Things to Bring When Camping with Kids

Camping is not for every family, but the families who do camp as a communal hobby can make memories for years around the campfire. While camping forces the family together, it can also be tough to deal if the family forgets some integral piece of equipment or entertainment at home.

When journeying out for a camping adventure with the family, making sure you have everything you need becomes much more important. What type of camping trip you intend to embark on will likely determine the supplies.

No matter how you are camping, you will want to bring all of the standard camping supplies. Sleeping bags, tents, food for the trip, ways to cook that food if you don’t plan on cooking over a fire, and bug spray are all things you should have whether you’re camping at a well-attended campground or off the beaten path. If you are camping with a pop-up trailer or recreational vehicle instead of a tent, these basics change a little bit. Bedding for the beds, the proper equipment to hook up to campground utilities and food will all be needed.

Grilling and camping with kids © Pojoslaw – Dreamstime.com

If you are planning to teach your kids how to build a campfire and want to get the blaze going in a timely manner, bring some newspaper to get it going. If the forecast in your camping destination has been wet, it might not hurt to bring some fuel for the fire.

Once the fire is all set, you’re going to want to make sure you have the proper ingredients to make s’mores for the kids. This is a great activity for the entire family and can take awhile.

Depending on how far outside of civilization you plan to travel, it is also a good idea to bring a radio to keep the music coming when you lose cellular service. It is also a good idea to pack a few CDs in case you are out of radio range for your favorite station.

Finally, bring some things to entertain the kids for the downtime. Bring flying discs, footballs or any other kind ball kids can throw around and have fun with. Try to stay away from electronic devices and handheld gaming devices, like the Nintendo Switch, to keep the spirit of camping and the outdoors alive.