Welcome to the Take Over Tuesday guest post series. I will be featuring posts by fellow bloggers and outdoors enthusiasts. Do you have some expertise or a great story to share? Consider submitting something to the Humans of the Outdoors series or contacting me directly.
Today’s feature is from Jessica of Exploring the Local Life. Jessica a blogging, YouTubing, RVing, roadschooling mama of two who is married to the fantastic Robert (the other half of Exploring the Local Life). Jessica and her crew are a family of four (Robert, Jessica, Daniel, and Nadia) that love to explore the world around them. They are living in their RV full-time and are experiencing local life throughout the south eastern United States. They are re-defining the American Dream on their own terms! Check Jessica and her family out on their blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
5 Tips for Camping with Kids
Going camping with kids is one of the best ways to unplug and create memories as a family. But it can also be a complete disaster. Ever pitch a tent in the rain or dark? Did you get everything set up only to realize you forgot your kiddo’s favorite toy? Here are 5 tips to help you avoid some pitfalls and get the most of your family camping trip.
1. Check the weather
OK this might seem so obvious, but check the weather before you head out with the family. Check it the day before and if needed come up with a plan B. You might be able to contact a local RV park and see if they have cabins available or RVs to rent. That way you can still unplug, be close to nature, and maybe sneak out between the bouts of cruddy weather and still enjoy your weekend.
2. Use a packing list
A packing list is a good way to make sure you bring the essentials along with some other gear that can make your trip more fun. Here’s a great one from REI. Not only will this help you organize, but it can be a great way to get the kiddos involved. Depending on the age they can help check off items on the list or for older kiddos you can split up the list and pack things up even faster. Make sure to add “Favorite Toys” to the list and let the kids pack their favorite items themselves.
3. Camp with friends
Some of our finest memories camping with kids have come from camping with friends. Depending on the size(s) of the families, you can either reserve one site together or get neighboring sites. More adults mean more hands to tend the fire and stove. More kids means more play for the children and the possibility of a little down time for the parents. You can combine resources and have fantastic meals. We have also found that it can help make sure everyone’s needs are met. Someone might be able to stay behind with the napping toddler while the rest of the group hits the trails.
4. Keep it simple
I know I shared that camping checklist that has 100 items on it, but don’t overdo it. Especially if it is your first trip. Bring staples and easy to store and prepare foods. Be flexible, Remember, the trip is supposed to be about family, fun, and bonding. Plan your meals in advance. If going with another family, determine who will do what for the group – who is making what meals? Prepare the kids for the trip – research the area and talk about the gear you will be using (even if it’s not the first trip).
5. Have fun!
Light a campfire, make s’mores, sing silly songs, and decorate the campsite together with things from around the site or seasonal items brought from home. If no one is having fun, it is OK to go home and go the movies instead.
Thanks for sharing the excellent post!
Creative thinking & your camping information is great. Beautiful, family camping trips.
I have benefited!!!
Wow. I’m going to try this! Looks great. Thanks for the tip!
My last camping I fell a great problem with my kids. That’s why I search on google and find your blog. It’s really awesome tips for camping with kids. Thank you so much for share a great experience.
I enjoyed your article and found my self-dumbfound, that I didn’t think of those tips. They sound so simple but just not thought about. I always seem to overdo things and make our family trip complicated and full of arguments.
Beautiful pics. Yeah, preparation is everything when it comes to camping with kids. We love it. And they do, too. Making those memories is so important.
Michael recently posted…Pop Up Tents and Instant Tents
It’s really beautiful post. This is a perfect information about kids camping. I like your tip. This is very helpful tips. My family with me go campaign with has some kids totally all tip is really great. Thank you for it.
Anderson recently posted…7 Best Car Alarm Reviews 2018
Hey Monica,
I want to give you special thanks for this great tips. I’m planning to take a camping in next month. I’ve read your article with my best concentration. I think this will help me to avoid worst things during camping.
Thanks again for your nice post!
Monica, the tips being mentioned are great and practical. Surely, I’m going to apply these with my kids during camping. Thanks for sharing!
Hey buddy, it sounds good to involve the kids. Coz, by this they get more chances to learn more. I am being grateful as you posted such a useful and informative post with fantastic photos. I would like to save it for later. Thanks a lot for sharing your great thoughts. Looking forward for more from you
Nudu recently posted…Best Binoculars Under $200 & $500 Dollars Reviews :: Buying Guide
These are some great tips. When I take my family camping the main thing I want for them is to have fun. Creating a love for the outdoors is critical, especially if I want to continue having camping trips throughout their lives.
Camping is definitely on the list this summer while kids are off from school. How do you prepare your family leading up to the trip? I like to get the kids really excited by leaving funny camping riddles on notes, so when it’s time to go they are more than ready! Here’s one of my favorite tricky riddles I use: Give Me Food And I Will Live. Give Me Water And I Will Die. What Am I?
Camping with kids could really give you some anxiety. Good thing we have articles like this online that could guide us for a smooth camping experience. Will surely save this for future reference. Looking forward to more travel tips from you!
Laurel Santos recently posted…How to Nail a Glamping Trip
Great tips. If only the internet was around when mom started taking us camping it would have made things much easier. She used Mark Trail’s Tips for Camping book. We survived storms and figured out how to pitch the tent with rock hard ground. We did alright with that book. Camping is so much easier these days.
These are good tips. The first time we took our daughter camping, she loved it. Unfortunately, my wife and I realized that adding a baby to our tent is basically the same space requirements as adding another adult…
Haha, this is so true! Add a dog in there and you’re in trouble. We’re still squeezing into a 2-person tent but that will not work this summer with a toddler!
What wonderful tips! Growing up, our family was constantly camping. It was a lot of fun and allowed me to meet a lot of new friends. We’ll be keeping that tradition going with our little ones!
Some great tips !! I really loved that you started with the suggestion to check the weather beforehand. Many a times, people tend to plan things according to the convenience rather than the weather and find the family fun time convert in surviving the weather.
TPatrick recently posted…Best party cooler to buy in 2017 for tailgating, camping and outdoors
This is a great post! I’ve been wanting to take the boys camping for a few months now, but hubby keeps reminding me how hard it would be to take a 5 month old camping. Our toddler would probably be fine, but the baby would be a challenge. Maybe this time next year!
This is great advice for taking kids with you camping! I would add, involve them with little jobs when you can….they feel important, love to help and learn a ton. Who doesn’t love finding sticks for a campfire?? Also, bring a family fun small game….my kids look forward to family fun at the picnic table either by headlamp or before breakfast! (and we’re not even big game type people!) Also, we read two nature related stories related to the area where we are at before bed by headlamp in the tent! fun tradition! Okay so maybe I added 3 things! love your list though!
Great tips! I think keeping it simple is so important. My family always over does it when it comes to food. We started planning meals, giving each family a dinner and a few things to get for other meals of the day. Works great!
Such awesome tips!! I love that you ended it with “if nobody is having fun go home and watch movies” lol!! Its so true!! Sometimes things just bomb and that’s totally ok too 🙂 Can’t wait for our first family camping trip this year!