aside a few lazy days for them to rest and adjust back to “normal” life.

‘Campsickness’ is real

Most campers returning home experience some amount of ‘campsickness’ for a few days. Yes, they’re happy to be back and see you, but they’ll be missing their summer friends and the camp lifestyle they had grown accustomed to. As with homesickness, the only solution is time and distraction so it might be a good idea to have some easy plans ready to keep them busy or even schedule a FaceTime with a friend from camp.

If they want to return next summer, sign up ASAP

Ask any veteran camp family and most agree that you should re-enroll sooner than later. Many camps offer a short window for returning families to secure their spot before general enrollment opens to new families or those waitlisted from the previous summer. So take advantage to avoid possible disappointment. Plus, early enrollment discounts can save you some money as well.