Are you like me, an old and over the hill parent (according to our kids)? I remember as a kid the hours and days that I would enjoy being outside, building forts, exploring the woods behind my house and taking hiking and camping trips with my parents. Some of my fondest memories as a kid were taking day trips to Shenandoah National Park and having a picnic lunch before a long hike to a water fall. We would walk along the stream bank, drop sticks in the water and then try to ‘sink’ the stick boats by throwing rocks at them! Kids have so much more electronic stimuli now that we ever did at the same age that it’s often difficult to get them outdoors and let them have those same experiences that we did.
So what now, what do you do? Here are a few tips for taking kids camping that I’ve picked up over the years; some learned the hard way, some passed on and some learned from experience.
Bring plenty of everything; extra food, water, towels, clothes and everything else. There are two different approaches to packing for a camping trip; taking only the essentials and what you’ll need or pack the car to absolute capacity and don’t leave anything behind. Guess which one is best for kids? If you think you may have some use for it, throw it in the car. Also, very important, make sure that your kids bring the ‘essentials’ with them, those security things that they’ve grown accustomed to and will make the trip easier. There’s no sense in limiting what they bring either, if you’ve got room in the vehicle, let them bring it. Remember that these trips are more for the kids and letting them enjoy the experience than it is for us. Our enjoyment comes from watching our kids enjoy themselves.
Involve your kids with the planning phase. Give them a list of destinations and let them have input as to where you go. If they want to go to a developed area like a state park with swimming beaches and educational programs, go there. If they want to go up in the forest where you probably won’t see another person the whole time and hiking is the main attraction, go there. Let them have ownership and say in what you do and where you go; we like that, so do kids.
Have them help you pack for the trip. Explain what they’ll need; cooler weather clothes, play shoes, bathing suits, whatever it is and let them pack (you may want to double check it though!) Give them a flashlight or some sort of little camping tool and tell them that’s theirs for the trip. Kids love gadgets (just like we do) and the perceived responsibility of having their own gadget teaches a lot.
When you get to the campground have them help you set up camp. Let them help pick the sight, get the tent set up, unpack sleeping bags, teach them how the camp stove works. Talk to them and explain, how else are they going to learn? By teaching them what is needed and why and how to do it they’ll have a better understanding, enjoy it more and be more likely to want to take future trips.
What about electronics? The ultimate goal of camping, or any outside activity, is to get kids outdoors and away from electronics and let them have fun playing outside. But, there’s no point in totally limiting those electronic games that they probably love. The ultimate goal really is to teach them that electronics are ok but playing outside should be more fun. So let them bring the iPad or whatever it is, just limit playing time. There will be times when you’re preparing meals or before bedtime that the kids are used to playing a quick game, as long as it doesn’t dominate the trip there’s no harm in that and it will keep the kids happier. Common theme here; keeping the kids happy during the outdoor experience will enable them to enjoy it more and be more likely to want to repeat it.
Food. Another very important part of the planning stage. Campfire hot dogs, smores and potato chips really should be USDA staple foods but they haven’t asked for my opinion yet so… Most all kids have a favorite food and some kids are pretty picky eaters. Whatever you pack for meals and snacks make sure it’s something that your kids are used to and will enjoy, and is relatively easy to prepare over a campfire of camping stove. And, probably most importantly, kids love campfires and smores. Build a nice big campfire, explain to your kids how and why you stack the wood in a certain way, let them go into the woods to finds marshmallow sticks and enjoy the time sitting around the fire with your kids. Those kinds of memories last a lifetime, trust me on that.
Plan unstructured itineraries while you’re camping. Plan as many different activities as you can and then present them to the kids; what should we do today? Let them decide. If they want to hike five miles to the waterfall or mountain summit, great. If they want to run around the woods and build forts and just explore the campground all day, great. If the campground has programs and activities available, great. If there’s a beach or creek and the kids just want to swim and splash around, great. Be flexible, again this is more about your kids having fun than anything else.
The bottom line here is that taking your kids camping can be an incredibly rewarding and enjoyable experience for everyone. It’s understandable to be apprehensive about it for whatever reason; your kid’s age or interests, your own experience camping or regional options close to you. But these trips can be great family experiences. You don’t have to be an experienced or expert camper, its fun to make mistakes and laugh at yourself, your kids certainly will laugh at you! Get your kids outside, let them have outside kid fun and teach them the thrill of being outside in the natural environment. Camping with your kids is an incredibly fun, bonding and rewarding experience for the whole family!
