Getting Camp-Ready: Setting Your Child Up for Success

This post was originally written for Summer 365 and adapted from our April 2025 post Preparing for Camp with School in Mind.

Tulips are blooming, state-tests are behind us, and your parental focus is likely beginning to shift from the school year to the summer ahead. As camp preparations kick into high gear, Opening Day may start to loom larger in your child’s mind. What was once a distant, abstract idea is now a concrete reality. There are packing lists, doctor visits, group chats, and classroom chatter. Whether your child lives the fabled “ten months for two,” or is newly embarking on their camp journey, there is no right way for them to feel. And, most of the time, mixed, and big, emotions are present. 

As a parent, you may be feeling a range of emotions as well. At the same time, you believe in the power of the camp experience. Camp is increasingly recognized as a rare opportunity for kids to return to “kiddom”—to unplug, be outdoors, have fun, and decompress from the pressures of the school year. While camp can and should be an empowering reset, achieving that requires intentional preparation. Below are a few ways to help set your child, and yourself, up for success.

Validate Nerves & Instill Confidence 

Camp nerves are healthy. They demonstrate that a child is processing the upcoming experience and that they feel secure in their home environment. Homesickness, too, is natural, and almost all campers (and staff!) experience a degree of it. Say that to your child simply and clearly. 

Validate your child’s feelings, but just as importantly, affirm their readiness. Let them feel your confidence. Communicate that you trust them, believe in their independence, and are excited, not apprehensive, about their experience. Avoid bargaining: “you can always come home,” and instead offer reassurance: “I know you’ll experience so many wonderful things.” Reinforce that an incredible experience filled with growth awaits them, and that counselors and staff are there to help them navigate hard moments

At the same time, if your child isn’t feeling worried, there’s no need to introduce concern. Focus on the known positives—favorite activities, new friendships, and beloved traditions. Your child will take their emotional cues from you, so lead with calm confidence.

Reflect on Your Child’s School Year

Your kid is still the same kid, even in a different environment. There is more overlap between camp life and school life than meets the eye. Both involve structured days, shared spaces, transitions, responsibilities, constant social interaction, and navigating relationships with a wide range of peers. Reflecting on their school experiences can help you anticipate areas where they may need support, and where they are already equipped to thrive.

Apply school challenges to the camp context. A child who struggles with losing in a classroom game may face similar challenges during camp competitions. Difficulties in group work or recess might translate to unstructured social time at camp. Of course, these behaviors are not inherently causes for concern. However, consider the potential underlying skills, like time-management, persistence through challenging tasks, stamina, etc., to help pinpoint potential camp stressors, and consider how to support those at home before camp begins.

At the same time, help your child recognize their strengths, and use those to build their camp-ready toolkit.  If they’ve developed friendships at school, remind them that they already have the skills to do the same at camp. Connecting the dots between successful experiences at home and their positive skills and attributes, empowers your child to see themselves as capable and ready for the unknowns ahead. 

Build Camp-Ready Routines

Practicing ways of camp-life at home is key to ensuring success over the summer. Whether it is your child’s first summer or eighth, camp is outside many comfort zones, and requires a great deal of stamina. Feeling comfortable and confident with daily routines frees up brain power and emotional space for kids to demonstrate flexibility and resilience in trickier moments. 

If your child often relies on technology before bed or to decompress (iPad, TV, music, etc.), get them hooked on a new camp-approved routine before summer. Have them listen to music on a camp approved device, read, letter-write, draw, or try some other relaxing, tech-free, independent activity.  If you are packing your camper with a music device, make sure they know how to use this device! Pre-set a “before bed” playlist or decide on a before bed book or activity. Unsure of what is allowed or typical at your kid’s camp? Ask! 

Some other key camp-life routines worth practicing could be cleaning their bedroom before school, greater independence dressing/undressing and with personal hygiene, keeping track of belongings, serving themselves food, etc. 

Communicate with Camp

Even if you don’t have any specific concerns, share how your child is feeling about the upcoming summer.  If your camp provides intake forms or “confidential” notes, treat them as meaningful opportunities to provide insights, not formalities. Be clear, concise, and honest, keeping in mind that this information is used as an important tool by camp staff. Share recent developments, stressors, and what helps your child regulate or relax. The more insight staff have, the better they can support your child from day one.

It’s also worth asking how your camp approaches camper support. Some camps now have structured systems, such as Camper Care Teams, that focus on the emotional wellbeing and overall success of campers. If your child may need extra support (during transitions, in social settings, etc.), understand how those plans will be implemented and communicated. By partnering with camp professionals from the start, and trusting their experience, you set the tone for a smoother transition, and open the line of communication for the weeks to come.

Have a Plan for Opening Day 

Whether your kid is getting on a bus to camp, or you’re dropping off in person, fast and positive goodbyes are key to helping your child transition to camp. It is normal for this moment to feel a bit awkward. Campers are often nervous and don’t know how to balance meeting peers with family goodbyes. Your goal is to help them step into the experience. Have a plan and keep your time structured: say hello to staff, to peers, and then say a calm, confident goodbye. Avoid lingering. Let counselors handle the settling in. Signal to your camper that you know they are in good hands.

Save reminders for beforehand—goodbyes are not the moment for last-minute instructions. Be mindful of your reactions to details like bus seats or bunk setup or organization; kids are highly attuned to adult emotions. If you have a concern, even something as innocuous as car-sickness for the upcoming ride, address it privately with staff. Above all, stay positive. Tell your child how proud you are and how excited you are for this next step. Your confidence will help carry them forward.

Sending your child to camp is an act of trust – in them, in the staff, and in the experience itself. Even for seasoned campers, the home-to-camp transition can bring a complex mix of emotions. With thoughtful preparation, clear communication, and steady confidence, you allow excitement to take the lead over doubt, empowering your child to embrace new challenges and grow.

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