Camping with kids is one of the most rewarding activities you can do to create lasting memories as a family. We’ve got some great tips and hacks for camping with kids and toddlers below. We hope these will make your next family camping trip even more enjoyable.
Relish Every Moment of Camping with your Kids
Remember that family camping trip you took as a kid? I bet you do. I bet you remember exactly where you used to go. What you used to eat and how late you were allowed to stay up on those wonderful summer trips.
Childhood memories like that are never forgotten. And maybe now you have a family of your own and want to relive those special times with your own children. Camping is definitely one of the best activities available for families. And planning a trip for any age is simple. It’s packed with loads of outdoor fun and quality family time. What more could you possibly dream of in a vacation?
Spending time with your children is one thing you will never regret.
Camping can also be budget friendly, making it all the more appealing. Raising children is expensive enough and a trip to the supermarket can be a struggle let alone a vacation to an exotic land. Spending a few days in the forest or by the lake is an excellent alternative. Plus your kids won’t know the difference. Heck, mine think we can make it from Canada to Disneyworld and back in a day. I’m sure you could convince them that the campground down the road is in a far off land or country, no problem.
Being Prepared is Step One
I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage “a happy wife, a happy life.” Well if this is true, then the same goes for the kids. Except it might even be a million times more true. If your kids aren’t comfortable or happy, you’ll know it. And my guess is this might be your last camping trip for a while.
Avoid the chaos by going prepared. It’s always best to stay ahead of the issues when taking your kids into unfamiliar territory. And I’d be willing to bet that camping outdoors is probably a major change to your children’s usual routine.
The best way to make children good is to make them happy.” Oscar Wilde
To help keep the little ones happy annnnnd yourself sane, we have compiled a list of some of our favorite tips, hacks and items to bring along on your journey. We think your kids will love them and hope they add great value to your time as well. We’re breaking this down into two major categories: camping with kids (ages 4-10ish) and camping with toddlers (ages 1-3). Camping with babies and newborns is a whole other ballgame and it deserves its own platform for another day.
Camping with Kids Hacks and Tips for the Best Trip
Children in the four to ten….ish age range love to discover new things and help out with all the chores that seem cool and interesting. The following list in no particular order provides both tips and items that will make your camping experience run a lot smoother.
- Pool noodles for safety: You probably just thought “WOW, he kicked off the list with a swimming floaty. This guy’s a camping genius!” But while pool noodles are great for lounging around in the water, we’ve got a special campground use for them. Cut a slit down one side and slide them over tent guy lines. That way, they will be easier to see and less likely to cause a tripping hazard. If no-one is running into the line there is less chance your tent comes crashing down. But also, if the kids do, and they will, run into the bright orange markers on the guy lines, it’ll provide a little extra cushion for their gentle shins.
- Solar string lights: You can spruce up your campsite with all sorts of cool lighting that the kids will love. Plus it adds a level of safety for getting around your site at night. Solar powered lights can be found on the cheap and will last for days without sunlight. But for your sake, we hope there will be plenty of sunrays to charge your lights daily.
- Let the kids help: As I said before, children in this age range love to discover new things, and they love to help out their parents. It gives them a sense of belonging and pride to do things their parents do. Take advantage of this because it won’t last forever. Use these moments as teaching mechanisms and learning experiences. If it takes an hour to set up the tent….who cares? We’re here to enjoy this time together and there’s no better bonding experience than struggling with the tent poles while the wind blows it to the next campsite over.
- Water basin/pale/tub for washing and bathing: Chances are your kids will be barefoot most of the time and that means dirty, filthy feet, legs, hands, arms and probably face. It’s a pain to run back and forth to the lake or shared bathroom facilities to clean up constantly. And pouring ten bottles of water over them doesn’t seem like a good use of your drinking water. Bring along a washing tub that will fit their little feet in so they can wash off periodically. It can serve a double purpose for packing toys at the same time.
- Outdoor mat or rug: Again with the dirt and sand. Once it gets into your tent, it’s a real pain to get out. This little camping with kids hack will be your best bet to stopping the dirt before it gets in. Place an outdoor rug at the entrance to the tent. That way everyone can wipe their feet clean before entering. If the forecast calls for rain, a rubber mat works great. If you can keep it dry, a boot rug is the most comfortable on tiny toes.
- Glow sticks on tent guy lines: Just when you sit down at night to have a few wobbly pops by the fire, one of the kids or your friend Greg trips over a guy line and tears half the tent down. This is avoidable. Hang a few glow sticks on the guy lines to mark them out in the dark and just hope the kids don’t remove every single one.
- Rain gear: In case you’re on Mother Nature’s bad side and she decides to rain on your parade, you don’t have to pack up and head home. Just turn the other cheek and throw on some rain gear. Splash pants, a raincoat and rubber boots for the kids and they’ll love jumping in the mud and puddles. Meanwhile you can hide out with a book in the tent.
- Books: While the kids will be hopped up on sugar and adrenaline most of the time, a little R & R is always nice. Bringing their favorite book along to read or a coloring book will keep them occupied for at least ten minutes while you sneak in a power nap.
- Glow Sticks: We’re doubling back to glow sticks, but this time for a different purpose. Keeping track of those sneaky little munchkins is tough work, especially at night. Put a few glow stick necklaces and bracelets on them so you can catch them before they’ve got their hands on the neighbors s’more kit.
- Extra Long Roasting Sticks: Like we said before, kids love to help out and they are especially drawn to the flames of a campfire. I like to avoid a meltdown right before bed and so letting them roast their own marshmallow will keep them feeling good. But getting too close to the fire is obviously a recipe for disaster. Bring along some extra long roasting sticks so that you can feel comfortable with how close they are. Stay within arms reach anyway….you’ll most definitely have to blow out a burning marshmallow.
- Games: You might think your days will be filled with swimming and hiking excursions. For the most part that might be right. But kids need to stay busy even when you think they should be so tuckered out they’ll sleep for days. Pack along some of their favorite games and toys to keep the fun rolling.
- Snacks: Kids bellies are only full during the main course of lunch and dinner. As soon as it’s time for desert, they’re ready to eat again. Plus every waking second in between. Bring along plenty of quick and easy snacks so you won’t be stuck playing camp cook for hours each day.
Camping: the only vacation where you work harder preparing meals and caring for your living space than you do in your own house.
- Musical Instruments: This is especially true if you play an instrument yourself that you’ll be bringing along for some nighttime entertainment. If you have a kids guitar, small drum or just the spoons, bring them along so your kids can join in the music.
- Comfort, Comfort, Comfort: Look, I hate the thought “spoiling” my kids as much as anyone. But if we expect to take them out of their usual surroundings and ask them to sleep outdoors with the bears and monsters, we absolutely owe it to them to make them as comfortable as we can. And if they’ve never stepped into the woods before we can hardly expect them to feel at ease once they get there. Take them for a walk through a forest park in the weeks leading up to your trip. Let them see that the forests are nothing to be afraid of so that they have some level of comfort when they get to the campsite.
Camping with Toddlers Tips, Hacks and Items
All of the tips for camping with kids apply to camping with toddlers as well. And in some cases these next tips could apply for older kids all the same. But there are a few extra that we find especially important for camping with toddlers in the 1 to 3 age range.
- Sunshade: If your campsite is in an open area or if you’ll be heading down to the beach on those blistering days, you’ll want to provide a little protection from the sun. And while applying sunscreen every couple of hours will protect you and your children from burning, you’ll still want to stay out of the sun when you can. This is especially true for babies and toddlers who tear their little hat off every time you look away.
- Picnic Blanket: Have you ever tried to have a quick lunch on the beach with a two year old without a picnic blanket? They seem to love sand dipped strawberries, sand milk and literal sandwiches. You can usually keep a toddler on a picnic blanket long enough to eat without having a face full of dirt.
- Mini Everything: Toddlers love to have all of the same equipment their parents have. And camping gear comes in all sorts of mini-me sizes for children. Pack along mini camping chairs, mini sleeping bags and anything else you can find to make them love the experience all the more.
Related article: If you like this read, I think you’ll like this one too, Planning your first family camping trip.
- Booster Seat: Another good way to keep babies and young toddlers at the dinner table is to bring along a booster seat. Many styles are foldable so they’re camp packing friendly.
- Small blow up pool: Sometimes it’s nice to just hang out at your own campsite instead of going down to the beach. If you’re lucky enough to snag a beachside site, you’re golden. For the rest of us, you might prefer to fill a small pool and have it on your site at certain times of day. That way the kids can splash around while you take care of other things.
- First aid kit: This one could apply to all age groups including your own. However, it’s amazing how a band aid can instantly stop the tears caused by a toddlers bobo. Granted there will be times where more serious injuries occur and you’ll need that first aid kit for all its worth.
- Battery Operated Noise Machine: Tents are not soundproof in the least. So while you’re hoping that the kids will fall asleep while you stay out to talk by the fire, they’ll be hearing every word. A battery operated white noise machine will cut down the sounds from outside while also providing a calming noise to put the children in lala land.
Final Thoughts for a Spectacular Camping Trip
You can read all the camping with kids hacks available on the internet, but no matter what items you bring or forget, just remember one thing. Camping trips are supposed to be a blast! This is a chance to really bond with your little ones as they grow into tiny human beings of their own. Don’t let the stresses put a wrench in your trip. Relax, have fun and make this the best camping experience ever. Just as you did when you were little, your kids will relish these times for the rest of their lives.
