Tips for Surviving Camping with Kids

Spending time camping with kids is a wonderful tradition to have. Summertime brings more hours in the day to enjoy your family. If you’re planning on going camping with kids, there are a few things to know to make it easier.

Today I’m going to share a few tips on how you can survive camping with kids so that when you leave to return home, everyone is happy and content.

Prepare your Kids:

Be sure to prepare your kids for what’s to be expected. If your kids have gone camping before, then this won’t be too difficult to do, but if this is the first time your kids are going camping with you then be sure to prepare them about bugs, little to no electronics and everything that camping entails so there are no surprises when you arrive at the campground.

Pack Their Bags:

While your kids may want to pack their own bags, it’s best if you do a double check. You’ll want to make sure that your kids have all the necessities required for surviving camping together.

They will need to have some form of entertainment, like drawing paper and drawing tools, clothing for all types of weather and their toothbrush, hairbrush and other toiletry items. Oh, and if they have a toy or blanket that is needed for sleeping, be sure it is in the bag!

Pack Some Snacks:

Depending on how much you’re roughing it when camping with kids, you’ll need to make sure that you’re prepared with snacks. Kids get hungry often and sometimes can get quite grumpy without proper nutrition. Try to pack snacks like trail mix and protein-rich options so that they are able to stay energized and full during your camping trip.

A few great items I have found that are protein-rich and work really well for camping snack items are:

Canned Chicken Salad & Crackers
Peanut Butter Crackers
Nuts
Protein Bars
Jerkey (or another form of dried meat)

Prepared for Emergencies:

Think about any mishaps that may occur beforehand. Prepare yourself for emergencies such as restroom trips, extra clothing, first aid kits and such to make sure you’re as prepared for any situation.

Camping with kids means mishaps will happen, meltdowns may occur and boredom shall hit but when you’re prepared for these, it makes camping life so much easier.

Bring Nighttime Entertainment:

Lastly, when the sun goes down all of the outdoor activities such as swimming and hiking will disappear. This means you need to be prepared with nighttime entertainment.

Think about shadow puppets, stories around a campfire, s’mores and similar items. These will ensure you keep the kids entertained after the sun goes down.

If you have the budget for it another super fun nighttime entertainment for the older kids is a game of laser tag! If you could use some other ideas, be sure to check out my post on Night Camping Tips & Ideas Including Games.

Surviving camping with kids isn’t that difficult. It simply comes down to being overly prepared for any emergencies, obstacles, and mishaps along the way.

Camping is a wonderful family tradition that will bring your bond closer and ultimately give you something to talk about for years to come.

Tips for Surviving Camping with Kids