Summer is a great time to try family camping. Kids love it, and as long as you are prepared, family camping can be a great experience for all. Here are some ideas to help you make your family camping trip a success:
Tent Selection
If you have small children, you’ll likely want a tent that is big enough for the entire family. With older kids, you may want to consider separate tents. I am excited that my kids are almost at the age where my husband and I can be in our own tent. When it comes to tent camping, it’s a good idea to practice setting it up in the backyard so it’s not your first try while camping. Especially if there is any rain, you don’t want to be struggling to set up a tent you have never used before.
Selecting a campsite
Research the type of campsite you might want. Do you want to rough it or be near amenities? Many campsites online offer comprehensive information about the area. This will also help you know what equipment, clothing, and food you’ll need to take. Some campsites have preset tents or even cabins so consider these options as well.
I recommend campsites near water. Kids love swimming, throwing rocks in a stream and seeing waterfalls. I planned an entire route around water stops. We stopped near ponds, oceans, lakes and streams. The kids loved it!
Food Storage & Cooking supplies
We typically bring the following: frying pan, a pot or two, a bucket (for washing dirty dishes), a small charcoal grill orcamping stove, Ziploc bags, cooking utensils and a mess kit for each of us (these include a plate, bowl, knife, fork, spoon and mug).
Meal Planning and Snacks
For food, I recommend packing the easy stuff like hot dogs, burgers, pasta, etc. Cereal is easy for the morning. Also bring water, a can opener, a kettle or coffee pot, and a cooler with plenty of ice. Don’t forget to plan on snacking a lot during the day. Kids get super hungry on day hikes. For a typical hike, I’ll pack a water, sandwiches, fruit, cheese sticks, mini carrots and something that is a bit sweet as a treat. Lately, I am loving Nut Exactly Snack Bites.
Clothing
Making sure you pack appropriate clothing is key. Depending on your location, pack clothing that will match the weather, but bring layers. Select clothing that wicks moisture and dries quickly. Cotton is not a good choice. Evenings can often be quite cool if you are in a desert or wooded environment. Plan for rain and mud too. Rain ponchos are helpful as they cover nearly all of your clothing so you can still enjoy a hike. Bring extra socks and shoes in case your footwear gets wet. If long hikes will be involved, be sure the entire family has proper footwear.
Other camping essentials:
- Sleeping bags
- first aid kit
- flashlights
- cell phone with back up charger or car charger
- garbage bags
- toilet pater
- paper towels
- toiletries – shampoo, toothpaste, etc.
- sunscreen
- ointments for bug bites, minor burns, cuts and scrapes
- a map of the area
- insect repellent
- games for the kids
- rainwear
Setting up your Tent
Hopefully you have practiced at home as I recommended above. Many campsites have a clear area where your tent is supposed to be set up. Ensure there are no rocks or debris where the tent will be set up. Most campgrounds will post warning signs or instructions regarding specific animals and vegetation. Pay careful attention to storing your food at night so you don’t invite unwanted animal guests. Some guests are pretty cute though!
Enjoy!
While you are likely to run into some challenges, take a breath and enjoy the entire camping experience. Look at the stars and night. Listen to all of the natural sounds or your surroundings.
Stop and see things off the beaten path. We found some really interesting things just stopping in random towns along the way. Make it an adventure and see if you an find something you’ve never seen or done before. Relish the time you are spending with your family that will create lasting memories for your children.
When camping with kids, always pack more clothes than you think you need. At least for us. My three boys make the most of being outdoors and we go through clean clothes in a flash!
My tip is make sure you have someway to listen to music!
Bring lots of good food!
Use foam floor tiles for a softer, more comfortable tent floor.
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Bring lots of goodies and blankets
We don’t camp a lot, but a great tip is to never forget the mosquito repellent!
My camping tip would be if its getting colder at night…heat up warm water over the camp fire and put in plastic water bottles. Before you crawl in your sleeping bag…put a couple in there to warm it up for you!
Never wear anything perfumed
My favorite tip is to bring sunscreen. It doesn’t have to be sunny to be needed and you will be outside a lot.
My favorite camping tip is to be games etc in case of rain and you’re stuck inside.
Dryer lint is a great fire starter!
My favorite camping trip is to rent a hotel room and bring the Fisher Nut Exactly, LOL!
Make sure you know how to start a fire– it’s life/death at night because it gets COLD.
Make sure to bring a lot of layers because the weather can change throughout the day.
I am not a big camping type of person, think I have gone a few times in my life so I don’t really have any tips.
bring lots of snacks and water bottles
When pitching your tent or setting up another type of shelter, be on the lookout for wasp nests and other insects and bugs. One year we did not know that there was a bee hive right by us! We had to find another spot away from the bees!
My camping tip is bring plenty of bug spray and sunscreen when camping, very important to protect yourself against pesky bugs and the sun rays.
My favorite is to make travel coffee bags out of coffee filters with pre-ground coffee.
I haven’t camped for several years, but my tip/plan is to get one of those pop-open tents that set up quickly.
sorry but i’m not a camper-
My favorite camping trip is the one we took this winter to our family room when we got 7 feet of snow in 2 days. It made it fun for the boys and we turned on our fireplace and made smores.
I loved going to Yogi Bear campgrounds with my family as a kid. Some of the best memories I have!
Don’t forget the bug spray! A must have item here in Missouri.
I would say don’t forget the mosquito spray.
Hard to believe but I have never been camping!
We have had very bad luck on camping trips. Once hubby almost cut off his finger the next one we got in a car accident. Left me on a walker and hubby in a wheel chair for 6 months. Now we only camp in a hotel room.lol
My favorite camping tip is to let the kids camp in a tent outside of the RV. It gives them an even bigger sense of adventure!
Good idea. We let the kids “camp” in our yard in a tent sometimes too!
What great tips! We’ve never been camping, but maybe someday!
You totally need to try camping, or at least “glamping” with your kids. So much fun!
We went camping last weekend and had so much fun. I wish I had that blueberry recipe. Saving it for our next trip!
We always to make sure to bring a tarp, mainly to put under the tent. That way if it does rain, the water doesn’t seep into the tent.
Another great tip. Tarps are a must have!
When camping and being active outdoors, it’s really important to stay fueled up with energy. Nuts pack in that protein so this is a great snack.
I’m going to be honest…I’m not big on camping. But we do hike a lot (one day hikes) and those snacks look perfect for that!
You have to try “glamping” in a prefab tent. It makes it so much easier. Our tent had two king sized beds with black out tarps. It was amazing!
I’ve never experienced an adventure like this before. Sounds like a fun thing to try with my family.
Those are some great tips. Those nut clusters look really good too.
They are so delicious. I had some on the plane flying to Texas. So good and filling!