We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.
1. Monster hand tattoos, for next-level campfire skits.
2. Glamspin, the lip gloss fidget spinner that remedies both chapped lips and rainy-day boredom.
3. Books! Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give is a brilliant read for slightly older kids. For middle-grade readers, try Lauren Wolk's lovely Beyond the Bright Sea.
4. A clever clothes-pin book light, for undercover reading.
5. A set of scrunchies, because camp is all about tradition, and everything old is new again.
6. A container of red velvet slime, so your kid's new camp friends will see that you're totally up on the ~youth trends~.
8. If you're going to be a sneaky candy smuggler, go for broke and send Haribo.
9. A mini survival kit that comes with a brilliant multi-tool which functions as a compass, a whistle, an emergency light, a thermometer, a signal mirror, and a magnifying glass (among other things).
10. Hair chalk, to dissuade them from more permanent hair-dying attempts (see: Kool-Aid).
11. A non-digital instamatic camera, because what is summer camp if not a celebration of analog memories?
12. Glow-in-the-dark playing cards, for next-level cabin game nights.
13. Or go with a standard Bicycle deck, because tbh there's a high likelihood that at least a few cards will get lost in the woods.
14. An portable misting fan, for hand-held refreshment during capture the flag.
15. A friendship bracelet kit, so they can create those most iconic of summer camp souvenirs.
17. A watercolor postcard kit, for an artistic activity that's also a subtle "keep in touch" nudge.
18. Shakespearean insult bandages, which will delight book nerds and theater campers alike.
19. All-natural mosquito-repelling bracelets, because they call fruit punch bug juice for a reason.
20. According to the Pew Research Center, 85% of kids don't bring enough socks to camp. JK I made that up, but how about these Minion no-shows, eh?
21. If Minons aren't your kid's thing, these socks have some serious Lisa Frank vibes.
22. A book of Star Wars paper planes, for indoor kids in the great outdoors.
23. Glow stick bracelets, because what is summer camp if not Burning Man, Jr.?
