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Taking your children camping can be a lot of fun. There’s a great big world out there just waiting to be discovered. It will offer your children a wide range of experiences that they will never forget. And neither will you!
If you’re planning on taking your children camping, you should make sure your car or RV is packed with everything you need, BEFORE you set off on your journey. There's nothing quite like needing something important when you are 20 miles from the nearest store.
You probably know how to keep your children busy while you’re traveling, but what happens when you get there? Here is a bit of advice that will help them actually have fun once you’ve reached your camping destination:
Encourage Your Children To Help You Cook
Children can potentially find almost every aspect of their camping trip exciting, and it’s likely they will want to be involved in as many things as possible. Encourage your children to help you prepare and cook meals so they feel included. As a bonus, they will learn an important skill along the way too.
You don’t need to cook fancy meals, just show your kids how to cook basic meals. Just make sure they stay safe if they’re cooking food over an open flame.
Ask Your Children What They Would Like To Do
An easy way to make sure your children have a good time is to ask them what they would like to do. Where would they like to go tomorrow, or the day after?
Asking your children what they want to do will also help them feel like a real member of the team. Just explain their options and let them make a decision.
Go On Adventures
Go on adventures with your children. Take a walk through a forest, go fishing, or swim in a lake. Add a bit of excitement by explaining “We’re going on an adventure today.” Although you may not necessarily think you’re going on an adventure, your children will, and this can add a whole new dimension to your camping vacation.
Let your little ones take their flashlights so they can spot bugs that hide under leaves, or in tree bark. Give them pens and some paper to draw any animals and plants they see on their walk through the forest and add that extra touch of excitement to their day.
Make Sure Your Children Get Enough Sleep
Although you may want to let your children stay up a little later than usual, you will need to make sure they get enough sleep. Going on vacation can be an exciting time, but it’s important that your children get enough rest so they can enjoy it.
Let your children stay up just that little bit later now and again, but make sure they understand that they cannot stay up late every night, especially if the next day promises to be a busy one. Encourage your children to get enough sleep, and they will enjoy their camping trip SO much more.
Give your little ones a vacation to remember. Just make sure they’re tucked up in bed at a reasonable time most nights, for both yall's sanity!
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
I would not want to.I am strictly a “housing”person. Only time I camped out was when my ex and I went across the country to CA. Colorado was beautiful under the stars though. But I am afraid I value my conveniences, like showers and screening to keep the bugs out and a fridge.
We camp almost every weekend in the summer. Sometimes i bring my 2 kids alone during the week and my husband meets us on Friday. My huge tip is organization. I have all our gear in the Sterilite drawers. We have a drawer for everything. I even have a 3 drawer system for games, books, and craft supplies. Another fun thing we do is nature journaling. Some of our favorite games to bring are Zombie Dice and Sleeping Queens.
Mediterranean Seared Scallops with Lemony Garlic Orzo
Thanks so much for these great tips. They really do help. I look forward to taking my family camping this summer..
Where do you like to camp?
I’m not a huge fan of camping, if I didn’t have to camp in a tent I would like it better. We like to take card games along to play.
I have a friend who takes these roll out pads. It helps to make it more comfortable.
When our kids were younger we took them camping a lot. It was a lot of fun for the whole family. We cooked outside and slept in tents.
The kids love the cooking part. Mainly because it’s so different from the usual.
I would not want to.I am strictly a “housing”person. Only time I camped out was when my ex and I went across the country to CA. Colorado was beautiful under the stars though. But I am afraid I value my conveniences, like showers and screening to keep the bugs out and a fridge.
Camping isn’t for everyone. However, it can still be fun in short spurts!
We camp almost every weekend in the summer. Sometimes i bring my 2 kids alone during the week and my husband meets us on Friday. My huge tip is organization. I have all our gear in the Sterilite drawers. We have a drawer for everything. I even have a 3 drawer system for games, books, and craft supplies. Another fun thing we do is nature journaling. Some of our favorite games to bring are Zombie Dice and Sleeping Queens.
You definitely know what you’re doing! Organization is definitely a huge help to a smooth process especially with kids.