Are you planning your first camping trip with your lovely kids? Then you need this guide! Inside you’ll find Complete techniques to help you camping with your kids.
Do you want to take rest and spend time with your kids? Would you like to introduce your children to a new environment? To please your children, opt for camping. If so, discussed below are some tips you should follow to guarantee you a fun camping experience despite these facing some challenges.
However, Camping with kids requires a minimum of preparation. Through this article, you will find some tips that will allow you to have a wonderful camping experience with your children.
Therefore, below are camping with kids tips you should follow for a successful camping experience with your children.
What reasons camping is good for kids?
Why is camping good for your kids? The health benefits of camping are plentiful for both adults and kids. When you’re kids spending time at home in your usual routine, you may not realize just how much you’re kids missing away from nature. Camping has a great number of benefits for everyone that you and your family can enjoy while spending time in the great outdoors:
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Benefits of nature camping with kids
It is approximated that the average American child spends around four to seven minutes a day playing outside. However, they tend to spend approximately seven hours or more on the screens, and if you have kids who like spending time indoors, it is critical that you understand that this is not healthy. Technology is good when it comes to preparing kids for the future but trading it for playing outside is not good for their wellbeing according to experts.
Promotes family time
Spending time with your kids helps in improving their development as well as the child relationship with the family. Additionally, what you do while you are with your family matters most and not the amount you spend together. It is for this reason that camping is an ideal bonding moment for you and your family.
Engaging actively is great
According to one sociologist, parents who spend most of the time watching television with their kids aged below six years old may be making things worse for their children. So, it is advisable that you spend the most time with your kid doing quality activities since kids require more time to explore and learn new things.
Therefore, by camping with kids, you get to cut out technology and subsequently increase your focus on togetherness between you and your kids. Furthermore, you should have more time with your teenage child since the more time you spend with them goes a long way in improving their self-esteem and positive social skills.
Positive memories.
Before you go camping, you should tell your kids what to expect when you are out camping, and this will help in developing positive and pleasant memories of your camping experience. For you to avoid camping disasters, having a little preparation will go a long way in ensuring you are ready for camping. Subsequently, your family will have a fun time, and you will all have something to talk about many years later.
Building confidence
You should always allow your kids to play outside as this will make them happier, smarter, more attentive, and less anxious in comparison to only letting them play indoors. Moreover, playing outside will help significantly to build the confidence of your child.
Usually, giving your child a chance to experience large motor activities such as swimming and hiking will consequently aid in tuning the body of your kids. Thus, it is easier for them to develop new skills as well as strength.
Creative development
Thinking about the last time your child was outside is very vital. So, it is good to know when was the last your child picked up a stick or a rock and started playing with it or maybe when was the last time they asked a curious question concerning things that they saw. It is because this is how creativity and imagination works and nature helps in inspiring your kids to think more freely.
Learning responsibility
For your kids to learn how to be stewards of nature, they will need to spend more time outdoors. Furthermore, your kids will become more responsible since they will learn how to treat animals and the environment appropriately.
How to prepare for camping with kids?
According to a study carried out by Nature Conservancy, 80% of the kids say that it is not comfortable being outside due to some factors such as bugs and heat. Nevertheless, it is very critical to address some of the common discomforts you will experience while camping to your kids. Some of the great ways of preparing your kids for camping include;
Talking about camping to your children
To avoid negative experience while you are out camping with kids, it is advisable to always inform them about camping and the things that they should expect while out camping. Some of the things you should tell them to include;
Tech-free Time– If you aim to detach from civilization when camping, then you should not camp in a place with electricity. Therefore, you should let your kids know what type of electronic devices they can bring with them since the electricity outlet that will be available may be miles away.
Nature’s Creatures– If your kids are not familiar with camping, they may not be informed on the variety of animals in nature. Since there are insects and bugs present during camping, it is good to educate your kids on the importance of bug spray as well as avoiding dangerous creatures such as certain spiders. Other than these small creatures there may be big animals that live outdoors such as raccoons. You should give caution to your kids not to feed wild animals and consider storing your food and belongings at the campsite.
The availability of amenities– At times your kids might find using facilities available in the woods thrilling; however, for teenagers to feel at home, they will need four walls. Therefore, always make sure that your kids know what is expected from them despite the accommodations at your campsite.
Before going for an overnight trip
Practice camping at home
In case your children are outdoor newbies, you can pitch a tent in your backyard or inside your house. Subsequently, you can then let them hang out in the tent as well as sleep in it for them to become more comfortable with this new sleeping environment.
Have a trial run
Before going for the overnight trip, consider having a family day outing at a park near your home. Additionally, you can spend the rest of your day at the shore of the lake or the park and watch on how your kids will react to this experience.
Take notes.
Always consider writing down reminders which you will use in future trips such as having more sunscreen, bringing long pants with you as well as leaving bongos home.
Prepare for the trip for camping with kids
Involve your children
You should always consider making trip plans as a family affair. Moreover, you can ask your kids for ideas on things that they would like to see or the destination that they would want to visit. Eventually, before deciding on the vamping destination, you should always take all their suggestions very seriously.
Children as packers
For your children to learn how to be responsible, you should always let them pack their camping gear while at home. Afterward, you will double-check how they did their packing to see if there is something that is missing before you leave for camping.
Keeping your kids organized
As your kids are packing their camping gear in the duffel bag, you should always encourage them to return their items to their duffle bags. Additionally, for easy identification, you should consider making use of duffle bags that are of different colors for each of your kids.
Favorite toys
You should always let your kids bring their favorite toys to the campsite. It is because this will be their source of entertainment while out camping.
Friends are beneficial
For your kids to have more fun, you can let them camp with another family’s kids because kids often tend to get bored when with adults after some time. Therefore, having a playmate during camping will considerably help boost their mood for days to come.
Carry bikes
If the distance from your campsite to the beach is quite long, it can be fun to have bikes instead of walking to the beach. Likewise, cycling is faster, and it is excellent when it comes to entertaining kids.
Check fire restrictions.
If you love to build a campfire to spend time with your kids here you will find the full details on how to build a campfire in the right way. Before lighting a campfire, it is advisable to confirm whether campfires are allowed within your chosen campground. Consequently, if campfires are not allowed it is good to inform the rest of the family in advance, and this includes the children too.
At campground – Basic tips
Radiate a positive vibe
You should always be ready to cope up with any inconvenience that arises, plus everything in the campsite usually is in different places. For instance, the bathroom is not located down the hall rather than six campgrounds down the path. Therefore, as an adult you should always lead by example and show your kids what to do with a can-do and upbeat attitude.
Be Organized
It is very vital to organize your campsite. You should create a fixed location for each critical item, for instance, you can decide to store your flashlight in a sack that is green in color, and your spoons and folks store them in the blue tub.
Then remain organized
During camping, you should make your kids memorize your campsite number or a landmark next to your campsite. It is because this will help them to remember the location of your campsite.
Keep everyone oriented
You should teach your kids to be organized and responsible. After using an item, you should remind everyone to return it to the respective location. It will help in keeping your campsite organized throughout. If you are diligent, you can decide on indicating some places to remind your kids about where to place an item after using it.
Make your children feel important
Most of the time kids like to be involved. So, to help with this, you can assign them some of the camp chores that are meaningful like fetching firewood and collecting water from a pump. Also, you can as well recognize their contribution by treating or praising them.
Be Safe
Ensure that your kids always carry a whistle with them and you should teach them how to use it in case they separate from you. Furthermore, while camping with kids, you need to confirm that they always have easy access to headlamps or flashlights. Subsequently, you can attach a lanyard to the torch and a whistle and then tie them in the belt loop of one of the kids.
Wildlife
It is vital to ask a park ranger about the wildlife activity within the area you intend to visit. As an adult, you will have to understand all the precautions such as ways in which to react during a close encounter with a wild animal as well as proper storage of food for you to live safely with wildlife. Moreover, you should inform your kids about the importance of not feeding wild animals as well as respecting and treating wild animals with care for everyone to stay safe.
Things to bring when camping with kids
When camping with kids, you will have to consider carrying plenty of supplies for your camping to be successful. Some of these vital supplies include;
Camping gear: Camping with kids
It features everything that you will need to sleep, cook or even sit and they include;
Tents
Some families prefer sleeping on the ground with stars over their heads, but this may not always be feasible. There are some things you need to consider before purchasing a tent such as the size of the tent as well as its waterproof ability. For instance, you should consider buying a bigger tent for everybody to sleep and fit in it comfortably.
Additionally, you should consider the opinion of everybody since some of your kids will require their tent instead of sleeping next to their father and mother. You should as well consider choosing a tent that is suitable for the weather pattern of the location you will be visiting. For easy setup and maintenance of your tent you will require;
- A tent or tents.
- Tarps to place beneath each tent.
- Stakes for holding each tent into place.
- For pounding stakes into the ground, you will require a hummer.
- A heavy-duty tape or repair kit in case of any damage.
Sleep solution.
Often most kids prefer sleeping in a sleeping bag on the tent’s floor despite most parents having a preference for a much higher and comfortable level. Therefore, you should consider carrying sleeping mats, pillows from home, inflatable mattresses plus an extra blanket for padding. The things that you should pack include;
- Everyone’s sleeping bags.
- Pillows for everybody
- Extra blankets for additional warmth and padding
- Inflatable pumps and mattresses, with batterers if possible.
- A waterproof pad for your kid’s potty training.
Other Gear: Camping with kids
Most kids tend to enjoy playing with their flashlights; therefore, you should consider purchasing an extra one for each your child to have. Likewise, you should consider buying yourself a heavy-duty flashlight for the parent use with a spare battery. Consequently, consider packing;
- Heavy-duty flashlight for use by the parents alone
- Lanterns for hanging while in the tent
- Glow sticks or another temporary lighting for keeping track of your children during evening activities or campfires
- Extra batteries
- Sunscreen lotions, rash guards, long sleeves, sun protection hats and pants
- Bug spray, bracelets, cream among others
- Flashlights for the kids
Pantry For Camping.
Most of the food packed for campsite prep will depend on the amenities available during camping. Various campgrounds have fire pits whereby you can use purchased or local wood while other camping grounds will require you to come with your cooking supplies.
Thus, you should always consider checking what your campground offers in terms of food preparation facilities. Depending on the situation, you will be required to either carry pre-purchased fuel, charcoal, cooking utensils, and gas. Furthermore, in case there is no water you will have to purchase bottles for fetching water with you. Some of the camping pantries that you should bring with you include;
- Portable water.
- Foil for cooking meals.
- Supplies for dishwashing.
- Pans and pots for cooking food.
- Proper refrigeration and food for all family members for the entire tour
- Tableware and utensils, both disposable and reusable.
- Napkins or paper towels for cleanup
- Snacks for the whole family.
- Skewers, either wood or metal for marshmallows, hot dogs, and others.
- Fuel or grill for barbecue or fire pit
Learn More: Ultralight Backpacking Checklist: Essentials Every Backpacker Needs
Fun activities to do while camping with families
Making food together
Always consider purchasing food that you will make together as a family. Some of these foods include;
Bag Omelets – Let your kids squish raw eggs, cooked sausage pieces, bell peppers, and cheese in a zipper bag while you pour the mixture into a frying pan for a quick omelet breakfast.
Fruit Skewers Or Vegetables – Add your kid’s favorite vegetable or fruit onto a skewer. Additionally, you can as well add dips like hummus for veggies and chocolate or creams for fruits. Pie iron pizza – Prepare refrigerated dough before time and carry the pie for your kids to add their favorite toppings.
Walking Tacos – Before preparing this, you will need to bring individualized sized bags of taco topping and chips. This method of food preparation is best if your children are selective about their salad topping and dislike sitting down while having their meals.
Games to play while outside
There are some ideal games to play with your children if they are not tired from hiking, swimming, or exploring. Some of these games include;
- Making shadow puppets with the children flashlight
- Creating a scavenger hunt and guide your kids in finding the clues. Also, you can pre-pack some fantastic prices for them to find or earn during the game
- Playing the flashlight tag
- Setting up a ring toss by using glowing sticks
- Furthermore, you can decide on making a boat from natural materials, then try floating the ship in a nearby stream, pond or a lake
Spend time outdoors – Personal tips for camping with kids
Making the most of nature
While you are outdoors, you should always check out for wildlife, bugs as well as examining rocks. Moreover, you can identify flowers, birds, clouds, and constellations plus leading your kids on a rock scramble and show interest in the thing that catches their attention. Lastly, you can consider bringing a field guide to help you in identifying and learning more about the things that you find.
Be active and stay loose
During camping, you should always try to keep your kids active without the need for following a regimented schedule. You can entertain them by either skipping rocks on water or giving them some time to perfect multiple skip flings.
Join ranger talk
While camping in a national park, you should consider attending the Rangers evening talk. During these talks, you can ask if the park offers a junior-naturalist program or any other activities that focus on kids.
Geocaching
A treasure hunt guided by GPS helps in keeping the kids physically and mentally active.
Sharing Time: camping with kids
Great memories are made during camping trips. So, you should always go back home with stories that can only be created outdoors.
Conclusion
By now, you know that camping with kids is a fun experience both for yourself and your kids. Therefore, the next time you are planning to go out, you should not leave behind your kids so that you can enjoy this great experience together as a family.
I hope you enjoy these tips. Do you have questions about camping with kids?
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Happy Camping!