Is taking your little kids camping a daunting prospect?
Think you have to pack away the camping gear until your children are a bit older? Well, fear not, with these handy hints we’ll have you back out in nature – camping with your little kids – sooner than you thought!
Planning your trip
Firstly, it’s all about the planning. Things to consider:
- Where are you going? Are there any potential hazards that you need to mitigate to keep your little ones safe – and how are you going to manage that risk?
- Clothes – whatever clothing you think you need for your child, double it. Kids and camping go hand in hand with dirt and mess – so best to reconcile yourself to that fact early on!
- Plan your meals and snacks – having premade options available will mean less time cooking and more time playing or looking after your toddler. Plus, it will allow you to keep to your mealtime schedule – and reduce the potential for hangriness – more easily.
- You might consider some practice runs camping in your back yard. This will take away the excitement of sleeping somewhere new and may make sleep time on your camping trip less stressful.
Pack Smart
Packing smartly will also help make camping with little kids more comfortable. Things you should think about are:
- Are your children toilet trained or newly toilet trained? Perhaps consider bringing a portable toilet or potty along with you – it may save you trekking across to the toilets throughout the night!
- Collapsible steps – handy for helping your kids reach the basin in the toilet block to brush their teeth – and saves your back trying to hold them up!
- Baby wipes are your friend! They can be used to clean their hands and feet – or their whole body if showers aren’t available – and they’re not just for kids! They are a perfect way to clean up any mess!
- Their own camp chair – you can buy child size camp chairs at your local camping store
- Home comforts – if they usually sleep with a favourite toy or love the same bedtime story, make sure they come camping too.
- What happens if it rains? Do you have some rainy-day activities packed? What about raincoats and gum boots?
- Same goes for sunny days – do you have their hat and togs and sunscreen? What about a shade tent or cabana?
Make it fun for littlies
Other things that can make it more fun are:
- Glowsticks – who doesn’t love a glowstick? Plus, it has the added benefit of enabling you to be able to find your little one in the dark!
- Marshmallows – every camping trip needs a bit of fire and marshmallow action!
- Have a special adventuring backpack for each child to carry (if old enough to do so). Include things like their water bottle, snacks, tissues etc. Another great idea to include is a whistle – that way if your child loses sight of you, they can get your attention so you can find them more easily. This will help them take responsibility and save you being a pack horse
- Camping with friends that also have children can take the stress out as there are more adults to keep watch. It’s also gives you other adults to share your wins and laugh at your mishaps. Plus, if your friends have older children, they may be able to entertain and help with the younger ones! Having other kids around can be just as exciting as the camping trip for littlies!
Train them young
Camping with young ones gives you the opportunity to start training them young. Some things you can teach them are:
- Being part of the set up and pack up of camp – give them a little job that they can be responsible for
- Safety – there are many safety considerations while camping – fire, water, bush, animals. Explaining the potential dangers from an early age (without scaring them completely) will lead to more conscious campers as they get older
- Camp etiquette – we’ve all been in situations where you had wished the parents had instilled this in their children. And it’s never too early to teach your kids some basics such as:
- Using quiet voices during early mornings or late evenings if you are camped close to others
- Not invading other people’s spaces – you don’t walk through someone else’s campsite, you go around
- You don’t approach someone else’s dog without asking permission from the owner first
- You don’t stay and scrounge off other people at mealtime, unless you’ve been invited
Have fun!
But the biggest tip we can give you – and it probably has the greatest benefit – is to have fun!! These trips are meant to be fun! It’s a great opportunity to spend some quality time with your family and enjoy some down time! So, what are you waiting for? Get planning now!