Taking the Kids Camping

Taking the kids camping is fun for everybody. Kids have such a wonderful spirit in them when it comes to exploring. They love to have their own kid camping tent too. Remember how much fun it was when you saw your first meteor shower, or caught your first fish or climbed a particular mountain for the first time? Their enthusiasm can be quite contagious as well.

We take and have taken our kids as early as 18 months old. As long as they can toddle around the campsite we love to take them. Sure they fall and get bruised and skinned up at times, but that's OK. They love to explore around the campsite. The best part is they really tire themselves out so getting them fed and to sleep is generally no problem.

The only time the kids are restless is during the trip to our destination. In this new age we generally pop in a DVD in the laptop and that takes care of the quibbling for a couple of hours.

To keep the kids happy it's best to let the older ones help make decisions about the activities and where you'll camp and what kind of food you'll take, etc. One thing we let the older kid do is sometimes bring a friend. For our piece of mind we let them set up an extra camping tent for themselves, close but not too close to the adult tent. They feel independent and cool hanging out in their own pad.

As far as activities go for camp entertainment when we are camping at a state or national park we generally seek out activities put on by the Park Services. We've seen star parties and gone on night hikes and hung around large campfires meeting new people. You should always inquire about activities that are happening at your chosen campground. The kids always enjoy them even if they seem a bit cheesy to the adults. Other than planned activities, it's generally enough just to let the kids explore, swim, fish, etc. Mine never get bored and when they seem bored it's only because they are tired and will soon be napping.