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Okay gals, I am coming to you today for your wisdom. 🙂 I need your tips.
I would like my family to go camping this summer. Now, I don’t mean complete roughing it, in the middle of nowhere. I would like there to at least be bathrooms. I have 3 little ones, under the age of 6, so I NEED actual bathrooms.
Also, I have only been camping once in my life. So, I am a total camping newbie. And although I am new at this, I do want to use tents, none of this cabin stuff.
I have a couple of friends who have tons of camping gear that they have offered to lend me. But I would like to know from you, what suggestions do you have for me as I plan a camping excursion for myself, hubby and three young children?
And when I say tips, I mean, like what is the best wood to bring to make a fire, because there HAS to be Smores. And what is the best way to make Smores? What is the best way to make a fire? What about meals? How do I easily feed the 5 of us? What things do I need to make sure I don’t leave home without? I have a 5 year old, 2 1/2 year old and 15 month old.
Alright, ladies, I’m all ears……
Written by 5 Minutes for Mom contributing editor: Erica from Butterfly Kisses
travel cot mattress says
Foil dinners are yummy and easy because you just throw them in the fire. Bring old wire hangers for the marshmallows so you don’t have to search for a long enough stick.
As for the kids- I have no idea! I’ll be going on my first camping trip with my 18 month old this summer. We’ll see how it goes!
Susan says
Wow, everyone has great ideas! Definitely take the potty chair. Keep it in the tent at night so you won’t have to make a trip to the bathroom in the dark. Bring sand pails and shovels, not only for playing in the dirt, but kids love to go on nature walks and pick up every rock and twig. Go to the park station and pick up a map of walking trails. Some are really short, but have beautiful views. Bring a package of refrigerated uncooked croissants. Wrap a croissant around your skewer and hold over the fire. It will puff up and smell wonderful! Eat it plain or put jelly (or whatever on it). Like someone else said, definitely bring a propane stove! Bring allergy medicine, just in case.
Brandi says
I read some of the other commenters, and they gave good advice…we have already went camping once this summer with our then 4 month old. If you look up dutch oven cooking you can put it into a campfire and make GREAT meals! For lunch def. sandwhiches or hotdogs…but for dinners and breakfast…a dutch oven is awesome! Make sure you have leather gloves, or a pot holder type of thing…even if you don’t have a dutch oven, if you cook at all on the fire you will probably need this…and to start the fire def bring some lighter fluid!!!!
Make sure you have stuff for smores, and a knife to cut some branches to cook the marshmellows…I took my pack n play, and if you have older ones that would be good for them, but ended up with my daughter just using her car seat to keep her warmer!
Lots of blankets, and wipes…extra clothes and a swim suit if your going near a lake! Don’t forget things to cook with and someone said no paper/disposables…but if you have a campfire you can just throw your paper plates in there. Also you will want a jug of water, as well as bottled water. The jug will be used for washing hands, and faces things like that…and possibly cooking…
We go where there aren’t any bathrooms so it just depends on where you go. Have fun! i can’t wait to read all about your trip!
Jennifer says
This is so funny Erica!
I recommend not going too long. A weekend camping trip is just fine for us. By that time we are ready to get home and get clean.
We too camp where there are showers and bathrooms, but honestly, if we arrive Friday night and leave Sunday after breakfast or lunch, we often just wait to clean up until we get home (at least the kids). Hands and faces are good in the meantime. That might be just me, but you really can’t stay ahead of the dirt.
An air mattress will make your sleeping experience better.
Food: keep it simple — PB&J or other sandwiches for lunch. Dinner can be hot dogs and/or hamburgers, or grilled chicken or whatever. Freeze your meat and that will help keep everything else cold. I also usually partially freeze the milk — like freeze half of it, and then pour unfrozen on it.
You can get a tent site with electricity, which we often try to do. That way you can bring an electric skillet (great for pancakes in the morning — bring the bisquick shaker where you just add water), and we bring our coffee pot.
It’s so much fun. The kids love it.
We also enjoy going with another family — spreads the work out some. You might consider that.
Chava says
We just got back from camping as well, (my husband, myself, my 15 year old stepson, his 7 year old brother, and our 3 year old daughter.) Make sure you do your tents near where the bathrooms are, quick walking distance. Also we hung tarps over the picnic table and tents area. For smores I saves a step and bought Fudgey graham crackers (instead of chocolate and grahams), and then had marshmellows. We took the shake and pour pancake mix that you just add water too, and also egg beaters, (instead of taking eggs that might crack). We had plenty of canned foods, but I also picked up some meals that you just add water or a little oil to but are complete meals(they have canned chicken or something similar included). PLENTY of water. The place we go has a grate over a portion of their fire pits, but some places don’t so you have to have a way to cook your food or set pots and pans on top of the fire, if the place doesn’t have a grate, unless you are bringing a stove with you. We took a couple of books, paper, pencils, and my little ones tricyle to expend some of her energy. We also just take 1 towel each and use it for the beach and bath and hang them on the line to dry in between. saves a little room when packing. JUST HAVE FUN!
Hillary says
Definitely fix most of your meals before you go. Anything heat-and-serve is your best bet.
And make sure the tent is zipped up at all times, except for entering and leaving.
And don’t leave perishables out by your tent. Skunks like potato chips. Believe me.
Pattie says
I just took my brownie troop camping. We slept in cabins and had an onsite cook but here are some things that really helped. Each girl had to have her own day pack. Either a fanny pack or small backpack. It had to hold their water bottle, flashlight, bug spray and sun screen. It also came quite handy on any nature hikes becuase they were able to put their “treasures” in their bag…ie I did not have to carry it! I also had a bag and kept all of the above items plus a small (in a baggy) emergency kit (bandaids, antiseptic cream, meds and eye wash), wet wipes and a camera. Hope this helps. I don’t know how much of this you will need but it really helped us. Have fun!!
Tina says
So glad that you asked this question, because I asked the same thing last week, we are going to the local Yogi bear campsite here in NY and they have lots of kid focused activities and it is clsoe to home! my kids are almost the same age, almsot 6, 3 1/2 and 10 months, wish us luck too!
Melissa says
Camping is a great activity and really offers a lot of famly time but make it easy. A couple of things that are really easy are baked potatoes (they work great when you start getting a lot of good coals), grilled chesse, places like bass pro and other camper places sell sandwich makers on a stick it folds over to enclose the bread and cheese. We also make mountain oies with them by plaing bread and pie filling. Make sure you spray with non stick because they will really stick. Sunscreen and bug spray are a must oh and I love baby wipes and the person that invented them.
chyk says
we camp every year. a huge group of us. five families with thirty children under the age of 15. we’ve been doing it for years. we use TONS (and by tons I mean, could I bring the store with me?) of amish things. They make EVERYTHING, those amish, and it is all great for camping because they don’t use electricity. we live off our sandwich. we also live with a lot of no water needed soap.
Susan says
I’m glad others have lots of suggestions, b/c I sure don’t…
I am NOT a camper.
sandy says
1) lots of sun screen and bug repellant!
2) don’t use a cold weather tent in the summer (ask me what dh had).
3) make sure your friends have a padded thingy to sleep on…for you and the girls…boy/men folk do not understand rock hard under hips and things (i have one of them folks…he slept, i got grumpy).
4) are you nuts?!? you are a brave woman who’s pioneer ancesters would be proud you are taking such young kids camping! GOOD LUCK!!! sorry i could not give you better advice.
ps, i loved sleeping on a soft thingy by the lake hearing the water lapping, the wind in the trees, the night sounds and looking at the starry sky. (the better trip)
Andrea McMann says
Last year I went camping, and it was quite an experience! Here’s an article I wrote afterward, with tips for camping with kids:
http://www.peekaboopicks.com/2008/06/18/the-great-outdoors-camping-with-kids/
Hope it helps!!
Faerylandmom says
1) Make a few meals ahead of time like a hearty, thick beef stew, biscuits, sandwiches, etc…and bring them all in a cooler you can stow in your car (or a bear box, if the campground has them.) Use a laundry basket for the non-perishables.
2) Take a two-burner propane stove, keep a BIG pot full of water handy for small clean-ups, washing dishes, etc. This will save on unnecessary trips to the bathroom. Propane heats up fast, so there’s no need to keep the burner on…get the water heating right before a meal, and keep it warm until your clean-up is done. Also bring a washcloth or two, a dishcloth for drying dishes, & some Dawn. (Your oldest can help with the washing, and since you’re outside, messes are a non-issue.
3) Don’t use paper plates unless you have to…carting garbage back & forth is a pain, so use as much reusable stuff as you can. We do use disposable cups/utensils, because we can wash them, and it doesn’t matter if we lose them, but we just pull our plastic stuff out of our cupboards, and my regular pans, and off we go.
4) Don’t worry about being over-clean. You’re camping. Wash hands & faces, and bring some extra clothes – especially undies. Also, hair ties and a brush for the females. Leave products at home. Not worth it. Just pull your hair back.
5) Take a big, sturdy pocket-knife or some such contraption with multiple tools. Take a hammer, and a hatchet if you have one. They WILL come in handy.
6) Take a baby backpack for hikes.
7) Leave the stroller at home. Just carry the baby everywhere (in the backpack)…strollers are NOT worth the trouble and extra space.
8) Bring as much food from your cupboards as you can, and limit the “special” foods. Bread & sandwich fixin’s, cereal, canned veggies/fruits, should all go with you. That way, you can splurge on some jerky, and s’mores fixin’s.
9) S’mores are easy. Set out a graham cracker with a couple squares of chocolate. Roast your mallow to desired burndedness ;-), place it on the chocolate, top with the other half of the cracker. Voila!
10) RELAX. You’re camping. Don’t bother looking pretty, and wear only things that you don’t care about. Let your kids be loud, and don’t watch the clock too much. Accept dirt. And sticks, and pine cones, and bugs and limit the number of toys you bring. They’re not needed. At all.
Most of all, let go of every single expectation you have. And just focus on enjoying the discoveries your kids are going to make. 🙂
Oh…one last thing…budget to go out to dinner the night you get home. Don’t bother attempting to make anything. You’re going to be dog-tired!
Mom24 says
It’s lots of fun. I highly recommend spaghetti and Hamburger Helper. Easy to make and they taste much better outside. I brown the ground beef ahead and put it in the cooler.
We always do sandwiches, hot dogs or pie iron pizzas for lunch.
I love to camp, but I HAVE to have a flush toilet and a hot shower. Here in Ohio that means state parks or nice, private campgrounds.
Jiffy Pop is lots of fun too.
My older kids also like fruit pies for breakfast. A morning campfire is lots of fun.
Sarah says
You are going to have a great time! Make sure to bring extra pillows and blankets first off! The ground can be bumpy and hard and even using extra layers under you makes all the difference in the world!
A hiking/backpacking trip is to bring lint from your dryer, it helps that fire start right up–stick it with some leaves and small twigs under a few logs and it should start in no time.
You can get backpacking meals at REI and other outdoor stores (Dicks Sporting Goods, etc) but for a family camping trip, I would start googling Scout camp food recipes. It is amazing the things they have come up with for you to cook and eat easily out there. Of course there are the easy things like hot dogs, a cooler with eggs and a skillet, pancake mix that takes water and oil, bacon that is already cooked that you don’t need to stay cool, you can warm that up on a skillet easily, bring pb&j items, trail mix–make your own with mini marshmallows, cheerios, chex, peanuts, raisins, just about anything! Kids tend to be snacky when you are camping so don’t get too worried about main meals, I would provide a consistent snack throughout the day, so cut up fruit to take with you, bring bananas, maybe even make blueberry muffins you can pull out to eat. Those kind of things free up time from needing to heat up food and keep little tummies content.
Lastly, take plenty of pictures, bring home (if you aren’t in a national park) pinecones, leaves, and such that will be fun to paint with, press and slice open to learn about when you get home. I would contemplate bringing a few plastic containers that are clear that the kids can punch a few holes in and collect bugs and other things. My boys thoroughly enjoy that always!
Have fun!
Jody Maley says
As a mom of six, we have gone camping many times with all of our kids!
No one mentioned Mosquito spray, make sure u have a kid friendly one, I always liked using the Avon Skin so soft…it really works and is SAFE!
A pack of cards, or some kind of small games are great too in case it rains, or for later when u and hubby have kids in bed and don’t want to leave kids alone!
Remember sleeping outdoors is usually cooler at night an warmer in the tent in morning, so layer so that u can be comfortable!
Enjoy and let us know how it turns out!
JODY in Beautiful BC Canada :))
Jean B. in SC says
I agree wholeheartedly with Catherine’s advice to put the tent up in your yard and let your children have free access to it before your camping trip, so it will be familiar to them. Also, when my son was 18 mo.s, we simply brought his crib mattress with us for him to sleep in a sleeping bag on (which we had him do a couple of nights in our room at home first). I think it helped a lot.
Catherine Way says
You’ve already got lots of great tips here. I’d say if you have room somewhere inside or out, put up your tent at home and let you kids play inside. Even campout in the tent before you go on the camping trip.
When we took my son camping at around 2 y.o. he was quite wary of the tent and that meant it took a lot of work for him to settle down to sleep.
Holly at Tropic of Mom says
Sounds like great fun! We have taken our son camping only once (when he was 9 months old), but my husband and I have camped lots of times.
In our state, state parks have really nice family campgrounds with centrally located bathrooms that have showers. You can drive right up to your site, and your car kind of doubles as a storage area! You might check out your state park Web site to find a great spot, or reserveamerica.com.
When we plan meals, we keep it very simple. We don’t grill marinated steaks and bring things that take a lot of ingredients. Breakfast is usually breakfast bars or something else that’s quick so we can get on with the fun faster! Lunch is usually a simple sandwich with fruit or raw veggies that transport well (like grapes and carrot sticks) and maybe some chips. Dinner is usually some kind of soup that can be heated up in a pot over a fire or a small propane tank that has an attachable stove/grill. You can also order backpacking dinners online or at several outdoor retailers — they’re more expensive but will give your family more variety and make cooking and cleanup a breeze.
For wood, take something dry — you might be able to buy this in bundles at an outdoor retailer or even a local superstore. Some campgrounds allow you to use wood that has fallen on the ground, but not all of them do. Also, be aware that if your area has been dry, fires might be forbidden to help prevent forest fires. We usually rely on our propane tank — the s’mores are just as good and nobody gets smoked out! I don’t think there is a best way to make s’mores as long as it’s fun and slightly messy!
If you have a Pack ‘n’ Play, that would be good for the little ones for sleeping. We found our son rolled off an inflatable camping mattress, and he was too little to go in a cot. Of course, you could just use a sleeping bag as well, but many kids seem to prefer some kind of boundaries when they sleep.
Other things that are good: extra outfit changes for everybody, hand sanitizer, flip-flops to wear *while in the bathroom showers* (trust me!), cash, clear directions and fun outdoor toys for the kids. You might consider a battery-powered fan.
You can find some more good tips on camping here http://www.nwf.org/BackyardCampout/Get_Ready_To_Camp.cfm I plan to post about this event soon.
Have fun!
Rebecca is Thrilled by the Thought says
Foil dinners are yummy and easy because you just throw them in the fire. Bring old wire hangers for the marshmallows so you don’t have to search for a long enough stick.
As for the kids- I have no idea! I’ll be going on my first camping trip with my 18 month old this summer. We’ll see how it goes!
Julie says
Don’t leave home without good walking shoes and a first-aid kit. One of our favorite camp dinners is a foil dinner cooked over the campfire. Everyone picks what meat and veggies they want, wraps it up in their own foil, and then cooks it over the hot coals. A great campfire dinner with no cleanup!
Annie says
Have fun! We just went on our first camping trip as a family with our 19 mo. old daughter. Take the pack and play. If you can borrow a propane fueled camp stove do it. Then you will be able to take a frying pan and that makes life way easier. Plan for all food that will be cooked on an open fire to take way longer than you think it should. Roll with the punches. Many state parks have campgrounds that are reasonably priced, and have bathrooms/showers. Don’t go too far from home. Most of all enjoy the time with your kids.
Kekibird says
Oh fun! Camping is a fun way to disconnect and have a blast getting dirty.
I may be repeating advice already given so please forgive me.
Ok, from experience: Forget about showers! Our first camping trip was in April. My son is 3. Neither of us showered from Friday till Sunday when we got home. It’s not nice but it’s not worth getting wet, possibly cold and then fighting to stay clean. Just have a dry hand towel or two to dry faces after washing before bedtime and meals.
Handy wipes: Pampers, Huggies, Costco, any baby wipe will do. These are good in between meals and play time. Again, we went the whole time without showering and only washed faces and hands before big meals. Otherwise, we used wipes to keep dirt out of eyes and mouths.
Plastic/paper grocery bags: If you have some from the last time you shopped, keep them and use them. They are great for dirty clothes bags, trash, food and anything else to be taken home to be washed or things to be disposed of.
Peeing in nature: Ok…this may make you laugh but my son learned to pee in nature. He was afraid of the bathrooms so I had to help/teach him to pee in a bush. Funny as all get out but it made life way easier. It’s a pretty common thing for men/boys to do so I tried to teacher him is it was ok camping, just not at home on the balcony!
Clean shoes/dirty shoes: Have a pair of shoes you care very little about. They will be your cmaping shoes to get dirty and rough up. But keep a good pair of shoes for after camping to change into int he car, so that way you aren’t tracking dirt home. Those plastic grocery bags will be great to put your shoes in.
Long skewer rods/sticks: For the firepit, you can use long skewer sticks you get at the store made of metal for the hotdogs and smores. If you want to save some money, find long skinny sticks, shave off the bark, carve the tip to a point and soak them in water over night. The water will be absorbed and make it so that the sticks won’t burn up in the fire.
Good luck and have lots of fun!
Samantha says
Miranda gave you a ton of great advice! I haven’t been camping yet with my baby, but I can’t wait to do so! I say go for it, what an (no pun intended) adventure it will be!! 🙂
Miranda says
Okay, so we just came back from camping with our 3 little ones all under 4.
About the wood, most campgrounds, at least the State Parks, ask that you buy wood from their camp stores. There are different kinds of beetles that can be transferred from locations and be detrimental to the trees, so you will need to check with your campground.
We made smores with Almond Hershey’s and I thought it was so much yummier than just the regular Hershey’s Milk Chocolate because it was softer and melted great on the cracker with the marshmallow. Hope you like almonds.
You must take wipes, lots of wipes and hand sanitizer of course. Take Ziploc bags, they come in handy for packing and storing everything. Take a potty chair for your little ones, even your bigger little ones. And even if your 15 month old isn’t good about staying in an Exersaucer or a Pack in Play at home, take them. My 13 month was perfectly happy most of the time in them because she was outside and had lots to see. They kept me sane, gave her room to move around and kept her much cleaner.
For meals, eat hot dogs, pork and beans, peanut butter sandwiches, chips and all things unhealthy but super easy.
We went for 2 nights, I think it was a perfect amount of time to get our feet wet, and it be worth all the work of getting ready. We also only went about an hour and 45 minutes from home, I wouldn’t go too far from home.
That’s my advice, you can check out my 12 Things Camping Made Me Realize here: http://sippycupsandfingerprints.blogspot.com/2009/06/12-things-that-camping-made-me-realize.html
Have fun, it’s so worth all the work to go!