Expert Tips For Camping With Kids
Your children can never be too young to go camping. The beautiful thing about nature is that it delivers an experience that awakens all of the senses. A family camping trip is one of the best ways for your young child to become introduced to the joys of being away from everyday obligations and learn to just enjoy all that nature has to offer. From infants to teens, children of every age will find many things to do during a camping trip that will captivate them.
From hearing the not too distant calls from owls to looking up at the star-filled skies, or even watching the tiniest insect make its path along with the dirt, camping will awaken their senses and open their eyes to the natural, untainted world around them.
With that being said, the following are some tips parents can follow to get started with ensuring camping with kids will be an exciting and memorable experience for everyone.
Practice At Home
If your children have never spent much time outside, you can prepare them for their first camping trip by pitching a tent in your backyard. Or, you can pitch a tent right inside of your home.
Allow them to hang out in the tent for the evening, and even let them sleep in it if they want to. This will help them become more comfortable with their sleeping experience while camping.
Before you go on your camping trip, spend the entire day outside with your children. This family outing can take place at a park that is close to home.
After that, spend half of a day at the lake or river. Observe how your children react to each experience.
Allow The Kids To Help Pack Camping Gear And Supplies
Ask your children to pack their own camping supplies and gear, and make sure they include all of the items you list. By doing this, you are not only making your children responsible, but you are also teaching them how to prepare for camping trips in the future.
Double-check their gear before leaving to make sure they have included everything.
You can help your children stay organized by providing each one with a duffel bag. These bags should contain personal items, and children should be encouraged to return these personal items to the duffel bag when they are not in being used. Bags should be color-coded to help ease identification.
Include Some Of Your Children’s Favorite Foods
One of the highlights of most camping trips is the simple act of sharing a favorite meal around the fire with family. For children, using long roasting sticks to roast food over an open fire only increases the fun. However, the fun can quickly diminish if there are no foods included that your children enjoy eating.
So, allow your children to assist with the meal planning for the camping trip. They will become more excited about the upcoming trip. Find out what they want to eat while camping, and ask them what types of treats do they want included.
In other words, pack foods that you know your children are going to enjoy. This is not the time to experiment with a new culinary dish. Also, keep snacks that can be eaten on the go handy can be easily accessed when you are traveling.
Choose The Right Campsite
Always choose campgrounds that come with the amenities that will meet your family’s needs. For example, there are some campgrounds that have swimming areas, lakes, playgrounds, rivers, ballfields, flushing toilets, picnic tables, and hot showers.
If this is your first time camping as a family, choose a campground that is more developed and close to your home. Over time, you can work your way up to campgrounds that are more secluded or are further away from home.
These are just a few of the tips you can consider when camping with kids. Your experience may not be perfect the first or even second time out, but make notes on how you can improve each trip to make it more enjoyable for your children.