Camp Readiness

Are your kids ready for camp?

By Monica Waggoner, Camp Omni parent and counselor

A lot of parents ask themselves if their child is ready for a week of resident camp. At eight years old or even older, we wonder if they’ll be all right on their own, or if we shouldn’t wait another year (or ten) to send them off.

Resident camp is an amazing opportunity for your child to explore who they are outside the context of their family. Homesickness is common; it lets us know that our homes are important places that we’re securely attached to… but learning entirely new interests and skills is also common, and provides them with valuable development.

That said, it’s helpful to know what skills your child needs to succeed at camp. Here’s what some kids have found challenging, and how you can set your child up for success.

Hygiene: Campers will need to shower by themselves, brush their own teeth, change their clothes, and brush or comb their hair. Staff assistance with these tasks is extremely limited because it can cause confusing and upsetting situations. Getting out of a wet swimsuit unassisted can be a difficult task for younger children. Have your child practice these skills at home a few times with you available to evaluate and provide assistance if necessary. Where possible, give them verbal assistance, pointing out how to do it themselves. You may be surprised by how much they can do on their own… and they may also surprise themselves! 

You may also find that your child needs different equipment to do things themselves, such as a comb with a handle that is a good size for their hand, or a different type of toothpaste tube. Setting them up for success can be simple and rewarding for both of you.

Getting dressed: Make sure that your child can manipulate any buttons, snaps, or zippers on the clothes that are packed with them, and that they can get in and out of their clothes alone (like taking off a snug-fitting t-shirt). Private spaces are available for changing.

Luggage: Your child will probably need some help packing, but you won’t be there when it’s time to get what they need. Make sure they know what is packed, and where to find it. Get them involved in the packing process as much as possible. Help them learn basic clothes folding… it will make it easier for them to pack up at the end of camp! 

Sleeping bags are a part of the process that we often forget about. Show them how to roll up their sleeping bag after they’re done using it. 

Mealtimes: At each meal there is one specific entree option, with alternatives for certain dietary limitations (i.e. allergies, vegetarian/vegan, etc.) If your child has strong food preferences, talking about how to communicate that and how to work with the options available may be helpful. All campers wash hands on their way into every meal, but using a napkin to keep hands and face clean during and after the meal may be worth practicing. Cutting up larger food items may also take some practice. 

Siblings and other family relationships: Some children are more comfortable with the idea of going to camp if they go with a sibling. Camp Omni’s policy on siblings is to have them in separate cabins. This helps us to ensure that every child has the opportunity to explore who they are in a new and different context. Siblings are welcome to say hello at mealtimes or spend time together during certain activities like Game Night and the Pastafarian Carnival, but children who expect to be able to rely on a sibling for comfort the whole week should be prepared for a more independent experience. This policy applies throughout camp, even for staff parents whose children are at camp. 

Medications: If your child takes medications, they’ll have assistance with dosing and sticking to their schedule, but with the routine at camp being different, you may want to discuss with them what to expect, such as the difference between taking it when they wake up and when they eat breakfast, for example. If any of their medications are as-needed, check in with them and make sure they know how to communicate when they need it. If the medication routine is changing at camp, such as shifting from a topical to an oral medication, talk about this with your child so they aren’t surprised or worried that they’re missing something.

Other issues: Staff receive extensive training that covers a range of issues, including homesickness, first aid, social navigation, and neurodivergence. If your child experiences the world differently from most kids their age, include that information in your camp registration and discuss it with the health supervisor at check-in. We want to help your kids succeed too, and will use this information with discretion to help them be their best self.