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Dec 15, 2023

27 Must

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Happy campers equal happy parents, so whether it's sleepaway or day camp, make sure the kids have everything they need to have the best time this summer.

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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

Get it from Amazon for $12.99.

Promising review: "My daughter LOVES this bottle! She absolutely loves misting out water when she gets too hot from playing! Both of my boys want me to replace their super trendy (and expensive) hydro flasks with a different color of these squeeze bottles. Seriously, this is a must-buy for any active kid." —MomOfThree

Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in 10 colors).

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

Get it from Amazon for $33.29+ (available in four sizes and in 32 prints).

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

Get them from Amazon for $34.95+ (available in 27 colors and in sizes 1 toddler–12 big kid).

I got a chance to test these out with my 4-year-old, and from the moment he opened the box, he loved them. These are a great next step for getting kids to put on their shoes by themselves too. He's going to camp for the first time this summer, and he'll definitely be wearing these every day!

Promising review: "My son is almost 5, and he loves these shoes. He can wear them with socks or barefoot, and they stay on his feet. They're also easy to put on! He plays a lot of soccer in them 😂 and he says he loves them!" —Nadejda D.

Get it from Kane for $60 (available in eight colors and sizes C11—J2 following standard sizing for a running shoe).

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

Get it from Amazon for $7.02.

Promising review: "Our unit arrived the same day I ordered it. It arrived charged, so we tried all the functions, and everything worked. It will be going to Beach Camp with our son in a few weeks, and he was excited to get it. He's been using it every day to listen to the radio and enjoys charging the battery with the crank. So far, so good, and I expect I’ll get more for Christmas stockings." —HannaLee

Get it from Amazon for $29.90.

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

Get it from Amazon for $7.

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

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

The labels come in a variety of sizes for everything from T-shirts to backpacks and sunscreen to cellphones. The labels are ~waterproof, microwave, dryer, dishwasher, and freezer safe.~ To personalize the labels, enter your child's full name and your contact info in the boxes before adding to cart.

Promising review: "Best labels ever. I have been ordering labels for at least seven years. There are always amazing. They are strong and stay on after long summers away at camp. I refresh each year." —Jennifer Merced

Get a pack of 154 from Label Daddy for $52.

Batteries are included!

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

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

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

Get it from Amazon for $14.95 (available in six colors).

The notepad comes with 50 sheets. In the notes section during checkout, please specify the following: ink color, name of your child, quantity and color of envelopes, and if you would like to see a proof.

Modern Pink Paper is a small biz based in Houston, Texas, that specializes in personalized stationery and wedding cards.

Promising review: "Perfect for a young first time camper to keep in touch with friends and family." —Joy Anderson

Get it from Modern Pink Paper on Etsy for $18+ (available in larger quantities and with the option to add envelopes).

Promising review: "I love these! I bought a couple for my youngest kids, then needed one for my older kid when I saw how much they hold, then finally bought a pink one for myself because I kept stealing them from the kids! They hold a ton! Water bottles on the sides. My small wallet, pencils, checkbook, masks, and sunglasses are all in the front pocket. The main compartment fits a huge amount, including my planner and a marble notebook. The straps open long enough for an adult and are well padded, but can shorten enough that my 5-year-old can carry his (and he's small for his age too). They’ve lasted regular use as my purse and survived summer camp with my son. Seriously. Love these." —Lauren Van

Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in 10 colors).

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

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $19.99.

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

Get it from Amazon for $4.99.

Promising review: "This is truly THE BEST bug repellent out there! I order 4 bottles at the beginning of each summer and that's usually enough for my family to get through. My kids and I are all mosquito magnets and this spray does a great job keeping us from getting all bitten up — even in the hottest, deathly humid Maryland summers. I'm not super paranoid about chemicals to begin with, but I like that this is chemical free. That said, I used DEET based products for years and I still say this one works better. The scent is STRONG and will linger on your body and clothes for a long time, but that's a good thing too, right? And it's not like lemon/eucalyptus is an offensive smell or anything. I'd rather smell like this than a lot of other summer smells!" —Amanda Stenger

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $16.10.

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

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in 10 colors and in six sizes).

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

Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in two colors).

Promising review: "Great camp chair. My daughter brought it to camp, and it was her 'go-to' item for two weeks." —DB0913

Get it from Amazon for $50.98+ (available in 13 colors).

Swag Bags Co. is a small biz based in New York, owned by a mama of three, that specializes in custom bags and accessories.

Promising review: "These were a hit at my daughter's summer camp! Put them in a care package for her and her cabin-mates. They all loved them! So cute." —Beth Ishmael

Get it from Swag Bags Co. on Etsy for $3.75+ (available in larger quantities).

Promising review: "I got them for camp. The girls loved them and got plenty of compliments." —Hannah Dever

Get a pack of nine from Amazon for $13.98.

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

Get it from Amazon for $17.99 (available in 10 colors and prints).

Promising review: "Cute and icy is the best way to describe these perfect little reusable ice packs. Summer camp had just started, and we needed something that would keep lunches cool. These multicolored unicorn icepacks are exactly as described being colorful, thin, reusable, cold, and most of all, a perfect fit into the lunchbox. I put two in the lunchbox, and they stay cool for the entire day. These are a great price, a great value, and work as expected, and I would gladly buy these again. I give this item two thumbs up." —Philip Norsworthy

Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in 10 styles).

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

Get it from Amazon for $8.49.

Promising review: "This was bought for adults, and it's awesome. Easy to spread on and no breakouts. No more tears swimming either from sunscreen burning your eyes. This is not just for kids." —R Greulich

Get it from Amazon for $7.98.

Peace Love and Doodles is a small biz based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that specializes in personalized gifts and stationery.

PS: The 30" x 20" pillowcase fits a standard-size pillow (not included).

Promising review: "Perfect for my daughter's first time at camp! I’m sending a fabric marker along for all of her friends to autograph!" —Melissa Madsen

Get it from Peace Love and Doodles on Etsy for $19.99.

The reviews for this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.