Tips and Tricks to Survive and ENJOY camping with small children

My family loves the outdoors.  We are always outside: playing, biking, hiking, swimming, CAMPING, or the like.  Over the years, my husband and I have enjoyed camping… and with each additional child added to our family brings new challenges.

We are a family of tent campers.  My family camping adventures are always full of fun, adventure, and surprises.  I would love to share with you some tips and tricks on how to survive and enjoy camping with small children.  My friend Heather shared a similar post on how how to camp with young children.

1.  Enjoy the beautiful surroundings and take a hike.  Make sure you supervise your children because they always tend to find the craziest creatures, objects, and plants.

2.  Learn what poison ivy/oak looks like!!  The boys were hiking through a busy path that looked like poison ivy/oak, but I wasn’t sure.  When we returned to camp we washed thoroughly (and when we got home).  Unfortunately, Mommy was not so fortunate – must have been handling all the dirty laundry.  I got poison ivy/oak.  Total bummer!

 

3.  Have your children help you set up camp.  They love feeling a sense of accomplishment and feeling like an important part of the family.

4.  Slow down, enjoy the moment… and let the kids be kids!  Shortly after the boys started helping us set up camp… the two little boys decided to dance, jump, and do a jig on the tarp (where the tent was going to be set up).  Instead of barking and rushing to set up camp, we sat back, watched and treasured the giggling and memories the boys were making.

 

5.  Happy children = happy tummies = full tummies.  Make sure you are prepared and bring lots of snacks and food.  I know for my family, we always eat more when we are enjoying the great outdoors.  My goal is/was to make sure the boys tummies were always full.  Knowing that they are not hungry gives me the satisfaction that there would be less meltdowns.

6.  Bring a few select toys/items to keep them entertained.  Yet, be prepared that sometimes the most interesting toys to play with are the items they find at camp.

 

7.  Let go of your (my) OCD tendencies and forgo any bedtime routines or time.  You are camping… and chances are your children will not go to sleep at 8PM when it is still light out.  Enjoy spending time outdoors with your family: make smores, tell stories by the fire, play flash light tag.

 

8.  Relax, slow down, and enjoy the moment.  Even if it means nursing your hot, sweaty, dirty 20 month old when you should be cooking dinner.  Remember you are making memories with your family… and sometimes a little downtime is good for everyone.

9. Always be prepared.  Make sure you bring a first aid kit.  You never know when you will need one.  Heck, who knew playing Super Ninjas while karate chopping fire wood (with their feet – jumping on the logs), would end up getting hurt.  A freak accident of one of the karate chopped logs bounced back and scraped the top of Peyton’s nose.  Ouch!

10.  Take pictures. Enjoy the moment.  Follow your children’s lead.  Basically… make memories.  If you child wants to watch the boats drive by, snuggle up and have a conversation about the boats and the animals you see on the water.

I hope you enjoyed my ten tips for surviving and enjoying camping with your small children.  As you can tell, my biggest piece of information is to slow down, enjoy the moment, and make memories.  Happy outdoor adventures!!

Do you enjoy camping?
What are your own tips and tricks for a successful camping trip?