Getting ready for 4-H camp

My oldest son "Bud" is going to 4-H camp this year. It's his first time to go to an overnight camp by himself. He and I are both excited.

Bud is just finishing 4th grade, so this was his first year to participate in 4-H. He took it and ran with it, just like I did. I was active in 4-H all the way through school, even through college. I went to 4-H camp every single year. I'd love it if my boys did the same. Bud did really well in 4-H this year. He won the school public speaking contest and won both the school and county demonstration contests. He placed second at the regional contest. We've got a shelf full of ribbons and trophies now!

The cost for camp this year was $225. Compared to some other overnight camps, that price is actually pretty cheap. It's very reasonable when you factor in all that's included.

• Accommodations: they sleep in air-conditioned dormitories, in bunk beds - no rustic cabins or tents. they have real bathrooms and real showers. No "roughing it."
• Facilities: they have an olympic-sized pool, rifle range, archery range, canoeing, arts and crafts shop, ropes/confidence course, and cafeteria.
• Staff: certified instructors, all trained in safety procedures. If your child doesn't know how to swim, there are certified swimming instructors and swimming classes available. (There are some swimming classes around here that - by themselves - would cost as much as the camp fee)
• Activities: team building, forestry, wildlife, arts and crafts, physical fitness, drama/music, shooting sports, swimming, water safety, and more.

I could easily spend more than $225 in one week if I were to try to take my son on a daily activity equal to what's offered at camp. And he still wouldn't get the full experience that he would have if he'd gone to camp.

Remembering all the wonderful times I had at camp in my own youth, I knew that I couldn't afford for my son NOT to go. I learned things at camp that I still use to this day. (Did you know that broken Hackberry twigs smell like peanut butter?)

Here are some of the things I'm doing to get ready.

Sleeping bag. Instead of Bud having to worry about making up a bed with sheets and such, I'm sending him with a sleeping bag. He can roll it out on his bunk, jump in and go to sleep. All he'll have to do in the morning is straighten it out (or roll it up) to be inspection-ready.

Shampoo/body wash. Instead of Bud having to worry about keeping up with separate soap and shampoo (one or more of which is bound to get lost), I'm sending him with a bottle of 3-in-1 Kids shampoo/conditioner/body wash. Anything I can do to reduce the number of things he has to keep up with is a good thing.

Save up free samples. I take advantage of every free sample I can get my hands on, especially for things like toothpaste. For camp, I'll send along a tube (or two) of sample-size toothpaste for him to use. I'd do the same thing for soap and shampoo, but I have a feeling he'd lose them.

Disposable camera. One thing I regret is that I never had a camera with me any year I went to camp. Of course, that was 20 years ago and we didn't have disposable cameras then. Now, they're readily available. I'm going to send a few with Bud (and help him make a camp scrapbook after he gets back home).

Pre-stamped postcards. His little brother Tater would get a kick out of getting something in the mail just for him. Plus, Bud can send one to himself, to put in the scrapbook. I always wanted to send postcards from camp, but when it came time, I always ended up spending my money on things other than stamps and postcards!

Ziploc bags. I will include several large ziploc bags - so he can keep wet and/or dirty things separate from dry things, and so he can keep any little, loose items all together.

Label everything with his name and county. At 4-H camp, the kids are more easily identified by their county. If things are labeled with his county, that will increase the chances of it being found and returned to him (or his agent).

I think I may be more excited about camp than he is!