Family Camping Tips

This is a list of things we take a long or do to make camping more enjoyable. We plan ahead to keep everyone safe and happy while respecting other campers and campground rules. I try to keep plenty of things the children can do while staying close enough to be supervised. We also establish rules and assign simple chores.

Here are some ideas from our household:

1. The first thing to do is find a campsite where the children will be able to move around without disturbing others. I prefer camping near large grassy lots over the playgrounds because often the playgrounds are near the main driving paths.

2. Secondly, tell your children the rules of the campground and make certain they are obeyed. Please take time to learn and then teach your children campground etiquette.

3. Go over basic safety rules with your children.

4. Establish your own rules. For example, I give my children a specified area in which they can bike and set times to return to camp to check in with me. I expect them to stay within view and listen for me to call them. It is easier for children to live up to your expectations if they know what those expectations are. Don't be overbearing by expecting more than they can give or making too many rules.

5. For long car trips or quiet times at the campsite, take along Goodie Bags or an I SEE IT Travel Checklist.

6. Keep eating and sleeping schedules about the same as home to avoid "the crankies."

7. Spend time with your children!! Your attention is what they crave most and will keep them the happiest the longest! Besides it's not much of a "family trip" if the family doesn't spend time together.

8. Take bikes, in line skates, scooters, etc, but please take helmets too! Most campground require helmets.

9. Camping toy sets are great for younger children. These often feature canteens, plastic pocket knife sets with spoons and forks, magnifying glasses, binoculars, compasses, and a belt to hang everything on or a backpack.

10. Bring along sand toys if you will be camping at a campground with a sand box or sandy driveways or campsites.

11. Take along a bird i.d. manual or checklist and binoculars for older children. Take along a tree and/or plant i.d. manual or checklist if this interests your children.

12. My family collects rocks together and we carry along a rock i.d. manual and a notebook to record where & when we found it, and to classify it, etc.

13. Sidewalk chalk for paved sites is great as long as you get permission from the campground owners first. Private campgrounds usually will allow your children to use these while state and federal parks won't.

14. Carry along bubbles and bubble wands, jump rope, games and other simple activities for when they need something to do around the campsite area.

15. Make good use of the available activities at the campground...swimming, playground, face painting, nature walks, etc to burn off that youthful energy!

16. We assign age appropriate campground chores to each child. There are many ways your child can help: taking out the trash, walking pets, tidying the site, watching younger children, setting up certain equipment (like folding chairs), helping at meal times, etc.

17. Take along a portable toilet or make one, if you have young children. I can tell you first hand that even the shortest walk to the bath house seems like miles to walk in the middle of a chilly night the second time one of your children needs to go. If Mom is expecting, she will appreciate this convenience also!

18. Take along bug repellent and a simple first aid kit for minor injuries like insect bites, scrapes and rashes.

19. Cook quick and simple meals and take plenty of snacks. Children get hungry more often when they have been doing extra activities.

20. If Dad wants to try a new method of cooking (ex. pit cooking), fine...but have a quick back up meal planned in case it doesn't work out or takes longer than he thought. For one of our favorite easy-to-cook camping meals, see Crockpot Pineapple Ham.

21. Expect your children to get dirty while camping. As one old lady told me, "You can tell how much fun they had by how dirty they get." Be sure to carry along baby wipes and extra washcloths to find their cute faces again!

Be flexible, have fun! Remember they are children. Children get excited about camping and sometimes that excitement can be overwhelming. Enjoy their exuberance and try to see things through their eyes! Camping is a wonderful way for a family to unwind and bond with each other, but it does take some thought to keep everyone happy and things going smoothly!

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