I love camping. When I had kids, I had to shift how I think about camping a little bit. The needs change along with the age of the kid. I’ve been taking my kids camping with me since they were infants and picked up a few tips and tricks along the way.
Babies (completely dependent – limited mobility)
Camping with babies is the second hardest of the list in my opinion. The only thing that makes it hard, is the lack of water and electricity in a camping situation. Even when you have a good waterspout and decent water for camping, it's still not like at home. Sterilizing bottles, keeping milk from spoiling, warming up bottles, and bath time I found were my biggest camping struggles with this age group. If you breast feed, the whole bottle and milk situation is easy-peasy. If you are bottle feeding these are some hurdles. I was camping with my infant for over a week and needed to come up with solutions. I decided that nothing was going to be sterile camping, no matter how diligent I tried to be. I got a breast-feeding bottle, with disposable inserts, and filled them with formula. This way I wasn’t washing and trying to boil bottles my entire trip. I also used powdered formula, and bottled water, instead of liquid formula to avoid spoiling. I would leave the bottled water out of the cooler, so they would warm with the weather. As for bath time, I filled a kiddie pool with water, and let them play in the water during the day while it was hot out. This is perfect for bath time. I used the pack and play as a crib, and extra blankets (no matter how warm it is). I anticipated on hot weather, and the temperature dropped to 50 degrees. I couldn’t sleep all night worried my baby was too cold.
Toddlers – very mobile – but no sense of danger
This was the hardest stage in my experience. My kids all were fascinated by campfire, and just want to get just a little bit closer to it. I always felt like this age was the time that my kids were testing me to see if I could keep them alive. If they can’t climb yet, bring baby gates! If they are too big for play pens or baby gates, the biggest thing for this age is education. Teach them about fire safety and show them that its hot. Let them feel the heat in the area. To keep them staying put during mealtimes, I love camp highchairs. They can sit at the table with everyone else, and they are locked in for a few minutes so you too can have a meal. Potty training, or even going potty alone can be a challenge when this age group is camping with you. Keeping a travel potty in the tent is not a bad idea. It can keep them on track for potty training, and is small for them, unlike most porter potties. Since this is an exciting time for them, and they do tend to wander, be sure to pack them bright clothing, so you can see them quickly and easily. For nighttime, give them glow stick bracelets. I used to put them on my kids’ ankles, so they weren’t tempted to take it off or play with it.
Little Kids – Basic Sense of Danger – little forethought
Camping with little kids is not bad. They are interested in the world around them and understand the dangers of the outdoors…. for the most part. This is the age when “I’m bored” can happen, so be sure to have some activities planned and available. Review the boundaries they are allowed to wander on their own and discuss ahead of time if they are allowed to go to the bathroom alone or not. Give them a whistle in case they get lost or are in danger. Discuss the dangers of the area with them, such as if there is a nearby cliff, road, river, or wild animals. Look for teachable moments. Little kids love routine, so it’s a good idea to bring pillows from home or their favorite blanket. Stick with your home routine for bedtime. Put them in pajamas, brush teeth and read a few books if that’s what you do at home.
Big Kids – Little Adults
Big Kids and teens can help setting up, packing, and helping with tasks around camp. Not only are you keeping them busy, but you are also teaching them things they’ll need to do when they camp as adults. Give your older kids a sense of independence by giving them their own tent and encourage independent activity and exploration. Be sure to keep them hydrated and well-rested. Dehydration, fatigue and hunger make them near impossible to deal with at this age. With that said, let them sleep in and enjoy some quiet time to yourself.
You’re not going to create the perfect experience the first or even second time out. Take notes at the end of each trip to remind yourself what you should bring next time, what you can leave behind or how you might do things differently.