The Packing List

Want the summary? Click Here for the packing list. Want the wisdom that comes with so many summers of watching families pack? Keep reading.

In some ways, camp begins not on Opening Day, but the moment you start collecting your camper's belongings. Trust us on this one: do not let camp begin the night before. Preparing your child at the last minute is the adult version of doing your book report four hours before it's due — and it shows just as much.

The sooner you begin planning, the sooner your child gets into the right mental space for the summer of a lifetime.

Top 10 Packing Tips for a Successful Summer

1. Follow the Packing List

It may be your first summer at CYJ, but it's not our first rodeo. We review and modify our packing list every year to help your camper's things actually fit into their cubby. Follow the list exactly, and your camper will have everything they need for a truly "spec-PACK-ular" summer.

Each camper gets a single cubby, so sending more than the recommended amount just makes it harder to keep track of everything. That 14-piece "Avengers" towel set may be cool — it's also cool to leave it at home for a few weeks. Print the list, use the checkboxes, and consider having your camper pack alongside you.

2. Don't Forget the Water Bottle, Hat, and Sunscreen — Send Extras

You already know Texas summers are hot. Camp is no exception. Hats, sunscreen, and water bottles are non-negotiable. If your camper forgets, loses, or runs out, we'll provide a replacement for a small fee billed to your camp account. Better yet — send a second one and skip the fee entirely.

3. Keep the Wardrobe Camp-Ready

Your camper's clothes should handle sports, art, garden, swimming, and everything else a hot Texas day throws at them. Kids will get dirty, they'll get sweaty, and they'll definitely be happy. Leave the favorites at home — you'll be glad you did. Nothing fancy, no heels. It's camp, remember?

4. Keep It G-Rated

Think "Full House," not "Animal House." Pack simple, modest clothing without inappropriate advertising — no alcohol, sex, drugs, swearing, or cigarettes. One-piece or tankini bathing suits only.

5. Shabbat Is When We "Dress Up"

We stand by "nothing fancy," with one small exception: Shabbat, when our community comes together to celebrate the end of a great week. A polo shirt or sundress (no heels!) is perfect for Friday night. Saturday mornings, it's tradition to wear white t-shirts. And who would we be without our traditions? As Tevye says, "Tradition, Tradition..."

6. Laundry System

CYJ provides each camper a mesh laundry bag at the start of their session, and laundry is washed and dried inside that bag to keep it together. Clothes may still go missing, get traded, or mysteriously end up gifted to a new best friend — that's just camp — but the system minimizes it. You do not need to send your own laundry bag. We've got this.

7. Label EVERYTHING

With apologies to Beyoncé: if you liked it, then you shoulda put your name on it. Label everything — hats, socks, sheets, shoes, all of it — to increase the odds it comes home with your camper instead of someone else's. Order labels online or go old-school with a Sharpie. Pro tip: if your last name is distinctive enough, order labels with just the last name — reusable across siblings and hand-me-downs, no reordering required.

8. Pack in Duffel Bags

Pack clothes in one duffel and bedding/towels in another. Duffels with wheels are easiest to move around camp, and once your camper unpacks, we store the empty bags for the session — much easier than storing bulky suitcases or trunks.

9. Leave the Tech at Home

"Mom? Dad? How did you survive as kids without cell phones and Alexa and Netflix and...?" It may be hard to remember, but we did it. The world's changed — camp hasn't, and that's the point.

We allow mp3 players without internet connections, but no devices with screens (including Kindles or other e-readers). Wearable tech — Fitbits, Apple Watches — should stay home too. For campers flying who need a phone or tablet for travel, we'll hold it (and travel documents) in the office safe and return everything at the end of the session.

10. Pack Together

For younger campers, it's often faster to just pack for them (and it does prevent an entire duffel from mysteriously filling up with candy or toys). But caring for their own belongings is a real part of the independence campers build here, and packing together is a great first step. Cabins stay neater and laundry day runs smoother when every camper can identify and organize their own stuff.