Hint: It’s more about the mentality than the gear.
“Now I see the secret of making the best person, it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.” ― Walt Whitman
Camping is in my blood- I grew camping with my family, and my parents threw the three of us kids in the back of the ’88 red Volvo station wagon and we towed a tent trailer around the western US during my childhood. We visited Mesa Verde, the Redwoods, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and many more. I have such fond and formative memories of camping with my family.
I firmly believe it is why I have such a passion for the outdoors, sustainability and protecting the environment. I owe so much to my parents for instilling this love in me.
Although we are now really “glamping” in our new airstream, I still wanted to write a post about how we camp with our kids–whether that is high style in our Airstream Flying Cloud trailer or tent camping and rooftop camping with our Tepui.
Camping shapes kids (and all of us) in so many positive ways
Camping (at any age, but especially with kids) teaches problem solving, grit, patience, and how to develop a sense of adventure. On every trip, there is going to be something that doesn’t go as expected- weather, road/park closures, broken/ forgotten gear, unexpected animal visitors, malfunctioning equipment, tantrums (by both the adults AND the children), unexpected terrain- you name it…we’ve seen it. Due to this- I feel like camping also teaches how to be resilient and to go with the flow when life throws curve balls. These are valuable lessons that I wish to pass on to my girls.
And so my first piece of advice is simple–when that tire goes flat, or you realize someone forgot the matches, take a breath, and hold tight to your sense of humor. There WILL be a hiccup (or several!), and the best thing you can do for your partner, your kids and your sanity is to remember to keep your sense of humor.
Remember- your kids are watching how you react to the hiccups, and this is an ideal time to model how to problem solve, how to laugh and how to roll with the punches.
Remember: the goal is not perfection, but time together
Second, I am going to ask you to shift your expectations. Here me out on this- I am not saying come with an attitude that camping with kids is going to be horrible. Instead, come with the idea that riding bikes around the campsite, rolling around in the dirt, building troll houses with sticks, messy faces, dirty hands and filthy clothes are the essence of camping. My father always says “it’s a gift to be simple”- Casey and I often repeat this phrase to each other, and we use it as a reminder that enjoying the little moments are KEY to happiness.
It’s OK not to go and see a million things and hike a bunch of miles on your camping trip. That hike may end up being .5 miles, or the campsite may be as far as you go and THAT’S OK. Enjoy the sticky marshmallow hands, the grubby camp hands and soak in every bit of WONDER that you can.
Finally,
The Nitty Gritty
When it comes to things like naptime, bedtime etc, I think you really need to do what works best for you and your family. We often just do a “nap on the go” situation and make sure there is a kid carrier or stroller nap SOMEWHERE in the day. We are willing to compromise on the strict nap and bedtime routine and schedule for a short period if it means we get to get our and have some epic adventures.
Other quick tips:
- bring chairs for the kids to sit in while hanging at camp
- bikes are a must- some afternoons are spent just riding the loops at the campground
- for long haul trips- see my reel about car entertainment for kids
- scavenger hunts and candy make hikes much more exciting for kiddos (and grown ups)
- DON’T forget to bring laundry detergent if you’re planning on using the laundr-o-mat ( many campsites have then onsite)
- There’s no shame in using firestarter, just sayin.
Some of my favorite camp gear: these are not affiliate links but if you buy them from Sport’s Basement you are supporting my local company in the Bay Area that does amazing things for their local communities, plus my hubby works for them 🙂 In a future post I’ll flesh out these recs a bit!
Have fun out there!
