5 Tips for Camping with Boys

This past winter we decided to start looking for an affordable way to vacation.

We all know that hotels and vacation spots are becoming more and more expensive. We saved up and decided to buy a little pop up camper to start with. It is an older model but has been taken care of by an elderly couple. We worked on it most of the winter months, and this past Memorial Day weekend we took it on our very first camping trip.

We have three boys. They are 7, 5, and 7 months.

After taking our little pop up camping for two nights/three days I thought I would share 5 tips when you are camping with kids.

1. Use a Large Tub and put all of the kids outdoor toys in it. We brought items like bad mitten, sand buckets and shovels, Frisbee, baseball bat and ball, bike helmets, and basketballs. This will eliminate all of the kids toys thrown all over your camper and camp site.

2. Find cheap bicycles for the WHOLE family. This makes camping so much fun. When we first got to the campsite we rode with our boys to give boundaries as to where and how far they could ride the remainder of the trip. Trust me: your kids will be on their bikes about 80% of the trip. 

3. Bring extra clothes for each child and create their own spot in the camper/tent for their clothes. This makes it easier on you when they need to change. Our two older boys can read so before we go on the trip I make them to do lists for packing. They pack their own clothes.

4. Don't expect things to go perfect and smooth the first go around. Chances are many things will go wrong. Establish your rules for your children. Tell them if they are old enough to help set up camp, then they cannot play until the camp site is all set up.

5. Plan their meals. Create a snack area. You want to plan out all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) for each day you are camping. It is also nice to have a basket or tub of kid snack. If they get hungry in between meals then you can tell them to visit the snack basket without your help. Make sure to have a fridge or a large cooler of ice at all times.

I hope this was some what helpful. I feel that going camping especially for boys is so memorable. These are the great bonding experiences they will remember forever.

Enjoy your summer!