Camp Huawni Mom Hacks!

Attention all camper moms! As you’re getting ready to send your little one off to summer camp, you’re probably feeling a mix of emotions. You’re excited for them to make new friends and have fun adventures, but you’re also a little nervous about making sure they have everything they need. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of tips and tricks from Huawni moms who have mastered packing for camp. We hope you will benefit from their experience!

1. Put all underwear and socks in separate, big Ziploc bags with your camper’s name on them.
2. Pack lots of swimsuits!
3. Write your camper’s name on EVERYTHING!
4. Pack two nice shirts and two pairs of jeans which may or may not get worn.
5. Put all of your camper’s bedding in the laundry bag on your way to camp so you can easily pull it out and get them set up.
6. Know that everything in your camper’s trunk will come home stinky, wet, and sandy. All of this means they had the best time EVER!!!
7. Use large, see-through zip baggies instead of drawstring bags to help your camper locate things more easily.
8. In addition to a trunk, laundry basket, and laundry bag, send a 3-drawer plastic upright storage container to organize your camper’s items. They can also use it as a nightstand by their bed to put items on top of.
9. Organize using drawstring backpacks for underwear (8-10 pairs), socks (8 pairs), and swimsuits (4-5). .10. Fill laundry square basket with shoes. Consider bringing flip flops, tennis shoes, cleats, closed-toed water shoes, rain boots, and one nicer pair of shoes for Little Red Church / cookout activities. Put the nicer pair in a Ziploc bag in your camper’s trunk so they don’t get ruined from messy everyday shoes.
10. Pack pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelopes, markers to write your camper’s names on their bunks, a couple of games to play in the cabin, camera, and a head lamp.
11. Bring a hard plastic caddy with holes and handle for easy carrying to and from the bathhouse.
12. Pack an extra laundry bag that hangs on the bedpost to put dirty clothes in and separate from wet dirty towels.
13. For younger campers, pack clothes in baggies to keep outfits for events or types of clothes together.
14. Have enough clothes to change multiple times a day in case they get wet or muddy.
15. Pack a shoe basket since shoes get dirty.
16. Pack clothespins for the clothes line.
17. Bring cards or small games for in-cabin time or rainy days.
18. My camper takes 10 shorts, 10 t’s, 2 jeans, 4 or 5 bathing suits and enough undergarments for the whole time – this seems to be good with laundry being done (during 2-week sessions).
19. Pack clothes for special events, Little Red Church, etc. in separate spots in their trunks.
20. Pack specific clothes for the hike to the Carving Trees since those always get super muddy!
21. Consider packing a mattress pad.
22. Consider buying towels and washcloths from Wal-Mart ($2-6).
23. Don’t send anything you or your camper would be sad to never see again, and be prepared to wash every single item that returns home… even if it never leaves the trunk!
24. Pack extra batteries for fans and flashlights and pack more sunscreen than you think you’ll need!