- Location
- SW OK & formerly Eastern NM
Alright, I know a good chunk of us have kids and we either take them camping or want to take them. Share your tips that specifically make camping with kids, of all ages, easier.
Camping with Kids
- Thread starter Macland
- Start date
We bring a hammock, and restrict access to electronics -(which has taken a couple years for them to get over LOL). Buy good sleeping bags for them - (don't by kid ones that are character themed), my kids dang near froze to death when it was about 30 degrees out. We also stay nearer the bathrooms for them, bring bikes and or scooters to play with. Stay near the playgrounds too. Bring games for them to play. I told them that they can't tell me they are bored when we go out there -as it's not my job to entertain them. Last year my daughter started helping setup the camp site with us (she's 11 now). Bring your friends with similar aged children. Take them on hikes and fishing during the day to help with the boredom factor. Bring decent snacks that they don't typically get at home, this way they look forward to those too.
That's all I got. LOL
- Location
- SW OK & formerly Eastern NM
My wife has been talking to her sister about going camping in Colorado in late July this year. They just bought an outfitter tent with a gas stove for heat, which eliminates the problem of keeping warm in those cold CO nights. However, we are going to have a two year old and a 5 month old at that time. Mind you, this is semi roughing it camping. No bathrooms (shower tent and camping toilet with appropriate bags), we'll be packing in our own water. I am leaning against this trip until next year but I really really miss the mountains so that is why I'm seeing what tips people have. I did want this thread to apply to everyone's situation and not just mine so that's why I said any age of kid.
- Location
- Western Massachusetts
Those are all great tips. If the kids aren't naturally "outdoors-y", it can be tough to help them enjoy the trip. Activities are big if they aren't in the mood to hike, fish, swim, bike, etc. My parents always had lots of board games, cards, crossword puzzles, etc. when I went as a kid. I'm a big fan of anything outdoors, so unless there was poor weather, I wasn't playing with the board games, etc. I was out riding my bike and hiking, catching salamanders, fishing, etc.
That being said, some campgrounds have group activities aimed to make the outdoors more fun and exciting for kids, which in today's technology-driven world, can be a tough thing to do.
One more thing I think actually helps is starting while they're young. My parents took my sister and I camping once a year, every year, from the time I was 9 months old right up until I moved away from home at 20. I looked forward to the trip every year that I remember, and I still attach those fond memories of camping with my family to when Allisonn and I take Gus camping. I feel like if you can plant the seed early, then by the time the kids are older, they'll look forward to spending some time outside on a camping trip.
My additional suggestions for camping with a little one are:
- Plan on the kid(s) missing a nap or having a hard time napping during the day. That was our biggest problem, tents don't do anything to cut noise or light, which made napping impossible.
- Bring everything you know you'll need, everything you're not positive if you will or won't, then bring at least one backup of those items. The first 2 times we took Gus out, Allie was really concerned with making sure everything was, and stayed, clean. Drinking water, bottles, formula, snacks, surfaces, dishes, etc. Plan to bring lots of stuff for the kiddos, and at least one spare. You'll likely need all of it.
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I grew up camping with my family. From sleeping on a cot under the stars, to a tent to a pop-up trailer and now they have a 34ft travel trailer. I ended up sleeping outside under the awning half the time. The right sleeping bags/blankets make all the difference. Also plenty of games. My dad and I used to bring our baseball mitt's footballs to play with along with fishing gear of course. Card games are awesome towards the end of the night. I love a good game of UNO or Skip-Bo. I wouldn't exactly say we're primitive campers but we try to lay off electronics and all the things we take for granted any other time. Even though we have a stove and microwave we still cook everything over a fire. I think food tastes better and you appreciate it more(Especially when it's trout you caught earlier that day).
- Location
- SW OK & formerly Eastern NM
The technology break will actually be for the parents on this trip haha.
One more thing, bring a small battery powered lantern that can have the lights turned way down on it and use it for a night light. Little ones can wake up in the middle of the night and shining a high powered flashlight in there eyes does nothing to calm them... speaking from experience of course LOL. My family goes camping between 2-6 times a year, we started off primitive camping back in the days when my daughter was only 18 months (that sucks big time) and now we tend to like Water and Electricity at our camp sites... MAybe start at a site close to home just for 1-2 mights and see how it goes. That way if you have a miserable night, you can drive home in the middle of the night and go back the next day for more fun.
- Location
- SW OK & formerly Eastern NM
Yeah I'm leaning more towards next year for camping the more I factor on the distance. We bought a small lantern that has a red lens to be easy on the eyes and it's awesome at night. A problem for me camping is that I have zero desire to camp anywhere there aren't mountains. So a couple of hours in every single direction does nothing for me.
We don't have that problem in Texas LOL Just Dirty Lakes and Bumps in the terrain...
- Location
- Columbus OH
I bring another small 2 person tent to stash all of the dirty laundry in, and have a big enough tent to sleep in. I have a 6 person that fits 4 very well, it has two openings so that i can put the small 2 person rite behind it so that everyone can get changed without bothering other people.
And I second the electronics, they can play them in the truck on the way, but once we are there it is all footballs and frizbys. I try to keep them involved as possable in the setup of camp, while having them help takes a bit longer. For some reason cooking dinner over a fire that you made makes it taste better. That and they learn some valuable skills along the way.
And I second the electronics, they can play them in the truck on the way, but once we are there it is all footballs and frizbys. I try to keep them involved as possable in the setup of camp, while having them help takes a bit longer. For some reason cooking dinner over a fire that you made makes it taste better. That and they learn some valuable skills along the way.