Letters to Send to Camp: Prompts for Homesick Kids & Parents

The best letters to send to camp are short, upbeat and specific: one small piece of news from home, an easy question to answer, and a clear vote of confidence, with no pick-up promises. Below you will find ten letter prompts for parents, ten journal prompts for your camper (three of them about feelings), what to do if a sad letter arrives, and a few honest words for the parent who is missing their child too. If your child tends to keep feelings inside, our kids feelings journal guide goes deeper. This is general parenting advice, not medical or mental health care.

Quick answer: what should you write to a child at sleepaway camp?

• Keep it short and warm. A few cheerful lines are easier to read at a busy camp than three pages.
• Be specific. One concrete, light detail from home beats a general "we miss you."
• Show confidence. Tell your child you believe in them and know they can do this.
• Skip pick-up promises. Offering to come get them can make staying seem optional.
• Follow the camp's rules on mail, email and packages.
• Leave your own sadness out of the letter.

Is homesickness at camp normal?

Yes. Massachusetts General Hospital's Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds reports that 83% of sleep-away campers feel at least a bit of homesickness, and it treats missing home as expected rather than a sign that something is wrong. A blog from the American Camp Association's New York and New Jersey section adds that extreme homesickness is rare. It also notes that children often write their saddest letters during quiet times, such as rest hour or just before bed, and by the time those letters arrive days later, the hard moment has usually passed. Keep that in mind if a worried letter lands in your mailbox.

What should parents say, and not say, in camp letters?

Drawing on those two sources, here is a simple swap guide. Brackets mark where your own details go.

Instead of...	Try...
"We miss you so much!"	"We are thinking of you and can't wait to hear all about it."
"Tell us if you want to come home."	"We know you can do this. What was the best part of today?"
"[Sibling] is lost without you."	"[Sibling] says hi and wants to know what the food is like."
"We had the best weekend without you."	"Here is one small, funny thing that happened at home."

A few principles sit behind the table:

• Follow the camp's communication rules and keep the tone upbeat. The Clay Center suggests writing often, staying positive and reassuring your child that home is fine.
• Skip pick-up promises. The Clay Center notes that most kids have an afternoon or two of disliking camp, and that promising a pickup can make staying seem optional.
• Share positive messages. The ACA NY/NJ blog suggests telling your child you believe in them and know they can get through camp.
• Leave the guilt out. The Clay Center warns against messages that make home sound sad or that brag about having fun without your child.

Ten letter prompts for parents

Mix and match these. Each comes with a sample line you can adapt.

1. The first-days letter. Write it before camp so it arrives early. Try: "By now you have found your bunk. I can't wait to hear what you tried first."
2. The easy-question letter. Ask something simple to answer. Try: "Would you rather swim or canoe? Tell me in your next letter."
3. The tiny-news letter. Share one light update. Try: "[Pet] has claimed your bed. That is the whole news."
4. The memory letter. Recall a happy moment you share. Try: "I was thinking about [a favorite memory] and smiling."
5. The courage letter. Name a strength. Try: "Trying new things takes bravery, and you do brave things."
6. The riddle letter. Include a riddle, with the answer written upside down at the bottom of the page.
7. The story-starter letter. Write the first three lines of a silly story and ask your camper to write the next three.
8. The "open when" envelopes. Send sealed notes labeled "Open when you need a laugh" or "Open on a rainy day," after checking that the camp allows them.
9. The drawing letter. Fold in a cheerful drawing or short note from a sibling, grandparent or friend.
10. The looking-forward letter. Close with: "I can't wait to hear about the funniest moment, the bravest moment and the best food."

Ten journal prompts for your camper

Give your camper a small notebook with these prompts on the first page, or tuck one prompt into each envelope. Three are feelings prompts, marked below.

1. Today I tried something new: ___
2. Something that made me laugh was ___
3. My bunk or cabin in three words: ___
4. A new friend, and one thing they are good at: ___
5. Draw the best view I saw today.
6. Feelings: Right now I feel ___. (Circle a color or draw a face. It is okay to feel more than one thing at once.)
7. Feelings: One thing I miss from home and one thing I am glad about here.
8. Feelings: A time today I felt brave. What happened?
9. A sound, smell or taste I want to remember from camp.
10. One thing I want to tell my family when I get home.

How do you pack a journal and postcards?

Check the camp's guidelines first, because some camps limit what can be mailed or packed. Then keep it simple: a small notebook, a pencil or pen, and a few pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelopes or postcards so writing home takes no effort. Slip everything into a zip bag so it survives lake days and damp cabins. If your camper is a reluctant writer, a drawing counts, and so does a single line.

Wonderkin does not make a camp product, but two real items can help. The Kids Feelings Journal is a printed, illustrated 60-day journal with undated entries and a parent guide, in two editions: Little Hearts (ages 6 and under) and Growing Hearts (7 and up). Entries do not have to be consecutive, so a few pages before and after camp both work. At 5.5 by 8.5 by 0.75 inches it may be bulky for a trunk, so you may prefer a slim notebook at camp. One five-star review of the journal reads: "I love this. It is so hard to get my 8 year old to share any feelings and somehow this helped crack that nut." (Adam, October 2026). For "open when" notes, the Magical Moments blank greeting cards are 4 by 5.6 inches, and you write every word.

What if your child writes a sad letter?

If a "pick me up" letter arrives, take a breath. Then:

1. Keep it in perspective. The ACA NY/NJ blog says such letters are common and do not mean a child is miserable all the time.
2. Remember the timing. Kids often write during quiet times, and by the time the letter arrives, the sad moment has usually passed.
3. Do not rush to rescue. The same blog notes that picking a child up early can signal that you doubt they can succeed. The Clay Center adds that serious problems belong with the camp administrators, not in a deal with your child.
4. Reply with warmth and confidence. Try: "I am sorry the evenings feel hard. Lots of campers feel that way, and it is okay. I am proud of you for telling me. I believe you can do this, and I can't wait to hear about [something they enjoyed]."
5. Call the camp director if you are worried. Ask how your child is doing and how serious the homesickness is. The blog's author says this call typically leaves parents calmer.
6. Know when to seek more help. If your child seems distressed in a way that is severe or does not ease, talk with camp staff and with your child's pediatrician or a mental health professional. This guide is not a substitute for that support.

What about your own worry?

Camp is a big moment for parents too. The Clay Center says it is normal for kids and parents to feel anxious or miss each other, and it recommends keeping goodbyes short and loving and telling your child how excited you are to hear about their experiences. Save your own worry for a trusted friend or your own notebook, not the letter. Plan something for yourself that week, and remember that counselors are there to help when a child is struggling.

Make it magical with Wonderkin

Wonderkin Adventures makes keepsake journals and cards for imaginative kids. We do not have a camp-specific product, but you can browse our journals collection and, for a quick note to tuck into a trunk, our blank greeting cards. Nothing in this guide requires either; a notebook, a pencil and a few stamps will do.