19 Products To Send With Kids Going To Summer Camp

A mix of practical and clever things that'll become your kid's best buddies at summer camp.

Popular items from this list include:

  • A pack of battery-operated portable LED bulbs kids can conveniently clip onto their bunk beds when they need light for late-night reading (or pillow fights — shh, it’s OK, we won’t tell). Plus, these are way cuter than a normal flashlight.

  • A truly ingenious two-in-one Mist ’N Sip water bottle that’ll quench thirst and spray a fine mist to keep them cool during a day of nonstop fun in the sun.

  • Or a teeny but mighty portable misting fan to provide a refreshing mist and cooling breeze when temps soar, while the soft kid-friendly blades won’t accidentally injure little fingers.

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1
A pack of battery-operated portable LED bulbs
FYI, these battery-powered bulbs have three lighting modes: high, low and strobe.

Promising review: "Got these for my daughter for summer camp, and since then my kids have found so many fun uses for them — forts, inside closets, night light. They love them." — Btrevino
2
Amazon
A truly ingenious two-in-one Mist 'N Sip water bottle
Promising review: "Got this for my son to take to summer camp. He likes that mister part in the summer. I am sure more for the fact that he can spray other kids rather than using it to cool himself. Either way it's a water bottle you can freeze, and it stays pretty cold all day. He lost it on the bus the first week of school, but at least he made it through the summer. Guess I will be purchasing another one." — name pen

Promising review: "Perfect for summer camp. My daughter uses these water bottles for summer camp. She loves that she can mist herself. It helps her stay cool when they're outside in the summer heat." — Ladybug7310
3
Or a teeny but mighty portable misting fan
Promising review: "My daughter was the star at summer camp with this! It works really well. Stayed on the whole day; we charged it at night. During those hot and humid days a camp, it was needed. My daughter made a lot of friends; everyone kept coming up to asking for it." — Nobodysbi
4
Amazon
A camp version of Mad Libs
Promising review: "Was looking for cute items to send in summer camp mail. You can't go wrong with Mad Libs. The kids find them hilarious, and this camp version was perfect as a summer camp gift. I love the fact they are also getting quick grammar review when they are doing these Mad Libs." — Joy
5
Amazon
A plant-based bug repellent
Promising review: "This is the best insect repellent I've ever purchased.I sent two middle schoolers to summer camp in the deep woods, each armed with a bottle of this as their only insect protection. Neither one got a single bite. Two weeks later, we took the same two bottles on vacation where the entire family of five applied it twice a day for a week. Again, no bites even while staying out late. After the two weeks of camp and one week vacation, we used less than 25% of each bottle. A little goes a long way. It's long lasting, effective, and no one in my family had a skin reaction to it. Caveat: Don't spray this when people are close to you and downwind. The spray can turn into a fine mist burn eyes. Also, some people may have a bad reaction to the ingredients. If you give this to your kids, make sure they don't share it, and are aware of their surroundings while applying. Still, even with that, I will buy this until they stop making it." — Angry Face
6
Rebecca O'Connell/BuzzFeed
Or a bug bite suction tool
Available in two colors.

Promising review:
"My youngest daughter is always a magnet for mosquitoes (even with repellent) and suffers every summer. We've tried antihistamine cream and pills with little relief. I thought, meh, even if this doesn't work, it was only $10. This. Thing. Is. AWESOME! I already bought an additional three-pack, so I can always have one in my purse and so that my kids can take one with them to camp. This provides instant relief. Of course, the sooner you use it, the better! This is a must for anyone who spends time outdoors." — Justin Stojsih
7
Amazon
An UNO Emoji game
UNO Emoji puts a twist on the regular game with a new type of action card; when you play it along with an emoji face card, the next player has to make and hold the face shown on that card. If they don’t hold the expression for two turns, they have to draw four cards! The first player to reach 500 points wins. When you’re down to one card, don’t forget to yell, "UNO!"

Promising review: "This was a great addition to my surprise summer camp backpack for my daughter. Almost everyone knows how to play UNO, and the fun emojis made the kids laugh." Onthego247
8
A microfiber towel
Available in 10 colors and in six sizes.

Promising review:
"Bought two of these for my boys to use on pool days during summer camp. They worked out great and kept them from lugging a wet terry cloth towel in their bags. They carry them around their necks, and by the time they walked from the pool back to the park, their towels were dry." — RTVM
9
Amazon
And a pack of cooling towels
Just soak the towel in cold water, wring it out, and give it a couple of snaps to feel instant relief.

Promising review: "Really works and cools you off 🧊Saw a mom post about these in a mom group and had to get it. My daughter’s summer camp is outside all day, and the last week was brutal with the temperature in the high 90s. I ordered them hoping they would arrive fast, and they were here within two days. I like how they came with four in different colors with the plastic pouch and colored clips to match. I wet two of the towels and put one in the freezer and one in the fridge. In the morning I put the frozen one in with her lunch. She told me that a bunch of other kids at camp all had these towels and she was really glad she had it. She must have liked it and because she asked me to always pack it on hot days." — Jessica
10
Amazon
A pack of glow in the dark scrunchies
Promising review: "I got them for camp. The girls loved them and got plenty of compliments." — Hannah Dever
11
Amazon
A mini freezable snack box
Available in 10 colors and prints.

Promising review:
"This snack carrier worked great for my oldest child, who used it for summer camp to keep her snacks cold, and it really did keep it cold enough for snack time. I love how spacious it is on the inside; you can really pack a good amount in there. This snack pack is very durable and easy to clean on the inside. I also love it has the pink clip that can clip on to anything, making it easier to carry around, and making it more accessible too!" — Jeanine
12
A large and durable mesh laundry bag
Promising review: "I bought this to send with my son for summer camp, and it did the job.Durable enough that he dragged it across grass, cement, dirt, and sand (because he is lazy), and it did not wear or tear at all. Its size was perfect for a week's worth of laundry as well!" — KiKiBree
13
Amazon
A lightweight folding chair
Available in 13 colors.

Promising review:
"Great camp chair. My daughter brought it to camp, and it was her 'go-to' item for two weeks." —DB0913
14
Amazon
An SPF 70 sunscreen stick
PSA: This stick really works when you apply it properly. Just make sure to remind your kids to spread it evenly.

Promising review: "My son has to put his own sunblock on at summer camp, and he was having a hard time with the lotion (he’s 5, got it in his eyes); this is a lot easier for him!" — Heather

Promising review: "My child was able to self-apply at summer camp, and it was very effective at minimizing his exposure, considering he was outside at the beach six hours a day." — eMonkey
15
Amazon
A bedside storage caddy
Promising review: "Excellent purchase for summer camp! Great for those odds and ends campers need to keep up with but don’t have the cubby space for. For my camper, it held four books, two large spray cans of sunscreen, a large can of bug spray, a small flashlight, two small Kleenex packages, a Chapstick, a small bag of fidget toys, a Rubik’s cube, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. The velcro is strong, thank goodness, and the caddy easily attached to the bunk bed. Delivered without damage and on time as promised. Price point was perfect too. Would recommend to any camper!" — M
16
Amazon
A stylish and practical rolling duffel bag
Available in four sizes and in 32 prints.

Promising review:
"My daughter has several camps this summer and was needing her own bag to pack everything. She is at her second camp now, and this duffel bag is the perfect size to pack all her stuff and still be easy to move around. The wheels come in very handy when the bag is weighed down. Lots of room and stylish." — alice james
17
A pair of cult status Native shoes
Available in 27 colors and in sizes 1 toddler–12 big kid.

Promising review:
"This shoe is perfect for summer camp! My son can run around and play, and also go swimming, and then put it right back on and keep going. I’ll be buying a second and maybe even third pair." — Michelle E.

Promising review: "My son's summer camp does not allow open back sandals such as Crocs, and so while looking for a replacement, found these perfectly comfortable water shoes. He wears them on the regular. Happy son — happy mom!" — Juba
18
Amazon
A headlamp
Available in six colors.

Promising review:
"This was bought for my 12-year-old to use for weeklong overnight camp this summer. It was easy for her to figure out how to handle, and it provided plenty of light. Bonus — it came in purple. It did the job!" — SD
19
A shower caddy
Promising review: "I got this for my son last summer for him to use at summer camp. He said it worked great for him and there was enough individual pockets for him to keep bottles/toothbrush/toothpaste separated. The center section was big enough for a full-size towel to be rolled up in the center. Seems sturdy when there are things in it." — rebelangel

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