Tips for Camping with Kids

The weather is getting warmer, which means camping season is upon us! Tent camping is such a fun (and inexpensive) family experience! S’mores, bonfires, listening to the sounds of nature… when it is planned well, it can go very smoothly. Here are our top tips for camping with kids!  

1. Check the weather. When going on a short camping trip (2-3 nights) it’s best to check to make sure there won’t be torrential downpours or severe weather. A little rain is fine, but no one wants to be soaking wet and stuck in a tent.

 

2. Choose the right campsite. Choose a campsite within a close distance to facilities. Not next to them, as noise could be an issue…but close enough for little ones to be able to go when they need to go! Or, teach them how to go in the woods!

Also, look up! Is your tent underneath a big acorn or pine tree? Those can drop on your tent all night long (we know from experience!)

3. Food prep in advance. For breakfast we make pancakes, eggs and bacon. We bring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and other snacks for hiking-friendly lunches. Along with hot dogs, we like to bring pre-made dinners that are simply heated over the fire.

On our last camping trip, we brought two dinners we prepped in advance, and stored in aluminum baking pans:

-Campfire Chili: My basic chili recipe (literally, the recipe on the back of the chili seasoning packet) thrown into an aluminum pan. Served with Fritos and cheese!

-Campfire Mac and Cheese: I used this recipe and we LOVED it! https://laurenslatest.com/camping-mac-n-cheese/

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4. Keep the inside of your tent CLEAN. This means: shoes OFF when coming inside! We like to keep a tarp outside the entrance of the tent to remove shoes.

5. Plan your day intentionally. When the sun goes down, it sure gets dark around the campgrounds! Plan to cook your meal, clean up, and get ready for bed before you lose sunlight. Sitting around the campfire in PJ’s is a great way for the kids to wind down. There will be less stress if the kids are ready for bed then trying to figure out where everything is in the dark.

6. Have the kids use the potty RIGHT BEFORE bed. This will insure no middle-of-the-night-trips to the bathroom!

7. Keep your firewood DRY. We store ours in a big Rubbermaid container.

 

8. Pack Smart! I’ll skip the entire basic packing list, I’m sure you already  know to pack a tent and sleeping bags. But we’ve compiled a list of things we found EXTRA helpful when camping with kids:

1) Mosquito repellent bracelets – Kids don’t mind wearing them and help keep the bites away!

2) Mosquito Guard– This brand is DEET free and made with 100% plant-based ingredients and essential oils.

3) Water Source– We thought Aqua-Tainer worked really well for us. Kids need to stay hydrated! Provided enough water for us for drinking water and cleaning dishes for our 3-day trip.

4) S’mores Sticks – So, we’ve upgraded from the days of finding the perfect “s’mores stick” in the woods. I like these because they expand- allowing you to be in control of how far away from the fire you want to be. Again, good for the kids!

5) Hanging Tent Lights– Even though we use flashlights, I like keeping these inside the tent. The clip is convenient to hang the light so you can have light, hands free!

6) External Battery Pack – You may be out in the middle of nowhere, but still need your phone for maps, photo-taking, directions, and emergencies. Bring an external battery charger to power up the devices without needing an outlet. This is great to have for all travel purposes, not just camping! This one can charge a phone up to five times, which is perfect for a short camping trip.

7) Games – Hopefully your camping trip is unplugged time together. We always bring a basic pack of playing cards or Uno wherever we go, but we recently got the “Spot it! Camping” game and love it! It’s for ages 6+, but our 4 year old is able to play too.

8) Campsuds all purpose soap – If you plan to washing dishes or shower, this is a great product!

9) Kitchen Sink – We’ll use the term “sink” loosely, but this works great to clean your reusable dishes, utensils, etc. right at your campsite. Folds up and is super compact!

10) Wet wipes – Baby wipes work great as well as these biodegradable ones. These are great for conveniently wiping sticky marshmallow goo off faces, cleaning dirty hands and feet (no showers needed for short camping trips!)

11)  Heat Resistant Gloves– For gripping the hot things cooking on the campfire grate. May not seem like an essential but we use these A LOT and have definitely been a life saver for us.

12) Camping Grate – When cooking over a campfire, this is a must! Skips the need to bring a big grill on your camping trip!

13) Mini-flashlights – store one every where there is a pocket or space, that way you’ll always have them handy! The kids get a kick out of having their own personal flashlight too.

14) Brew Buddies – I saved the best and most important thing, for last! Man, we love these! These are perfect for making GOOD camp coffee. And if you are a parent camping with young kids, you KNOW you need good coffee. Simply put your coffee grounds into the Brew Buddy, set on top of your mug, pour hot water over it, and wait a few minutes. Wallah! Coffee!

Our Brew Buddies in action:

 

Other Tips:

• • Try camping in your backyard with your children as a test run before taking a longer trip. It’s a great way to test out the sleeping configuration for the family too.
    
    
  • Don’t forget to pack your kids favorite blanket/animal to sleep with!
    
    

• • Bring a pack and play or travel crib for younger kids to sleep.
    
    
  • To conserve battery on your phone, set it to “airplane mode” for any time you don’t need internet/service, but just want your phone available to take pictures.