There is often a shop on site, selling merch, spare supplies (like batteries and tooth paste), badges and even some snacks and cold drinks.
Card or cash?
Giving your Youth a card is generally better than cash as it’s less likely to go missing or get stolen. If you have enough time then sign them up for their own bank card with your chosen bank or credit union. Visa debit cards are available for for 11 years plus. Some families use travel cards or Swiggy cards. The fees can differ so read the fine print and incorporate that into your budget for allocating funds.
Budget
$10 a day is a commonly recommended budget, and I think its a valid amount. A badge can be $1-$5, a softdrink maybe $3, some toothpaste $5, a merch drink bottle $10 (real example, my kid lost his on day 2 lol), an extra t-shirt $30. Work with your Youth and decide how you will manage their budget. If it’s a 10 day camp, are you transferring the $100 at the start? Or are you transferring $20 every 2 days to pace them out. If they have never had their own money before definitely pace them, otherwise they spend the whole lot of day one and miss out on things later on.
Also have a conversation about buying things for “friends”. A big Scout camp means a lot of new people, and friendships can be temporary and not always sincere unfortunately. Educate your Youth on not buying friendships and making smart choices about lending or giving their money away.
Storage
Older Youth (older Scouts and Venturers) tend to store their bank card on the inside of the phone cover. Or they have wallets in their daypacks. Installing them on their phone wallets is super handy too!
But younger youth might need help, especially if this is their first bank card. Try some of these methods I have used in the past: