Why Camping With Kids Is A Great Idea

When camping with kids plan in advance what activities you will be doing, even if you are bringing teens. A little thinking ahead and a few props will keep even most bored teens interested and part of your family...which to us is the whole point of our camping vacation. Usually our days are so jam-packed with activities, even if we don't leave the campsite, that by the second night of camping the kids (and adults) have no problem sleeping, in fact...they usually drop off voluntarily!

Outdoor activities and camping with kids are two topics that complement each other beautifully. Simple camping activities and camping games keep most younger kids entertained, as does bringing along a few loved toys from home that might adapt to the outdoors perfectly. Teens love the rough and rugged camping activities...teach them to build a campfire and put them in charge of finding the materials and lighting it.

What? Camping activities indoors? Absolutely! I always make sure I have activities for the car ride, and camping games for inside as well, to keep them occupied during inclement weather or while you are taking care of cooking or other things that need to be done. Whether you are in a cabin or a tent, there usually will be someplace to take cover (in our case we usually put up a dining fly, but many campgrounds also have a hall of some sort with activities, WIFI, or just a comfortable place to sit) and everyone will be wanting something to do.

Finally, camping stories and camping songs are great to tell and sing while sitting around the fire. The young ones love the songs...the older ones roll their eyes and think everyone is so corny! On the other hand, everyone usually loves the stories...just make sure the teens don't tell camping stories that will scare the little ones (or themselves) so much they won't want to sleep in their tents!

I love all the positive effects when it comes to camping with kids. Taking my kids camping means we spend lots of time together and I don't have to keep pulling them away from the electronics. We spend time working together, doing things around the campsite. And we sit around the campfire and enjoy each others company, talking and laughing. I love that my camping children have an appreciation for the beauty of the outdoors and the wonder of nature, and I hope that you enjoy camping with your kids and they fall in love with it as well.