The Delmarva Camp Itch Checklist: What Parents Should Pack Before Drop-Off

Before you pack anything, ask the camp director five short questions. The answers change what belongs in your kid's bag.

• How do counselors check for ticks after wooded activities, and how often?
• What is the camp's poison ivy plan - do they have a wash station and dedicated soap?
• Which topical creams and repellents may parents send in, and which need a health-form note?
• Where are wet clothes and swimsuits stored, and how quickly do kids change out of them?
• When do counselors call a parent about a bite, rash, or sting versus handling it on-site?

Pack a small, boring kit that fits in a labeled zip pouch. Everything below is inexpensive, shelf-stable, and easy for a counselor to hand your child.

• Two pairs of permethrin-treated socks and one long-sleeve permethrin shirt for wooded or field days.
• A kid-safe 20% picaridin spray (labeled with your child's name) for exposed skin.
• One 1% hydrocortisone tube and one small calamine bottle for bites and plant rashes.
• A travel-size fragrance-free cleanser or dedicated poison ivy wash for post-exposure rinses.
• Two spare pairs of dry socks and a gallon zip bag for wet swimsuits and clothes.
• A small aloe or oat-based after-sun gel for heat rash and sun-flare itch.

Kids do not need a lecture. They need three short rules they can repeat back on the drive to drop-off.

1. 1If a plant brushes your skin or you sit in tall grass, tell a counselor before lunch so we can wash it off.
2. 2Keep dry socks on, and change out of a wet swimsuit as soon as swim time ends.
3. 3Any bite, sting, or itchy spot that is still bothering you at dinner: show a counselor and say so out loud.

Write these triggers on the health form. Counselors want a clear line, not a judgment call in the middle of an activity.

• Any tick found attached to the skin, especially if it may have been attached longer than 24 hours.
• A spreading red rash, a bull's-eye pattern, or new fever within a week of a tick bite.
• Any bite or sting with swelling that crosses a joint, or facial swelling of any kind.
• A poison ivy rash that spreads beyond the original contact area or involves the eyes or face.
• Heat rash with dizziness, headache, or the child stops sweating.
• Any allergic reaction: hives beyond one small area, wheezing, or trouble breathing - call 911 first, then you.

• CDC - Preventing tick bites in children- CDC
• AAP - Insect repellents and children- American Academy of Pediatrics
• AAD - Poison ivy, oak, and sumac- American Academy of Dermatology
• Maryland DNR - Common Maryland ticks- Maryland DNR