You can simply pack up and leave when going camping by yourself but you need to prepare better with the kids involved if you want to have a hassle-free camping experience.
To make the trip a wholesome family experience, you need to plan more elaborately and pack only as much as you need. Camping is about unplugging and take time off from the demands of modern life and you need to find a balance between packing everything you need for the trip and not transferring your entire house to a camping ground.
Here’s a guide on how to go camping with the kids.
Packing list
If you leave the packing to your kids then they might just pack everything. You need to keep your luggage as light as possible while still having all the essential items. Avoid packing for ‘in case’ situations.
Pack clothes that can be worn during the day in warm weather and layered with another in the night for warmth instead of packing for every type of weather. More importantly, remember to pack any medication that may be needed during the camping trip and a first aid kit to attend to minor scratches.
Entertainment plan
You could easily end up with grumbling kids on your trip if you lack a plan to keep them entertained. Kids get easily bored. If you have young kids then include their favorite toys on the packing list and have an interesting playlist in your car if you are going on a long drive to your camping site.
At the campsite, find suitable outdoor activities like going on nature trails, bird watching, hunting and hiking that your kids will also enjoy. Moreover, you can tell stories and play camping games around the fire in evenings as you prepare your dinner.
Health and safety
Do your research on your camping grounds, the possible risks and dangers and how to avoid them, and know the proximity of a source of clean drinking water. If there none nearby, then come prepared with your own water.
Also, remember to come with an insect repellent, sunscreen and hats from American Hat Makers to keep everyone safe from the blazing sun.
Upon arriving at your campsite, give them the safety rules to be observed and take them around the grounds and show them boundaries beyond which they should not go.
Get them involved
Your kids will wonder why you even tagged them along to the trip in the first place if you don’t give them active roles to play.
Allocate them age-appropriate tasks like helping in pitching the tent and fetching wood for the fire. In fact, camping is an opportune time to teach your kids basic survival skills like how to start a fire and fend for food.
Older children can help in food preparation by chopping vegetables and roasting food over a fire but under very close adult supervision. Never leave your kids alone by the fireside.
