# Camp packing list

Source: https://backpr.com/resources/templates/camp-packing-list. Last updated: 2026-10-19.

A checklist to send families before camp starts: what to bring every day, on swim days and for overnight camp, plus what to leave at home.

Free download: PDF https://backpr.com/media/templates/backpr-camp-packing-list.pdf · Word https://backpr.com/media/templates/backpr-camp-packing-list.docx · Spanish PDF https://backpr.com/media/templates/backpr-camp-packing-list-es.pdf

> Please label everything with your child's first and last name. Items left in our lost and found are donated after [date or time].

**Every day**
- [ ] Backpack
- [ ] Refillable water bottle
- [ ] Lunch and two snacks, no glass [unless we provide meals]
- [ ] Sunscreen, put on before drop-off, plus a bottle to reapply
- [ ] Hat
- [ ] Sneakers or other closed-toe shoes for running
- [ ] Comfortable clothes that can get dirty
- [ ] Any medicine your child needs during camp hours, handed to staff at drop-off in its original container with our medication form
- [ ] Epinephrine auto-injector or inhaler, if your child has one, with our medication form (we'll tell you whether your child carries it or staff do)

**Swim days ([days])**
- [ ] Swimsuit (wearing it under clothes saves time)
- [ ] Towel
- [ ] Water shoes or sandals
- [ ] Plastic bag for wet things
- [ ] Goggles (optional)

**Good to have**
- [ ] Light rain jacket
- [ ] Change of clothes, especially for younger campers
- [ ] Bug spray (if you gave us permission to apply it)

**Overnight camp only**
- [ ] Sleeping bag, or sheets and a blanket for a [twin] bed
- [ ] Pillow
- [ ] Pajamas
- [ ] Underwear and socks for each day, plus extras
- [ ] Warm layer for cool nights
- [ ] Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and shampoo
- [ ] Shower shoes and a towel
- [ ] Flashlight with extra batteries
- [ ] Laundry bag
- [ ] Addressed, stamped envelopes for letters home

**Please leave at home**
- Phones, tablets, smartwatches and video games
- Money and valuables, unless we ask for spending money
- Toys and trading cards
- Food with nuts [if we ask families not to send nuts]
- Pocketknives or anything that looks like a weapon

**Questions**
Contact [name] at [phone or email].

### How to use it
- Edit the list to match your program. Add swim and field trip days, and remove anything you provide, such as lunch or T-shirts.
- Send it with your welcome letter about a week before camp starts, and again the weekend before.
- Keep spare water bottles, hats and sunscreen for children who forget.
- If you ask families not to send nuts or devices, say so here and in your parent handbook.

**What should kids bring to day camp?**
The basics are a backpack, water bottle, lunch and snacks, sunscreen, a hat, sneakers and clothes that can get dirty, plus a swimsuit and towel on swim days. Any medicine goes to staff at drop-off in its original container. Label everything with your child's name.

**Should campers bring phones?**
Most camps ask children to leave phones at home, or keep them off during the day, so kids stay focused and staff can manage photos and messages. Families can always reach their child by calling the program. Write your rule down and put it on the packing list and in your parent handbook.

Free to use and change, but not legal or medical advice. Check your state's licensing rules and your insurer's requirements, and have a lawyer review any consent or waiver language.