Nothing beats going out to nature and exploring the wilderness without any distractions. Going on a camping trip with your family is a great way to unwind in the great outdoors and show your children how people used to live in the past without any modern amenities.
Children would love to have the chance to explore the environment, walk around the unbeaten track, roast marshmallows by the campfire, tell invigorating stories, and sleep under the stars. But in order to have a successful family camping trip, you need to prepare everything meticulously. Here are some of the crucial things you need to consider, bring along, and some camping hacks to make your next family camping trip everybody would remember for years.
Find the best destination
Going on such an adventurous expedition with children is no plain sailing. You ought to prepare adequately so you would have a pleasant journey, and not lose your nerves by the end of it. Therefore, plan the road trip. Consider camping or placing your tent in one place, and if you all agree, you could drive or walk around the campsite and explore, or merely visit multiple destinations but return to the designated camp. This will save you the trouble and time of packing and unpacking. Sit altogether and pick a destination that suits everybody’s preferences. Make sure the campsite has all the prerequisites.
Pack various food and drink organizers
When you start packing, there is a plethora of things to consider. Families with kids need to, first of all, think about food and drinks. Get nifty and practical plastic containers where you would pack spices and snacks for the road. You could freeze some homemade dish beforehand, and heat it for lunch, only make sure that the food doesn’t go off. When it comes to drinks, bring plenty of water, or some empty containers to pour water if you find a natural spring. Avoid sugary drinks and juices for the kids as they would be too hyperactive. But don’t neglect yourself. Do bring personalized stubby holders for chilled cans or bottles. These unique holders provide fantastic insulation for the beer which means that t keep the drink cool and your hands warm, plus they look fantastic.
Get the right tent
The aim is to spend more time outdoors with your family, breathe in the fresh air and immerse in nature, however, you need to find the right tent so everybody would have restful sleep. Nowadays, you can easily find and buy a tent, but the key is to find the right-sized one. If you have a large family, always go for a bigger one, not to have cramped space nor to sleep glued to one another. Once you’ve decided on the size, choose the outlook and comfort. Kids would love some of the themed tents, but you should always focus it has plenty of room and storage for all the sleeping bags, equipment, and other items.
Bring all the tools, equipment, and other essential amenities
Camping should be fun and educational for the whole family. Most campsites have all the vital amenities and accessories needed for your pleasant stay, but some things may be already in use by other campers or simply scarce. Pack an extra flashlight and batteries, don’t forget about matches, a foldable table and chairs, blankets, a gas burner, eating and kitchen utensils, and of course sleeping bags. If something goes wrong, it would be helpful to have a few handy tools such as duct tape, a Swiss knife, a multi-tool kit, and a first aid kit.
Let there be the light
A flashlight is a fun way to spice up the night storytelling in the tent, but it shouldn’t be the only source of lighting you need to have. If you need to search around the tent or the premises surrounding the campsite, it would be practical to have a headband light so you could have free hands to do other things. Next, hanging a few lanterns or string lights around your campsite would be utterly riveting and enjoyable for the kids. Let’s not forget about the campfire and all the joys around it. To set up the campfire, clean all the area around it, have the kids gather small tree branches and leaves, and place chairs around for the utmost experience.
Don’t forget about fun games
Luscious green surroundings will help you unwind, and doing various outdoor activities such as walking, mountaineering, or swimming would help you boost energy, but kids lose focus very fast. To have a successful family camping, you must incorporate some camping games. Scavenger Hunts, tag, badminton, hide-and-seek, or Charades are all fun games. Not to run out of ideas, but bring some cool board games as well. If you wish to entertain your kids and give them a genuine camping experience, bring binoculars and go birdwatching, look at the picturesque sights during the day, or look at the stars close up during the night.
Use some bug repellent
If there’s something that can utterly ruin your family camping trip it’s the pests. It’s crucial to bring various forms of protection, especially when you are going on a camping trip with kids because there are plenty of annoying pests that can cause severe damage. Bring mosquito and bug repellent, and get a soothing cream to ease up the bite. You can also fight off bugs as pests by lighting sage in front of your tent, as burning sage effectively keeps bugs away. Don’t forget about protective sun cream as well.
Be prepared for anything
Poor weather conditions, nervousness, hunger, long journey – there are many things that can upset the little ones and ruin your family camping. Get prepared for everything and maybe do a fun camping “rehearsal” in the background for kids to get the gist of how it feels to be and sleep outdoors. Also, don’t let bad weather put you down, but also get prepared. Pack waterproof jackets, raincoats, and wellies. Try to stick to eating and sleeping routines such as at home to avoid a tantrum, and with a little bit of luck, you would have an enjoyable time.
Pick family-friendly campsites, check all the gear and camping equipment, and use up the above-mentioned tips before you escape the daily grind with your kids.