The Ultimate Guide to Camping with Little Kids
Start Em’ Young
One adventure that many families put on pause when they have young children is camping. Parents worry about a variety of things when it comes to taking little kids and babies on their first camping trip. How am I going to keep them warm? What if they don’t sleep? What gear do I need to bring? How will I make it all fit?
These are all perfectly valuable concerns. Lucky for you in this post I am going to share all my tips and tricks for camping with kids and babies.
Everything you Need to Know about Camping with Little Kids
Camping with little kids is definitely an adventure. But there is one thing I can guarantee and that is you will make lifelong memories by taking your little kids camping. While many of these tips are applicable whether you are camping in a tent or RV I am focusing mostly on those brave souls that are choosing to take their littles tent camping. Whether it is by choice or circumstance tent camping creates its own unique set of challenges and those challenges are the ones I want to address.
Sleep
As many of you know (or have heard) trying to get little kids and babies to sleep while camping can be challenging. I like to call this “The Sleep Dilemma”. You have all heard the horror stories. Babies refusing to sleep, toddlers hogging the air mattress, and parents quickly packing up all their belongings to head home in the middle of the night.
Thankfully it doesn’t have to be that way. When it comes to solving the sleep dilemma, it is a two-part equation. In the posts below I cover both parts: 1) the mechanics of getting your kids to sleep while camping and 2) how to keep your kids warm at night while camping.
6 Tips to Help Kids Sleep While Camping
How to Keep Little Kids Warm While Camping
Cooking
Now that you have some tools to help you avoid “The Sleep Dilemma” let’s tackle the second most difficult part of camping with kids: cooking!!
The fact that we have to decide what to eat on vacation and then actually cook it, is in my opinion just sad and wrong. That’s why I’m going to share with you all my tried and true tips for making cooking while camping a breeze (try to say that 10x fast 😉). These hacks will not only make your vacation actually feel like a vacation but they make the cooking portion of your trip easy to delegate. That means you can spend more time relaxing in the hammock with a good book.
13 Tips for Keeping Your Food Icy Cold in a Cooler
10 Hacks to Make Cooking While Camping a Breeze
My Go-To 3 Day Camping Meal Plan
Now that you have a handle on sleep and food, you are well on your way to having a pretty spectacular trip. But for some icing on the cake, here are a couple of additional tips to add to your arsenal.
Picking a Campsite
Tip #1: Avoid sites close to water
The last thing you want is the constant stress of your toddler falling into a river or lake when you have your back turned. Also, camping close to water can make your campsite SO MUCH COLDER at night and in the early morning.
Tip #2: Avoid being near the bathroom/outhouse
Sounds counterintuitive, no? Well not only do they stink but there is often a lot of foot traffic to and from the bathroom which can make it challenging for your littles to sleep. If there is space try and bring a little portable potty for your toddler. They will feel more secure going to the bathroom on that than with their little bums hanging over a gaping hole in the outhouse. Here is the little potty we use {aff. link}. We love how small and compact it is.
Tip #3: Do your research
If you are going to a campsite you have never been to before, be sure to do your research. You want to make sure to avoid campsites with a lot of road noise. This not only defeats the purpose of “getting away from it all” but can also make it hard for your littles to sleep.
A great site you can use to find campground reviews is The Dyrt.
Entertainment
Tip #5: Use an inflatable pool as a playpen
If you have a baby that isn’t walking yet, consider bringing an inflatable pool. This is convenient for creating a safe space for your baby to play. If your baby is big enough that they want to climb over the sides, you can also look at turning your tent into a playpen (as long as it’s not too hot inside).
Tip #6: Bring a strider bike
If your toddler has started riding a bike, then be sure to bring it along when camping. This will provide hours of entertainment for your little one. I know it can seem tricky to fit a bike along with all the other stuff kids need, but bikes are fairly easy to tie on the outside of a roof rack. Believe me, you won’t regret making room.
Tip #7: Bring toys, bucket, shovels, etc.
Some other fun things to bring are beach toys and little trucks. This does wonders for turning an ordinary campsite into an exciting construction site.
Dirt
One thing you can count on while camping is that your kids are going to get REALLY, REALLY dirty. Here are some ideas to help navigate that.
Tip #8: Bring wet wipes
Even if you are out of the diaper stage, it is always handy to have wet wipes while camping. They make it easy to quickly clean up your kids before they climb into bed.
Tip #9: Make a “No shoes in the tent” rule
Make sure your kids have shoes to wear around the campsite that are easy to slip off and on. This will make it easier for them to take off their shoes before entering the tent. If that isn’t an option try putting down a mat so they can easily sit down and remove their shoes before entering the tent.
Bun in the Oven
And for those of you looking to start your kids really young on camping be sure to check out my post 15 Tips for Camping in Your 3rd Trimester
One Last thing
While camping with kids is definitely a lot of work, it is also a lot of fun. Try and keep a sense of humor and know that no matter what happens it will make for a great story. Which tip or post did you find to be the most helpful?
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