Food Allergy Resources

Summer Camp Checklist for Kids with Food Allergies or Asthma

April 2013

Preparing for Summer Camp with a Food-allergic or Asthmatic Child

Day camp or overnight camp can be a fun and rewarding experience for children as they get to experience fun activities and meet new friends while enjoying the summer sunshine. As with virtually all activities away from home, sending a child off to camp can be done – it just takes additional thought and planning to make sure you prepare your child for camp, send him with all of his emergency medications, and ensure that the camp staff are trained and prepared to manage food allergies or treat a reaction should one occur. 

The following are helpful resources to use as you plan for your child's summer camp experience:

• Camp Strategies (Food Allergy Research and Education)
  Tips to help parents select a summer camp that can adequately accommodate food allergies. Also included are preparation strategies for camp directors or counselors.
• Asthma Care Checklist for Camp (National Jewish Health)
  A checklist for parents before camp starts. Also includes a list of camps specifically for children with asthma.
  
• Summer Fun Action Plan (National Jewish Health)
  This is a sample action plan that can be printed and filled out by parents to provide the summer camp with emergency contact information, medication lists, and physician information.

Keep in mind that many camps will have their own medical history or medication forms that will need to be signed by a physician before the first day of camp.

Approved by KFA Medical Advisory Team June 2009. Revised 2013.