For instance, parents of children with allergies to horses will want to know if campers will be taken horseback riding or exposed to horses on nature walks. If necessary, parents should send along Benadryl or Epi-pens for children who could suffer a serious attack if exposed to a known allergen, such as a bee sting, Gardner says. Some camps may provide these things, but it can't hurt to send your own supplies just in case. While parents probably will not be told about every cut, scrape, or bruise their child gets at camp, they will want to familiarize themselves with the procedure in place to deal with a serious situation, such as a broken bone or an illness. This is particularly important for parents whose children attend camps far from home.
Some camps have a high risk of injury because of the nature of the activities provided.
The sports camp also features extreme skateboarding, in-line skating, and freestyle BMX biking. There is a lot of room for injury in a gymnastics camp. But Seeman, whose daughter is recovering from a recent bout of meningitis, says this recent health scare made her stop taking her child's previously good health for granted. As long as the staff is aware of what the child has with them, he says, parents should feel free to send any nonprescription medications the child might need during their stay at camp. It's also worth checking out whether the camp has a policy on other items you might want to send to camp with your kids, such as bug spray, sunscreen, and calamine lotion for poison ivy.