Camping can be a lot of fun at any age. If you love hiking in the great outdoors and sleeping under the stars, you probably want to share your passion with your kids. Camping with kids is great fun!
In fact, camping vacations are already one of the most popular vacation choices for American families. In total, they spent about 534.9 million days camping in 2011 alone. According to a recent survey, as many as 13% of adult campers took a family camping vacation because they wanted to spend more time with their families. Camping with your kids can be a blast, but it can also be a challenge.
To avoid any vacation-ruining drama, here are five ways you can make your family camping trip a little easier for everyone.
Plan and prep meals. Planning meals for camping trips can be hard enough since storage and cooking supplies are so limited. Add kids and their picky appetites into the mix, and you’ve got yourself a whole new challenge. Make sure you portion everything out ahead of time and keep all food sealed in a bear-proof container. Bring snacks that will provide your kids with enough energy throughout the day to hike and play.
Make a checklist. Packing all the essentials is critical to planning a successful family camping trip. Kids require a lot more gear than you might realize, so make a list and check items off as they go into the backpack.
Keep them busy. Not all kids are fascinated by sticks and pine cones, especially in this day and age, when so many kids rely on their television or Minecraft for entertainment. To keep the boredom at bay, get them outside and participating in all of the activities and amenities Our parks have to offer! Bring along some books and board games for rainy days as well. While you’re outside enjoying the fresh air, take the time to teach your kids about nature and get them excited about outdoor activities.
Find a family-friendly campsite. For family camping trips, make sure you are heading to a safe and kid-friendly site. Choose family campgrounds that provide an array of options for activities such as hiking trails or a lake for swimming or fishing. For a child’s first camping trip, you may want to stay close to home, especially if you are tent camping.
Stay safe. Nothing is more important than safety during family camping trips. If you have multiple children and are worried that you won’t be able to keep an eye on them at all times, have them use the buddy system. You can also give them whistles to blow in case they get lost or hurt.
Among current campers, 85% took their first trip between birth and age 15. After age 15, the chances of being introduced to camping are lower. Similarly, 57% of campers regularly participated in outdoor activities when they were young, while just one-quarter of non-participants were exposed to the outdoors.
If you want your kids to have a healthy relationship to the world away from screens, camping is the perfect solution. Taking your kids camping is a wonderful experience!
