Hello Muddah, hello Faddah, here's a checklist you might follow, before camp starts up this summer, so the season won't turn out to be a bummer.

The checklist for parents -- as well as summer camp staff -- comes from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in the form of a policy statement called "Creating Healthy Camp Experiences."

"Parents should feel confident that their children are ready for camp and that their chosen camp is well prepared to care for their children," wrote authors Edward Walton, MD, director of pediatric emergency medicine at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., and Alison Tothy, MD, director of pediatric emergency at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Well before parents go over their kids' lists of things to pack -- ticking off items like sunblock and toothpaste -- they should go over the AAP's checklist, according to the guidelines, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

For starters, parents should assess their child's interest, skill, and physical, mental, and emotional well-being before even choosing a camp.

If a kid has special needs, parents should inquire on the scope of the health services offered at a particular camp, the guidelines said.

Parents should provide their child's camp with a complete annual health review including the child's significant previous illnesses, surgeries, injuries, and allergies, and present state of physical and psychological health, according to the AAP.

For kids with special needs that require special management, such as anaphylactic allergies, seizures, diabetes, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, specific medical clearance should be given before the kid ships off to camp.

All kids should be up-to-date on their vaccinations before leaving for camp, the guidelines said.

The guidelines also touch on the most common ailment to afflict campers: homesickness, and provide tips about how to prepare inexperienced campers to deal with the potential psychological distress of being separated from home and family.

Parents should involve the child in the process of choosing and preparing for camp; discuss homesickness openly and avoid projecting their own doubts; arrange "practice time" away from home with friends or relatives before camp; and equate the time spent at camp to the child's previous positive experiences of a similar duration of time.

Camps also have a major responsibility for making the summer experience a positive and healthy one. Camps must first accurately characterize what the camping experience will be like so families can make a decision if their child is in proper health to participate.

Camps should also have written policies and protocols that have been reviewed and approved by a physician with specialized training in children's health, the AAP said.

The policies should deal with common camp illnesses:

• Fever
• Conjunctivitis
• Upper respiratory tract infections.
• Ear infections
• Sore throat
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Asthma
• Anaphylaxis and allergy management
• Skin infections
• Lice and scabies
• Poison ivy and poison oak
• Insect bites and stings
• Tick exposure
• Concussion
• Behavioral or psychiatric episodes

Before parents leave their kids at camp and head home, the AAP advises that camps should obtain written authorization to transport kids in camp vehicles for nonemergency care, and to share medical information.

Once campers and staff arrive at camp, they should all undergo a screening to assess for communicable disease and to establish a health baseline.

Camps should also keep a health record of the camper during the entire camping experience, and the AAP recommends that camps consider using a federally approved electronic health record system.

Camp healthcare providers should be responsible for storing and administering medications, the AAP recommended.

It is important for all camps to have personnel who can administer onsite first aid and CPR.

Aside from preparing for medical emergencies, camps should make the day-to-day routine a healthy one.

"Obesity and related cardiovascular risk factors are important public health priorities, and camp communities should adhere to principles of healthy living," the guidelines read.

Food provided in camps should follow federal guidelines for school nutrition, and camp staff should "model healthful food choices for their campers."

Food should also not be used as reward, the guideline authors said, nor should withholding food be used as punishment, the guidelines said.

Perhaps in a nod to the ubiquitous vats of Kool-Aid-like sweetened beverages that are common at summer camps (often referred to as Bug Juice), the AAP recommends strictly limiting the availability of sugary drinks, or else not having them available at all. Plain old drinking water should be plentiful, however.

As far as physical activity goes -- at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity should be included as a component of any summer camp program.

The guidelines apply to all camps, the authors note, but the inclusion of kids with disabilities or other special health care needs might require the establishment of additional assessments and services.