The Ultimate List of Camp Tricks and Tips for the Best Summer Ever
Every year you come to camp you get a little more savvy, figuring out what you like to pack, which classes you love to take, and the little things you need to do to make every summer truly the best one yet. At Greystone, we have a lot of returning families, and they have tons of wisdom to share from all of their years of experience. And that’s exactly what we’re bringing you today!
But before we get there, here’s the most important thing to remember: the best way to do camp is the way that works for your family! So as you read through these ideas, take what’s helpful, and leave the rest. At the end of the day, we are going to take great care of your daughter, and she will have a fantastic time at camp. The rest is just icing on the Birthday Ball cake!
And if you love this kind of thing, you’d probably enjoy being a member of our Greystone Parent Facebook group. It’s filled with other camp families just like you, who love giving their advice and sharing their experiences at camp. Now, on to the tips and tricks!
General Advice:
As far as what we would tell you, the biggest thing to know is that we want to support you in having a great summer: before, during, and after camp, whatever that looks like for you! Our website is packed with resources and information if you want it all, whether that’s general information, preparing for camp, meeting our counselors, or learning the Greystone songs. Subscribe to the Blog to never miss an update, and keep an eye on your email. If you ever have a question or want to talk to someone personally, just reach out, we’d love to talk to you!
- “Talk to someone new every day!” Laura C.
- “Put clear packing tape over the stickers on your trunk- that humidity is a killer!!” Kaki F.
- “For my new incoming Main Campers, rest hour is our favorite time of day so don’t be surprised by how excited we can get over it.” Ella C.
- “We have green and gold items for Challenge Day, and bring them both to Opening Day. Keep both somewhere in your car outside of your trunk and just grab the color you need after you find out your cabin!” Annie M.
- “Make a letter checklist to keep track of who all you have caught up with from home!” Ella C.
- “If you’re a friendship bracelet maker, pack a caribeaner for your water bottle (if you clip the bracelets to that instead it’s so much easier to get them on/off).” Annie M.
- “Pre-write all the addresses you want to send letters to in a notebook (or something like that) so that you won’t forget someone’s address.” Anna S.
- “Approach camp ready to throw yourself into it! Even if you don’t want to get muddy or covered in color powder, you will never look backs and wish you hadn’t thrown yourself into camp.” Annie M.
Packing Advice:
This is a big category, so buckle up! Our Packing page is a great resource to start with, but you can also check out “Packing Norms” to get a sense of what most campers tend to bring. We’ve covered this topic multiple times on our New Camper Blog Series and other places, so check out camper packing tips, helpful hints, and a packing cheat sheet.
- “Ankle length rainboots - trust me on this one.” Eva P.
- “Bring fun dress up stuff… the sillier the better! Multiple bathing suits; you might have a morning wet activity and one in the afternoon. Get a quality rain jacket. My favorite accessory is a Fanny pack: sunscreen, chap stick, you can stick your schedule in there until it is memorized, a couple of bandaids & more!” Kelly M.
- “Bring a bath mat for your bunk.” - Miller W.
- “Collapsible bins to organize your drawer!” Audrey J
- “Shower caddy with holes in bottom so water drains. Printed photos of friends and family are nice to have. You probably need to pack a lot less than you think you do!” Ryan G.
- “Fabric storage bags like these were a game changer. We fill them with all their stuff and then drop them straight into their cabin drawers. Keep things organized during travel and in the cabin!”
- “I print address labels for us, grandparents, and her friends so that she can just peel and stick for those letters home. I also print her return address labels to make that job easier too. I use the leftover return labels (i.e. camp address) for the letters that I mail to her.” Tiffany H.
- “Bring an extra pillowcase or two, get those thin camping towels for the shower/water activities that dry faster than normal towels (the humidity takes a while to dry regular ones), label EVERYTHING at least first initial and last name.” Kathryn A.
- “Let’s be honest here, the 5 million pound egg crate isn’t really worth all that space in your bag. Opt for a mattress cover instead!” Ella C.
- “Bring some kind of light that’s not a handheld flashlight (a headlamp or a small lantern) for Rest Hour” Annie M.
- “For airplane travelers / trunk shippers, purchase a pre-packed small “travel size toiletry kit” from Target for your daughter to use the last 2-3 days after they’ve packed up the trunks for return shipping. My daughters insist on keeping their own bedding until Closing Day. So we try to put as much stuff as possible in the trunk to ship home so they can shove the bedding in the duffle bag on closing morning.” Jennifer A.
- “Always pack wayyyy more stamps than you need.” Annie M.
- “Pack bedding in a big over the shoulder bag (like a big Marshalls’s bag) for the day of arrival - so they can make their bed first thing!”
- “The ziplock vacuum seal bags are perfect for packing your pillow (and you can vacuum them back up in the linen hut at the end of camp!).” Annie M.
- “2 gallon ziplocks are the perfect size. One for underwear, socks bathingsuits, and one with the sets of whites. So they arent temped to wear the white shirt before Sundays! And dont forget nail clippers for bigger girls. 5 weeks is a LONG time.” Mary F.
- “Bring a set of “dirty” clothes- an old pair of sneakers that may not fit quite right anymore, and some shorts and a tshirt that you don’t mind getting very dirty.” Annie M.
Activity Advice:
Depending on your session, your activity schedule may be set for you, or you could be able to make it yourself. No matter how your schedule is made, you are going to LOVE taking classes at camp. Play around on our website before you come to see the kind of activities you have to look forward to!
- “Don’t be afraid to take classes where you don’t know anyone - you’ll meet new friends!” Caroline P.
- “Write your schedule on the back of your nametag.” Annabelle L.
- “Have a designated wet day (ie MWF) then dry day (ie TTS) in your schedule to prevent wearing wet bath suits on land activities/fine arts.” Mary C.
- “Try Synchro at least once! It was a stretch for me but the most fun I’ve had learning something new!” Ellie C.
- “Look at the map to know how close your classes are to each other when you pick your order!” Caroline P.
- “Take at least one class that is way out of your comfort zone. You never know!!” Kelly M.
So there you have it: some of the best advice compiled from our current campers and parents. We hope you’ve gotten an idea or two, but we know we didn’t cover everything. If you have a camp tip or trick to share, comment it below to add to our list! You are the real experts here, and we are so grateful.
But before we close, remember that even if you don’t do ANY of this, your daughter will still have a great summer! Do camp in the way that feels right to you, and we will take care of the rest.