Camping can be a great family activity. I personally enjoyed camping every summer with my family, and it was the best part of every year.
We always looked forward to it.
Bringing the kids can add some extra concerns, but with the right advice, the camping trip will go smoothly.
1. Be Prepared!
The last thing that you want is for one of the children to get hurt or sick. Therefore, it’s extremely important to be prepared for all of the things that can occur in the wild.
Be sure to have extra sunscreen, bug spray, and first aid kits. Know the terrain. Know the weather and be prepared. Even if it rarely rains, be sure to pack for every possible occurrence. Try to prepare the children as well. Teach the kids what poison ivy and other dangerous plants look like. Also teach them what to do in the case you come across dangerous animals.
Remind them not to go pet a kangaroo if they see one.
2. Make it a Learning Experience
There are a lot of things to learn about nature. Teach them repeatedly about fire safety. Also, teach them about as many plants as animals as you can while you guys are exploring. The kids can also get some chores and help out around the campsite. Let them help gather firewood and set up the camping gear. They can also help clean.
Yes, camping is a good time, but there are some things that need to be done so that you can enjoy it. This is a good opportunity to teach them about respect as well. It’s easy to be loud at night while you’re outside. However, remind children to be thoughtful of close by camps that might be sleeping. Also, remind them not to run through other people’s campsites.
3. Don’t Be a Helicopter Parent
If you hold your child’s hand on every hike they go on and every time they try to build the fire, they aren’t going to learn as much. Of course, you have to take their age into consideration and determine what is and what is not appropriate.
Try to decide these things before you set for your trip.
With age appropriateness in mind, children should be allowed to explore on their own to some degree.
4. Make it Fun!
Pack the junk food and make s’mores. Sing songs. Stay up a litter later than normal. Camping is supposed to be fun!
Bring plenty of activities for the kids to do outdoors. There are activity books for plants and bugs. Find things in the area, like pools, the beach, parks, or particularly scenic hiking trails.
Be sure to check that everything is kid-friendly!
Camping will give your child a love for nature that can sometimes be taken over by television and internet.
It’s a great idea to bring them with on your camping trip!
Just be prepared for when the inevitable disasters of dirty clothes, injury, bad weather, or, even worse, boredom strikes.