The warmer weather is upon us and usually that means more families are getting outside and enjoying Mother Nature. For many families that also means camping out amongst the wilderness and getting some fresh air alongside some of the most beautiful places in the world. Let’s face it, going camping with a family is not easy task. Although it is a lot of fun, it is also a lot of preparation on the front end and also when you return home. If you have children under the age of 10 you are more than likely going to have to either pack for them or double check what they have packed, which creates even more work to get the family loaded in the car. So how do you simplify some things that need to be done when going camping? Here are some tips to making camping a little more enjoyable for everyone in the family.
Creating a Checklist for Packing
Create a checklist for everyone in the family. Make sure you include everything on there from shirts, pants, underwear, to extra socks and sweaters if needed. Make sure you have everything checked off and laid out on the bed or floor before you pack it into a bag. This will help ensure that you don’t miss anything. When it comes to packing toiletries…Have one bag for the entire family. This wills save space in your vehicle and it will make trips to the bathroom easier. Just grab one bag and what each person needs will be in there.
Tubs
Get a few plastic tubs to put food items & camping gear into. These work nicely because you can have one go to spot for all your dry good foods, and one go to spot for all your camping gear (utensils, cooking supplies, campfire supplies etc.) Again, make a checklist that will go on the outside of the container and what is to go in each tub. That way when you come home you can re-pack for your next trip with the assurance that you can grab the tub and go because you know of everything inside the tub. This will save you a lot of time. By using tubs it will also make packing your vehicle much easier and cleaner. You vehicle will get dirty enough just from all the dirt from your trip, the last thing you need are your supplies scattered all over the car also.
Camping with Kids
Be sure you do some research ahead of time to look up different fun activities to do while you are on your trip. Kids love to be busy in the outdoors. Leave all your electronic devices at home; part of camping is being to be able to get away from life’s everyday activities to enjoy some of the natural things in life. Bring a ball for them to kick around. Don’t forget to pack components to make s’mores. If you want to make an even more delicious s’mores then pick up some reese’s peanut butter cups, or your favorite candy bar to use instead of just plain chocolate. Review the map of the campground you will be going to and maybe there are some hiking trails you can explore. Put together some campfire songs to sing, or even some ghost stories to tell around the fire after a long day.
Camping doesn’t have to be a daunting task. It is a time to enjoy each other’s company and enjoy being outdoors. Get creative with your campfire recipes. Collaborate with one another, sometimes kids have very imaginative ideas on what to do in the outdoors. Don’t make it a stressful vacation. Make it a vacation your family will want to do every year. Some of the best memories are made on camping trips, so start making your families memories this summer. Happy Camping!
