Enjoy this featured post from Jenny on camping with kids. Have a great weekend!
Camping with Kids
A lot of parents argue about how long they have to wait before they start
taking their kids on camping trips. Some parents believe earlier is better
while others prefer to wait until at least basic motor functions have been mastered.
For the purposes of this article we’re going to assume that the child you’re
taking on her first camping trip is 5-6 years old.
Here are some tips to make the trip more fun and go more smoothly for
everyone:
1. Dress Well
Use
The Land of
Nod promo to find affordable and warm clothes for your kids to wear
camping. You already know that even when their skin is turning blue most
younger kids will insist that they do not feel cold. Buying clothes that are
cute and feel good on the skin helps keep them in their jackets and vests when
the temperature dips.
2. Their Own Gear
Your daughter is old enough to use and be trusted in her own sleeping bag.
In fact, she probably already has one that she uses when she wants to “
play
camping” at home. It’s a good idea to find a lined and sturdy sleeping bag
that she can use for “real” camping. You can call it her “outside” sleeping
bag. This way you’ll cut any arguments of “but I want my cute sleeping bag” off
at the chase.
You might be nervous about allowing your daughter to get her kids on the
more “adult” camping gear—like the knives you use for cooking and cleaning fish
and cutting branches to put into a campfire. Still, the earlier you teach her
how to use and respect these tools the more adept she will be with them later
on. Use a
SMKW coupon
to buy your daughter her first Swiss army knife and use this trip to show her
how to use the basic tools it holds.
3. Letting Her Help
It’s tempting, because she is so little, to have her sit by the side and
watch while you do everything from finding and cooking dinner to setting up the
campsite. If you want her to have good memories of this trip, though (as
opposed to her just remembering being bored), you’ll let her help. Let her help
you set up your tent. How else is she supposed to learn? Have her stand with
you if you’re fishing—or set her up with a small pole of her own. Let her help
with the smaller chores like setting up whatever you’re eating for dinner
(getting hot dogs and buns ready, for example). The more involved she is, the
more fun she is going to have on this trip and the more likely it is that she
will want to go again in the future.
With every trip you can
teach
her a little more and let her have a little more responsibility. This will
keep her interested in camping as she grows up. It might be scary at first and
you’ll have to watch her like a hawk (little fingers are often clumsy fingers)
but she’ll get the hang of things before too long.
Most of all, have fun!
Jenny, a California girl, mother, wife, animal lover, avid surfer, and freelance writer. Loves to write about life, family, parenting, lifestyle, and whatever seems to float in her head for inspiration. You can contact her at JenMDaniels@live.com.
