When you set off on your camping trip, it’s often easy to forget that while you may find many things entertaining, younger children may become bored. We’ve compiled a short list of useful items to bring and activities the whole family can enjoy.

  • Always have an attitude of being adventure-ready – if you’re not excited, chances are your kids won’t be either.
  • Pack some crayons and paper, as younger children can do leaf rubbings and tree rubbings on good days, while on days where the weathers miserable they can just sit and draw squiggles.
  • A deck of cards is never amiss, especially if there’s a forecast of rain heading your way – the whole family curled up in a tent can get tempers running high, so deal out the cards and get rid of some stress.
  • If you have youngsters under five, ask them to collect pine cones (as they smell amazing when burning, and because of the shape, it’s not too difficult for the child to pick up); while children five and older, can help collect stones to create a fire pit. Those older still can join you on a mission to collect twigs, branches and sticks to burn.

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  • Ask your children to help out with chores such as gathering wood, pulling on a guide rope while you fasten it, fetching plates / taking plates, and so on.
  • If you’re going camping in warm weather, and there’s a stream nearby, bring along a few balloons. You can fill them with water and have a good old-fashioned water balloon fight.
  • A flashlight / headlamp per child is a great way to keep them entertained at night – from shadow puppets to letting them confidently walk from tent-to-tent in the dark, you’ll be glad you gave each their own.
  • A camera is an underrated item which can bring hours of entertainment to children – get them to take photos of the tents / trees / you.
  • Make a game of applying sunscreen – this will drill it into the kids that if they are outdoors, sunscreen must be utilized.

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Camping with children can be an absolute joy or a nightmare from hell. Which of these tips and tricks have you tried before on your camping trip? Do you have any family staples you wouldn’t dare leave behind? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Main image credited to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Flickr)