Planning Successful Camping Trips For Kids
Vol. 5
Randy messaged me a while back to ask for advice on taking his kids camping. “I’d love to hear your thoughts or recommendations on outdoor activities and adventures for little kids,” he wrote. “I didn’t do this when I was a kid but want to experience this with my kids.”
Randy has triplets, who are seven years old, and they live in northeast Ohio. I don’t know that area very well so I’m going to ask for a little help with this one: If you know any good campgrounds, areas to visit, or maybe even a dispersed camping location on public land in the area, would you mind dropping it in comments? Remember, this little project is all about adding community participation around the topics I write about, so your participation is key to making this a success.
To answer Randy’s question, I reached out to some actual parents for help. Let’s dive right into their advice.
Corey Whitaker (@OverlandDad on Instagram)
Start camping with them when they’re young.
Go places (especially in the beginning) you’ve been, so you can know what to expect and can plan accordingly for fun and safe adventures.
Camp near a creek or small stream—kids love to camp by water, even if it’s just a small stream.
Have lots of healthy snacks on hand that are easy to eat while playing.
Bring toys that facilitate playing in nature. Binoculars, flashlights, shovels, trucks, magnifying glasses, art material, brochures on the wildlife they can identify, etc.
Be prepared to go into the tent when it gets dark. Kids get scared at night, and if they’re young enough they may not understand why. Be aware of what’s going on for them.
Bring books to read at night and whatever else you need for your normal bedtime routine to help them settle/get comfortable in a somewhat unusual setting.
Spend time playing with your kids in nature and put down your phone, tablet, etc.
Alisa Morris (one of our friends here in Montana)
I’d say that my number one piece of advice is: “Dress for success”. If Eleanor is dressed well for the weather we can stay out quite a bit longer and moods are much better! I’m an overpacker for the kids clothing and gear because I want them to be able to get muddy/play in the stream/have accidents with no negative repercussions. It’s simple, you just get a new outfit and the fun doesn’t have to stop! The older kids are easier because more quality outdoor gear items are readily available in their sizes. I also pack for every weather possibility so we can adapt as temps and conditions change. Layers are key and be flexible with expectations, particularly for the first time out.
Graeme MacPherson (Co-Founder, Go Fast Campers)
Slow down. When I am out by myself or with buddies I want to get out and see as much as possible, but when traveling with kids those aggressive timelines are super frustrating for everyone. Your kids are gonna have a great time pretty much regardless of where you end up, so try to plan a trip with their perspective in mind. Downtime and flexibility are going to be your friend.
Owen Mesdag (Designer, Dometic)
Make the moment the goal. We took Tao on a 40 mile hike in Patagonia when he was 4 (Torres Del Paine), It was the slowest hike I have ever been on and it was my favorite. Getting to camp was not the goal, I just knew we would get there eventually.
Make the trip feel like it's their trip too, keep them involved, small tasks and responsibilities. I have Tao pack a few of his own things, I don't critique what he brings. He'll figure it out eventually.
Personal gear for kids, their own version of what we have: water bottle, nice mug for hot chocolate, sleeping gear, etc.
Keep expectations low and just have fun, keep them fed and warm.
Tao LOVES camping, and he wasn't born that way, just born into it.
Ty Brookhart (World’s best dad)
Owen nailed it. In making the moment the goal, every distraction, delay tactic, or crazy idea your child entertains is an opportunity for you to teach, create a game, start a new adventure, or even become the student: talk about ant social structure; make the smallest fire you can on the trail side; find as many sticks that look like guns as possible, climb that cool rock outcropping, or investigate what makes those lines under the tree bark.
Also, kids, just like endurance athletes, run on sugar when going hard. This is not the time to push dietary perfection—do that at home.
Martin Maisonpierre (PR and marketing at Williams Helde)
Our little one is 16 months old and we're just getting her used to keeping her damn hats and mittens on; nearly impossible. We rely heavily on snacks to keep her entertained, stop and play with moss and rocks and know that 1 out of every 2 outings will wrap up early because she's just not having it. So, I guess my best advice thus far is change your attitude to reflect that any moment outdoors with your kid is special and the act itself is the goal—not the view on the summit or the lake at the end of the trail.
Tim Dutton (A loyal reader)
Plan ahead so that everybody can have a great time. This sounds simple but it’s not.
If you don’t plan for the fact that kids will not be content to stare at a campfire and listen to you talk, you’re primed for disappointment.
This means activities. Hide dollar Hot Wheels around camp. Bring a new toy. Bring a new game. Bring loved old games/toys. Give them jobs etc. Keep them busy.
Plan for who does what with your kids. If you assume that your partner is putting them to bed and they assume otherwise, those interactions can accumulate and nobody will want to go again.
Understanding that my autistic son is not content to walk all day like I am gave me the knowledge and understanding to craft his experience to make for a great week for us both in Montana. Every hour or so we would stop and have play breaks where he would play with his new ten dollar action figures. This perspective allowed me to spend TWO WHOLE HOURS writing in my journal on a beach on Lake McDonald, and an hour in front of St Mary Falls.
Christmas felt special as a kid not because of the presents, but because your parents planned the hell out of it. Do that.
Me (A person who cut his balls off because of weather)
While I obviously don’t have kids, I’ve camped with most of the ones mentioned above, and used to have a little project where I took formerly-homeless LGBT teenagers on camping trips, in partnership with a group home in LA. Here’s some stuff that worked for me, and that’s applicable to older kids.
Give everyone a job. Assign meals and have them shop for and prepare them.
Always camp near water. Whether it’s a stream or the ocean, it’ll build in activities from frog catching to stone skipping. And it’ll just be prettier for everyone involved.
Identify obvious problems and address them ahead of time. That means bug spray, sunscreen, comfortable shoes (sneakers are fine), etc etc.
An exhausted dog is a good dog…I mean human child.
Have the kids setup their own tents etc. You can supervise and provide tips, but this helps get them involved.
Plan one big activity for each day. A nature hike, a swim, a trash cleanup, whatever.
I really like Big Agnes’ range of kids gear. Make sure they’re set up for success with temperatures and nighttime comfort.
Give them a knife and teach them to use it safely.
Take a guide to local flora and fauna, so you can answer all the questions you’re going to get.
S’mores.
What about you? What are your tips?
Old Man’s Cave near Hocking Hills is great for kids.
Thank you so much for this! The basic ideas and perspective are very enlightening.
I am an outdoorsy person: love hiking, skiing, and camping. My wife an I had twins just over two years ago and I've been working in the back of my mind on how best to transition to family outings. We were pretty locked down their first year because, you know, twins, and then again their second year because of COVID but we would like to get out more as a family as COVID risks subside.
Regarding camping, we're initially planning on starting small - setting up in the back yard (we have close to two acres of open yard and about 3 acres of wooded land so we have quite a wild kingdom right at home. A lot of the ideas and suggestions laid out in this piece will be helpful even in that scenario.