Topic: camping
Camping Tips For Families
written by Nicole Munoz
Camping outdoors is a great way for families to spend quality
time together, but it can sometimes get stressful for parents,
especially those with small children. Planning and preparation
are the keys to success in any event, so take a little time
before your outing to plan some fun camping activities for the
kids as well as the whole family.
To make things easier on you and your children, pack each day’s
clothing in a separate plastic bag. At night, your little ones
can return their dirty clothes to the bag and keep their clean
items separate from the dirty laundry. Allow each child to
choose a toy or two to bring along, but encourage them to keep
it simple. Books, stuffed animals, or puzzle magazines are
good choices. 
Provide each child with their own flashlight for the camping
trip. A personal light is not only fun for kids, it can make
them feel more comfortable in the dark night air. Flashlights
or personal lanterns allow children to read before bed, make
shadow puppets in their tent, and make it safely to the
bathroom at night. You may consider giving each child a
Coleman for kids Illumistick when the sun goes down. Once
activated the cool glow stick will provide light for up to
twelve hours, long enough to make it until sunrise.
Enlist each child’s help in preparation, meal time, and
planning activities. Let young children help make trail mix
for the trip and older children can pack their own suitcases.
Plan one major activity each day, like hiking, horseback
riding, or kayaking, and allow your children to explore the
outdoors in their own way the rest of the time. Allow older
children to help prepare meals and assign everyone a meal time
duty, like setting the table or cleaning up.
Review your family camping rules before leaving for your trip
and again when you set up camp. Remind your young children to
stay within your view and older children to never go out of
earshot. If your school age children are sleeping in their own
tent, pitch the tent next to yours and provide them with a
whistle in case they get lost or hurt while playing. Review
the rules of nature etiquette with your children as well.
Remind them to keep their voices down and to never pick the
flowers or disturb the animals. Tell your children to stay on
the marked trails while hiking and to always throw away their
trash.
When you are camping with children, safety is usually a primary
concern. Always carry a first aid kit with bandages, antibiotic
cream, pain reliever, and any allergy medications. Remind your
children that they can only play near fire or water if an adult
is supervising the activity and make them avoid areas with
ledges or steep drops while alone. Keep children in the middle
if you go hiking or horseback riding to protect them from falls,
snakes, and becoming lost and remember to check everyone for
ticks each night.
About The Author: For more tips and information about Camping
Tips for Families, check out http://www.summitcampinggear.com.
