Staying Healthy at Camp

June 2025

Get our family gabbing around a summer fire pit and you’ll inevitably hear two stories. First, there’s the time my dad built a lean-to out of pine boughs at summer camp. As he slumbered beneath the dripping sap, an insect attacked his eyelid, swelling it shut for days. Then there’s my husband’s tale of a cabinmate who sprayed glow-stick goo into his own eyes, sending him stumbling to the infirmary with a distinctive B-movie glowing-eyed zombie look.

What is it with eye mishaps at summer camp? And what other health issues might families expect—or better yet, take steps to prevent—when kids set off for summer adventures?

To get the skinny on staying healthy at camp, we sat down with Michael Brown, MD, a Raleigh pediatrician who serves stints as a camp doctor. He shared some great insights on what camps and families can do to support a healthy summer.

Camp health basics

• Counselors are typically the first point-person to recognize and respond to health issues, escalating to nurses, doctors, or camp directors as needed. All camp personnel should have some training in first aid and emergency response procedures.
• Larger overnight camps often have a dedicated health clinic onsite, while day camps might have more limited medical resources. It’s a good idea to find out how health issues are handled, especially if your child has known health issues such as allergies. If this is not mentioned in camp materials, ask the camp director.
• Camps of any size or type should have policies and procedures for staff training, maintaining safe environments, managing medications, and communicating with parents.

Common camp ailments

Dr. Brown says many of the health issues that happen at camp are the same things your family sees at home during an active summer day.

Skin issues

Sunburn and bug bites are among the most common issues. Minor cuts, scrapes, and blisters are also fairly frequent, along with rashes from poison ivy, sand, or other irritants. Sunscreen, bugspray, and sturdy footwear can prevent a lot of issues. Clothing choices such as hats, rash guards, long pants, and good socks can also help, depending on camp activities and weather. 

Stomach complaints

Nausea or upset stomach can be quite common at camp. Sometimes the cause is a virus, but Dr. Brown says often it’s related to heat or simply nerves. Most cases resolve on their own with hydration and some down time, but camp personnel keep a close eye out for fever, worsening symptoms, or clusters of kids becoming ill. 

Overstimulation

The hubbub of camp life, new people, unfamiliar foods, and constant activity can be a lot to handle! It’s not uncommon for kids to visit the infirmary just to get a break when they’re feeling overwhelmed or homesick. Spending time in a calm environment with supportive adults is sometimes all they need to get back on track.

Heat and dehydration

If you haven’t noticed, North Carolina summers are HOT. Heat exhaustion and dehydration are always a possibility when spending time outdoors, especially when kids are in the sun or engaging in high-energy activities (and when aren’t they?). Taking breaks, seeking shade, and drinking plenty of water can help to prevent these issues.

Viruses

Just like at school, kids can swap germs when playing or sleeping in close quarters at camp. Camps are always on the lookout for signs that stomach bugs, COVID, flu, or other infectious illnesses might be circulating. Most camps have sick-day policies similar to those at school, requiring campers to isolate at home or in the infirmary until 24 hours have passed without a fever or other major symptoms. Encouraging kids to follow good hygiene, wash their hands or use sanitizer frequently, and tell a counselor if they feel sick can help to reduce the spread.

Bigger issues

Camp counselors and health teams typically handle minor issues onsite, while bigger issues might require a trip to a clinic for stitches, x-rays, or bloodwork. Overnight camps sometimes stock common prescription medications or can call prescriptions in to a local pharmacy. Just like at home or school, camp personnel would call 9-1-1 for anything serious enough to warrant a trip to the hospital.

Communication is key

Camps should have well-established systems for communicating with parents about health issues. They probably won’t alert you about every band-aid, but any bigger issues or repeated or overnight visits to the health clinic will definitely warrant a call to keep you in the loop. 

Parents have a responsibility to communicate with camps, too. Most camps ask for health information as part of their enrollment package. Dr. Brown urges families to be comprehensive when filling out these forms, noting that this information is held to the same patient privacy standards as any other healthcare setting.

“It’s important that parents are honest and list everything that’s going on with their kids,” said Dr. Brown. “That’s really helpful, not only for the medical staff, but for the counselors and the camp directors to provide the best experience for kids. Hiding something you don’t want people to know about is not in your kids’ best interest.”

So, be sure to disclose any allergies, medical conditions, or psychological issues your child may be experiencing. At check-in, be ready to provide any medications they need along with instructions on the timing and dosage. Camps will generally have over-the-counter medications like pain killers, antihistamines, and anti-itch ointments on hand and may ask for your permission to administer those if needed.

Signs of a safety-first camp

Dr. Brown says safety is top of mind for camps, and most have robust strategies for avoiding accidents and handling health concerns. “I think things have changed quite a bit since we were kids,” he says. “Most camps have pretty stringent protocols these days. They do a lot of staff training to try to make sure kids are safe, since that’s really their top priority.”

Camps take pride in the steps they take to keep kids safe, and many will include a section on this in camp materials. You can also keep an eye out for these features:

1. Trained staff (for example, CPR training, safety drills, lifeguards for water activities, designated emergency responders)
2. Clear policies (for example, rules around camper to counselor ratios, systems for managing medications, good parent communication)
3. Safe environments (for example, fenced/gated pools, well-maintained grounds and equipment)
4. Safety equipment (for example, life vests, helmets, first aid kits)
5. Allergy protocols (for example, epi pens, food preparation/separation practices)

Supporting health at home

In addition to parents and camps, kids themselves have a role to play in staying safe and healthy at camp. Take a moment to talk with your child about potential issues and make sure they have what they need to succeed.

Getting the right gear is crucial. Plenty of sunscreen, the right clothing, and a refillable water bottle are the foundation of a healthy summer. Make sure to check your camp’s packing list and follow all rules around what to bring (or not bring). Go through the list together and make sure your child knows what’s in their bag and how to use it.

Empower your child to speak up. Counselors won’t necessarily notice every issue, so it’s important for kids to tell someone if they’re injured or not feeling well. They should know that counselors, camp directors, or camp doctors and nurses are there to help, not only for applying band-aids but also for help navigating homesickness, trouble with camp activities, or any other issues.

“Certainly, parents can talk to their kids about wearing sunscreen, wearing bug spray, drinking water throughout the day. But also, just making sure kids know that they can come and talk to us at the health center about whatever the issue is. We can help with a lot of things!”

Dr. Michael Brown, MD

Finally, Dr. Brown says it’s helpful to encourage kids to approach camp with a flexible mindset. A lot about camp life will be different from home—the activities, the environment, the food—and that’s all part of the experience. Being willing to try new things and go with the flow can help campers push past their nervousness, bounce back when things don’t go as planned, and focus on having fun!

Huge thanks to Dr. Michael Brown for his expert advice. For more tips on preparing your child for a great experience at camp, check out our conversation with a child psychologist on Navigating Camp Anxiety.