Are you planning to take your children camping soon? Maybe you’ve been planning to celebrate their birthday by taking them on their first camping adventure. If you love spending time outdoors and you want your children to share your passion, then you should introduce them to adventurous activities from a young age. Here are some helpful hacks to transform this activity into a fun experience they will definitely want to repeat.
Use clear tubs to pack your things
Camping this time is different, you are taking your children and you have to make sure that you have enough supplies for all of you. Organize everything ahead if you want to have the best experience together with the kids. You should make a list with all the camping supplies you need and label them to know exactly what every package includes.
Your campsite will be your house for a weekend and you have to make sure that you can easily identify things and grab them when you need them. You should buy some large plastic tubes because they are easy to label and store. You should have a tube for every one of the following categories: clothes and laundry, sleeping bags and tents, toys, bathing and bathroom, food and snacks, kitchen supplies, and entertainment.
Choose the campground
If you want to celebrate your children’s birthday by going on their first camping trip then the camping spot is quite important. The best choice is a local campground, especially if the kids want to invite some of their friends to join you on the trip. Not all the children may want to stay overnight, so you should choose an easily accessible spot where the guests can easily reach. You should always have a backup plan when camping with children if the weather turns nasty you should have no difficulties traveling back to civilization.
If their guests are planning to spend the night at the campground, you should ask them to bring their own equipment. A parent should accompany every child under 10 years old, you should not assume the role of chaperone for a large group of children because things can easily go out of hand.
Set up a hand and foot washing station
Setting up a washing station is essential when camping with children. You will need a single or double jug that has an open/closed spout that controls the water flow. You should check the local store to buy one of these if you don’t already have one. You will also need a washing basin, you can use a plastic bin to create one. You will wash your dirty feet by stepping into it. Place a towel or blanket close to the basin to dry off your feet when you step out of the basin. You should bring extra water because you need plenty of drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing your feet and hands.
Do not forget to bring some soap and wash
clothes to scrub the dirt off, they are quite helpful for removing the dirt
between little fingers and toes.
Plan the food
Keep it simple when it comes to food, it doesn’t matter if you are taking the children on a regular camping trip or you are planning one to celebrate their birthday. If they are celebrating their birthday, you should plan it similarly to an overnight picnic. You will cook hot dogs over the campfire, burgers on the BBQ, bring some potato salad from home, and fry some chicken.
You should pay attention to some packing hacks
- Use your old condiment containers to store pre-made pancake mix to easily cook breakfast in the morning.
- Use tic-tac containers to bring spices for cooking; don’t take all your kitchen pantry with you.
- If you have trouble starting the fire, you can use chips because they have an extra bit of grease.
- Freezing jugs of water will help you keep your food cold and safe. Also, they’ll melt and transform into the drinking water you can later use.
Don’t forget about the cake
If you are celebrating your kids’ birthday by planning a camping trip you will have to bring cake. You have two options, you either bring one bought from a local store, or you make one at the camp. You should not buy an ice cream cake or a cold cake because you’ll not have a large refrigerator at hand to keep it cold enough. If you choose to make one at the camp spot, you should not forget to bring birthday ribbons to embellish it. Also, don’t forget the balloons for decorations. A great idea is to create a pyramid of brownies and put the candle on its top. Cookies are a great dish for all camping trips, especially when children participate.
Take nighttime safety measures
You should not leave home without some glow sticks, they are cheap and you can buy them from a local store. You should string them together and ask your children to wear them as anklets, bracelets, or necklaces, you will find it easier to keep track of them during the night. The best trick to obtain more illumination is to place some glow sticks in water bottles, the children will feel more comfortable sleeping in the woods if they have a source of light nearby.
You should also bring some headlamps, you can buy them at an inexpensive price so make sure every member of the camp has one.
Don’t forget to bring along some entertainment
If this is the children’s first camping trip then they may get bored and you will have to keep them entertained. You should pack a tube with toys and bring them with you, make sure that you leave home all the electronic items. You can bring an extra tent to create a play area for the children. This way you keep the kids busy while you are cooking, cleaning the sleeping bags, or changing the place of the tent.
This may be the 20th camping adventure for you but if it’s the first time you are taking the children then these hacks will change the experience and will make your life easier.
