We first camped as a family when our youngest was five months old. I think I slept 10 minutes the entire night. The next morning, we packed up and left because we were so miserable.
Since then, we’ve added three more kids to the mix and end up taking way too much stuff.
Through lots of trial and error, we’ve come to love camping with our kids. The items below are not necessities, but we don’t leave home without them when camping with kids.
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1. Something to Contain a Toddler
Camping with a toddler is not relaxing (toddlers don’t stop moving), but there are times when I need to secure my toddler safely so that I can use both hands to make a meal, get things set up at camp, or just have a second to think straight!
To keep our toddler safe, we always pack one or more of the following: Stroller, high chair, baby swing, or a travel booster seat. Once one of these is packed, we pack everything else, see how much space we have left, and then try to squeeze at least one more from this list.
What I don’t recommend is a jogging stroller. They are big and bulky and take up too much space. Instead, I shove an inexpensive umbrella stroller under a seat, and that works just as well. The stroller can help put kids to sleep and can easily double as a high chair, especially if there’s a tray attached.
We’ve also taken this IKEA high chair because the legs come off and it doesn’t take up much space.
Bottom line — if I could only pick one, I would pick a stroller every time.
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2. Melatonin Gummies
My kids are not great sleepers, and our first night anywhere new typically doesn’t go well. These melatonin gummies have been a game changer for family trips. I recommend them to any family with kids who struggle with bedtime in new surroundings.
On the first night camping, we give the kids a melatonin gummy about 15 minutes before bed. Once we get through the first night, they usually don’t need them again.
3. Nap Mats & Lovies
Again, my kids are not great sleepers, so we bring familiar things to help with routine.
They each have a nap mat to sleep on, similar to this. We use the same nap mats they used in preschool. I think they are so effective because my kids slept on them at school for nap every day for four years. Needless to say, these are familiar items.
When we’re in the pop-up camper, we make the queen bed with a fitted sheet and lay their nap mats on top next to each other. The kids put their favorite stuffed animal on their respective mat, and before we know it, it’s home away from home.
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4. Disk Swings
On one of our first camping trips, my father-in-law made a swing for the kids out of rope and a tree branch. It was a huge hit! Our kids enjoyed it so much that I ordered two disk swings and made them part of our camping gear. Our kids have spent hours playing on these disk swings, and we even put them up in our front yard when we’re not camping.
5. Camping Cookies
On our first trip in the pop-up camper, I brought candy cookies. Our youngest daughter referred to them as “camping cookies,” and the name stuck. Now when we go camping, the kids look forward to this special treat during our first meal at the campsite.
Creating a special family tradition that includes a snack, treat, or game that you only do while camping helps the memories stick. It could be s’mores, gummy bears, the license plate game, or anything else that makes sense for your family.
6. Hammock
This is my husband’s pick, but I think the kids spend more time in it than he does. Hammocks take up minimal space and everyone in our family enjoys them. We started with a single hammock, but then quickly added a double hammock because they get so much use.
7. Chairs or Scooters . . . or Both!
When I asked my kids what they wouldn’t leave home without, they couldn’t decide between camp chairs or scooters, so I included them both.
One of the greatest joys of camping — sitting around the campfire — is easier for kids when they have their own kid-sized camp chair. The adult chairs are just too difficult for them to get into comfortably. With their own chair, the kids look forward to bringing it to the circle when we all sit together.
They also really like to take their bikes, but we rarely have room for bicycles after packing for a family of six, so scooters like these have been a great compromise.
>> RELATED READ :: Where to Buy Bikes for Kids in Collin County <<
Our first camping trip was a disaster. We’ve had quite a few other trips that didn’t go according to plan, but we keep camping because it’s an incredible way to spend time with our children and introduce them to life beyond a screen.
Through camping, we continue to develop an appreciation for beauty all around us. It’s not always relaxing, but it’s always memorable. Keep the memories going with these must-haves for camping with kids.
